West Elementary has a new staff member. His name is Rocky.

Editor's Note: Corene D'Addona is married to Sentinel sports editor Dan D'Addona.

HOLLAND — About a month into the school year, one new staff member at Holland West Elementary is having a particularly paw-sitive impact on students.

Rocky, a golden retriever who trained throughout the summer, has quickly become a vital staff member.

He lives with Corene D’Addona, a speech and language pathologist who serves as his home handler. Rocky spends his days supporting students throughout the building. In his first few months on the job, he's already played a key role in helping students acclimate.

“One benefit has been just reducing the anxiety of coming back to school and being in new classrooms and being with new teachers,” D’Addona said.

“Another benefit would be for our students with autism who are having hard moments, hard days. Rocky provides that opportunity to just be with him and be calm.”

In addition to D'Addona, four other staff members are trained as facility handlers. They include social worker Kristin Douma, special education teacher Patty Ferguson, support staff member Susie Payne, and speech language pathologist Courtney DuMouchelle.

Ferguson said Rocky has been a great addition to the building and a huge help in her classroom.

"A lot of our students struggle with transitions during the school day, and he’s really able to support them when they’re transitioning from a preferred activity to a non-preferred activity," she said.

A typical day for Rocky begins by greeting students as they arrive for the day. Students give Rocky plenty of pets and hugs on their way to class.

“Everybody starts out with that positive interaction,” D’Addona said.

Once school starts, Rocky travels the building with Payne to make sure students get to class. He then sits in with students during one-on-one therapy sessions with D’Addona or Douma. After that, he rotates through various classrooms to support and encourage positive student behavior.

Twice a week, on Thursdays and Fridays, he acts as a reading buddy during "Reading with Rocky."

“Some of our kids that may not need him for support still get to have that experience,” D’Addona said.

Rocky came to Holland through Paws with a Cause , a nonprofit based in Wayland. D’Addona worked with Ferguson, West Elementary Principal Chad Tolson and Holland Middle School Teacher Kristin Constantino.

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Several organizations and individuals donated funds to bring Rocky to West Elementary. Support came from the Holland Education Foundation, the Lugers Family Foundation, Janet Lugers and Marilyn Hoffer. D’Addona also thanked Jennifer Telgenhof, who she said was “instrumental” in coordinating funding and support.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com .

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: West Elementary has a new staff member. His name is Rocky.