This final semester of high school seemed tiring because all the areas of CAS were being fulfilled, but alongside that, we had a lot to prepare for the final exams. After the lockdown, we found out that there will be no May 2020 exams. I was overall happy than sad with this news, we still had work and IA’s to complete, but now we had more time to focus on ourselves as well. For creativity, I continued working on yearbook pages, the senior pages were done but I also had to work on secondary art show page, there are two pages and I am waiting for the images and blurb to create those pages. Savi is helping me out with that as well. Thanks to Small Bites that I did last year, I was explored more recipes and cooking new dishes at home:
It was very fun experimenting with new dishes, however, now that we are running low on several items, I probably won’t be cooking as much as before. Other than this, I also have been working out at home by myself. I covered this in my previous post. Through DP, having to do activities has truly pushed me out of my comfort zone which I am very thankful for. I enjoyed my final year of service a lot because I learnt new things about mental health that I has not known about. I have been enjoying mini-projects I give myself. All of us had to create a 10 second clip for our senior graduation video with our favourite song, this is what I created:
It was something small and I had a lot of fun creating it, it has encouring be to do some m ore video editing and take on new personal projects. Some long-lasting lessons I have learned through CAS are shown below. I will integrate many of this into my own life in the future.
- Identifying my strengths and weaknesses has allowed me to appreciate the skills I have and also develop them further which I have used in each area of CAS. I have developed more skills in adobe for the yearbook, more skills in the cooking sections due to small bites. Physically I have strengthened my upper body through personal fitness. For any future projects or activities, I will continue to do this as it is important to know what you have to work on and what not to work on.
- Taking challenges and stepping out of my comfort zone has been very hard for me, but this is the only school that has pushed me to do this. OSC”s Room to Read helped me develop leadership skills and OSC Ambassadors has definitely expanded my awareness about mental health issues. DP 1 Orientation also helped me a lot in general in terms of being out of my comfort on and therefore acquiring new skills. Senior Production was my first ever drama to participate in which was definitely a challenge, but such challenges have helped me grow as a person. In the end, I have learned to be a risk-taker (everything in moderation though) and I have always developed new skills and gained new knowledge by taking on new challenges that I will continue to do.
- I don’t have to initiate any more CAS experiences, however, I have and know all the steps to initiate a movement or project that will be relevant to me in the future. Having a photobooth for OSCARS, or creating clay pots and selling them as a fundraiser, or creating a service member t-shirt for OSC Ambassadors has helped me learn how to initiate any project and these skills will benefit me in the future.
- I was committed to the chosen service during the time I had participated in it, however, I changed it because OSC Ambassadors appealed to me more and I felt a need for change. Yearbook and Small bites were all fun to participate in and I never had trouble committing to it. Having commitment and perseverance in the various CAS experiences I have taken on has not been that tough. This is because I only committed to the activities I was interested in or enjoyed. Forcing myself to do something that I know is not right for me just isn’t smart. Sometimes it can get tough or boring but the overall experience should help the activity and me which I have done in DP.
- Supporting each other during personal fitness, or helping out each other to create the yearbook pages, working together in small bites, or dividing the work in our service group has clearly shown both the disadvantages and advantages of working collaboratively. SAISA Art was also a combination of collaborative and individual work which highlighted the benefits and challenges in both approaches. Certain assignments are better done individually and I am able to distinguish such activities due to all of the CAS experiences I have committed to. This will definitely be useful in the future.
- Demonstrating engagement with issues of global significance was done frequently in our service – OSC Ambassadors. Looking at our current world, all the students are currently demonstrating engagement with issues of global significance. The spread of COVID-19 has been exponential and we all are making responsible decisions and taking appropriate actions as a result such as following social distancing and avoiding public gatherings or meetings that are unnecessary.
- It is important to understand the possible consequences of our actions and this was frequently discussed in OSC Ambassadors. Our approach to issues on a global significance that we presented in the OSC Community was all thought out as we were responsible for any outcome due to our actions. This especially had to be considered while making posters in our service. Recognizing the ethics and of choices and actions has mostly been covered in Service, but as IB students we have discussed a lot on this topic in our TOK or ESS classes which will surely be helpful in the future.
Even though our IB CAS sessions have come to an end, that doesn’t mean that I will stop valuing creativity, activity, and service. I will contribute to society in whatever way possible, continue to take care of my physical and mental health, and obviously always be creative because this one is my favorite part of CAS.
Shivani,
Congratulations on completing OSC’s Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) program! Your final post gives us a good sense of the rich experiential learning that you have engaged with during the last 18 months. Your final senior video was fun to watch and I enjoyed the creative elements of images, mosaics and witty narrative that you have used. I appreciate your attention to the seven IB learning outcomes. Well done and all the best with your ongoing life and educational adventures! Keep blogging!
Mr. Lockwood
OSC DP CAS Coordinator
https://caspathways.wordpress.com/