L01: Identifying own strengths and develop areas for personal growth
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_n8x3NuImX-NGw0cVZ4bXNBUnc
CAS
Collaboration in Pre-Season
L05: Demonstrate the skills and recognise the benefits of working collaboratively
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_n8x3NuImX-bVRuR1NmaDU1X3c
Local Service Challenges
L02: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_n8x3NuImX-RGRmWHlOY01ZR2c
Culturama
L01: Identifying own strengths and develop areas for personal growth
For culturama this year, I have found that I have been helping others a lot more during the rehearsals. I am quite a confident dancer, and the style of Indian dance that we are doing, comes quite naturally to me. Therefore I am using my strength and developing it by helping others learn the steps. I have noticed that through explaining a step, I end up doing it better or realise my own need to clarify any doubts. This, in turn, improves my own performance. I think that one area for personal growth is my ability to ask for clarification when I am confused. Normally, I tend to leave things to figure out for myself, but this year, in Culturama, I have really been refining this skill and being more open to ask for help when I need it. I think that during rehearsals I am in a very comfortable environment, and therefore I think that it is a good start place to learn how to be more comfortable asking questions.
Economeast
L06: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
This year, I have joined economeast. In this activity we have to write two articles related to economics for the magazine. Up till now, we have only chose our topics, however while researching for our topics I learnt a lot of the world around us and how economics links into everything. I read an article on Uber being discontinued in London and it make me think of all the repercussions, including unemployment and a reduction in the GDP. Upon realising this, I started to think about all the impacts our seemingly small actions have on the environment around us. Everything we do has a consequence and although that seems shocking at first, it is really what helps the earth run. Causes lead to effects and effects have causes. This is evident in every global crisis, the world has seen up till date. As a result of understanding this, I have become more keen on reading news about the world and have started documenting articles I read and answering questions about them. The articles I read a primarily related to economics, to help me with that subject, but this task will help me in all aspects of my learning.
Here is an example of my record:
Kolkata GC
LO3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience
This year for my GC, we have gone straight into planning for Kahaani, our main event of the year. I have just completed the backwards planning document for this year. This has allowed me and everyone in the GC to see what is the plan for the upcoming months so that every part of the organisation of Kahaani can run smoothly. Since I was the chair of the GC last year I already quite a lot of prior experience. What I am finding a bit challenging this year, is teaching everything I know to the two new chairs I am working with. Sometimes I think that it is easier to get all the work done myself, rather than explaining the entire task to the new chairs. However, I also know that, sometimes through explaining the tasks we need to do, it becomes more clear for me as well. I know, from my experience last year, that strong communication and collaboration is required to plan this show effectively and therefore I am trying my best to do so. This is my main goal for this year, for GC. To begin with, I have set up a skype call with the other two chairs to run through everything, so that I can completely explain everything that will happen from now until Kahaani. I am trying to stay as organised as possible, so that the work does not pile up and overwhelm me.
Pre-Season Basketball
L04: Show commitment to and perseverance in you CAS experiences
This year, I have been attending pre-season basketball every Tuesday and Thursday morning. This requires me to wake up earlier, which I personally find challenging to do so. Therefore, recently I have had to persevere and make sure that my sleep schedule is fixed so that I can wake up in time to train before school. This year, for basketball, I really want to improve my skills and awareness in game situations. I have been training out of school and practising some of the basic drills that we do in pre-season at home to solidify what we practise in the training sessions. I think that this demonstrates my commitment to the sport and my willingness to improve. I feel very proud whenever I put in the extra effort and I feel as though practising more often is helping to make my routine more disciplined.
Lighthouse Initial Discussions
L06: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance
In my local service last week, we were discussing whether disabled people are looked after throughout their life. In places like Singapore, the government aims to integrate these people into society and supposedly have certain jobs kept for specially abled people, however we also discussed that this is generally not evident. In most countries expatriates who are disabled do not receive proper care and thus, it changes many families lifestyles as they are forced to stay in their own country to get that necessary support. On the other hand, as of now, there are some international schools in Belgium that provide extra help to support students with cognitive disabilities. I feel that although we are trying to improve these students motor skills through this service, there is still a greater picture that needs to be addressed, in which these students are not kept away from the rest of society but are rather assisted in merging with the rest of society.
My Activities this year
This year for Service I am the chair of Kolkata GC and have joined a service called, “Lighthouse motor skills development”. Both of these aim to work with disabled children however in my GC, we try to raise money and awareness for the cause, whereas in the local service, we get to actually work hands on with the children and help to improve their motor skills. I think that I am very organised so I can use this strength in planning for my GC as well as taking on a position of leadership in my service. I sometimes can be a bit introverted when I first introduce myself to a group of people, and therefore I will try and work on that when I start my new local service. Additionally, I like to change the activities I do often and hence it will require my to have a lot of strength to stay committed to one cause for the whole year.
For action, I am currently participating in Pre Season basketball to improve my skills and prepare me for the real season, which I also hope to participate in. Along side this, I am train weekly for basketball with an external coach. I find the sport very enjoyable and I am quite diligent when it comes to improving my skills and committing to all the training sessions. However, I find it hard to balance getting a good amount sleep and getting all my work finished, so that I am fresh for the day since most of the training is before school.
Furthermore, for creativity, I have joined the ‘Economeast’ this year. I have a lot of passion for economics and I am excited to share my writing with a wider group of people. Again, I am quite organised so I would be able to reach all the deadlines and possible take on a leadership position. Additionally, I am also taking in part in Culturama and Kahaani this year. I have been a part of both of these activities, since I joined high school and have thoroughly enjoyed my experience. For Kahaani, I will be directing the whole show. I am slightly nervous this year, as I don’t have a very loud voice and I will need to take charge of a large group of people. This will be a bit of a struggle for me, but I will work towards that throughout the year.
This year in CAS, I would like to grow as a person and make myself a more capable individual in many various aspects. I would hope to become more confident and feel more involved in school activities and the school community. I hope that my time doing CAS will help me achieve these things.
What will CAS bring to me?
I think that in the upcoming two years, CAS will assist me in exploring my passions and discovering more about myself. By investing time into the three areas of learning – creativity, action and service – I will begin to understand different parts of me and start to shape myself into a capable individual. I am very excited to see how CAS will change me in the next two years.