Smart dogs train at PRHS to help college students by Kelley Handy (Photo credit to Bianca L'Italien)

You’ve noticed a few dogs running the halls here at PRHS, right? OK, maybe they're not running, but they're walking around with students and they're easy to spot. They are, quite literally, college bound.

These dogs are in training to become service dogs for college students who have physical impairments. I am sure you have seen or heard about me taking a few falls here and there. Picture someone like me in college with a  dog that is trained to help people walk, open doors, pick things up, and do “every day” activities that most of us take for granted. Of course, these dogs make for great companions.

These five puppies come to school every other day to learn the correct way to behave in a school setting. Students and their parents work 24/7 preparing these dogs. While most of you are sleeping on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m., student dog trainers and their dogs are at PRHS, working on and learning new skills.

Emily Buell and her family started the College Bound Canines program here in Maine when she moved from Arizona. The program there was going well until unforeseen and unavoidable situations developed. When Titan was left with no handler, Emily happily stepped up to the plate. Sadly, Titan could not be remain in the program due to bladder issues. But the Buells kept him at home, even though he was no longer a PRHS student! Now he is the ambassador of the program and demonstrates his skill whenever needed.

There are many different feelings surrounding the dogs being here at Poland. But for the most part, students seem to enjoy having them.

“It makes it feel like you’re more at home, and more comfortable with them here,” said Ms. Ross, who has helped with this program as well.

The major concern is allergies. “We want this program but there’s only so much we can do, said our principal, Ms. Medd. “I know it’s a huge commitment and these students should be commended for it.”

Although her dog training job is stressful, Emily Buell enjoys the rewards that this program gives. She enjoys helping people and dogs. Put these two together and it is a perfect fit for Emily.

"It's going to give (college students) more independence,'' Emily said. “ It's going to help them out all the way through the rest of their dog's life. It'll open doors for them in college. It'll make a difference in somebody's life in a really, really positive way."

College Bound Canines continue to move forward every day one step at a time. If you are interested in learning more about this program please visit www.collegeboundcanines.com and watch a video showing what these dogs will be able to do after there training!

What is SRB and Why You Should Know More About It By Kelley Handy

If you want to know how student events are planned at our school, ask a member of the Student Representative Body, also known as SRB. They are not hard to find; we have 32 members of SRB.

The Student Representative Body consists of eight students from each graduation class -- seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen.  SRB is the form of student government we use here at Poland Regional High School -- a major change that took place last year. 

The new model is based on student government at Bonny Eagle;  we took their idea and tweaked a bit. We changed the number of representatives, and we included all class officers.  

“Another  change and plus is that advisers are involved, have more communication with each other, and are more aware of what’s going on in the student body” says Mr. Novak, who is largely responsible for the overhaul of student government. 

Students meet once or twice a month on Thursdays, during lunch and Roundtable, to plan events, discuss issues among students, and organize fundraising for each class. They also meet occasionally at night.

“It’s a place for peers to mentor to the younger grades” so they know what to do in the future when they’re seniors, says Mr. Novak. Older students mentoring  younger students is exciting, Novak said. 

Many students and teachers believe that it is wonderful to see students taking charge of their school. Because of the increased number of fights earlier this year, SRB will be trying to figure out a way to decrease the amount of bullying in the school. But some representatives have already taken the initiative and have talked to their class about this issue. SRB is helping student leaders learn how to take charge -- and take responsibility.

The hardest thing about SRB, according to Novak,  is making sure everyone says what they think. The major concern is that a freshman might not say what he or she thinks because a senior is sitting in the next seat. However, a freshman or sophomore opinion and vote are just as important as opinions or votes from juniors or seniors.  That happens to be major difference between our form of government and Bonnie Eagle’s -- all grades have equal vote. 

Not everyone in SRB agrees all the time. SRB has healthy debates, followed by voting, followed by acceptance of the outcome. The system is based on mutual respect. 

SRB does not work alone; their proposals and ideas go hand in hand with Vision Keepers, the high school’s policy making board consisting of faculty members, students and a community member. SRB members appoints two students to be on Vision Keepers, but they are not allowed to be on SRB also. Any and all proposals are reviewed by the Vision Keepers to see if they can become policy, or the official way we do things at PRHS.

SRB is also connected with the PRHS Judiciary Board, also known as JBoard. JBoard serves as an in-school court for a variety of student discipline issues. In addition, “JBoard serves as the court of impeachment for SRB,” explains senior Cameron Woodford. If SRB votes “yes” to impeach someone from student government, the proposal goes to JBoard, which has the final say. 

“SRB is the best form of government we’ve had because it allows a place or student leaders to come together, discusses issues and for each class to have an equal say.” says Mr. Novak