Richard Evans is the Top Dog at Castle Hills. He joined the Watch DOGS after his daughter pleaded with him to join when she was in second grade.
“We get a lot of our dads to volunteer from daughter guilt,” laughed Mr. Evans. “But I figured I was here anyways; why not stay a few extra minutes and make some connections and help where I could.”
He now runs the program and his daughter is now in seventh grade. But his son still attends Castle Hills, so Mr. Evans continues to serve.
DOGS stands for Dads of Great Students. It’s a volunteer program that uses positive male role models to help students and staff.
“We are just an extra set of eyes and ears on campus,” said Mr. Evans. “We can help in the library or during lunchtime. Most of the time, you will see us helping with the morning drop-off. It’s just a morale boost, plus parents like to see the ‘DOGS’ on campus. It’s also just fun.”
The Watch DOGS at Castle Hills come from all walks of life. There are chefs, firefighters, bankers and business owners. Mr. Evans is an IT Product Manager. He’s also logged hundreds of hours helping out around Castle Hills. But he says the time commitment can be as short or as long as a schedule permits.
“Some days, guys can be here for 15 minutes. Other times they can be here longer. Many dads will take a day off to come to have lunch with their kid, which is helpful because they are here in the cafeteria and might be available to help.”
Being part of Watch DOGS is an easy way to get involved on your child’s campus.
All Watch DOGS have to complete a background check.
Reach out to your campus administration if you are interested in joining or starting Watch DOGS at your child’s school.
It takes all of us to be #NEISDsafe
