Day 8: Room Mom

Jubi with 2nd grade friends.

I am a room mom this year for second grade- Jubi's class.  Room moms are the ones who communicate any important news on the class WhatsApp group (for those of you who live in the U.S. and don't know WhatsApp- it's a messaging app that is heavily depended on for communication in pretty much every other country on the planet), organize school events, collect money for said events and generally seek to unify the families in the grade they represent.  There was no interest or availability this year on the part of the parents of second grade to participate as room mom, so I volunteered with a fair amount of fear and trembling.  Not because I don't want to help, but I tend to feel a little out of my league when it comes to being the sole person responsible to make sure my class knows what's going on and heading up event planning.  Occasionally, I feel insecure about needing to communicate and understand everything in Spanish that passes between the Parent/Student Organization and the class.  And, generally, I prefer to be a behind the scenes kind of person who is available to serve if you just tell me what to do.  Not the person telling others what to do. 

Anyway, apart from having to be a lot more attentive to my WhatsApp chats than I really like to be, I am feeling surprisingly grateful and honored to be a part of this room mom group.  There is at least one woman, if not more, for each grade who has committed to serving their kid's class in any and every way possible.  They show up for the meetings with positivity and opinions and a desire to see the school succeed.  More than that, they want to be part of creating an environment of community and fun and learning for their kids and that kind of commitment is inspiring and beautiful to me.  It's just another facet of what makes Highlands such a unique and special place.  Not only do we have teachers who have left their home, country and family to serve the needs of international families overseas, but there are parents who are willing to go above and beyond to serve the school community as well, for the good of the whole.  It's so refreshing to be a part of this group in a time when many families are feeling a bit shaken by the unexpected changes that are taking place.  I love knowing that I get to serve in this way and hope that the Lord will use me in 2nd grade to bring a sense of stability and hope to those families.