Watch D.O.G.S. 

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

WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) is an innovative father involvement, educational initiative of the National Center for Fathering. Learn more about WATCH D.O.G.S. here.

How do I become a WatchDOG at Lindsey Elementary?

1. Join the Join Lindsey PTA.
2. Complete an Allen ISD Volunteer Application.
3. Order your Watch D.O.G.S. shirt from the D.O.G.S. Store (Lindsey dads usually wear the t-shirt or polo).
4. Schedule your shift on the Watch D.O.G.S. Calendar. (2 shifts per year (1 per semester), per child) 
5. Complete Watch D.O.G.S. shift on designated day.

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

• To provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.
• To provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security and reduce bullying.
• To help the school by providing "man-hours" by fulfilling tasks and helping teachers or staff with simple chores. This allows school faculty and staff to better use their time to get down to educating our kids.
• To provide a better understanding of what school life is really like for your child. You can understand how your child is behaving at school, how they are interacting with teachers and other classmates, how they are developing not only with the school curriculum but also socially. This will allow you a better understanding of your child's life at school and will allow you to better communicate with your child.
• To make our children proud and to let them know that Dads are there for them and can make the time for their education. 

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

Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school.

The program is overseen by a “Top Dog” volunteer who partners with the school administrator to coordinate scheduling and identify opportunities for Watch D.O.G.S. to provide assistance at the school.

Watch D.O.G.S. 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 Watch D.O.G.S. do (while they are at school)?

During the day, Watch D.O.G.S. may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, help with cafeteria duty, 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. Many school principals have reported that the mere presence of a Watch D.O.G.S. dad dramatically reduces reports of bullying. On the day of their participation, Watch D.O.G.S. dads are given a brief review of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. t-shirt. 

Will men really spend a full day at school?

While we would love to have our Watch D.O.G.S. spend a full day at our school, we recognize that sometimes it is hard to allocate a full day. That is why you can participate in the Watch D.O.G.S. program for 1/2 day or a full day! That is right! You can spend a morning, an afternoon, or a full day as a volunteer of the Watch D.O.G.S. The Watch D.O.G.S. program has a great track record of bringing fathers and father figures to school for the whole day. We guarantee our father figures that once they serve their 1/2 day or full day they will be glad that they did. In fact, in many cases these men will sign up for more days, because they had an incredible experience, they have gained a greater appreciation for what the teachers are doing to educate their child, and they have shown to their own child and other children, through their actions, that they truly do care about their children's education. Actions Speak Louder Than Words!