Daisy the school dog is the latest staff member at Melrose Primary School in Wodonga in north-east Victoria.

Key points: Daisy, the school dog, lives with the principal and is considered a full-time staff member starting her 'job' at 9:00am each day

Daisy, the school dog, lives with the principal and is considered a full-time staff member starting her 'job' at 9:00am each day Being a groodle, Daisy doesn't shed hair and is appropriate for children with allergy issues

Being a groodle, Daisy doesn't shed hair and is appropriate for children with allergy issues Teachers have noticed an improvement in students' emotional wellbeing, as well as school attendance

Daisy has only been at the school for one term, but the six-month-old groodle is already having an impact on classroom wellbeing.

Assistant principal Darren Clough said Daisy was introduced into the classroom at the beginning of term three to expand the school's wellbeing program.

"We have partnered with Grant Shannon from Dogs Connect to have a Dogs in School program," Mr Clough said.

"We have an established wellbeing program at the school and this is a pivotal way to extend that program and further enhance what we already do at the school."

Mr Clough said the program involved Mr Shannon training students and teachers with his own dogs and during the process the school's dog, Daisy, was introduced into the classroom.

"Grant sourced Daisy and made sure she was appropriate for the environment," he said.

"She doesn't shed hair, is hypoallergenic. We have got the right dog who suits our environment very well."

Grant Shannon ran sessions with students and staff to demonstrate what can be done with a dog. ( ABC Goulburn Murray: Allison Jess )

Mr Shannon said the program was about having a dog as a permanent member of the school's community to support staff and student mental wellbeing.

"It's about helping regulate kids' emotions and contributing to a calm environment … Daisy helps students read other people's emotions and essentially be smart with their feelings," he said.

"We have conversations about how we bring a certain type of energy into an interaction with a dog.

"And how we can have awareness around that, and that brings awareness to our own body language, our breathing, our approach, understanding the dog's body language, and how the dog reacts and mirrors or absorbs that energy."

Mr Shannon said students learn about empathy, self-regulation, and escalated and de-escalated types of energy.

Ms Daisy's day

Mr Clough said Daisy lived with the school's principal and his family.

"When the day starts at 9:00am she is essentially like a teaching staff member, she has her timetable and is essentially working," he said.

Assistant principal Darren Clough said Daisy can take the focus off a child's worries. ( ABC Goulburn Murray: Allison Jess )

He said there was not a student in the school who had not formed a connection with Daisy, and both student and staff mental health and wellbeing had improved.

"We have kids who sometimes don't have an easy life outside of school," he said.

"So being able to sit with someone and not have to express verbally what's wrong, but be in the space of someone like Daisy and have a pat, the nurturing effect that provides, that's huge for these kids."

Lifelong skills

Teacher Amy Musgrove said Daisy contributed to a calm and caring environment.

"Students are ready to engage and learn because Daisy is in the classroom and there has definitely been an improvement in on-time attendance," she said.

"They have a motivation to be on time everyday because they know that they have Daisy first thing some mornings and may come to us at other times."

Gateway Health's Sarah McQualter said students are more likely to complete their schooling when they are engaged socially and emotionally. ( ABC Goulburn Murray: Allison Jess )

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School Focused Youth Services coordinator from Gateway Health, Sarah McQualter, said her organisation partly funded the program at Melrose and Wodonga South Primary Schools.

She said the not-for-profit organisation supported people living well.

"School Focused Youth Services is a Victorian Government-funded program and supports schools and students to increase the likelihood of students completing school, particularly for students who may have barriers for attending or engaging in school," Ms McQualter said.

"For students to be more likely to complete their schooling they need to be engaged and socially and emotionally well.

"This is a program that addresses that — it teaches explicitly the social and emotional skills that students need and they are lifelong skills."

Mr Clough said Daisy had improved the students' sense of belonging in their community.

"When we have kids who want to come to school and feel like they belong to the community, that's the most important thing," he said.

"Daisy has bridged that gap with some kids who were failing to make that connection."