FATHERLY LOVE
Dads Take Your Child to School Day receives a warm reception
TROY, N.Y. » Tuesday marked the 13th annual Dads Take Your Child to School Day, the national movement to encourage father involvement in education.
Fathers and significant male caregivers bring their children into school, and participate in some school activities.
At P. S. 14, some simple plans were in place for the day
As fathers, uncles, grandfathers, and stepfathers walked in with their children, they were welcomed warmly by school staff, including principal Karen Cloutier and school psychologist Maxine Brisport. Each dad was handed a care package with breakfast treats inside.
They then settled into their children’s classrooms to eat breakfast with their kids.
When breakfast was finished, the dads listened to morning announcements and said the pledge of allegiance with their children. The children also participated in the school chant and good morning song before settling in for Morning Meeting.
Morning Meeting is a school- wide activity at School 14 to encourage communication and positive thinking strategies.
"It’s good to be involved. I’m a first-time dad, and I want to be there with whatever he gets involved in." — Michael Davis, father of kindergarten student Collin
In the younger grades, this early in the school year, the teachers use Morning Meeting to help everyone get to know each other with questions about favorite foods, describing objects shared around the circle, or sharing something the students felt was important with their classmates.
It is also a tool for teaching problem-solving strategies and talking about conflict resolution.
“We hope the students will carry these strategies for conflict resolution over into the home,” said Brisport, noting consistency between school and home is a key factor in successful learning.
Each dad also received a participation certificate signed by Ms. Coultier, with a “Fathers and father figure pledge” on the back. The pledge encourages dads and father figures to commit to principles such as “nurturing the gifts and talents of his children and other children in the community” and “contributing to making his community one of peace and one that does not tolerate violence.”
Over in the Pink Cluster of School 14, dads visiting their children’s kindergarten and first grade classrooms agreed that the day was a good experience.
“This is good, I like seeing the routines,” said Camron Arrington, stepfather of kindergartener Crye Johnson.
“It’s good to be involved. I’m a first time dad, and I want to be there with whatever he gets involved in,” commented Michael Davis about his kindergarten son, Collin.
“It’s nice having the parents coming in to see what the kids do,” added Avery Hernandez, father of firstgrader Carlesia Davey.
The dads weren’t the only ones happy with the event. The students weighed in with their own opinions about having their dads at school.
“I ate breakfast with Daddy,” Isaisah Colon, in Carrie Beebe and Kate Reittinger’s kindergarten class, said shyly but proudly.
“I like to play with my dad,” commented Chloe Tlaiji from Bonnie O’Connor’s first grade class, describing her favorite thing to do with her father.
“I liked doing my ABCs with Dad, and I liked sitting with him,” said Collin Davis from Mrs. Beebe and Mrs. Reittinger’s class.
The dads left a little while later as the students moved on with their school day, with certificates and breakfast leftovers in hand, giving hugs and kisses to their children and wishing them a good day at school.