LO3 – Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
LO4 – Show commitment to and perseverance in you CAS experiences
LO5 – Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

 

Over the circuit breaker and the summer holidays, the service splits up into grades to work on the respective aspects of awareness. For Grade 11s (then), we worked on the writing up of the contents for the portfolio. It was certainly challenging, trying to manage and keep up the focus to work online, especially when discussions deviate from the goal. Nevertheless, by the end of the school year, the Grade 11s managed to finish writing up.

While uploading the writings, I found the old portfolio to be not updated to our needs (which I sadly forgotten to take a screenshot of to show how it used to be). So, I remade the portfolio! I used a tool called Divi Builder to set up the layout of each page, which was something that I felt really intimidated of in the past. But after playing and exploring it around, I found it easy to use. So when remaking the portfolio, I first envisioned how I want the portfolio to look like, then planned the steps I will be taking to make it a reality. (if you are wondering why I’m doing this without consulting anyone it’s because the portfolio is dead placed under my role and the team said I was free to do whatever I want to the portfolio 🙂 )

*Also please take a look at it! This is blood and sweat here!

Before Season 1 begin, the chair, vice-chair and I had to plan a script in order to advertise the service to students of all grades (in high school). I was initially nervous about talking to the grade (despite it being over the screen) but thankfully, the atmosphere of the group was very lax, with us cracking up jokes during the intermediate time.

Fast forward to Season 1, where the new students finally joined the service! Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the number of new students (technically including our ex-grade 10s from last year) in our service has dramatically reduced down to 10. Which does make sense because we don’t have any events now to help out with due to social distancing etc. Since they are all Grade 11s, we got along with them much better.

As mentioned before, as the primary function of 0WES which is to help out in events by providing crockery isn’t quite available during this time, we decided to focus on awareness, which groups being formed to tackle different issues like disposable masks, where recycled paper go and the number of items in lost and found!

I also needed to start the handover of my role as secretary, which will be distributed to the two vice chairs and communication officer, which really says about the amount of work I did as secretary.

While I have made resources to handover such as a video of how to run the service portfolio, I was at a loss on how to actually handover.

I was conflicted. Perhaps, they will improve as time goes but it hurts to see what I have been putting my heart and soul in for 3 years to be given to people who were not as productive and focused in sessions. Perhaps, I was even bitter about the fact that although I have put in so much effort, I was only known as the secretary, never copied in any email, when this year everybody in the executive team will be acknowledged by the service simply because the role title secretary has been changed to vice-chair and communication officer. Perhaps, it is also because I was tired of keeping holding on to the service.

And after being emotionally exhausted in the past sessions since October, I learned that I need to learn how to let go – trust people and let them fall. Guide them but don’t make decisions for them. Don’t take responsibility for the group yourself but do your responsibilities.

So for now, I have set up a handover plan. I want to settle this as efficiently and as fast as possible.

Things I’d like to go through
Minutes and folder (5 minutes)   – What is the goal of these tasks?      – To ensure all resources is organised and can be found easily (like self-explanatory)      – To ensure that when we look back, we know what we have done what when      – Crucial for reflections What is missing? (Take 5 minutes to look through folder) – Crockery process – washing up and leasing process – Missions and Goals of service
Asking questions to hopefully move discussions forward (5 minutes)   – Consider the manpower of it (appropriate number of people doing the same tasks)   – The timings (is it too little time or too much)   – Who do we need to contact?   – Who, what, when, where, why, how   – What is missing? Look over at each groups resources (which is scattered around so Shazad, it will be your role from now on to organise it) (5 minutes) Attend both groups’ meeting for 10 minutes each   – People from each group stay silent but take notes, from an outside perspective   – What are your thoughts about their progress? After listening to them and looking over their resources   – Moving forward, what would you recommend?
Going through how Google Calendar functions (5 minutes) https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=gapps.uwcsea.edu.sg_crbfcljf1s2cvrh0hjm1bi9h2c%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Asia%2FSingapore

Let’s hope that the handover for the next sessions will be smooth.