School Bake Sale

Kids disguised for the Book Day

I can't believe that I've just spent the whole morning from 9 to 3 at school. Started out by bringing a few bakes (Milo Banana Cupcakes and mini Quiches) to the kids' school, then staying for the Christmas Fair planning meeting, followed by helping out in the Bake Sale, then helping my kids choose and buy their books in the Book Sale and finally attending the special meeting with the Principal and Eldest Son's Form Teacher...

Bake Sale

The Bake Sale turned out well, my contribution was entirely sold out, with the cupcakes going to the kids and the quiches all purchased by the mothers. They apparently earned more than 200 Euros selling the bakes to a school of just 80 pupils. You may wonder why a private school is still in need of funds. But at least we usually have fun while doing it.

The story goes that the school's budget somehow doesn't cover a number of things many parents would like their kids to enjoy, so we need to raise funds in order to get them. Last year the parents paid for part of the school playground, for example. This year we may be equipping the school and class libraries.

Spiderman and Tigger eating cake

I'm joining in partly out of curiosity and partly because I should put my foot where my mouth is. I made the mistake of sharing a few of my opinions on a few subjects and should therefore now get myself involved. Big big mouth again - Lotus.

So I know that in no time I'll be given raffle tickets to sell, boxes to fill with sweets and gifts, will have to make donations of food, gifts, whatever and will also have to exercise fluttering my short eyelashes to try to convince the Hubby to donate a few Ferrari souvenirs to the Fair. And best of all, I have just gotten myself the responsibility of organising the Fair's International Buffet. Will have to sollicit food donations from all the families in the school and sell them during the Fair. But this responsibility I do not mind - because food is very important to me and I feel that if we have to milk people of their money with it at least I should make sure that what we would be selling would be good. And yes, when we walk into the Fair on December 1st we'll be sollicited from the beginning to the end. But for a good cause, of course.

So what's the special meeting with the Principal and Form teacher about? If all the mothers weren't called to attend it, I would worry that the boy had been up to no good (again). But certainly they couldn't get everyone around to talk about my son, right? Turned out that the teacher would be leaving at the end of next week. She couldn't seem to get a work permit in Italy and is sick and tired of waiting for it. We also got the impression that she found Modena too expensive for the realisation of her personal projects (e.g. start a family, buy a house) and therefore wanted to leave. Welcome to Italy, man. And aren't we in deep shit with the teacher leaving just a month into the new school year? Just when the kids all seem so happy with her.

The positive thing that came out of this busy morning was that I got to know N, a very chic Italian mother who would be working with me on the International Buffet job. Her son, by the way, is the World Karate Champion in his age category. I also got to know a Bulgarian mother who used to live in Shanghai and whose son used to study in the Singapore School. In fact all that fundraising business probably is just an excuse for socialising. Ha ha.

Anyway, no time to think about the Christmas Fair yet, the Dutchess of Cookalot arrives on Sunday and I have yet to plan out my lunch menu! As it is, no chance to shop for food because of this school fiasco and now I'll have to go squeeze with the crowds on Saturday...Urgh!