End of Q2 Reflections

End of quimester reflections may take many forms, as outlined below.

Regardless of which type of reflection you have chosen, the reflections
must be submitted to the CAS coordinator by the deadline detailed on the
year 12 instruction sheet. Whichever form of reflection you choose, you
should try to address the questions outlined on this form.
I have chosen to reflect on my CAS experience for quimester 2 by:
Tick
Completing this form

Making a scrapbook
Photo essay
Video/ DVD
Weblog
Recorded group discussion
Notes from group discussion
Other:
What did you plan to do this quimester?
I planned on engaging in a number of activities that would encompass
the three fields involved in CAS. Being part of CAS groups in school that
went on visits to other organizations was the plan to get involved with
service. I also planned to get more involved in football, and thus aimed at
doing multiple activities involving it, including the senior boys football
extracurricular in school and also attend the La Liga football school
outside of school.
I was also informed by the CAS coordinator that I was chosen, along with
a few other students to go on a trip that deals with autism, located in
Ambato. I looked forward to being part of that experience.
Finally, I planned on continuing with the school band, because it was so
much fun the partial before when I did it.
What did you do?
I ended up taking part in all of the activities that I intended to take part
in, including the InterCAS trip to Ambato.
Something that I ended up doing additionally by the end, which I didnt
initially plan on doing, was refereeing some of the house games, due to
spraining my ankle badly and not being able to participate in them.
What do you think about the activities you completed this quimester?

I think that they were successful, and I greatly enjoyed taking part in all
of them. Some challenges arose in some of the activities that I enlisted
before, like imposing my authority and make people respect my
decisions when refereeing, or putting myself in a situation that I wouldnt
have normally dared to put myself in and play in front of a public,
however small the public was.
I not only enjoyed myself thoroughly this quimestre, but throughout the
experiences that taking part in the activities brought me I feel that I have
come out of it a better person. I got to see how less fortunate people have
had to live, just by virtue of being born into less fortunate
circumstances. I got to understand the importance of preserving ones
native species, not only in terms of taking care of the planet and
ecosystem, but also the national heritage and identity. Furthermore, I
learnt about autism and experienced it first hand instead of just hering
about it.

What feelings arose during the activities completed this quimester?

I experienced a range of feelings throughout the activity. A feeling of
sadness coupled with compassion, a feeling of empathy, of joy, of
belonging and of importance were only a few of the things I felt this
quimestre.
What were the outcomes of the activities you completed, for yourself?
I can now see how fortunate I am, having spent time with an autistic
child. He didnt interact with others they same way that I would normally
expect, but I learn that his mind works in different ways to mind and he
doesnt perceive the world in the same way.
I also learnt how to play properly with a band, complete with the timing
and everything, including stage presence.
What were the outcomes of the activities you completed, for others?
In situations like this, it is always difficult to analyze the extent to which
we are helping others, for example during our trips. The children from
the orphanage may benefit temporarily from interacting with other
students during activities and learn a bit of English, but on the long term,
this becomes less apparent. No serious fundraising was done in order to
provide the organizations with enough money to produce long term
change, and therefore benefit.
The other students that took part in the InterCAS trip to Ambato did
benefit greatly, however, due to the awareness that they experienced
during the trip. They had direct exposure with the issue, dealing first
hand with the autistic children, and this would have awoken them from
what they thought the condition was really like.
Was there value for the school or the wider/ global community from
any activities? Explain.
The school gained value in that the students themselves learnt how to
better organize events, like bake sales in order to raise money for the
CAS projects. Furthermore, a greater number than ever got involved in
performing at the school Family Fun Day, which goes to show the
increasing importance of music.
How will you proceed next quimester? Which activities will you
continue with? Why? Which will you not continue with? Why? Are
there any areas of growth you wish to focus on next quimester?
I plan on continuing with a number of the activities listed above. Until
my ankle fully heals, I look forward to keep helping with the organization
of the house sport, and referee some of the games. Moreover, I aim to

keep being part of the school band because it was such a positive
experience the last quimestre. The La Liga football club outside of school
is something I probably will stop doing, given that we were recently told
that we were getting to old to participate anymore, but the Senior Boys
Football club is something that I will definitely be a part of; I love the
competitive spirit.
I will surely be part of a CAS group next quimestre too, given that it is
school endorsed, but the specifics of what theme we will focus on and
what organizations we decide to visit are a mystery as of yet. Whatever
the focus turns out to be, I am sure that it will be just as productive and
fulfilling as the last project.