How a therapy dog, meditation and Indigenous language transformed this outback school
By Indigenous affairs correspondent Isabella Higgins and the specialist reporting team s Kirstie Wellauer
Posted 2
Two Dareton students read to the school s therapy dog Sheekie during class.
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Meditation, a therapy dog and traditional Aboriginal games might not be what most people remember from their school years.
Key points:
Principal Michael Coleman used unconventional methods, including a dog named Sheekie, to bring about change
In a year, suspensions were down by almost 65 percent, and extreme incidents down by 90 percent
But it s these unconventional strategies that are transforming the lives of the primary students at Dareton Public School.