Students in Sydney's west will be joined by a furry friend to help with return to school anxiety.
Yale, a guide dog Labrador, has been trained as a wellbeing dog and is the newest employee at Trinity Catholic Primary School in Kemps Creek.
The therapy dog was brought in to help ease students and teachers back into the new term.
It's hoped Yale will help relieve any nerves after the past two years of disrupted schooling due to COVID-19.
"We decided to get a dog as part of one of the strategies in our return to school after COVID-19," Principal Cathy Hey said.
"We thought it would be really good for the students wellbeing and staff wellbeing in terms of improving attendance and in terms of making people feel good about being at school."
Yale will be used as part of a "reward system" where students will be able to opt to spend time with him if they're achieving their goals.
Students at the school are already ecstatic about the new employee.
"It's very exciting," one student told 9News.
He will live with one of the teachers but will be brought into school every day to act as a calming influence on students.
9 News
Latest news and headlines from Australia and the world
From Facebook
-
18 Feb 2026
From Facebook
✝️Ash Wednesday✝️ Today, we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is a special time when we prepare our hearts for Easter by becoming closer to God. This year is also a Year of Jubilee—a time to remember God’s love for everyone, to say sorry for things we’ve done wrong, and to start fresh.
13 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Assembly Week 3 Our 1st Assembly for 2026. At Trinity we celebrated all the hard learning students have completed in the last 2 weeks. Congratulations to all our Merit award recipients, students that had birthdays and to the students heading to the zone swimming carnival next week.
More News
18 Feb 2026
From Facebook
✝️Ash Wednesday✝️ Today, we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Lent is a special time when we prepare our hearts for Easter by becoming closer to God. This year is also a Year of Jubilee—a time to remember God’s love for everyone, to say sorry for things we’ve done wrong, and to start fresh.
13 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Assembly Week 3 Our 1st Assembly for 2026. At Trinity we celebrated all the hard learning students have completed in the last 2 weeks. Congratulations to all our Merit award recipients, students that had birthdays and to the students heading to the zone swimming carnival next week.
11 Feb 2026
From Facebook
2026 Trinity Swimming Carnival On Monday students participated in the twilight swimming carnival well done to all students on a great effort. Congratulations to those moving onto the Zone Carnival.
10 Feb 2026
Choosing a School: A Guide for Parents
Choosing a school is a big moment. Right up there with choosing a pram, a first pet or agreeing to sign your child up for weekend sport for the next decade. It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed, but take a breath. This guide is here to make the process feel lighter, clearer and a lot less daunting, so you can feel confident you’re asking the right questions and find a school that truly fits your child for any grade.
05 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Sports Day Yesterday students enjoyed sport with ZING Activ - learning fundamental movement with the ballsports program.
04 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Welcome Kindergarten 2026 Yesterday at Trinity we welcomed our Kindergarten Class for 2026. Students has a wonderful first day exploring the school, learning & making new friends. Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
31 Jan 2026
From Facebook
Term 1 - Week 1 at Trinity This past week Staff have been busy completing mandatory training, CPR and preparing the classrooms for the new school year. Students we are ready for your return 😀. We can't wait to see Years 1-6 on Monday & Kindy for your 1st day on Tuesday.
28 Jan 2026
From Facebook
2026 Summer Uniform Requirements - Please ensure students are in full summer uniform including their own school hat. Please ensure all items are clearly labelled with the student name.
24 Jan 2026
From Facebook
✏️We're excited to introduce our amazing Kindergarten teachers for 2026 ✏️
