Final CAS Reflection

~ "What feels like the end is often the beginning." ~

Creativity

For this final year I tried to limit my after school activities in order to focus more on my academics and this reflected especially on those to do with Creativity. As opposed to last year, where I was a part of the SGA and the Drawing Club, this year I was only able to attend Piano Lessons on a regular basis and Art Club on a semi-regular basis. While Art Club was used as an excuse to relax and unwind while doing something I enjoy, like drawing, learning to play piano was more structured and allowed me to Develop new skills as well as to Show perseverance and commitment in my activities due to having attended the lessons for 2 years or so.

(Photo credit: OSC)

Action

In keeping with my goal of trying to focus more on my studies this year, I was not as involved with all of the sports I enjoy playing, although I did try out for an entirely new sport and so Undertook a new challenge. My main focus in Action this year was to try to get a leadership position for one of my teams and I achieved this for Volleyball. Another overall goal for action was to Increase awareness of my own strengths and areas of growth as well as to Work more collaboratively with others. Aside from Volleyball, the only other SAISA sport that I was on the team for was Badminton, which was a new experience for me. I had never played before trying out, except briefly in PE a few years back, but enjoyed the game and playing with my teammates, as well as playing individually which took some getting used to as I usually play in team sports. After Badminton in the second quarter I opted not to go to SAISA for Football but still attended practice to keep in shape and because I do love playing the game.

(Photo credit: Ms Lockwood)

Service

For Service this year I wanted to join an entirely different group from Alzheimer’s Awareness which I was a part of last year, and so I picked a new group called the Checkmates. As this was a new group however, we all had some say in Planning and initiating activities, although not as much as the service leaders. The main goal of the group was to teach less fortunate kids from other schools how to play chess, which is highly beneficial for building academic skills and recreational purposes, both of which lend to Engagement with issues of global importance, as it is a universally acknowledged game and to the Consideration of the ethical implications of our actions, specifically relating to the people we meet and affect.

(Photo credit: Checkmates service group)

Issues of Global Importance

Global Importance of Chess

The Checkmates as a service group have a link to the CAS Learning Outcome of global importance through its universal educational value. The game of chess which we play and teach to children from local schools is very important and is played on an international level because of these reasons:

• Can be played by people of all ages and backgrounds
• Works as a mental exercise that helps to improve critical thinking and learning abilities
• Teaches strategy and discipline
• In some cases it helps improve a child’s self confidence
• Increases a person’s memory skills
• Helps improve concentration and academic performance
• Has been successfully used in therapy as recreational therapy
• It’s a fun board game

On a more local level, chess is important in Sri Lanka because of its potential to gain an accomplished player a good school scholarship or recommendation. That is the service groups ultimate goal, to get an exceptional player a chess scholarship to a good school.