At the start of my summer break, I didn’t think I’d be going out. Let alone, traveling to a whole different country during the pandemic. When my dad told me he got my mother and me tickets to Chennai, I was beyond excited. I’d made a mental list of everything I’d do when I got to India.
Gardening was a part of this list. I am fond of my grandfather who owns a sustainable garden. Growing up, this terrace garden structured a fundamental part of my childhood. This whole summer was nostalgic and I think the garden played a huge role in this.
To give more details about the garden, it basically consists of a variety of plants. Some plants that my grandfather has been growing for years include jasmine flowers (a famous cultural trademark in South India), Okra (one of my favorite vegetables), Mint (my favorite chocolate is York), and Holy Basil (also known as tulsi in India). He has always been an inspiration to me and his sustainable garden makes me admire him more.
Moving on, one of my favorite flowers would probably be roses, especially the dark red ones just like the one in ‘beauty and the beast’. I have been wanting to grow a beautiful rose ever since I can remember and my grandfather finally got us seeds. This was probably one of my highlights this summer as it grew out to be really pretty (as seen in the picture attached below). I think roses are a symbol of love and not only the appearance but also the smell of roses is really enthralling.
Lastly, I walked into my grandfather’s toolshed to explore and found out his tools were old and broken. This gave me the idea to buy him a toolbox from amazon. Once it was delivered, I surprised him with his brand new toolbox and I think he was the happiest I have ever seen him be since he doesn’t often recieve such surprises. I think spending time with my grandparents made me closer to them than I already am and I was also able to get through a lot of things with their help this summer.
Through gardening and spending time with my grandpa, I was able to destress and bond. I’m back in Sri Lanka now but I can’t wait to visit them back next year before I leave for college!
Learning outcomes:
1. Strength & growth
LO1 Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth. Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, of which some are more developed than others.
2. Challenge and skills
LO2 Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process
A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly
acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences that the student has not previously
undertaken or through increased expertise in an established area.
3. Initiative & planning
LO3 Students articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences. This may be accomplished in collaboration with other participants. Students may show their knowledge and awareness by building on a previous experience, or by launching a new idea or process.
5. Working collaboratively with others
LO5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
6. Global engagement
LO6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance. Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally, or internationally.
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
LO7 Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
