SAN ANTONIO — The school year kicked off on Monday morning for the Alamo Heights Independent School District. It's the first day of school for kids at Woodridge Elementary School, and a very special group of parents was there to make sure the school year started off right.
Nathan Sharp, the leader of the "Dad's Club" told us, "Our big event is we work on 'Carnival'; we volunteer, we cook burgers, hot dogs, things like that. And then periodically, we show up in the morning and greet the kids as they arrive."
He says volunteering to be a part of the group is a great way to show kids how to build something special within the school. Sharp said, "To show the kids that their dads, and men in the community, in the neighborhood, that we are here supporting them, we care. We are glad they're here. We think it's an important message."
"Dad's club is a group of our volunteers who happen to be dads at our school that just show up on Fridays. And whenever we need a helping hand to help welcome our students, open the doors and greet them," said Principal Gerrie Spellmann. She says these dads, complete with their dad hats, are going above and beyond to bring this community closer.
Spellmann told us, "They do double duty. So they show up early to be able to welcome our students and they head off to do the work that they do to support their family and be there for the family."
Sharp already has one graduate from the school and two here this year. How do they feel about daddy being by the door in the morning? Sharp said, "They're excited that we're around. Sometimes they get annoyed that I can't hang out with them as much, but they're excited that we're all here."
Spellman added, "Dads, thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for showing up. Your smile, your handshake, just your greeting really means a lot. And you never know what difference are going to make in a child's life."