CAS Journey Reflection:

cascoordinatorGoals / Reflections

CAS Journey Reflection:

Throughout my CAS journey, I was able to participate in and initiate many different non-academic experiences. Some highlights include: Being a service leader, being a part of OSC’s Eco-Schools Council, participating in SAISA Art, Orientation & Week Without Walls trip, planning and creating my own 3D designs and helping OSC achieve their Eco-Schools Green Flag. Special thanks to Mr. Lockwood, who as the Service teacher, helped with service-related experiences, and Mr Poulus, who gave me the opportunity to participate in the Eco Schools Council, The Eco-Schools audit, and OSC’s open day.

 

Creativity:

Learning Outcomes [LO]: 

  1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.
  2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
  3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
  4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
  5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

 

Creativity has been the aspect I focused and developed on the most during my CAS experience. All of my explorations into the creative aspect of CAS, with the exception of the CAS project, have been largely individual. This means that for creative projects, I initiated, planned and completed them individually. For example, my 3D-designed and printed Nerf Turrets or 3D Designed and Printed Watch Charger all show LO1 LO2 LO3 and LO4, as these projects took a long time to complete, were completed myself, and I had to learn new skills to complete them. There was also collaboration in some of my explorations into creativity. For example, my posts on my SAISA Art Trip, highlight how I worked collaboratively to explore different types of art, in Jordan, LO5. My CAS Project also focused on creativity, in addition to service, demonstrating LO3 and LO4.

Activity

Learning Outcomes [LO]: 

  1. Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.
  2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
  3. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
  4. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

 

When I began my CAS journey, I struggled to think of ways I could remain active. I was not the biggest fan of afterschool sports as they are very competitive, so I decided to do individual activities to keep myself active, all of which I planned individually, for my own personal benefit. I would frequently go on 10-20km bike rides around Colombo, demonstrating LO2, and LO3. Also, frequent long walks, as not only does it improve my physical fitness, but also help clear my mind, and keep me focused. For long weekends or holidays, my family often goes to Amba Tea Estate in the hill country of Sri Lanka, which has numerous hikes and walking trails demonstrating LO2, and LO4. Hikes are one of my favourite ways to be active and whenever I get the chance to do one, I will. Near the end of my CAS journey, I began a swimming routine and was able to track my progress using my smartwatch demonstrating LO1, LO2, and LO4. 

 

Service

Learning Outcomes [LO]: 

  1. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.
  2. Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.
  3. Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.
  4. Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

 

Service has been a large part of my CAS journey. I am a service leader for OSC’s Recycling and Sustainability, so a lot of my posts focus on what our service is working on, and our future goals. I am also a part of OSC’s Eco schools Council. For the Eco schools council, I played a major part in representing OSC in our Eco-Schools Green Flag Audit demonstrating LO4, and LO6. We are the first school in Sri Lanka to receive the eco school’s green flag, making Sri Lanka the 74th country to have an eco-school. I also was a part of OSC’s open day, where new families are able to see the campus and learn about OSC. I gave a presentation during the open day about OSC’s environmental progression. Demonstrating  LO6. My CAS project was also aimed at service, as I designed, created, and printed signs on our service new recycling room demonstrating LO2, LO3, LO4, and LO6.

CAS Project: Creativity & Service Recycling Signs

cascoordinatorCreativity

CAS Project Process: 

 

When brainstorming ideas for my CAS project, I knew I wanted to focus on the service aspect of CAS. I am a service leader of OSC’s Recycling and Sustainability program, and I was brainstorming different projects I could do involving the service. I wanted to leave a mark on OSC, and the service group, something physical that will outlast my time at OSC, and remain useful for several years after. My original idea was to upgrade the current recycling room, as we had problems with insects and organization. However, we were relocated in January as new security turnstiles replaced the recycling room. We were relocated to a small section of the open parking lot, under a metal cover. We had a room built in that location to help protect the recyclables from rain, and falling debris such as leaves. 

 

One major problem we face as a service is that non-recycling items are mixed into the recyclables. Additionally, we would often find that people would dump a large amount of paper and cardboard into the room in a disorganized manner. This would mean that we would spend the whole service block time cleaning and organizing the room. We also had no clear signage. So I decided for my CAS project, was to create a sign that indicates the rules of the recycling room, what can and cannot be recycled, and who to contact if they have any questions.

 

I decided on having 3 total signs, two outdoors in the room and one indoors. The first outdoor sign would indicate that this is where the recycling room is. Since we recently have moved location, it is important to make it clear to people where recyclables go, because otherwise they end up in the trash, and go to a landfill. The first sign will also have text highlighting OSC’s commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, how the recycling room is run, and rules regarding placing items in the room. I wanted to have this text in English, Tamil, and Sinhala, the national languages of Sri Lanka. I translated the text into Tamil and Sinhala and asked my housekeeper’s husband, who is fluent in both languages, to check the translation. The second sign will indicate what items can and cannot be recycled by the room. Currently, we collect mainly paper and cardboard, however, our scrap dealer will also accept (intact) glass and metal, but this is very rare to find on campus. We often get dirty cardboard, such as food-filled pizza boxes and tissues, both of which we do not deal with as it is both a hazard for our service group and attracts insects and rodents. The sign clearly shows that all items must be clean, this should reduce the amount of food and tissues we get in the recycling room. At the bottom of sign two, there is also contact information for Mr Lockwood, the service leader, and also the student leaders. The third sign will be placed inside the room and will highlight the information outside of the room, such as organization, and what materials can and cannot be recycled. Once I got a grammar and spelling check for all languages I downloaded my design as a PDF and went to my local print shop. The place I went to is called Leaf Next Day Print. I talked with a consultant, and they recommend that since these signs would be exposed to Sri Lanka’s humidity, temperature, and rain, the signs should be on compact foam board, and also laminated. I decided on an A2 size for the signs, which is 42, by 60 cm. A2, in my opinion, was the best dimension for these signs, as they both have to be readable from a distance, but also fit within my price range. The designs were printed by the next day, and I will hang them up in the room when we get back to school when Sinhala & Tamil New Year Holidays end. 

 

CAS Project Reflection:

This CAS project allowed me to explore both the Creativity and Service aspects of CAS. Creating this poster allowed me to improve and develop my graphic design skills. Additionally, I had to do research during the process. The information I learned from the research during this process I could use in other academic, and non-academic projects. Additionally, this project allows me to engage with a global issue, pollution, as this sign will make recycling at OSC more efficient. 

 

CAS Learning Outcomes: 

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

#2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process. 

#3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

#4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

#6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

 

Photos:

Finished Printed Sign 1 & 2, on Compact Foam Board
Finished Printed Sign 3, on Compact Foam Board
Digital Design of Sign 2

Creativity: OSCARS Preparation

cascoordinatorCreativity

Summary of OSCARS Preparations:

As a grade representative of G12 within the SGA, I had the opportunity to help organize OSCARS, OSC’s prom. The initial start of the planning process was pretty rough. A Lot of our preferred venues were not available, and we had a budget problem. The DP grade reps, including myself, Eloise, and Pep were in charge of decorations for OSCARS. 

 

The theme of OSCARS was old Hollywood. We brainstormed decorations that would fit under the theme. Our first idea was a red carpet. We organized with the venue providers to get a red carpet to have on one side of the room. We also thought about balloons. The issue of environmental impact was raised and we tried to replace the balloons with paper lanterns. However, we could not find any paper lanterns in Colombo that could arrive for the event in a week. We also negotiated with the venue providers to give a basic flower arrangement on each other’s tables in addition to black tablecloths and chair covers, with gold ribbons. And the final decoration we decided on was a senior’s card. Zoe was in charge of the senior poster, which was not completed in time for use at OSCARS, however, I used the photos of the G12 members for the senior card. I designed a card that fit the theme of Hollywood but also represented each of the 20 seniors. I got 30 of the cards printed out at a print shop near my house, called Leaf Next Day Print. 

 

On the day of OSCARS, Saturday, I sent the designs to the print shop at 8 am, attended the OSC open day at 10 am, then collected both the balloons and cards at 2 pm, and DP grade reps and EXCO at 3 began to set up the OSCARS venue. OSCARS began at 7 pm, and ended at 10 pm, besides minor details such as the senior board, OSCARS turned out successful. 

 

Learning Outcomes: 

#2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

#3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

#4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

#5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

 

Photos: 

Front of senior’s cards
Red carpet & balloons at venue
Table arrangement at the venue
Back side of senior’s OSCARS card

 

Service: Open Day Presentation

cascoordinatorService

Summary of OSC’s Open Day Presentation

OSC planned to host an ‘open day’ at their campus to encourage families and students to enroll at OSC. The first half of the open day would be campus tours, and the second half would be a presentation of highlights at OSC. Eloise and I were to give a presentation on OSC’s environmental awareness and progress. We were allocated 15 minutes for our section of the presentation. We decided to use parts of our FCC green flag audit presentation for the open day as well. I prepared slides on recycling, food waste, biogas, garden beds, and OSC’s green code. However the day before the open day, we were given a new slides template, and the night before the event I had to recreate the slides on the new Open Day Presentation Template. The day of the event was hectic for me, as I also had to organize OSCARS, OSC’s prom. 

 

After organizing decorations for OSCARS in the morning, I arrived on campus at 10 am Saturday for the open day. I helped give a school tour to two families looking to enroll at OSC. Since the children were in primary school, we focused mainly on the primary school facilities. At 12 there was a buffet lunch provided by OSC’s canteen. At 1 the presentation began. While others were giving their presentations, I was organizing details for OSCARS. Our presentation went smoothly, and we stayed under our 15-minute goal. I had to leave immediately after the presentation to prepare the venue for OSCARS, and on the way out I got a high-five from Dr Kleiss, the Director of OSC.

 

Learning Outcomes. 

#2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

#3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

#4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

#5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

 

Photos:

Environmental presentation at OSC
The Overseas School of Colombo Organises 'Open Day' on Saturday the 25th of March - Adaderana Biz English | Sri Lanka Business News
OSC Open Day Promotional Image

Creativity: Day 3 SAISA Art

cascoordinatorCreativity

Summary of SAISA Day 3:

 

Day three of SAISA art was our final day in Jordan. We began by celebrating the art we had created in our workshops on day 2. My group embroidery displayed our artwork by hanging them up on a wall down in the auditorium. Each of the participants also had to create an artist statement, which is similar to an artistic intention, which we often create in visual art. We got to see what the other workshops produced. I found the printmaking group particularly interesting, as they combined several techniques to create a print of the citadel, a landmark we visited on day one. After admiring each other’s art, everyone went into the buses to Mount Nebo. Mount Nebo is where Moses was granted a view of the promised land, before his death. From the landmark, you can see the dead sea, the west bank, and Jerusalem. We had lunch at Mount Nebo. We then attended a mosaic workshop, in which we were able to see how mosaics were made in Jordan. The owner of the mosaic store gave all students a 30% discount on all products. 

 

We then visited several Christian churches. My personal favourite was the Church of St John the Baptist. This church had a large clock tower which you could climb up to with ladders. Additionally, there was a tunnel system underneath the church. After visiting the churches, we had a farewell meal at a restaurant that served a variety of local dishes. We arrived back at ACS at around 6 pm. Since our flight was for 1 am, we got permission to spend 3 hours at the Taj mall beforehand. 

 

At 9:30 we left for the airport and slept in the check-in aisle as our flight had been delayed. We arrived back at OSC at 5 pm after 2 flights and a layover in Doha.

 

Learning Outcomes:

 

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

#2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

#5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

 

Photos of SAISA Day 3:

Front of the Church of John the Baptist
Front of the Church of John the Baptist
Inside of the bell tower of John the Baptist Church
View from the bell tower of John the Baptist Church
Mosaic Workshop
Venue of the farewell meal

 

 

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Service: Trip to the International Water Management Institute

cascoordinatorSchool Trips

Summary:
Our service, Recycling and Sustainability aim to reduce OSC’s ecological footprint. In order to develop new ideas, and further reduce OSC’s ecological footprint, we went to the IWMI headquarters in Sri Lanka, to learn more about how waste is managed, and turned into a useful product. Since the headquarters were about 200 meters away from our school campus, we took a short bus ride there and talked with Dr Pay Drechel. Our group was comprised of key members of our service group, the DP1 and 2 chemistry and biology students. We were given a comprehensive interactive presentation on different ways IWMI, large cities, and Colombo, deal with waste management. An interesting thing I learned during this presentation, was how wastewater is converted into protein through the use of black soldier flies. Which are fed to fish and livestock. Or how cleaned wastewater is used to irrigate crops.

Dr. Pay Drechel Giving a Presentation to the Group of Students Image Credit: Ian Lockwood


CAS Learning Outcomes:
#1 Identify your own strengths and develop areas for growth.

6# Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance.

Activity: Swimming Laps in my Pool

cascoordinatorActivity

Summary of CAS Experience: 

As final exams come closer each week, I find myself studying a lot more each weekend. I have been noticing that around midday Sunday I tend to burn out and lose motivation from studying. I decided to begin swimming laps in my pool as both a break from studying but also to improve my physical fitness. I wear my smart watch when I’m swimming laps, and it gives me statistics such as average heart rate, max heart rate, average speed, and total distance; however, I am not sure how accurate these statistics are. 

 

The first few times I aimed for 2 km in total distance. My average heart rate was 132, my max heart rate was 148, and my average speed was about 0.81 meters a second. It took around 48 minutes. The second time my average heart rate was 133, my max heart rate was 142, and my average speed was about 0.82 meters a second. It took around 45 minutes. The second time my average heart rate was 128, my max heart rate was 143, and my average speed was about 0.85 meters a second. It took around 43 minutes. The fourth, and most recent time my average heart rate was 127, my max heart rate was 141, and my average speed was about 0.86 meters a second. It took around 43 minutes. So I am seeing small incremental improvements over time. I plan to continue this routine each weekend, and it helps me with burnout. I am going to increase my distance by a few hundred meters each time. 

 

Learning Outcomes: 

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

#2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

#3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

#4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences.

Pool

Creativity: Day 2 SAISA Art

cascoordinatorCreativity

Day Two of SAISA Art

 

Day two began with a buffet breakfast at the Rotana Hotel, in Jordan. We left for ACS at 8am. At ACS we split into our workshop groups. I was in embroidery because I wanted to explore a media I haven’t tried before. Other workshops included photography, graffiti, printmaking, stencils, geometric artwork, watercolor landscapes, and portrait drawing. We spent around an hour for the first half of the session practicing different stitching patterns for embroidery. We learned 5 different stitches which we could implement into our final piece. After practicing we went for lunch. Lunch was free and produced by four different food trucks brought onto campus. They served shawarma, falafel, hot dogs, and a type of fried dessert. During the lunch break, I also went over to the ACS spirit store, and bought ACS merch. There was also an open mic during the lunch time, when the ACS rock band performed numerous songs. There were also other activities during lunch, such as making a sand bottle, getting henna, playing various games, and learning Dabke. 

 

After the lunch break we continued with the embroidery. We had around an hour to finish our final piece. Which was not enough time for any of the members to finish their work. After our session, our group worked on a collaborative sculptural piece. The piece consisted of 10 wooden pieces, and we each got a piece to paint. Afterwards the wooden pieces would slot together to create a sculpture. 

 

We finished at around 4pm. Afterwards, OSC, and one of the other SAISA schools went to a mall for a few hours. After the mall we went to Beit Sitti. Beit Sitti means “grandmother’s house” in which a grandmother taught us how to make several different dishes. We made a type of biryani, and a salad. We were also given the recipes, so that we could recreate these dishes at home. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel, at around 9pm. 

 

Learning Outcomes: 

#2. Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process.

#5. Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.

Embroidery creations
Assembled Collaborative Projects
Beit Sitti Cooking
The Boards for the Collaborative Sculpture
ACS Rock Band Performing During Lunch

 

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Creativity: Day 1 of SAISA Art Jordan

cascoordinatorCreativity

 

Our journey began on Wednesday morning, Sri Lankan time, when all 6 of us took a bus to the airport. We flew from Colombo to Doha, to Jordan, arriving at around 7 pm Jordanian Time. When we arrived we were greeted by the ACS’s head of activities who gave us all SAISA Art shirts, bags, and ACS student IDs. 

 

Day 1:

The first official day of SAISA art began when we arrived on ACS’s campus. We were greeted by the whole high school, as we walked from the entrance to the underground auditorium. The head of activities and the secondary principal gave speeches to the whole SAISA Art group. We split into groups, and OSC was grouped with AISD and TAISM. As a group, we visited the Citadel, National Gallery, and the Hashmi Murals. The Citadel is a stunning archaeological sight, in downtown Jordan. Atop a hill, there is an amazing view of the city. The structure of the citadel is around 4000 years old. At the citadel, we focused on refining our photography skills, aiming to capture unique angles, and interesting subjects. After the Citadel we went to the National Gallery, which was comprised of two buildings. In each building, we paired up and analysed different pieces of work. The second building featured interactive and modern art, such as a room that lit up when you took a breath. Afterwards, we went to the Hashmi murals, in downtown Jordan. These murals were painted on the sides of residential buildings. We were given a tour of these murals by a local street, and hip-hop artist. Most of the murals had political or social messages hidden within. After the murals, the whole SAISA art group combined for the Jordan National Museum which featured a wide range of historical artefacts. After the day officially ended, our group headed to the Taj Mall, to get dinner. We ended the day at 9 pm, when we arrived back at our hotel.

View of city from the Citadel
Citadel
Photograph of a building’s roof, at the Citadel
One of the Hashmi Murals
One of the paintings in the Jordan National Gallery

 

Sculptural Installation in the Jordan National Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Creativity: SGA Bake Sale Cookies

cascoordinatorCreativity

Earlier this month, the SGA held a bake sale to raise funds for OSCARS OSC’s prom. I volunteered to bake chocolate chip cookies for the bake sale. Since the bake sale was open to all secondary school students, many snacks would be needed. Because of this, I decided to do quadruple portions of a recipe I regularly use. 

The ingredients were:

4 cups of salted butter

4 cups of white sugar

4 spuds of brown sugar

8 tsp of pure vanilla extract

8 large eggs

12 cups of flour

4 tsp of baking soda

2 tsp of baking powder

4 tsp of salt

8 cups of chocolate chips. 

 

The batter was too large to be mixed into any bowls, so 2 large cooking pots were used when mixing. The process took around 1.5 hours, as baking could only be done in 8 minutes increments on 2 oven trays. My mother and sister helped me throughout the process, especially with the preparation of the baking sheets. All of the cookies were brought to the bake sale, and all of them were sold in under 20 minutes. There were around 40+ cookies. After selling the cookies, I heard many compliments about the cookies, such as how soft and delicious they were. 

 

CAS Learning Outcomes:

 

#3 Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

#4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences. 

 

#5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively.