Give, and receive so much more

Coco and I have benefitted a lot from what the parent volunteers do, both at primary and secondary levels.

I felt grateful to know that Coco was in good hands with a doctor-parent-volunteer when she had to go to the sick bay. At school outings, I could be sure that there would be more than one pair of eyes keeping tab on the children. When she crossed the road outside her school gate, I was relieved to see the parent-volunteer traffic wardens stopping the cars before allowing the children to cross over. And these are just a few of the things I remember specifically.

At secondary school level, they have helped organise quite a few activities such as a dumpling wrapping session and a parenting talk on how to communicate with teenagers. I was impressed that Coco's schools never fail to exceed my expectations of a Talk. They almost always engage well-known vendors or psychologists I have seen on TV. And I don't watch a lot of parenting documentaries on TV.

Being so grateful, I decided to volunteer my time for the school's open house last Saturday.

I didn't know what I could do since I am as much a noob as any new parent. It was merely out of a heart to give back, with no intention to get anything out of it.

But to my surprise, I received so much more:

1. The Parent Support Group (PSG)

The parents were friendly and warm. They are not your regular tai-tais who look atas and smooth-skined and chignoned hair.

They were chatty and helped the introvert me to mingle with the other parent volunteers who have joined their activities more than once.

They shared with me how their girls are like and those with gifted children are humble and nice. When asked how both their children managed to become gifted, they said,"We just encourage them."

2. The school tour

I was tasked to follow the school tour groups led by the student councillors.

I was thoroughly impressed by the councillors. They were confident when speaking to the groups. They were very comfortable leading the parents around the school and introducing and explaining the places as well as their purposes and function.

The tour enlightened me a lot more than the Sec One Parent Orientation.

Halfway through the first tour, when the councillor was explaining why the Biology laboratories were located on the first floor - to be beside the eco pond for their experiments, I suddenly felt very grateful that Coco is part of the school. It dawned on me how privileged Coco is to be a student of the school. Even the architecture and layout of the school is well-thought out.

There's nothing quite like when you yourself truly believe that the school is indeed good. Others can tell you that it is a good school, but it remains as something that you hear from the grapevine until you are convinced, and believe, that the school is 'really good'.

3. The people watching

While waiting for the crowd to come in, I people-watched and observed that the girls who came for the Open House had similar external traits. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I thought the girls looked studious and obedient. They either have short, straight hair below their ears or long hair tied into a ponytail, straight and neatly-combed. Most of them wear glasses as well.

Their mothers were mostly well-groomed too, but I wouldn't say the same for the fathers, who incidentally were not as many.

4. The parents

I learnt something new from one of the parents as I followed the tour.

When I asked which of her girls was to be enrolled into the school next year, the mother said,"Oh no. She (pointing to one of the girls) is in P4."

It never occured to me that people would take their P4 or P5 children to schools' open house. And she is right. Why not? To go to schools' open house at P6 is a tad too late if the child have not been a motivated child. The child is more likely to think he won't have the time to buck up than be very motivated to study hard if he has not been performing well academically. Going to schools' open house at P4 and P5 gives the child ample time to pull up his socks and a target to work towards to.

I am just so wowed by these parents' far-sightedness.

5. The Open House

I was impressed with how well-run and organised the event was.

I haven't been to many schools' open house. I didn't get to go to any last year. The first and only secondary school open house I had been to is St Joseph's Institution. The scout allocated to us for the school tour did not exude the same level of confidence and eloquence although I must commend the scout's courage to lead the tour since it must be a daunting task for a lower secondary student to do what a student councillor at upper secondary does.

The Open House was well-planned and executed. Everything was properly run and done without haste, or at least, haste that was not obvious to me.

The school set up numerous tables for registration and distribution of the goody bags at the main entrance, just outside the auditorium where the principal's talk would be held. And they did not neglect the smaller crowd which entered via the side gate.

The CCA Open House was congregated at the hall as well as the classroom block. And the CCA teachers or vendors and students would come forward to interest you further with their warm and welcoming chit chats if you so looked at the direction of their booth for what most would qualify as an 'interested look'.

I am thoroughly impressed, and as strange as it may sound, I feel proud of the school.

I told William when I got home,"I feel so proud of the school. I feel as if I am a student from the school too!"

He chuckled with a 'poof'.