Volunteering @ My Elder Girl's School Carnival - 8 Aug 2012

Dear All

In conjunction with the National Day celebrations as well as raising funds for the school's St Mag' Fund, I decided to be a parent volunteer at my elder girl's secondary school.

Tiffany's classmates in friendly handball competition (below):

Normally Tiffy doesn't like me to be around in her school...I guess it's a teenager thing :) This time, I just signed up with her God-ma and told her after the fact. She didn't even bat an eye-lash. I guess it's because I came for my first volunteer event at her Fun Run for Fund (I think that's what it's called) previously, and she must have found it a pleasant experience. I found it fun too, as I've got to wave "Hi" to her friends and classmates from her primary school and toddler year's neighbourhood friends at her school :) Altogether a good experience to see familiar faces, and also being gratified that the girls didn't cringe on seeing me, but instead gave me a wide smile of surprise and welcome.

That day of the Carnival on 8 Aug 2012 as marks the Opening day of the Thrift Shop run by the parent volunteers. A great feat indeed, as quite a few of the volunteers are alumni, meaning, that their daughters have already graduated but they still come back to help. One of them, whom I had met, even volunteers on a weekly basis to teach those who were hearing impaired or slower learners, as the school tries to help them integrate with the mainstream girls. This environment also gives the girls the opportunity to be compassion and loving towards those who are less blessed than them. That's my idea and understanding of what a truly holistic education is all about.

Flower balloon decos put up by the parent volunteers the day-before the event (below):

We parent volunteers were in charge of the Thrift Shop and the food stalls. There were 8 food stalls namely selling fried Kuay Teow & Mee Goreng, finger foods (chicken nuggets, fishballs, chicken wings, potato hash balls & chicken siew mai), pop-corn (where we have to pop the corn ourselves!) and candy-floss (luckily, the vendor gave us 1 guy to twirl the candy floss), ice-sticks & cold drinks.

SACSS Launch of the Thrift Shop (below):

The girls had various events throughout the school at various locations.

I found the water-slide manned by the sec 3 girls "cool".

My stall - finger food...originally my duty was candy floss but the vendor came late (below):

The young student entrepreneurs relaxing before the crowd comes (below):

They had their own Thrift Shop and manned the music and ice-cream sundae stalls.

Tiffy went to the Haunted House which I didn't get to see as I had no idea where it was! But there was several announcements over the PA that the sec 1 girls are not allowed to patronise it!

As Feli's school ended earlier, Tiffy's God-ma drove over to bring her over to the sec school. Then Feli asked if she could go and try out the Haunted House, and of course I told her she's not allowed to by the school even though I might say "OK".

Now I understand what's it like to be a salesperson! I was on my feet from 8:15am - 12:30pm with no seat to rest my poor feet! But when the girls streamed in to buy the finger food (where I was manning), I didn't feel any tiredness. It only came when I finally got to sit down...that's when I realised how tired I was, and had some difficulty getting up!

Tiffy & her buddies (below):

Her little sister, Feli, with her buddies :) (below):

We finally had the parent-daughter bonding lunch session over the making of popiah. I was so afraid I'll get food poisoning as Tiff is such a avid believer of the hand sanitiser that she just rubbed her hands with the sanitiser and started rolling the popiah for me! I made one for her, and Feli made one for herself!

The popiah session was followed by a simple but sumptuous spread of mee siam and nasi lemak.

All in, it was a wonderful way to put us in the mood for National Day and to enjoy the London Olympics then.

Love
Theresa