Deputy Josh Ireland (left) and Hamilton Heights Youth Assistance’s Mary Ann Haymaker established the “Puppy Pound” at Hamilton Heights Elementary. (Photo provided)
There’s a new incentive for students at Hamilton Heights Elementary School to put forth their best efforts at all times. School Resource Office Josh Ireland in partnership with Mrs. Haymaker from the Youth Assistance Program established the “Puppy Pound,” a technology free zone at the school. Grand opening for the Puppy Pound was Nov. 16.
Similar to the Dog Pound at Hamilton Heights Middle School, the Puppy Pound is an area where students can get away from the distractions of technology and enjoy direct interaction with their peers. To use the Puppy Pound, students are nominated by teachers for outstanding behavior and citizenship. The students can then have lunch in the Pound and stay through recess if they choose to do so.
The Puppy Pound is stocked with board games, corn hole, and other activities designed to promote interaction and communication between students, getting them away from phones and other technology devices. Students are provided the opportunity to intermingle with others outside their immediate group of friends and classmates in order to widen their scope of communication and experiences.
The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office provides full-time School Resource Officers at the Hamilton Heights School District. In addition to providing increased security at the schools, the deputies also instruct students in various appropriate topics and provide positive interactions between law enforcement and youth.