CREATIVITY 

When deciding what to incorporate for my creativity element of CAS a multitude of potential interests kicked in – such as developing music or arts skills. Though those things are not out of the realm of possibility for CAS and definitely are things that spark interest to me, I decided I wanted to take on a task that was both creative in the sense that it develops a new skill and is unfamiliar to me, but also something that is practical and can be taken from the CAS experience and incorporated into life after graduation. The skill in question is driving. Despite the daunting idea of trying to learn to drive in Sri Lanka, I feel that making a start here and now whilst I am provided the opportunity should be used to my personal advantage. Driving has always been something that I was interested in and the idea of having a driving license really appealed to me because it means I can get food whenever I want – but more than that, it symbolises independence and adulthood to me. In partaking in this creativity task I will be utilising the learning outcomes as I will be; identifying my strengths in the technicalities of driving and seeing how and where I can improve, I will be showing an abundance of patience and perseverance in my goal, and I will be developing a new skill in general (LO2) . Though I feel it is unlikely for me to fully obtain my license before/by graduation I still have the goal of working up to this and on a more general perspective, just being able to improve my skills to the point where I am a competent driver. As of yet, I have not physically started driving however I have applied for my provisional license, (which has been successful and it is to be delivered to Sri Lanka) which is the British equivalent of a learners permit, which implies that I will be able to practice my driving in quiet areas (given that ‘L’ plates are on the vehicle of use). I strongly look forward to building up my skills in driving and showing my process and development along the way! Considering the current situation with the ongoing pandemic however, my creativity goals are just to incorporate more art into my life, and partake in activities that take me away from the screen and doing something that helps me control my stress. Things like spending time with friends, baking, and painting are all things that I love to do and help with anxiety – so these are definitely things I will incorporate more thoroughly into my routine during these uncertain times (LO4).

ACTIVITY 

Exercise has played an important role in my life as it motivates me and makes me feel healthy however, I only truly feel comfort when participating in team sports (LO5) as apart of my exercise. When doing this, I not only feel united with my team members as we all share the same goal and strive towards it, but I also feel accomplished in the best way. The aspect of competitiveness drives me to give a game my all and truly use my energy until the battery is dead. My favourite sport would have to be football. I have grown up playing it, and as I have grown up I’ve personally felt and seen my skills develop and grow. For example, when I previously played as a midfielder and identified my own weaknesses in the sense that I felt like I wasn’t playing my best in that position and opted to move to defence where I feel I flourished better and felt more confident, helping me to identify my skills as a played and also my abilities as a member of the team to understand what I can excel in to actually help game play. For these reasons I have decided to take on football as my activity element in the CAS programme. OSC offers an amazing SAISA programme for girls football and the experiences I have been lucky to partake in are overwhelmingly unforgettable – from playing in India to Oman as well as at home in Sri Lanka. I can’t wait to once again be back on the pitch with the team and feel that kick of adrenaline as soon as the game starts. With that being said, due to the current situation in the world that feeling of playing with the whole team has been pushed back however that does not imply that I can’t still work towards this CAS goal in some sense. I will be trying to improve my defence skills whilst at home by firstly working on personal fitness (LO1) e.g. improving my endurance by running on the treadmill at varied lengths and paces. I am looking forward to identifying what I am already succeeding in, and figuring out what needs to be improved and how it can be improved, and of course sharing the process within this blog!

SERVICE

My initial goal for service this year was to take on the role of service leader for the group ‘Temple School’. Within Temple School we work with a group of young children from a local school close to the OSC campus – bringing them in each Thursday to play with them, teach them English, and provide them with a safe environment to express their creativity and interests. As a service leader I would have been there to listen to the opinions of me peers and uplift the group in a motivational way, allowing for the most creative and unique ideas the service could possible achieve. I would have hoped to be able to further teach the kids new skills along with host some form of fundraiser to earn money in order to make upgrades to the children’s’ school. I understand now that due to the ongoing pandemic, our service that relies heavily on our bond and connection with the kids is not currently possible – and my service group has been put on hold temporarily. Still wanting to make a difference, I have decided to involve and occupy myself within another service group which I feel passionate and respectful towards (LO4). The service group being ‘Girls for Girls’. Since arriving at OSC in 8th grade, this service had always appealed to me as the idea of coming together and truly educating ourselves and others on the harsh realities many young women in the world and within Sri Lanka specifically face was an opportunity that inspired me. Being in 8th grade however, the service group I assumed was not available for me to join (as it goes only through 9th-12th grade). Considering this, I joined temple school which included another passion of mine. Now that I am in Girls for Girls however, I feel that I am able to be apart of something that can positively change the outlook of many people and help in preventing the repetition of abuse in young women, and supporting women that have been abused (LO6). This year, I hope to involve myself fully with this group my contributing ideas, taking charge of necessary elements to the service, occupying my time towards the service e.g. attending/helping generate fundraisers, and in general just to make a difference. As of yet, we have had only 1 meeting in which I shared an idea to incorporate female empowerment quotes within the daily bulletin as well as deciding to take up the service’s Instagram account – to produce content in relation to Girls for Girls and help develop a following in order to further help in educating the school and promoting the goals, themes, and future events for the service group (LO3).