The Home School Advent Calendar - 5th December

Today it is International Volunteers Day. Keeping in mind that this holiday season it's not about the most impressive gift you receive, but rather the most meaningful ones you give.

Today willing volunteer to do stuff around the house, around the garden and in the community. Gifts that are valued the most don't come in fancy wrapping, with expensive price tags nor do they come with bragging rights as to who got the biggest, fastest, prettiest, more expensive etc. The most valued gifts are those that are given of yourselves, freely and where you have given of your time.

One of my most presious gifts, came from a 4 year old student. He had recently moved to England and the family were still learning about our customes and when we do things. So, he and his mum arrivied in the school playground to find lots of families with gifts for the teachers. He was horrified! He would not be calmed with mum telling him she would come back to school later with a gift, which he could give at the end of the day. No, everyone had their gift ready now - he didn't have one and she didn't know what sort of presents I really liked. He refused to come in to school and dragged his mum home. Luckily, there was still time before the registration bell went.

He dashed home and went straight in to kitchen, found a wooden spoon, covered it with glue and dipped it in to the pasta and rice and ran back to school with it.

He had remember a lesson I had given about homemade presents, and how much I like them. So, upon his return to school, he dashed up to me to be the first to present me with -his homemade gift - a wooden spoon, very stickily dripping with glue and covered with rice and pasta.

I could have cried, given how little English he spoke, he had understood that homemade presents were his teacher's favourite kind of present. In the 10 minutes, from realising that without a gift to present he maybe was making a social foi paux to handing over the one of my most treasured items - he had nailed it!

So today, make sure you nail it by volunteering willingly!