Polenta and Norene had a homecoming court of their own this fall. The two Evergreen High School dogs were crowned the school’s first canine king and queen at the Oct. 2 football game in Evergreen, Colorado. The school announced the honor on Oct. 5, and CBS Colorado reported from the game. Their crown ceremony grew from a daily role students already knew: welcoming people at the front of the building and spending the school day around them.
The dogs were not contestants in the student king-and-queen vote. Evergreen created a separate puppy court just for them, CBS reported. They ran uncontested and won in a landslide. Two students from each class were also named to the human homecoming court, while the dogs received a place of their own in the ceremony. Evergreen won its game against Standley Lake, CBS reported, giving the evening a familiar finish alongside the unusual royal guests.
Their regular work begins before classes. Lead counselor Amy Wells told CBS that she and Principal Skyler Artes stand near the front of the building each morning, where students can approach the dogs to pet them or talk. The dogs arrive early and stay until after the last bell. CBS even noted their pristine attendance records. That steady schedule means students encounter them as part of the school day, rather than only during a special program or assembly.
Students can also find the pair elsewhere on campus. CBS reported that they walk the halls, visit the counseling office and are present during tests to offer moral support. Their school role involves being near students in ordinary settings, with Wells and Artes serving as their handlers. The dogs are often simply available for a greeting, a few minutes of company or a pause between classes. Wells described their job simply: lie nearby, let students pet them and hang out during the school day at Evergreen.
Artes handles Norene, and Wells handles Polenta. Evergreen calls them therapy dogs. CBS reported that both adults trained as handlers after seeing the impact earlier Canine Companions dogs had on Evergreen students.
Students described different ways the pair fit into their routines. Evergreen senior Quinn McEvers told CBS that seeing them makes her happier during the day. Jackson Thomas told the station he likes their personalities and likes seeing other students come in to pet them. Those personal accounts put the dogs’ role in everyday terms: students can choose to spend a moment near them, whether they want to talk or simply greet them.
At Evergreen, the dogs are not a substitute for counseling. CBS reported that Wells noticed students she had not previously spoken with began stopping by to see them. A senior separately told the station that students could spend time with the dogs without explaining what was on their mind. Those accounts describe two parts of a school setting: dogs available for quiet company and counselors nearby when a student wants to talk.
The homecoming titles made that daily connection visible at a school event. The court gave Polenta and Norene a playful public thank-you, while their usual schedule continued around the ceremony: morning greetings, walks through the halls and time in familiar student spaces. The recognition was about the dogs’ place in the school community, not a promise of a particular result for every student who meets them.
By the end of the game, the pair had moved from morning greeters to homecoming royalty and back to the routine that makes them familiar. The school’s announcement and independent reports describe the same basic contribution: Polenta and Norene are present, day after day, where students and staff can interact with them. This year, Evergreen gave that everyday welcome a crown and a spot in its homecoming celebration.
Image note: This illustrative Pexels photo shows a golden retriever therapy dog indoors. It is not Polenta, Norene or a photograph taken at Evergreen High School.
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