Recently I’ve started running again after I twisted my ankle several weeks back. This was my first run back. I didn’t want to overdo it as my ankle was still a bit sensitive so I just went on a short jog. I ran nearly 4km through the Rajagiriya/Nawala area of Colombo. Despite this I’m surprised that I managed to hit an average speed per km as high as I did considering I struggled to walk down the stairs in the previous week.  I don’t know if I was too early into the recovery process to begin running again but things felt fine afterwards.

1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

I identified my strengths by pacing myself during the run. There were points in which I was able to move faster and other points in which I tried to conserve my energy.

4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

Pushing on through the run during the midday heat was difficult but I stayed focused on my goal.

Stats from my run. Source – Strava

Me on my run

On the 3rd of march our eco-schools group took the initiative to pick up rubbish at the outside area of the schools. We started by putting on bright yellow vests and making our way down to the front side area of the school from the back exit then we moved our way up. We originally started with just 3 bags but we had to get more from the school as there was so much rubbish. It was really shocking to me how much rubbish there was around us especially considering that usually its just something we walk past. The majority of what we found was plastic throwaways but there was a surprising amount of glass. Overall we collected 6 full sorted bags of rubbish.

LO5-Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

LO6-Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

The Group (Photo Courtesy Ms. Melinda)

Kithulgala Orientation

Our grade went on a three-day-long CAS/sciences trip to Kitulgala from the 24-26th of November.

Day 1

On the first day of the trip, we went white-water rafting and canyoning. It was my first time ever doing something like this and I was completely unprepared. I didn’t expect white water rafting to be as wet as it was and the shoes I picked also had no grip f

or the canyoning segment. The water was freezing, getting in felt like hopping in an ice bath, and the trek was long and grueling.  Despite this, I was surprised at how much fun it was. I’ve never been fond of heights, the fear of falling and getting hurt has always prevent

ed me from doing things and the segments that involved diving into water really challenged this. We capped the day off with a warm bowl of soup and conversation over the fireplace.

Day 2

On the second day of the trip we had work to do for our individual science class. The ESS group visited a nearby dam system and then later went on a hike to look at native wildlife with the rest of the group. Leeches were everywhere. Shreaks echoed throughout the forest.

Day 3

The day started with a quick swim in the freezing river water. After that, we capped the trip off with one final hike as an environmental sciences group. It was around a four hour long hike up one of the mountain trails to a waterfall/ancient temple.

Overall I’m glad I took part in this trip. It really showed me what some of my weaknesses were and forced me into putting myself out there and improving my skills. It was difficult at times but regardless, I perserveered and managed to survive…

In the past, I’ve had spouts of pursuing certain activities however most of them have only been for short periods and are things I haven’t kept consistent at regrettably.

Creativity – At my old school, I competed in a design competition. The competition involved me and a group of people having to design something that solves a problem for a company. Along with this, I started a credited HTML coding course around the middle of quarantine that I have yet to finish.

Activity – Along with the coding course, during quarantine I also started a workout program and started to run every second or so day. This was also a spout and it did not last long. Before the school reopened, a few of us got special permission to come into school. During this day I had a free block and we chose to spend it exercising in the school gym to then upload it onto the CAS portfolio.

Service – Admittedly I haven’t really participated in any service activities because of Covid-19 but this is an aspect I will work on.

In conclusion, what all of this has really taught me is that I need to do a better job at remaining consistent. In order for me not to get bored of activities I will add variation in between them in order to keep them interesting.

Creativity – I am either planning on doing an after-school creative group activity (Joining the MUN group) or if the problem with quarantining persists and I and unable to do so, I would either like to complete a course on coding and get some level of qualification/reach consistency in it or I would like to pursue a photography project similar to that of my personal project. If I chose to code I would have to organize an expert that I could reach out to for help. Both of these scenarios would involve me having to reach a quota of hours spent working on the projects per week.

Activity – I will pursue an at-home calisthenic program. My progress will be documented and I plan on working out at least 3 times a week.

Service – I plan on joining the school’s Conserve The Paws group which is an animal rights activist group. Joining this group will involve me attending all of the meetings and supporting the group to the best of my ability.