More Than a Warm Welcome

Oakwood's therapy dogs, Yoda and Misia, were recently featured in Virginia Living magazine. And while they are gaining some public attention, we are grateful for the essential work they quietly perform for our community all year long. 

Students arrive at Oakwood from many different starting points. Some are nervous about changing schools, while others may have struggled to keep pace with their peers despite hard work. Whether a student carries anxiety or is eager for a fresh start, our students share a common need for a school that prioritizes their emotional and educational well-being. 

That's part of why Yoda and Misia matter. 

On the first day of school, before students ever reach their classrooms, they are greeted by Yoda. It's a small thing, but it's not accidental. A wagging tail and an enthusiastic presence can do something that a welcome speech can't: it can make a nervous kid exhale. 

Yoda belongs to Kim Hiday, the owner of McLean Speech & Language, Oakwood's on-campus speech-language partner. Together, they teach communication classes for students in grades 1-6 during which they provide lessons around pragmatic language and executive function skills, including reading social cues, organizing thoughts, and navigating real-time conversations. 

Inside the building, Misia, owned by Jeanine Cyrwus, Oakwood's Director of Outreach & Literacy, is a calm, steady presence. She is a familiar face in hallways and classrooms, and sometimes that's exactly what a student needs: a few minutes with Misia to reset between classes, decompress after a presentation, or a partner during a quiet brain break. 

Both dogs are fixtures on campus, and their presence reaches beyond comfort and companionship to support instructional moments, especially with reading. 

For students who are building fluency and confidence in reading aloud, the pressure of reading in front of an adult, even a patient, encouraging one, can feel like a test. There's pressure to get it right, and a general awareness that the person listening can recognize your mistakes. 

Reading to a dog, however, offers a different experience. Dogs provide a non-judgmental environment free from correction or reactive body language. This setting creates a multisensory experience that supports retention and engagement while lowering the emotional stakes. As a result, students can relax and focus on their progress. 

Research supports this: studies on reading with dog programs have shown that students often make faster progress in fluency when reading to a trained therapy dog than when reading to adults alone. Likely because reduced anxiety frees up cognitive resources. 

But Misia and Yoda aren't in the building because of a study. They're here because we pay attention to what it's like to be a student at Oakwood. 

A sixth-grader recently conducted independent research on the impact of therapy dogs in schools. He found that dogs also support social skills by acting as neutral conversation starters that encourage students to connect with one another. The research aligns with what we observe daily at Oakwood. Yoda and Misia do more than comfort individual students; they help shape our community. They provide students with common ground, something to talk about, something to look forward to, and a sense of connection that makes our school environment unique. 

School should be a place of joy, support, and success. Sometimes that starts with a dog at the door. 

Oakwood School serves students in grades 1–8 with dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and ADHD in Annandale, Virginia. Our approach goes beyond academics; we build a school environment where students feel calm, supported, and ready to learn. Discover more about Oakwood's programs, community, and admissions.