Dads of Great Students volunteer in classroom
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This school year, West Valley Elementary is participating in the national Watch D.O.G.S. program, which seeks to get fathers volunteering at the school and involved with the students’ education. More than 70 fathers have already signed up to spend a day at the school working with the kids. Pictured: Student Alexandria Osborn gets a lift from her dad, Watch D.O.G.S. participant Ray Osborn.
A local West Valley school is one of only two statewide to formally encourage fathers to get involved with students through a national program called the Watch D.O.G.S (an acronym for Dads of Great Students).
For the second year, fathers of students attending West Valley Elementary were invited to sign up to volunteer time helping out in classrooms, on the playground and having lunch with students.
On Oct. 12, a Watch D.O.G.S. kickoff event was held at the school. The parents were invited to spend the evening eating pizza with their students and watching a brief presentation on the subject while the kids made cards for their fathers.
West Valley Elementary School Principal Naomi Hopf said the program has been a huge success at the school because of the tremendous support from the community. She said often the fathers want to volunteer for more than one day at the school because they have such a great time working with the students.
“Many times [the dads] want to come back. The kids treat them like rock stars,” Hopf said.
During the kickoff event more than 100 fathers, older brothers, uncles and grandfathers signed up to spend at least one full day volunteering to help out at the school this year.
When they arrive at the school, each of the Watch D.O.G.S. are introduced to the student body in the morning and then spend the rest of their time helping teachers and staff to support the students during class time and at recess.
The Watch D.O.G.S. also spend time with their child and have their picture taken to be put up on a special bulletin board in the front hall of the school to recognize their efforts.
The idea for the Watch D.O.G.S. program at the school came from the National Center for Fathering, a group that seeks, according to its website, to “inspire and equip men to be the involved father, grandfathers and father figures their children need” through sponsored programs and other resources.
The local Parent Teacher Association sponsors the program. Magna Elementary has also started a Watch D.O.G.S. group.
Hopf said the fathers are making a big difference at the school, which has a student body of more than 700 students.
“With all of our budget cuts and things, we just don’t have the personnel we used to have,” Hopf said. “This is a great opportunity for us to get one more person in the classroom to work with an individual child.”
Fathers who are interested in getting involved may still sign up to volunteer as part of the Watch D.O.G.S group at West Valley Elementary by contacting the school.
