Dads' participation at Magna school soaring

MAGNA — Hanging out with your dad, according to 6-year-old Charlie Morby, gets two enthusiastic thumbs up. Hanging out with your dad at school? Now that's the stuff ear-to-ear grins are made of.

Magna Elementary agrees. The school, located at 8500 W. 3100 South, on Friday became the first in Utah to embrace a national initiative aimed at filling the hallways with positive male role models.

More than 300 fathers, with their munchkins in tow, crowded the school's gym to learn about the new program, called WATCH D.O.G.S., which stands for "Dads of Great Students."

WATCH D.O.G.S. originated in 1998, in Arkansas, where a father, concerned by a shooting at a nearby middle school, decided to invite fathers, grandfathers, uncles and other father figures to volunteer at least one day during their child's school year. Since then, the program, now sponsored by the National Center for Fathering, has spread to 1,659 school across the United States. At Magna Elementary, the line to sign up to volunteer stretched down the hallway and out the door.

PTA President Kimberly Swensen said the school chose the program because they saw an imbalance between the number of mothers and fathers who were volunteering during class.

Children whose fathers are involved in school are more likely to earn A's and graduate, according to studies by the U.S. Department of Education. When dad is around, students are less likely to get tangled up with drugs and alcohol.

"When I was going to school, the only time Dad came to school is when I was in trouble," said Randy Williams, 31, legislative vice president for Magna's PTA. "We don't want that. We want dads to be an everyday positive part of their kid's education."

Williams started volunteering at the elementary school when his kindergartner came home with a permission slip for her first field trip.

"Daddy, will you come help?" she begged, as only daughters can.

Williams couldn't say no.

He found himself completely surrounded by women.

"Now that's going to change," he said.

Through the WATCH D.O.G.S. program, fathers will soon be monitoring Magna Elementary's hallways and entrances, assisting at recess and eating lunch with the children. Dads will tutor small groups of students and help children practice reading and study for tests.

"It's something we'd like to see happening at schools all over Utah," said Aaron Larson, the male involvement coordinator for the Utah PTA. "When both Mom and Dad are helping out at school it says to kids, 'This is important.' That's what we want."

He encouraged fathers to rearrange their work schedules and make their children a priority.

Charlie's father, John Morby, a salesman, said he plans to do just that.

"My function as a father isn't just to make the money," he said. "My function as a father is to be a role model and to share all aspects of my son's life."

e-mail: estuart@desnews.com