CAS Final Reflection (Learning Outcomes)

CREATIVITY -

Yearbook (20 hours ++)

Through undertaking this activity, I increased my awareness of my own areas for growth knowing that I often found it difficult to work with others. I pursued taking part in Yearbook in order to hopefully improve my skills in working with others as it is an extremely useful skill to have for future jobs and university. My dedication to the activity led me to become Chief Editor of the 2011/2012 edition and this was a new challenge as I was placed in charge of a large group of students and was given responsibility both for organising, sharing my own creative input, and communicating messages to the rest of the student body.

Piano (20 hours ++)

I showed perseverance and true commitment in my regular Piano lessons. This extended beyond just my sessions with the teacher as in order to improve you must practice daily at home. As a result, I developed a new skill having performed in five concerts since I started learning to play the instrument in 2010.

International Day Stand Ambassador (5 hours)

Here, I was able to effectively work collaboratively with others as I was an Ambassador for the Nordic Countries stand on International Day at ISP. I made an effort to ensure that everyone was able to input their ideas and suggestions. I truly believe that the outcome was a product of all those involved and we had succeeded in winning 5 stars during the awards ceremony!

Contributing to Photos in ISP's Literary Magazine (5 hours) & Taking Photos for Eventual Publication on the Internet - for Bonnie Brown (5 hours)

In both these activities I was able to exercise and develop my skills as a photographer.

ACTION -

Football (20 hours ++) & Basketball (20 hours ++)

In pursuing these two team sports, I showed perseverance once again and commitment to these activities. This was particularly important as the team as a whole would consistently depend on one another and ones' presence could affect the effectiveness of a team as a whole. I think our team together, showed that we could work collaboratively in order to gain successes, particularly in our basketball tournament in Basel, Switzerland where our ability to trust and depend on the other members of our team led us to win 2nd Place out of 7 teams (despite our skills having not been as strong as others).

Learning to Snowboard (15 hours)

I developed a new skill, having never even attempted a winter sport in the past. 

SERVICE -

Christmas in Cambodia - Donation Collections (8 hours)

This activity showed that I was engaged with issues of global importance. As part of an international community, I felt that it was important that I found a way to live up to this name showing how despite only having access locally, we can still make a difference elsewhere. This was also an activity which I planned and initiated on my own. It was a lot of work but I was able to send almost 8 full boxes of donations to Objectif Cambodia.

Website Upgrade for Bottle School Project - Illac Diaz (4 hours) & Assisting in Victor Narciso's Photo Shoot (3 hours)

These were both activities in which I was able to develop new skills for the future. I learnt through pursuing these projects how I should carry myself, hold given responsibilities and meet deadlines. Working collaboratively with professionals increased my awareness of my own strengths and capabilities in a job.

English Classroom Assistant (15 hours)

Here, I undertook new challenges and developed new skills when playing important roles in the development of the education of other students. I often planned supplements to the lesson supported by my own studies, research and experiences. As they were regular classes during my frees, I showed commitment by consistently showing up to the lessons prepared.

Mentoring & Aiding Sophie Stretch with CAS (15 hours)

This was the most challenging and yet most meaningful activity I chose to pursue. First of all, it was the activity which was closest to the job I would like to pursue in the future (Art Therapist), having the responsibility of becoming a confidant to Sophie. It led me to consider the ethical implications of my actions. I had to make several thought-out decisions about what to do with the information she gave me and also what advice to give her.

Attending ISP's Student Council Open Meeting (1 hour)

Through taking part in this meeting, I showed that I was engaged with the issues of our school-wide community and I believe the issues which were brought up and discussed will be resolved appropriately. It was reassuring to know that I could contribute so actively to the school community.

Documenting 'Creative, Action and Service' (10 hours)

This is an example of my planning, initiating and completing a service project. It gave me a chance to utilise and increase my awareness of my skills in writing, researching and photography.

Volunteering for Gawad Kalinga - Philippines (4 hours)

I considered the ethical implications of my actions when pursuing this activity. As I was in an area of rather extreme poverty, as a privileged student it was important that I was discreet in the way I dressed, spoke and carried myself around the families living in the GK Village so as not to insult and show respect.

What's going on? (SEVEN) - THE END!

My CAS Program has finally come to an end!

I have been busy bringing projects to a finish - i.e. teaching Grade 11 students how to go about taking over my job as something of a 'CAS Journalist'. This project was a useful but demanding one so I wanted to help four students in the Grade below as they continued writing/taking photos for regular CAS articles. I have also been continuing my work in the Yearbook as the chief editor. The reason I had to bring these activities to an eventual close is because it is now the time for me to focus on my studies in preparation for the May 2012 exams.

I did complete another activity before this, however..!

My piano teacher, Bonnie Brown, hosts holiday music lessons for children and, as one of her mature students, asked me to take several photographs of the classes for her website. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity to help my teacher and friend. It also gave me yet another opportunity to exercise my photography skills in a new environment. As the subjects were mainly a group of students, at times this could be very unpredictable! It was useful practice for me, personally but my teacher would also gain more publicity from her website (hopefully!) with the help of my photographs. I spent a day sitting in the two classes scheduled for that day, continuously taking photos where I saw fit. I also helped the students with their work on piano theory when they needed it. :)

Activity Completed - Creativity (5 hours)

The photos of the students with Bonnie are for her disposal so I cannot publish them here. However, shown below are two outtakes of some of the students during the classes!

In conclusion, CAS has been both an exhausting and fulfilling experience, as I had expected! Most notably, mentoring Sophie Stretch has been really meaningful for me while Piano lessons always gave me an escape when I needed it. Yearbook was extremely demanding and challenging and I learnt many things about working with others (which was a main goal for me in pursuing my CAS Program) while at the same time giving me an output for my creativity. Basketball also brought me closer to many wonderful people and my Service projects taught me to be conscious of those who need help locally and globally. Looking back at everything I have accomplished and knowing that I have been able to help a number of people is truly overwhelming. They won't be easily forgotten.  :)

Below is a full list of the activities I have completed throughout the course of my IB Dimploma (Session: May 2012).

CREATIVITY -

Yearbook (20 hours ++)

Piano (20 hours ++)

International Day Stand Ambassador (5 hours)

Contributing to Photos in ISP's Literary Magazine (5 hours)

Taking Photos for Eventual Publication on the Internet - for Bonnie Brown (5 hours)

TOTAL: 55 hours

ACTION -

Football (20 hours ++)

Basketball (20 hours ++)

Learning to Snowboard (15 hours)

SERVICE -

Christmas in Cambodia - Donation Collections (8 hours)

Website Upgrade for Bottle School Project - Illac Diaz (4 hours)

English Classroom Assistant (15 hours)

Mentoring & Aiding Sophie Stretch with CAS (15 hours)

Attending ISP's Student Council Open Meeting (1 hour)

Documenting 'Creative, Action and Service' (10 hours)

Assisting in Victor Narciso's Photo Shoot (3 hours)

Volunteering for Gawad Kalinga - Philippines (4 hours)

CAS GRAND TOTAL: 170 hours

8th of January, 2012.

Isabella Borgers

What's going on? (SIX) - A BIG Update

A lot has been going on, but finally I have time to write an update again!

Many projects have ended along with this school year and some changes were made with the fundraising project I had pursued with Sophie. I have taken on some little Creativity and Service projects here and there as well and my Action program is essentially complete. I'm anticipating my last 'big' Service project which I have planned for August. Below I have written a little bit about the outcomes and what progress I have made with recently finished activities.

CREATIVITY
1. Literary Magazine Contribution (5 hours)
I spent an evening walking around Paris to take several photographs for ISP's Literary Magazine with Kelly Verschuere (Grade 11). It was a surprisingly fulfilling activity because I was able to exhibit and share my love for photography with others. I also enjoyed exploring Paris on my own, something I normally would not have been able to set time for! Below are some of the shots which were published in the Literary Magazine:

ACTION (COMPLETE!)
My program for Action activities is finally complete with:
1. Football (in school) - 20 hours
2. Basketball (in school) - 20 hours &
3. Snowboarding (outside school) - 15 hours

SERVICE
1. Menotring Sophie Stretch & helping with her 'Pennies for Peace Project' (15 hours)
This has probably been one of the most time consuming and wonderful activity. Definitely one of my favourites. I spent the second half of the year meeting with Sophie (7th Grade) every Tuesday for several hours to make plans for the fundraising projects and getting to know her. We were able to raise more money than we had expected so we are in fact, very proud. However, there was a scandal about the 'Pennies for Peace' organization this year as it was discovered that the founder was not using the money appropriately. Here is a link to a news report on it: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7363068n. As a result, we have pulled out our promised contribution and transferred it to a new organization: Room to Read. This organization also helps build schools and collect books for children in South East Asia (where I am from, so I was very happy!) Both our parents are also a part of this organization, and is helping in the establishment of a branch in Paris as well. Here is a link to their website: http://www.roomtoread.org/. We are both really happy to have donated to a worthy cause and I am really happy to have been able to help Sophie and get to know her as I have.  :)

2. Documenting 'Creativity, Action and Service' at ISP (10 hours)
This I would say was not my most successful project. I had intended to write an article reporting on various CAS activities weekly, or at least every other week. However, this did not work out as I had planned - I had difficulties in managing time to interview, photograph, edit and write the article during the school week and the schoolwork had really began to pile up. This was not an easy activity to pursue but to make up for my inconsistency, I think I will make a packet of notes, ideas and my past articles to pass on to next year's Grade 11 so another group can continue the project. I think it would be very useful because it does count as CAS hours (obviously!) and it really is a great Service to other classmates. It is helpful because they can learn of new venues for activites (such as rowing or dancing) and it can inspire others to try new things. This is all important because it allows others to gain more from their CAS programs.

3. Student Council Open Meeting at ISP (1 hour)
Although my decision to attend the Student Council's open meeting at ISP was fairly spontaneous, I'm glad I went. Many relevant issues were brought up and it was great to see for myself what the student council was getting up to, I don't think many people know how active they really are. For that reason, I really encourage other students to attend the next open meeting. Even I made some contributions particularly concerning the students pursuing the IB Diploma. I suggested an earlier briefing on coursework so that students who are organized can take advantage and get a head start on them. Fewer people will be stressed and it won't feel like the work is piling up, as it did for me. There was also a discussion on the smoking policy at ISP and I thought that whatever rule they came up with for smokers, it should also apply for the teachers because students see them smoking too. As a student, I know that if they do pass a stricter policy on it, they will want to see it apply to everybody. There were other topics brought up too but those were the two that I felt I was able to give valuable responses to!

4. Assisting in Victor Narciso's Photo Shoot (3 hours)
I spent an afternoon helping Victor Narciso with his photo shoot for a bridal promotion for a gym in Manila, Philippines. I spent a lot of time setting up lights, and holding reflectors while he was shooting. but I enjoyed it anyway because I was exposed to a 'real' photography production. I like that I was able to make creative suggestions sometimes and I was able to give more than an extra set of hands.  :)

FUTURE PLANS!
From the 2nd until the 5th of August, I will be taking part in a humanitarian project with the organization Gawad Kalinga in one of the provinces of the Philippines. In the mornings, I will be teaching kids and in the afternoons I will be helping in the construction of a school there. I am looking forward to this experience particularly because I have never been able to help out directly at home. I will write a post on this mini-humanitarian trip after it has been completed. Visit the website: http://www.gk1world.com/.

After helping out Gawad Kalinga, I will have fulfilled the CAS requirements for the IB diploma program. Next year, in the early stages of Grade 12, I may take on smaller CAS projects but I will definitely be spending more time focusing on my studies.

I will soon post a full list of all the activities which I have completed this year so stay tuned!

That's all folks!  :)

What's going on? (FIVE) - Pennies for Peace

In March 2011, I was approached by a fellow school mate and neighbour, Sophie Stretch (7th Grade), who asked for help in putting into action her fundraising plans for the charity Pennies for Peace. Of course, I enthusiastically jumped at an opportunity to help a charity which supports people around the world. We meet for a couple of hours every Tuesday after school to plan events, or make posters. We make a point of meeting regularly so that we can discuss how things are going and what we can do to improve some aspects of the project. The Pennies for Peace fundraising will consist of the distribution of Penny Collection jars around school as well as nearby Delis and Bakeries & the organization of sales - bake sales, chocolate sales, ice cream sales etc. Awareness of the aims of the charity will be shared in school assemblies and posters. I am optimistic about this project as it is clear that Sophie has great dedication to the project, and I know I too, want to do anything to make it as successful as possible, for Sophie and for children's education in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Below, I have attached an email which I sent to inform the school of Sophie and I's goals for this year and also some links for your information on the charity itself:

Dear Mr Kerr,

I am writing on behalf of Sophie Stretch (Grade 7) and myself. We have been meeting every Tuesday after school, planning and organising a series of fund-raising activities which would run until the end of the year for the charity Pennies for Peace (www.penniesforpeace.org). This organisation has been very close to Sophie's heart and, apart from the fact that she is my neighbour, I've decided to help her make her project more successful. She already ran this project last year, and would like to continue it this year. She has set up a WikiSpace (www.ispennies4peace.wikispaces.com), if you would like to know more.

Tomorrow, Wednesday the 30th March, we will be putting out penny donation boxes in the library, as well as the B Building reception (if that is okay) which will remain there throughout the year. We are going to spread the word ourselves, in the form of posters and updates in our registration and homeroom classes.

We have planned to do several bake sales throughout the rest of the school year, and we would just like to confirm that this would be okay with you. Please let us know ASAP if there are any problems. Bake Sales, Chocolate Sales and Popsicle Sales will take place on the following Tuesdays:

April 4th, 2011
May 3rd, 2011
May 17th, 2011
May 31st, 2011
Throughout June (to be confirmed)

Other students who may be helping out at the food sales and preparations are Emily Bishko as well as other Grade 7 students.

We are both looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
Thank you in advance for your support!

Isabella Borgers (Grade 11) & Sophie Stretch (Grade 7)

I believe that this is an important, long-term project for my CAS program as it is not a repetitive project. There is a lot of thought put into initiating the different tools which will determine the success of the fundraising project. There are various activities which make up the project as a whole, from baking to the creation of posters, to informing other students, to putting up posters and distributing donation jars and meeting with Sophie on a weekly basis. I believe that at the end of this project, it will amount to about 20 hours of Service as well as maybe a few hours of creativity or action as an outcome of the smaller activities within the Pennies for Peace project.

What's going on? (FOUR) - Basketball

In early March 2011, the ISP girl's basketball team travelled to Basel, Switzerland to compete at a tournament involving several other European international schools. This was essentially what our twice-a-week practices were building up to.

These practices passed with progress, but not much. Although we were very much excited to be travelling as a team elsewhere to compete, we really didn't have high hopes on 'winning' the tournament. However, the energy made it clear that every single member would truly give it their all.

During the two days of competition there, we played six games - losing two, and winning the rest which finally placed us in second place in the tournament overall!

It was a really important experience for us as a team, in my opinion, and we definitely grew from the way events unfolded during matches (and in between!) Our first game, we were obviously full of nerves but really were motivated to do well and the game finished with our team, the ISP Panthers, one point behind - one point, not one basket (equivalent two points)! On the first day of games, we had to play three matches, one after the other - as I said, we lost the first, won the second (which got our hopes really high!) but were later crushed as we lost our final game by a MILE. I think this was a combination of outside forces (we did not agree with the judges, and it was against the Home team which meant htat their entire school was supporting them and so our morale was low) and great exhaustion. The rest of our matches however, I'm happy to say, we won by a significant amount. :)

Basketball season is now coming to end but unfortunately I have not been able to play as much as before due to a back injury. Below are some photos from practices and the tournament.

Total 'Action' hours completed for Basketball? 20 hours (plus!)