Arlington School & Family Magazine November/December 2015 | Page 23

Little Elementary
Dads of Great Students
Little Elementary launched its sixth year of the Watch
DOGS (Dads of Great Students) program for father figures
this past month. The Watch DOGS program is a national
initiative from the Center for Fathering, which encourages
father figures (dads, grandfathers, uncles, etc.) to be present
in the schools and serve as positive role models for students.
Their goals are to reinforce the importance of education,
volunteer within the school and to be an extra set of eyes
and ears to enhance campus security. Each fall, they hold
a meeting where they can complete the volunteer process
and sign up for days throughout the school year to help in
classrooms or assist in the cafeteria, gym or library. This
year the Watch DOGS program at Little is led by dads
Darryl Lanford and Rob Franklin.
Watch DOGS usually start their day off by greeting students
in the car line and helping them out of vehicles. They also
assist with the morning announcements by sharing that they
are present for the day and letting everyone know who their
students are. The dads also take a photo for the bulletin
board with their students. It’s a very rewarding program for
the entire school and a win for students, teachers and dads. †