Final CAS Reflection

14 years… It has been 14 years since I have first entered these school walls, which I consider to be the walls of my second home. It also has been 2 years since I have started to properly balance my creativity, activity, and service. To be honest, it was probably what I needed, I wasn’t committed to that many activities before I started my DP years. I would be committed to an activity for a while, which would last for a few days, weeks, or months, and quit after that but after I started to go through CAS I knew I had to start properly commit to some things. This helped me a lot since not only was I balancing my life, but I was also reaching milestones and making friends along the way.

So I want to use this final post to reflect on the life lessons I learned from these activities and commitments and connect them to the seven learning outcomes to not only show how I was able to complete but also how I could continue to use these in the future.

Learning Outcome 1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

This was used in almost all my CAS-related activities, I am constantly trying to find what areas I have excelled at and what areas I’m still not good at and need improving on. The activity I am mostly committed to badminton. During my training classes, I have done many drills and matches. During my matches, I am not only trying to play the game but I am also trying to see which skills I’m still not used to, then to improve them I practice by doing some exercises that are useful to improve this and then I would do another match to see if I have made any improvements. For creativity I am mostly committed to playing the piano, this is more individual, I when it comes to finding strengths I mostly check to see if I am playing the correct notes in the correct tempo and dynamics, and if there are any mistakes, I would simply play the parts that I have done wrong multiple times until I have improved. One of my Creativity goals was to finish all the John Thompson piano courses and I have managed to finish all 8 parts.

Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

In Badminton, I always learn something new, this mostly happens when I am playing a match, during my games my opponent would use many shot techniques: smash, drop, clear, etc. but I already knew techniques, but what I mostly learn is when and how they use it. Sometimes they would bait me into thinking they would use a smashing technique but go for a drop shot, so far I try to use this technique on multiple occasions but I haven’t completely gotten the hang of it yet, so due to this I am still in the receiving end of that.

Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience

Planning is also an aspect that is mostly found in all my CAS activities. Before every badminton class, I would have to plan on what shot techniques I want to focus on and what exercises are needed to help with that. Service is another area where this is mostly used, before every paper collection we would plan on what should be the main focus, this would usually be which classrooms that would need recycling boxes and whether we should clean out the recycling shelter and send the paper to the recycling center. Even when I was doing my CAS project is required a lot of thought on how the poster was going to be, and how it should appeal to its target audience.

Learning Outcome 4: Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences

Most of my activities require a lot of commitment and perseverance and that required motivation. There were days where I didn’t feel like going to badminton practices since I was just lazy or may have some assignments that I would need to work, these practices were also early in the morning but in the end, I would just deal with it can get prepared. This was the right decision since it would be the one thing that would wake me up properly for the day and start the day with an energetic attitude and be able to face the rest of the day head-on. This goes for my service activities. Recycling and Sustainability is the main service I am committed to. Every Thursday it would require a lot of motivation to spend an extra hour to collect paper and send it to the recycling center when I would want to spend the time to relax before I had to go back to completing assignments. But I realized the importance of doing this since we are directly addressing a significant global issue.

Learning Outcome 5: Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively

It is easier to get many tasks done when working collaboratively, this was mostly shown in my service group. When we are collecting paper we would split into groups, each group was in charge of a school block, this would make the collection easier and get it done a lot quicker. Then after the collection we would join again and split into two groups, one group would stay to clean the recycling shed, while to other group travels with all the paper to the recycling center nearby and weigh the paper to collect money.

Learning Outcome 6 and 7: Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance and Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions

In service, we are directly tackling an issue of global significance, in the service we ensure that not all paper goes to waste and has the potential to be recycled. Paper is made from the raw wood of trees and many of those trees are being cut down. When paper is sent to the recycling center we are ensuring that not all paper is sent to garbage dumps and remains inside the cycle of recycling. We not only focus on recycling but also focus on how waste is separated, and if students are putting the correct waste in the correct bins.

For my CAS project, I worked with HelpAge Sri Lanka to work on another issue where senior citizens must enjoy their right to proper healthcare and economic security. To contribute I decided to make a poster.

This results at the end of a major chapter of my life. A chapter about my school, that lasted for 14 years. I thank my friends, family, and the teachers that were part of my life for giving me lessons and experiences that made my life more enjoyable and I look forward to taking those experiences and lessons with me as I become a more independent individual.