‘Men Making a Difference Day’ brings Prince George’s County fathers to school
 |
| (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post) - Kenneth Doles participates in an activity with his son, Manhattan Doles, 6, where he teaches him how to tie a tie during Men Making A Difference Day on Monday at William Beanes Elementary School in Suitland, Md. |
Kenneth Doles and his 6-year-old son, Manhattan, stood in the media center at William Beanes Elementary School in Suitland, each with a borrowed tie draped around his neck. Doles stood in front of his son, instructing him in the art of tying the perfect half-windsor knot.
Doles wrapped the wide end around the narrow end as Manhattan mimicked him. Then he tried to show Manhattan how to bring the wide end of his light blue tie through the loop. It wasn’t working.
Doles then stood over his son and tied his son’s tie. The first-grader grinned as if he’d done it himself, and the two celebrated with a high five.
Learning how to tie a tie was one of many activities that more than 2,000 men shared with their children during Prince George’s County’s annual “Men Making a Difference Day,” which brings the county’s fathers into classrooms to promote parental involvement in the public schools.
On Monday, 100 schools across the countyscheduled fun and educational activities for the men, with officials hoping that the fathers, grandfathers, uncles and other male role models would see the importance of being engaged in a child’s education and how such involvement could change a child’s life.
“It does my heart good to see these fathers, uncles, grandfathers, all these men,” Kevin Maxwell, the school system’s chief