Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

Ironwood Schools kick off Watch DOGS program

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Ironwood - It was standing room only Thursday at Luther L. Wright as the school's elementary school cafeteria was packed for the launch of the district's new Watch DOGS program.

With the DOGS standing for Dads of Great Students, the Watch DOGS program is a nationwide effort by the National Center for Fathering to provide positive male role models in schools.

"It's my firm belief that it takes a village (to raise a child)," said Amanda Sprague, one of the program's organizers. "We drop our kids off here every day to go to school, but it's not entirely the school's responsibility to raise our children. They're here for about 40 hours a week and I think we really need to come alongside of the school (and help)."

Organizers cited a number of benefits that positive male role models can provide to the school, saying volunteering would not only help their own kids but also those who don't have a father-figure at home.

"What we need is role models. We need role models for our own children and we need role models for these other kids that don't have the benefit of having a dad," said Blaine Sprague, one of the dads who has taken a lead in the program. "We're there to be giving out high-fives. We're there to be encouraging. We're not there to be disciplining them ... we're not the bad guy, we're there to be friends, to be mentors, to just be alongside these kids. That's what this program is really about, getting us men back into the system and helping."

Despite the program's name, participation isn't limited to those with children in the district.

"Grandfathers, uncles, brothers, anybody who wants to be involved - and is of good character - can participate," Amanda Sprague said prior to Thursday's kick-off.

According to organizers, a Watch DOGS volunteer could participate in a range of activities, including everything from flash cards and a reading circle to walking the halls and monitoring recess.

Those whose children take the bus to and from school would get to accompany them on the bus and ge a fuller picture of what the average day would look like.

Organizers stressed that recess was a particularly important time for volunteers, as many kids spend their free time playing video games.

"Children just don't know how to play ... so we need to teach them how to play catch, play basketball and interact with other kids," said Amanda Sprague.

Organizers explained volunteers will be provided with a schedule so they know exactly where and when they should be.

The initial plan is to have each Watch DOGS participant visit two classes in the morning, lunch and the recesses and two classes in the afternoon before seeing the buses off at the end of the day.

Each volunteer was asked to commit to at least one whole day, although they were free to volunteer more if available.

The Watch DOGS program began in 1998 in Kansas, Amanda Sprague said, and now has 500,000 volunteers a year in 4,700 schools nationwide.

While 180 schools in Michigan participate in the imitative, Ironwood is the first district in the Upper Peninsula to become involved.

While a head count for the Thursday's event was unavailable, organizers said roughly 200 people - and more than 75 dads - said they would attend the pizza party launch.

Following the presentation, volunteers filled out the required background checks and reviewed the district's conduct policy before signing up for volunteering days.

Organizers are initially limiting the program to kindergarten through sixth grade and capping the number of volunteers at two per day.

 
 
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