Sonoma Academy is a very unique school for many reasons, but one of the most interesting is that we have dogs all over campus. It’s completely normal for dogs to be in the classroom or be taken on walks throughout the day on campus. I was curious to see what some of the staffulty who have brought dogs had to say about them and their impact on the classroom.
I first went to the PAC to interview Jen Coté about her dog Jack Jack. She adopted him from a rescue, and he was given to her because she’s apparently “good with bad dogs.” Since then, he has gotten a little bit better (“He has not!”- Juliette Coté (‘26)). He did, however, almost plummet to his death when he fell into the open pit just after the PAC opened.
When I asked if he was an improvement or a distraction to the theater and classroom environment, she said, “I actually think in all the ways that he’s a little weirdo, I do think he’s intuitive and a little bit magical.” He has the ability to read people and tell when someone needs a dog to cuddle next to or to play with…