Final CAS Reflection Essay - 810 words

At first when we were told the requirements for the IB program, I was not looking forward to the amount of extra work that we had to do. This extra work included the CAS activities. I knew creativity would be no problem for me to complete but I was worried about the remaining two categories, the action more than the service. As time went on I grew to really enjoy these additional activities, they were a way to get my mind off my school work but still be productive and contribute to my community. I have learnt that getting out of my comfort zone is an important factor in enjoying life. Additionally, I have learnt that I cannot learn new things, I cannot grow, without undertaking new challenges and experiences that force me to improve my skill set within my community, wherever that may be. Growing up internationally I feel much more aware of the multitude of different cultures I come across every day. Doing the CAS program has helped to heighten that awareness and teach me the importance of collaborating with my peers as well as my mentors and the people that are part of the world around me. I have been provided with equal opportunities to attend and/or plan my own activities, this has taught me to respect leadership but also to embrace it when the time calls for it.

Although the CAS program often calls for a lot of experiences that require you to do something new, I have really enjoyed doing activities both new to me and familiar to me. Looking back I found that I did a lot more activities in the creativity category than the other two. This was expected due to my personality but looking back I also see that some of my favourite activities were in fact not in that category, for example, learning how to horse ride and attending the KSPCA service trips. I also wish that as a student I had more time to participate in these activities. I often found myself feeling overwhelmed with my newly found busy schedule but despite this I found that I just could not permanently stop any of the activities I was involved in. At the beginning of the IB I had so many plans as to what I wanted to do activity wise. Unfortunately I was unable to do all of them and now that I am so close to finishing the IB, I wish I had found time to participate in those additional activities.

I have to admit that I am still not that fond of doing action activities but I have learnt that I really enjoy them if I can find an activity that suits me. Although this may be true, one thing I have learnt while doing CAS is that it is too difficult to find an activity that suits you but rather the purpose is to mold yourself with the activity you need to do. This is true not only for your attitude towards the activity but also for how you communicate with your fellow students and how you react to the final outcome of the activity. I have learnt through every activity that I have done that there is always something new to learn in an activity, something more to add to your growth as a human being. Doing the CAS program, I have come to understand that we, as people, never stop learning and growing. Every day of our lives is a new experience, like that to the activities that I have done with the CAS program, and each new experience is like a new lego block that is added to the top our building. This lego block enables us to grow, to become bigger and stronger but still provides the means to grow even more. Similarly, every activity I have done with the CAS program is a new experience to add to my pile, it is a new method of thought to add to my understanding and it is a new accomplishment to add to the community.

I understand that although my work with CAS and the IB is coming to a close that the activities I participate in will have less significance within my education but it is my hope that I will continue to develop this balance, between creativity, action and service, needed to really live a worthy and significant life. I have grown immensely over the past two years, but I know and understand that I am still growing and that I will still continue to grow. I still have a long way to go before what I have done to contribute to my community becomes anything worth noting but because of my many positive experiences with my CAS activities I am looking forward to working up to that point in time.

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Book Club - Overall

While book club is not quite finished for the year, it has been a wonderful, really relaxing club to attend. I have bonded over literature with other students that I would normally not talk to. I have learnt that books outside my preferred genres are also just as good and just as worthy to read.

Photography Club - Overall

Previously, I have not talked about photography club at all in my blog. I have been in the photography club relatively throughout all the years I have been at ISK. While doing the high school production my involvement in the photography club lessened due to time constraints. Once the play had finished, however, I jumped straight back into the weekly meetings just in time for the annual photography trip. On this trip we went to Maili Saba near Nakuru. With us came a professional photographer, Mr. Stuart Henderson. Mr. Henderson worked with us over the weekend we were staying there and taught us lots of new techniques and methods to use in order to create amazing photographs. He really criticized and critiqued our work to the point where he may have sounded rude but one thing I learnt from this trip was that he was really trying to encourage us to be the best we can in what we want to do in our lives, whether that be photography or not.

Another major part of photography club this year is our plan to design, make and produce a school year calendar to sell. This is still in the process of happening but I thought I should include it as it really encourages us to be proud of our work, and reminds us that we can accomplish anything.

KSPCA - Overall

Unfortunately, due to time constraints I was only able to go to the KSPCA an additional one time. This time we fed the animals again and were again given the opportunity to interact with the different animals. A couple of us decided to go pet the cats and play with the kittens this time instead of what we usually do which is interact with the dogs. This adventurer spirit unfortunately backfired as we accidentally went into one of the kennels that held cats with really bad worms. Luckily we didn’t touch the cats that much but after that we weren’t allowed to go into any other kennel. I feel a bit gypped as no one who knew even considered on telling us before we went in or before we touched the cats, but only decided to tell us afterwards when it was too late. We then had to be very careful not to touch our own faces and had to go wash our hands intensely so.

Overall the KSPCA service trip was a success. The trip seemed much more efficient and organised than the last service trip I did with the school. I learnt a lot about the work that the KSPCA does for abandoned and injured animals in Kenya. I actually feel inspired to continue volunteering at an animal shelter in the next place I go.

IC Trip to Watamu

For our Senior Trip to the coast I was on the creativity strand. In this strand we did water colouring, a photography safari and sandcastle competitions. I didn’t choose this strand as a major addition to my CAS but I thought I should mention it.

While we were there we were also required to go either swimming or jogging every morning. I chose to go jogging because I only like recreational swimming in the ocean. So every morning we would jog or do a fast walk up and down the strand of beach. I’m not much of a sporty person so this proved kind of difficult for me and I often walked more than I jogged. Unfortunately we as students were unaware of this requirement until we actually got to our destination. Hence, a lot of us, including myself, came unprepared for these activities. This led to me having to run barefoot. I actually really enjoy running barefoot and the sand is supposed to be really therapeutic for your feet and ankles but I often found myself returning to my cabin after the jog with really, really sore ankles. I would’ve have enjoyed my time running on the beach but I often felt embarrassed due to the presence of my peers. This activity really pulled me out of my comfort zone as it forced to not only exercise in front of other people but also with other people.

In addition to the main strand, each student was given a free time block to pick any extra activity we wanted to do. I chose to go snorkeling. I absolutely love the ocean, and having lived near the Great Barrier Reef at one point, I really enjoy swimming with the marine life and watching the coral. Snorkeling in Kenya is not as good as some other places I have been but is still a wonderful experience regardless. What made this activity different than usual was the fact that this was the first time I had ever been snorkeling without my dad. When I was little I had a real hard time with the idea of stingrays and my dad was always there to teach me how to snorkel and how to be comfortable with my surroundings, including the stingrays. Seeing as this was the first time I had ever gone snorkeling with people other than my family my usual confidence dropped a little. Despite this discomfort, as soon as I was in the water everything seemed to just work.

KSPCA - Week 2

For this service trip we are supposed to go every second week. This is because there are too many students signed up for the service trip to all go every week. Fortunately I was granted permission to go every week in order to make my experience there more official and worthy.

The second time we went, the trip was just as organised but unfortunately a few of us were left with nothing significant to do. Feeling as pointless as we did we were left to wander around the kennels. Luckily we were allowed to enter the various kennels and interact with all the animals. Although to some this might not seem like service, I still felt that it was important to play with these animals who rarely get any attention at all. Especially for affectionate animals, like dogs, the attention is almost as important as the food. This week that was all a couple of us did, play with all the dogs and the puppies.

KSPCA - Week 1

The previous time I participated in one of the service trips after school on a Wednesday afternoon seemed to go relatively well. So, in the second semester of grade twelve I thought it would be a good idea to do another one of these trips. This time I wanted to do something a little bit different, so I decided to sign up for the KSPCA service trip. This trip would consist of going with a group of students to the KSPCA to help feed, clean and take care of the abandoned or injured animals sheltered there.

Fortunately for this service trip, one of my close friends also joined up which meant that this time I actually had someone to talk to while on the trip. The first time we went, the administration at the KSPCA split all the students into three different groups. The group I was in was taken to the dog kennels. There, we helped distribute and feed all the dogs that were there. While we were helping, one of the workers there told us all about the different dogs that were sheltered in those specific kennels. There were a few big black dogs that had only come in a few days earlier, who would have seemed intimidating if not for their immense shyness. All of the dogs there each had their own story, their own history, not all of them good.

After we fed the dogs, we were given a tour around the other kennels as well. The KSPCA has a lot of different animals including pigs and donkeys in addition to the usual cats and dogs. Near the end of our trip we were allowed into one of the larger cat enclosures. We were then allowed to play with and name a couple of the cats that were there. One of the cats that we named was a small grey kitten, we called him Jumper.

Book Club - The Thirteenth Tale

As I mentioned in one of my earlier book club posts, I really enjoy reading historical fiction. This proved true again once I had finished reading Daughters of the Witching Hill. The novel was about a family living in Old Britain and how the witch hunts slowly destroyed their family. Usually I really don’t like books where the hero or heroine dies at the end, but despite how this book similarly ended I thought that the ending was inevitable and needed to make the novel even better.

The next novel we’re reading is The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. When we were discussing which book to read next, someone pointed out that a lot of the novels we’re reading are written for a female target audience. When I was reflecting on this point, I realised that the reason I enjoy most of these books is because they fall in the genres I typically like to read. I joined the book club in an attempt to widen my literature vocabulary and this has worked to some extent but not as much as I originally hoped it would.

Teaching a Christmas Arts and Crafts Workshop

With my Church Youth Group I have been provided with the opportunity to teach a Christmas arts and crafts workshops. Most of the youth that go to my church live in and around the Kangemi slum. We do youth activities fortnightly, that consist of a variety of activities but I thought it would be a good idea to do some hands on activities that provided the girls the opportunity to make decorations that were cheap and simple to make that they could use to decorate their own home with during Christmas time. The idea seemed to be a good one and my Young Women’s President gave me the go ahead to plan, organize and run this workshop. Since it was Christmas I planned and organized an activity oriented around Christmas decorations. I researched easy-to-make decorations and the internet spurted out a whole variety of things. The decorations we ended up making consisted of these handmade paper baubles and cheap plastic baubles from Nakumatt that we painted with glitter in various different patterns. Fortunately the workshop went really well and all the girls enjoyed themselves and went home with lots of handmade decorations to use in their own homes. This activity was a challenge for me as I have never actually taught an art class before, that and I had to completely organise the entire project by myself. All in all, I really enjoyed doing this project and even though earlier in my blog I mentioned that I didn’t like teaching much, I actually really enjoyed teaching this particular workshop. It made me realize that I do have the ability to organise and run a successful activity.

Horseriding Overall

Overall, these past few months have been quite a learning experience for me. I started off my horse riding lessons with absolutely no pre-acquired knowledge of horses, let alone riding them. I also began having a small fear of horses, the horses seeming way too large when I stood next to them. Eventually, life got too busy for me so unfortunately I had to stop horse riding in order to lesson the amount of stuff I had to do. But now that I’ve finished my lessons here, I feel a lot more comfortable in a saddle. I still have never done much more than a canter but regardless, the experience has proved to be a really positive one for me. Looking back I actually really enjoy horse-riding and hope to continue learning and riding when I move on to university. Seeing as I’m not a very sporty person I’m surprised that I enjoyed horse riding as much as I did. I will probably never do it as more than a hobby but this activity is one that I’m glad I exited my comfort zone in order to complete.

Book Club - Daughters of the Witching Hill

I didn’t enjoy Into the Forest as much as I was hoping to. The novel itself was pretty good and was a fast read but despite that I felt that when reading it, it lacked that attention grabber that dramatic novels like that one often require. When we discussed the novel, it seemed that everyone in the book club either loved it or hated it, I was one of the former. I enjoyed the concept of the story more than anything and was able to relate it’s post-apocalyptic setting to other really good novels that I’ve read.

The next novel we have to read is called Daughters of the Witching Hill, written by Mary Sharratt. It is a historical fiction set in Old Britain during the time of the witch huntings.

Cheleta Reading Group - Overall

After the first trip out to Cheleta Primary School I went another three times. I found this activity difficult because each time I went I was given different children to teach, hence, making it difficult as each new student had different levels of reading ability. Additionally, the administration at Cheleta School often gave us students who were really young, so young that they could barely speak English, if at all. This made the task of teaching the students how to read even more difficult due to the total lack of communication between us and the children. Eventually our attempt at teaching the students to read ended up being just a time to look through picture books for the children. Occasionally there was one or two older children who already had a basic knowledge for reading and we were able to help them progress in their ability but other than that it felt that we were often just there to entertain the children during their free time. Despite these difficulties the trip did get better every time. I was the only senior on the trip so, even if the task was unspoken, I felt that I was responsible for the various age groups on the service trip getting along. There were a couple of other younger high school students also on the trip that I was able to talk to, and I eventually made really good friends with a couple of them.

Overall this service trip was difficult but was well worth it. I learnt a lot more about local schooling systems and the differences between my culture and the culture I’m currently living in. I grew a newfound respect for Kenyan teachers who everyday teach children who may not speak fluent Swahili let alone English. I enjoyed the service trip but I am now certain that I’m not very good at teaching.

MacBeth - Overall

Now that the play is finally done I’m feeling both relieved and a little disappointed. It was a lot of hard work but the final outcome was worth it. We performed a total of four times, one matinee and three evening shows. There were no major mistakes and everyone performed wonderfully. This experience has been an opportunity for me to grow in confidence, cooperation and teamwork and I am feel immensely proud of the outcome our hard work earned for us. At first it was a little nerve racking because this was the first time I had ever acted with lines. All my previous experiences in drama involved only background roles. Being uncomfortable with audiences proved a challenge as I performed with my peers. Fortunately my love for acting overrode that fear and I was able to perform with only minimal shaking. I thoroughly enjoyed acting in a Shakespearean play and from the results from this experience I will welcome the opportunity to do it again. As I reflect the only thing I wish we could have redone was the bonding time with our peers. Acting in MacBeth proved to be a lot of work, if not too much, leaving us little time to catch up on our academic work let alone socialize at all. Usually when I participate in a play, I come out of it feeling a sort of bond with my fellow peers who also helped with the play. Due to the intensity of rehearsals we never had a chance to bond, something I had grown used to from experience in other plays. Then again, when the play was finally over I went through a bit of a withdrawal stage as I found myself with nothing to do in the afternoons. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed being a part of this production and enjoyed doing and learning new acting techniques and exploring my capabilities. Looking back I like the idea of doing a Shakespearean play again, although next time preferably not during the school year.

Book Club - Into the Forest

Before I read A Week at the Airport, I was under the impression that the book would prove to be really boring. Surprisingly I was wrong. The book, although non-fiction, was very descriptive of the author’s surroundings in Heathrow Airport and often told tales of the various people he met while at the airport. I think I liked the book in the end because of the story-like way the author told his experiences. While I was reading the book, I also happened to be passing through Heathrow Airport during October break on my way to the United States. This made the book even more intriguing as I was reading it while in the exact same place the book was set.

The next book we have to read for book club is called Into the Forest, by Jean Hegland. I’m excited to read this next book because it is fictional post-apocalyptic novel opposed to the non-fiction books we have been reading recently.

Drama Trip 2011

Participating in the High School Production of MacBeth provided me with the opportunity to attend the High School Drama Trip of 2011 to London. I had an amazing time while we were in London, not only was it a well needed break from school but we also went and saw various plays, took theatre tours, participated in workshops and met with actors. The trip also proved beneficial because of the amount of freedom I felt walking around in London. On this trip we walked pretty much everywhere enabling us to really immerse ourselves in the culture of the streets of London. I’ve included this particular activity on this blog because of the amazing opportunities we had while spending our time in London. We did a couple of workshops while we were there but one workshop that really stood out was one that was taught by an actor at the Globe Theatre who acted in one of the plays we went to see. He spent a good two hours with us teaching us new relaxing methods and acting tips as well as very useful techniques in working with Shakespeare and getting into character. I found all of the workshops we went to very helpful with preparing myself for the play, as well as calming myself at the same time.

Book Club - A Week at the Airport

Unfortunately I never actually got the opportunity to finish Agent Zigzag. I really did enjoy reading the book but it proved too dense and took up too much of my time. I do hope though that I’ll get back to that biography someday.
For our next read, we were assigned to read A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton. This next book is a non-fiction narrative of the author’s experience while spending a week in the Heathrow Airport in London, England.