You might not think that a simple action like a high-five would make a big difference in a student’s day. But watching each child who comes up to slap hands with parent Doug Dillon might change your mind.
Dillon stood in the foyer at Glacier Park Elementary School recently, greeting students as they arrived for the day.
“Good morning, I’m ‘watchdoggin’ this morning,” said Dillon, who has been volunteering with the WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program for several years and has four kids in Tahoma Schools.
“The kids love giving the high-fives,” he said. “They think it’s pretty spectacular. They see the WATCH D.O.G.S. shirt and they come right over.”
Founded by the National Center for Fathering, the initiative has two goals: to provide positive male role models who demonstrate through their presence that education is important; and, to provide extra eyes and ears to reduce bullying and enhance school security.
“I think it provides kids another opportunity to interact and look up to male role models, regardless of the home situation,” Principal Chris Thomas said. “Anything we can do in this day and age to make kids feel more comfortable and safe is a good idea. It’s a win-win.”
At Glacier Park, the dads greet students as they arrive, bring in traffic cones once arrival is over, and do a wide sweep of the parking lots and check to make sure gates are closed. Then, they walk the halls until it’s time to read to a class or head out to recess with the students. Dads also get the chance to be a special guest at lunch with their child or children.
Organizer Katrina Montgomery said she helped start the program through Glacier Park’s PTSA because she thought it would be a great addition to the school.
“It’s really caught on. The kids are so proud to come with their dads,” Montgomery said, noting that it seems to be becoming part of the culture at the school.
She tailors each dad’s schedule to allow him to eat lunch with his student or students, as well as to read in their classrooms if they want to and if the teacher has the time available. The student typically gets to choose a book to be read aloud.
“It’s all about involving the dad with the child. … It also gives the other kids the positive male role model for the day,” Montgomery said. “It’s so worth it.”
The program is open to grandpas, uncles and other male family members interested in volunteering; in order to volunteer, men must first submit the required background check and take the Tahoma School District volunteer training.
Thomas helps add to the students’ excitement by announcing the upcoming volunteer WATCH D.O.G.S. at the beginning of each week. Glacier Park volunteers also get a reserved parking spot and have their photo added to the “Wall of Fame.” Lastly, each student whose dad helps out receives a postcard thanking them for sharing their dad with the school that day.
Sean McGovern, a parent, was at Glacier Park recently spending his first day as a volunteer with the program.
“Some kids don’t have a father figure in their lives, so giving them a chance to hold onto you for one recess could be really important to them,” said McGovern, whose daughter Rianna is a first grader, and son Xander, a third grader.
