We’re gearing up for another successful year of the WATCH D.O.G.S. program. A big thank you to everyone who volunteered last year. We hope to see you at the Castle again for the 2023-2024 school year.

Fill out the WATCH D.O.G.S. INTEREST FORM to get updates on program information, announcements about our annual Donuts with Dudes Kickoff breakfast, and access to the Watch D.O.G.S. scheduling calendar.

ABOUT DONUTS WITH DUDES

2023-2024 Donuts with Dudes is Friday, September 1 @ 7:30 am.
 

At the event, there will be donuts/OJ/milk/water for you and your kids. Once the kids head to class, there will be a short presentation about the Watch D.O.G.S. program. This event is mandatory for all new Watch D.O.G.S.

Watch D.O.G.S. are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer for at least one day each year at Norton.
 
If you have participated in the program with us at Norton in the past, you aren’t required to attend as there are no substantive changes—same timing and expectations. Following the event, we will post the Volunteer Calendar for you to sign up for your day.

ABOUT WATCH D.O.G.S.

WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) is a national program with the goal of providing positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.  Visit https://dadsofgreatstudents.com/ for additional information on the national program.

When you sign up for Watch D.O.G.S., you pick a day to spend at Norton during a designated time. You will receive a schedule of activities, which can vary from reading to your child’s class, playing with the kids during recess or PE, sharing your profession with a classroom, or helping out the staff with odd jobs around the school. You will spend some time in your child’s classroom(s) and eat lunch together. 

Watch D.O.G.S. are encouraged to interact with other kids and be a positive presence wherever there is a need. You’ll come away with a better understanding of how your kids spend their days, not to mention a greater appreciation for the hard work their teachers do every day. From time-to-time, Watch D.O.G.S. are called upon to help with special events like refereeing kickball games or manning stations at Field Day.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

1) Sign up for the Norton PTA at ptanorton.org. All Watch D.O.G.S. are required to be Norton PTA Members during the current school year. 

2) Complete the required volunteer background check through AISD. This is mandatory before you will be allowed inside the school. Processing can take up to two weeks. This is done through Winocular, and you will need to create an account if you have never volunteered in Allen ISD before at https://apps2.winocular.com/AllenISD/workspace/

3) Access the online Watch D.O.G.S. Volunteer 2023-2024 Calendar and Google Form (link will be sent out to attendees following the Donuts with Dudes WATCH D.O.G.S. presentation).

Note: Due to the popularity of the program, we ask that you only sign up for ONE day so that everyone has an opportunity to participate. If we end up with open days—which we often do during the second half of the school—we’ll ask for more volunteers later in the year.

4) Get a t-shirt: WATCH D.O.G.S. t-shirts are mandatory. It is important for campus security and helps the kids and the staff identify you as the Watch D.O.G.S. of the day. If you don’t already have a shirt, please order one of our newly designed, Norton specific WatchDOGS shirts at https://nortonpta.membershiptoolkit.com/open_forms.

CONTACTS

WatchDOG Coordinator: Jeff Clark, Dads Club Chair, dadsclub@ptanorton.org
Program Coordinator at Norton: Peyton DeLeon, Norton School Counselor, peyton.deleon@allenisd.org