Haber Oaks’ ‘culture queen’ founded in-school store, owns school’s therapy dog

Many of the students at Haber Oaks think of the school as a second home.

Among the reasons why is Anne Whitney-Tubridy.

“Anne, to me, is just kind of our, I guess I’ll say, culture queen,” said Julie Duncan, coordinator of Off Campus Programs and administrator of the Haber Oaks campus. “It feels like everything she’s involved with is a unique identifier to what we are.”

Haber Oaks is an alternative learning program in Crystal Lake, serving all high schools in Crystal Lake-based Community High School District 155. With classes taught by special education teachers, the school focuses on “restorative and trauma sensitive approaches to support student success and development,” according to its website.

Part of District 155 for 17 years and part of the Haber Oaks family for the past decade, Whitney-Tubridy teaches health and business math at the school and serves as the proud owner of Haber’s therapy dog, a golden retriever named Henry.

Among her many contributions through the years is Haber Mart. Basically an in-school store, Haber Mart began in the back of a school closet and has grown into an essential part of the Haber experience. Duncan described it as an “anchor to the culture at Haber Oaks.”

Students in Whitney-Tubridy’s business math class were instrumental in creating the store, and others through the years have helped it evolve into what is today.

Stocked with items donated from the community, Haber Mart allows students to buy products, such as hats, coats, sweatshirts, hygiene items, food, snacks and school supplies, using Haber bucks they earn as reward for positive achievements both in and outside the classroom.

The employees of Haber Mart are the students themselves, working jobs like cashier and greeter. They learn what it’s like to run a business, Whitney-Tubridy said, while the customers benefit from the items they get to buy.

Always valuable at the school, Haber Mart especially helped families during the pandemic, offering essentials at accessible prices for families in need.

“It’s really good for the kids. Whether it’s health class or adult living class or consumer math class, it gives everybody the chance to be the employee and be consumer service and practice a few job skills and social skills,” Whitney-Tubridy said.

“I just think for the kids it builds self-confidence,” she said. “For a lot of our kids, they struggle with anxiety, … and for them to have that extra practice with social skills, I think is really good.”

Along with her teaching degree, Whitney-Tubridy earned a master’s degree in counseling from Concordia University Chicago. For her, teaching is all about helping students become independent and successful adults.

“You’re a mom and a counselor in life and a health teacher,” she said. “You’re all of that in one.”

The greatest reward for her is seeing a student working in the community.

“I was at FedEx and I heard my name and it’s one of my old students, and the boss says he’s doing a great job,” she said. “It just makes you feel good. You might not always see the ripple effect until years later.”

Similar to Haber Mart, Whitney-Tubridy’s role as therapy dog mom evolved.

She’d occasionally bring in her golden retriever Grace, who recently died, just to visit with her students. She saw the positive impact the dog and Grace’s son, Henry, had on her students, so she went through the process of having them certified as official therapy dogs through Therapy Dogs International.

Now Henry regularly visits.

Students take him on walks or visit with him while doing homework or in the school’s sensory room.

“He just has a calming effect on kids,” Whitney-Tubridy said. “Therapy dogs are really phenomenal as far as relieving stress or if kids are anxious. Kids don’t even miss a beat to go over to a dog and even lay on the floor with him. I put a rug in my room for that reason.”

Bringing Henry to school is just another way for Whitney-Tubridy to do what she set out to do years ago when she decided to become a special education teacher.

“I guess I just want to help kids,” she said. “I’ve always been drawn toward the high school kids, just kind of wanting to help them be successful at life and be the best person they can be.”