Kenowa Hills — Nestor Vazquez identifies himself as a real estate agent, a father of two and a chicken nuggets enthusiast.
Because of his love for his eighth-grade and tenth-grade daughters and school lunches, he decided to help re-launch the Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) program at Alpine Elementary.
Watch D.O.G.S. is one of the largest school-based, family and community engagement organizations in the United States, designed and developed for male role models to engage in their children’s education by volunteering.
Alpine Principal Jason Snyder said his building’s program was “alive and well” prior to the pandemic, but in the years following, there wasn’t a parent to lead it.
Vazquez said he’d had a positive experience volunteering previously, so he stepped up to be Alpine’s new “Top Dog.” That school’s program officially re-launched Jan. 5.
“I’m just a dad trying to do the best for our kids,” he said last month to prospective parent volunteers at Alpine’s kick-off meeting.
Snyder said he’s witnessed how beneficial it is for staff and students to have an extra set of eyes and ears in the building, and what it’s like to see dads become “heroes of the hallways.”
Both Vazquez and Snyder encourage interested dads, stepdads, grandpas, uncles or other male role models to reach out to their students’ school, provide information for a background check and sign up for as many days as they’re available.
The minimum time commitment for volunteering is a full school day, but individuals could volunteer for a half day if that is what their schedule allows.
Those who have done it once, however, say that’s all it takes to be hooked.
“After you’ve done one day in the school, you’ll want to sign up again,” Vazquez said. “I’ll be signing up on chicken nugget day.”
Watch D.O.G.S in Action
Kenowa Hills established the Watch D.O.G.S. program at Zinser Elementary in fall 2012, after parent Josh Paskewicz approached former Principal Ross Willick about bringing the national initiative to their school.
In 2023, Zinser was one of four schools across the country to be recognized by Watch D.O.G.S. program administrators for its commitment to fostering positive male role models within the school community.
Each elementary building has a wall dedicated to Watch D.O.G.S., and students can point out photos of their dads.
Ryan Ford, known as Mr. Ryan at Zinser, serves as a Watch D.O.G. once a month and gets to spend the better part of his day helping in his daughter Madi’s fifth-grade classroom.
“I think it’s a really great program,” Ford said. “I get to play educational games in my daughter’s class, help (other) students catch up on their work, and it’s beneficial to their teacher.”
He said he also enjoys having the opportunity to spend more time with his daughter and get to know her friends.
According to his daughter, the feeling is mutual.
“I love having my dad in my class, because I like showing him what we’re learning, and spending time with him,” Madi said.
Parent Michael Dreyer volunteered for Central Elementary’s Watch D.O.G.S. program for the first time last semester at the request of his fifth-grade daughter.
“My favorite part is the relationships that are built,” he said. “There were so many kids that I saw as a Watch D.O.G. that likely would have never come running up to me to talk about anything.”
A favorite memory: when a group of students asked him to referee their soccer game during recess.
“The kids love it when adults are there and playing with them, and assisting them in class in various ways,” Dreyer said. “It’s a nice way to be involved in making a change or solidifying something that kids are currently feeling as they grow up and start to become who they will be for the coming years.”
Central parent David Vincent has been a Watch D.O.G. for six years.
His advice for prospective volunteers at all three elementaries: “Drink your coffee and eat your Wheaties.”
“If you’re doing it right, you’ll get home at the end of the day feeling exhausted, and then you’ll realize that every bit of energy you expended got to be soaked up by kids who are just happy to see you.”
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