I got a chance to sit down with Mrs.Hege and talk about Jasper, the School dog. For all of you who don’t know, Jasper has been the school dog at Rensselaer Central High School for about two full years now. I’m sure you’re wondering why Jasper is here? Let me tell you. Jasper is a canine companion at RCHS, he provides a sense of comfort and joy to the students and staff. He loves to greet and spend time near people throughout the day. Some of the students enjoy playing fetch with Jasper, while others like to give a hug or pet him. Jasper is an Australian Labradoodle. He is intuitive and does a great job of realizing when a student wants his attention.

How did Jasper get here? He got here by the generosity of the Jasper Newton Foundation, which provided the funds for Jasper and his training. It also took some meetings with the school administration and school board to come up with a plan to allow him in our building.

What kind of training did Jasper go through? He was trained for 6 weeks as a puppy at Fieldgate Farms in Sheridan, IN. He received his basic puppy training and also received his Canine Good Citizen Certificate. Jasper’s role at RCHS is to bring joy to and reduce anxiety and stress among students/staff at RCHS.

If you ever want to find Jasper, stop by Room 300-Mrs Hege’s room.