Classroom Support Dog Gets To Work At Sudbury Elementary School

SUDBURY, MA — The new kid at Peter Noyes Elementary School already has hundreds of friends.

Sophie, a 21-month-old Labrador Retriever, had her first day on the job Tuesday at Peter Noyes Elementary School in Sudbury as a classroom support dog. She will help students with everything from socializing students during recess to fetching items for them.

Assistant Principal Kristin Moffat brought Sophie to Sudbury through the Princeton-based NEADS Service Dogs program. Noyes students and parents raised money in early 2020 to purchase and train Sophie.

Moffat learned about the NEADS program more than a decade ago, when students at Noyes were given the opportunity to name a classroom support dog who went on to work at Burlington High School. That dog, named Scooter, visited Peter Noyes, and caused a big reaction. That led Moffat to pursue bringing a dog to the school full-time.

Students at Peter Noyes will be able to earn time with Sophie as a reward for achievements in school, according to the district.

"We will primarily use her in a situation where we are trying to incentivize students," Moffat said in a news release. "She has already made a huge difference, and it is only going to get better from here."

In the months leading up to Sophie's arrival, Peter Noyes students were given stuffed Labrador dolls to practice, a gift from the Sudbury Parent-Teacher Organization. Moffat will serve as Sophie's handler in the school, and recently took handler training courses.

"Sophie will be a huge benefit for some of the youngest students in the district, and it’s easy to see she’s already made a significant impact in just a day,” Superintendent Brad Crozier said in a news release. "Thank you to Assistant Principal Moffat and everyone who helped to make this a reality. I could not be prouder of all that they have done and for the support we have received from the start."