Edgewood Elementary School, 4100 W. 32nd Ave., in the Watson Chapel School District will host a Dads’ and Kids’ Pizza Night to kick off the Watch D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) Program.
Students and fathers or father-figures are invited to attend the event from 6-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, at Edgewood.
The celebration will launch the family and community engagement program, according to a news release.
“The WATCH D.O.G.S.® program was created by a group of parents and educators in a single school in 1998, and has since grown to one of the largest and most respected family and community engagement initiatives in the country,” according to the release.
“Each year, thousands of schools across the country utilize the WATCH D.O.G.S. ® program to reach out to the fathers and father-figures of their students and invite those men to take at least one full day off work during the school year and spend that entire day volunteering in their child’s school. Each year, WATCH D.O.G.S. ® generates millions of in-school volunteer hours in support of our students and educators,” according to the release.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The news release also refers to details from educational officials about the program.
“Studies by the U.S. Department of Education have demonstrated that a positive adult male role model will have a uniquely positive impact on the development and educational success of a child, dramatically increasing the child’s likelihood of graduating and getting mostly A’s along the way, while at the same time dramatically decreasing the likelihood of that child living in poverty, getting involved with drugs and alcohol, and avoiding potentially devastating choices that result in a criminal record or a teen pregnancy. The U.S. Department of Education has identified the WATCH D.O.G.S. ® program as an effective way to increase male involvement in our nation’s schools,” according to the release.
For details on WATCH D.O.G.S.®, visit dadsofgreatstudents.com or 1-888-540-3647.
For Edgewood program details, contact Marcia Merritt, Edgewood’s interim principal, 870-879-1252.