WATCH D.O.G.S. ® (Dads Of Great Students)
WATCH D.O.G.S. is the safe school initiative of the National Center for Fathering that involves fathers and father figures to help create a more safe and secure learning environment in schools. Learn More
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Recent Cause Activity
Updated: The cause has reached 1,000 members.
Updated: The cause has reached 1,000 members.
Today I spent the whole day at my babygirls school. All I can say is "WOW" what a great day. It is the most exhilarating thing a father can do involving there child and school. Dad's never forget "to the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world"
Samuel/Eric,
Our program was on the news at 5:00 P.M. today. It turned out very well. We hope your phones start lighting up from other dads around the Houston area about starting their own programs. Our entire school was notified of the airing of the piece and the students were so excited. As were the parents. You can see the story at http://www.click2houston.com/video/21...
Thanks for all you do for us and all of your support. I would be willing to bet that we have one of the strongest programs in the country. We have 471 students in our entire school and we have almost half of the ‘dads’ signed up. We have 2 dads per day through the end of the year and will have a total of approximately 2000 volunteer dad hours by the end of the school year. I challenge any other school out there to match our participation. We have been truly blessed to have our ‘dads’ take the initiative to become better dads and become more involved in their kids’ lives.
Please, let me know if I can ever be of any help to you or the organization. I am honored to be the coordinator for WATCH D.O.G.S. at Wilkinson Elementary School.
All the glory goes to God!
Thanks,
Pete Ringo Jr.
I am so excited we are starting this program in our school this year! The Dads first meeting "Pizza Party" is in about a week.
This is a great program. I joined my oldest daughter's WATCH DOGS program at her elementary school last year. It is incredible to work with the kids and teachers, and your child reaps the benefits of having you on campus. We as fathers, Dads and positive role models, need to be back on campus and be apart of our children's lives and futures!!
This is one of the best organizations I have been apart of, and encourage all fathers to join!!
Wow, it sounds like you all are having some positive experiences. I am the president of our local PTA and am trying to get this program started at our school. A concern that has come up is if there is any sort of screening process to be sure that the fathers who are coming into the school are reputable. Do any of you know if there is such a process?
Keep up the good work dads. What you are doing is important.
This is such an awesome program. It was started at our elementary scholl last year. My wife, who is the PTA President, told me about it and ask me to get involved. Being a business owner and a little league baseball coach, I was a bit hesitant about taking on another commitment. I agreed to do it for one day at the beginning of the school year. As soon as I got home "from school", I picked up the phone and called the coordinator to tell him about the awesome day I had and to sign up for one day a month for the remainder of the school year. I love it! My boys are so excited knowing that i am going to be there and the rest of the kids in the school know me by name. This year I am doing it again and it just keeps getting better.
We will be moving to a new elementary school next year and I will be leading the program there. I can't wait. I am very thankful for the WATCH D.O.G.S. program and the difference it has made not only in my kids life but mine. Keep up the great work and we will keep doing our part to make a positive impact in the lives of the kids.
I believe in your cause and I'm thankful that there are men who understand the importance of being a committed dad. I started a group on facebook: I'm Proud to Be a Daddy. Please join if you are proud to be a dad.
My first day as a Watch D.O.G. was fantastic…
From the night of our school's pizza kick-off event, my son had been very excited about me signing up to be a Watch D.O.G., and on that morning he was pumped up that my day had come.
At first, I thought I was volunteering to help the kids, which I was, but I soon found out that the kids were giving back to me, too. Even though to many of them I was a complete stranger, they were all so excited to see me. Whether we were reading about Goldie Locks having chicken pox or a giant unicorn made of cheese, playing basketball at recess, talking in the cafeteria, writing a story about a polar bear or a hyena, or simply passing in the hallway – everywhere I went, the kids treated me like a hero.
Additionally, the faculty and staff seemed genuinely thankful to be receiving what little help I could provide – nothing but smiles and kind words.
But the story below highlights the most rewarding part of my day…
After lunch, I was met at the edge of the playground by a girl who had been in my son’s kindergarten class. “Mr. Miller, Boy #1 and Boy #2 are going to fight this recess.” I asked her to take me to the boys. After I got the boys together, a teacher pulled them aside, and I thought that was the end of it, but it wasn’t…
Later in the day, I walked into the gym to help Coach XXX with his PE class, and there was Boy #1. After we had played a spirited game of kickball, and the kids were lining up to leave, I was able to pull Boy #1 aside and talk to him for just a second. As he left the gym, he promised me that he wouldn’t fight on the playground anymore.
Whether he ever does or not, at least for that moment, I made a positive difference in that little boy’s life.
If I can ever figure out a way to get paid doing it, I would be a Watch D.O.G. every day!