What is WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students)?

WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) is a family and community engagement educational initiative. Learn more about WATCH D.O.G.S. here.

What are the goals of a WATCH D.O.G.S. program?

1) To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.

2) To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security.

Who are WatchDOGS and how does WATCH D.O.G.S. work?

WatchDOGS are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at school.

WATCH D.O.G.S. invites fathers, grandfathers, uncles, or other father figures to volunteer at least one day all day at Chain Lake Elementary. Fathers and father figures sign up to volunteer through a ‘Launch Event’ such as a “Dads and Kids Pizza Night” or by calling our school any time throughout the school year. The program is overseen by a “Top Dog” volunteer who partners with the school administrator to coordinate scheduling and identify opportunities for WatchDOGS to provide assistance at the school. Chain Lake's Top Dog is Jake Wheeler - chainlakewatchdogs@gmail.com.  WatchDOG dads and volunteers perform a variety of tasks during their volunteer day including monitoring the school entrance, assisting with unloading and loading of buses and cars, monitoring the lunch room, or helping in the classroom with a teacher’s guidance by working with small groups of students on homework, flashcards, or spelling.

What do WatchDOGS do (while they are at school)?

During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, patrol the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well.

On the day of their participation, WatchDOGS are given a brief review of their involvement, a schedule for the day, and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. t-shirt with a disposable ‘Dog Tag’ identifying them as a WatchDOG.

Check for openings on our Watch DOGS calendar and sign up at our Sign Up Genius here.  All Watch DOGS must have a current volunteer application on file.  You can find out more about the application process and apply to volunteer here.