Winter Break and Beyond

Whether it's SCUBA diving or tennis center or finally getting a chance to volunteer at a youth center, your winter break can be a great opportunity to take time to carry out a CAS activity that was difficult to fit in during the school semester.

• DO write a proposal!
• DO NOT wait for APPROVAL. (I may not be able to respond quickly.)
• Have FUN!

Reflections that are soon due (within 2 weeks of completing an activity):

• Lessons and Carols
• Gawad Kalinga
• Mabini Tutoring

Creativity ideas for next semester:

• lead a broadcasting club for middle schoolers - http://www.youtube.com/cdspodsquad

Famine Event

 Click HERE to download the full Famine Manual with all the information you will need.

If 12 hours seems too short for you, why not go for 30 hours like this famine or this famine.

Here is the person you should contact for more information. Just identify yourself as a student at Brent.

Community Development and Leadership Training

Smiling Face
Originally uploaded by jamesfischer

The expectation of the IB Diploma CAS program at Brent is that students will participate in a community based service project at some point throughout the two years of the program.

On October 25, there will be a leadership training on how to carry out basic community development analysis and how to organize and structure a community development program.






This workshop will ensure that your CAS service projects are in line with IB requirements:

The general principle, sketched out in the section “The nature of creativity, action, service”, that the “rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved [in service activities] are respected”, means, among other things, that the identification of needs, towards which a service activity will be directed, has to involve prior communication and full consultation with the community or individual concerned. This approach, based on a collaborative exchange, maximizes both the potential benefits to the recipients and the learning opportunities for the students.

Ideally, such prior communication and consultation will be face-to-face and will involve the students themselves. Where this is not possible, schools need to work with appropriate partners or intermediaries, such as NGOs (non-governmental organizations), and make every effort to ensure both that the service provided is appropriate, and that the students are able to understand the human consequences of their work, for both individuals and communities.

Where: Brent School - Little Theater/Griffiths Theater

When: October 25 - 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM - This training normally takes 4 days but is being condensed in order to fit the specific needs of Brent students.

Who: Grade 11 and Grade 12 IB students (Workshop leaders will be current Peace Corps volunteers working in communities in the Philippines.)

Why: This training will prepare you to be able to contribute effectively in the community service projects that you engage in.

How to Write a Killer CAS Proposal

The CAS coordinator at Brent Subic has created a sample CAS proposal that might be helpful to those of you who struggle with this step. Take a look:

CAS Proposal (SAMPLE)

Proposals for Girls Basketball and Boys Soccer due on Tuesday.

Action: Eye Run 'coz I Care!

Are you not really into team sports but looking for a fun action activity that will challenge you and make you stronger while benefiting a good cause??  Look no further! Here in Baguio the Lions Club is sponsoring a running event to help blind children in Northern Luzon. There are three different levels: 3k, 5k, 16k. Just think about it: 3k is shorter than you have to run for cross-country and I'm sure somebody would be up for the marathon challenge of 16 kilometers.  There is even a FREE running clinic (where they teach you techniques for long-distance running I imagine?) with a famous Filipina runner so you will likely learn some new skills.

Remember, you need to have a variety of CAS activities in all three areas: Creativity / Action / Service. This is a great opportunity to do a short-term ACTION activity.

If this sounds like it is too hard for you, then it is a good idea for CAS. 

If this sounds like it will put you in an unfamiliar environment, then this is a good idea for CAS. 

If you've never run in a community race before, then this is a good CAS activity.

Alright, alright, I convinced myself.  I'm doing it. Who's joining??

Click here for more info.

Understanding Learning Outcomes

Some of the CAS Learning Outcomes need to be dissected a bit to understand how they apply to your CAS activities. I thought I'd start with one of the more difficult ones.

• considered the ethical implications of their actions

What does that mean? And how do you show proof of it in your reflections? 

Considered means that you thought about something critically. You may have questioned yourself and your actions.
Ethical implications means the expression of or meaning behind an ethical decision.
Ethical decisions involve determining right from wrong. They may involve issues of honesty, justice, compassion, integrity, and fairness.

The IB CAS guide states: 

Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with CAS advisers.

So as far as how you can show evidence of growth in this area, WRITE about it or TALK to me about the moments in your CAS activities when you are faced with ethical decisions, when you have to judge between right and wrong.
 
Here are some quotes that may help you in your understanding.

• An ethical person ought to do more than he's required to do and less than he's allowed to do.
• Winning is nice if you don't lose your integrity.

Have an impact on Millennium Development Goal #2 in our own backyard!

"Only the truly motivated students get a quality education...individual attention is almost impossible." 

This quote is from a teacher in an overcrowded public school in the Philippines. As students yourselves, you should understand that individual attention to your learning is essential for learning. With very small class sizes at Brent, it's easy to take individual attention from your teachers for granted.


MDG #2 is universal primary education by 2015. According to this blog post that explains the Philippines' progress in each of the different MDG's, the country is NOT on track to meet the second goal. Presently only 73% of Filipinos complete the sixth grade. This article details some of the obstacles to providing a quality education to all Filipino children - overcrowded classrooms being one of the most significant. 

Fortunately, you have the opportunity to give some individual attention to some students who are not so privileged to be able to attend a private school like Brent with small class sizes.

Mabini Elementary School and Rizal Elementary School both are in need of a few students who will commit to working with some of the struggling students at these schools one day per week after school. There will be an adult teacher supervisor but the work of tutoring and encouraging these students will be your responsibility.

This type of CAS activity may provide you the opportunity to work on the following learning outcomes:

1. Undertaken new challenges.
2. Planned and initiated activities.
5. Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities.
6. Engaged with issues of global importance.


Sources:
Mydans, Seth "The Philippines Face Classroom Shortages" The New York Times August 24, 2009.

Gonzales, Iris Cecilia "The Philippines on MDGs: Goals 1 and 2 Likely To Be Missed" Think About It: European Blogging Championship May 24, 2010.

Images from New York Times