Oh yeah?
Well, MY dad is a WatchDOG!
Let’s face it – our kids are as proud of us as we are of them…
So imagine what it does for your child’s esteem…
To see you on the classroom’s TV during morning announcements…
To have you read a story to his class…
For you to sit at her lunch table…
For you to be involved in the game at recess…
And that’s just your child. What does a positive male role model mean for the students whose dads are absent, due to divorce, death, or deployment? And there are more of these kids than you think…
From a
I have to tell you how much I enjoyed volunteering in the WatchDOGS program yesterday. I spent time in four kindergarten classes, got to help a bit with school pictures, played monster-tag on the playground, and enjoyed meeting some great staff.
Several things impressed me.
1. During Morning Car Pool duties, I was really impressed with the number of kids who spotted the WatchDOGS t-shirt, said hello, and asked whose father I was. I was also impressed with the number of kids, walking into the school, who responded to my own greeting ("Good Morning, kids"), with their own "Good Morning!" It was really positive and impressive.
Something deeply touched me:
2. I don't know what it was, but there were a number of kids who really seemed to want to get close. Even my five year old daughter picked up on this. Whether walking with the kindergarteners to school pictures, or to PE outside, or to lunch, or to recess, there were half a dozen kids who - on their own - would grab my hand and want to walk next to me. Several kids actually seemed to "cling." As I got to know them a bit, they would open up and tell me, "I don't have a dad," or "My dad doesn't live with me anymore." One young girl, who is a actually close friends with my
daughter, actually opened up and told me how hurt she was that her father had left her and her mom, that her mom had a new boyfriend, that sometimes he lived there, and that sometimes she felt like she was all alone." It broke my heart. She asked for a hug, I gave her one, and she cried on my shoulder for several minutes. I let her know that she could
always talk with you, or the teachers or school counselor. She said her teacher knew and that they talked all the time. Then she went off and played with several other kids who told me they also didn't have fathers and, "That's why they we're friends with each other!" These kids were only five years old. I have to admit that as I watched them run onto the playground, I welled up a bit. I never realized how much this simple volunteer day could affect me on an emotional level.
I'm so glad my daughter goes to Huffman.
On the way home, we stopped for a shake at McDonalds, and she told me, "Dad, I think it was good that some kids got to know you. Some kids in my class don't have fathers." I asked her if it bothered her that some kids wanted to hang around or wanted to hold my hand, and she actually told me, "Well, at first I didn't want them to 'cuz you're my dad. But then I realized that they got you for today, but I get you every other day for my whole life! So its kinda like I got to share you with everybody!"
She then asked me to volunteer again some time! ...it was a terrific day for both of us!
Think about this, from the Secretary of Education (press release, Sept 23, 2009):
"As we work to drive down drop-out rates and increase graduation and college completion rates, fathers have an important role to play…children are always watching. Engaged fathers can strengthen our schools, mentor and tutor students and demonstrate through their actions how much they value their children's education."
“Engaged fathers…” So, how much are we talking about – a day a week, two days a month? And at what other cost? Program memberships, national dues…
The reality is this – our kids need us to be there, to show them, and their friends, classmates, teachers, and the students in the other grade levels, that they matter to us. And the best way to do it is to be involved, publicly.
The commitment? Whatever you can do – whether that is one day a year, one day a semester, one day a month – whatever it is, your child will love it, look forward to it, and talk about it for weeks or months afterward. Guaranteed. I’ve done it enough times to be sure of that promise.
The cost? It is a nationally recognized program, and, they do have rules. Most of the rules deal with the safety of our children – all dads are required to wear a uniform T-shirt (and these can only be ordered through the school rep, and have to be shipped directly to the school) when participating, and the cost of this shirt is the only expense, other than your time from work.
To put a Mastercard commercial in reverse:
Your child cheering when you come on the TV in the morning: priceless
Getting to know your child’s friends just a little better: priceless
Being on your child’s side in the dodgeball game: priceless
The look on your child’s face when she eats with you at the special table: priceless
The cost to you: a T-shirt?
Really? The math seems pretty easy to me… For your sake, the sake of your children, the sake of my children, and the sake of Harrington and it’s community, get involved.
How do you get involved? Simple, and you can be done in less than 10 minutes!
1. Fill out the volunteer form at PISD
2. Fill out one of the registration forms: Excel spreadsheet that does the math for you, or a PDF.
3. Print that document, and put it in an envelope with a check (made to the Harrington PTA) for your shirt (and shirts for the kids, if you want – personally, I highly suggest this – my second graders love wearing shirts that match mine) – put WatchDOGS on the front of the envelope, and I’ll get it…
4. Check the WatchDOGS calendar, and drop me an email about which day you’d like. I have blocked some days out, due to testing, field trips, conference days, etc…
During the week before your day comes, I will send you an email, which serves not only as a reminder of your chosen day, but is also a detailed schedule of what time to be where. The office will also have a copy…
Any questions? Call me! Or check out the National WatchDOGS page, at fathers.com
Mike LoSasso
webmaster@HarringtonPTA.net
(214)537-579
PS - If you don’t volunteer, chances are your wife, or child, will sign you up anyway.
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