CAS 2017

I am Kripa Patel. Currently doing the IB diploma programme from Fountainhead school. Although, in these 17 years of my life, I have grown immensely overall as a person but my height does not reflect the same. The extrovert personality trait that I showcase, has given me an opportunity to meet a lot of people. I can cook well and I also do a little bit of art, though don’t have enough skills. My extrovert behaviour helped me to identify my talent of managing events as well as people.

My interests connects with my talents. I love watching movies, travelling (especially with friends), relishing delicious food, going to parties, listening to music, having fun and at the end having a great sleep. I want to improve my dance and drama skills by trying to give it proper time, but after I complete my IB. Because I am an extrovert, I often get distracted from my goals. This distraction impacts my priorities but at the same time it refreshes me and helps me create great memories. I believe till I complete my twelfth, I would like to focus on my academics and in enjoying my last few day of school life. Later, hopefully, when I enter the next stage of my life, college, I would like to be more responsible when it comes to my spendings, earning and to bring change (within or surround), but again don’t want to miss having fun in between. I don’t believe in planning a lot, I believe it is better to go with flow and learn from my own experiences. Experiences, which are often given the title of mistakes :P.  

I am at an age where, I am expected to fulfill the expectations of my teachers, my family, my friends my society as well as of my own. These are the biggest concerns right now. I am trying my best to accomplish them but somehow it gets hard to handle, especially, with the pressure it comes. I would like to learn more about how to handle my professional life and the challenges which I come across or I could come across. I would also like to learn how to plan things out because to survive this running world going with flow isn’t a better option.

It has been taught that “you should keep fighting and facing your problems”. However, the one thing which I always want to do is take a bag, 50% filled with few clothes, few necessities, food and 50% filled with cash and just run away alone for a great trip, to have a good time.

‘Experience’ is the first word which strikes my mind every time someone asks what’s CAS all about. One can only value CAS after he/she completes the criteria. That is the reason CAS has been one of the most important component of the IB curriculum. My CAS journey will play a very vital role behind getting my life lessons. Almost all the activities have been prominent experiences but I believe Farewell, my CAS project will always be that extra special and memorable activity. This activity was an event where my friend and I were the organizers. I initiated for this event because it was planned for our seniors. That’s how one emotional factor always play a role behind this activity being extra special. This event have taught me a lot of things. It helped me to realise my strength and weakness in better way and had helped me to developed as a person. Also, it has been one of those event where my work was appreciated a lot and my talent was visible to others.

As mentioned CAS is all about experiences. These experiences were the once which actually helped me to face the real world, apply the knowledge learnt and to understand myself in a better way. Almost every activity have led me to have deep thoughts whether about myself and about the activity’s pros, cons and learnings. I have started being more reflective. For example when we had gone or activities such as Football I realised how important it is to co-ordinate and play with cool mind in the field. Volunteering or being a head of some events helped to understand how to manage things. Where else plantation helped me to realise that education is not worth until you can make your world better. With time, I also realised the value of time. I understood that I need to balance everything. I took time and a lot of efforts to make things better and better. Especially the balance with the extra activities like camps and studying effectively. CAS was the teacher of all the things. It helped in just not acquiring the knowledge but also in applying the knowledge. For example applying the planning and finance from the subject business management in the process of events. These made us understand the limitations and flaws of our knowledge about the topics/ subjects. I personally believed that I can found that as a person I have become a more of open-minded and a better communicator. I was good in communicating ideas and plan to the ones I already know. Later few activities required sponsorships, like FSMUN 3.0 here I learned to communicate with the ones whom I don’t know. I fumbled less and developed the etiquettes needed in my communications. There are many small things which were learnt in this journey and am sure will help me in future.

I often have to think when someone asks me about myself. The journey of CAS helped me to identify my abilities. In Teacher’s Day planning, I realised that I am able to persuade or convince people. I found that I can identify the techniques or the way I could make them work. Also, I got know that I have the capability to manage and work under pressure. After this event in around fifteen days we were gonna have our terminals. So, people were not interested in participation or volunteering for this event but after a lot of  motivation I persuaded the grade to participate in the event and the evnt gt successfull with a lot of team efforts. It also helped me to understand and identify my values. After playing football games, I have learned that playing ethically is itself an achievement whether you win or lose the game. The games taught us about sportsmanship, about leaving the field after shaking the hand with opposite team even after losing the match. Or whether it is about understanding the importance of giving good quality food or material to customers according the payment they gave for the events like FSMUN or SUO or Farewell or organized.

Everyone in the school have a special attachment and great moments when it comes to the first batch of the school. Therefore having an opportunity of doing something for my seniors, I am ready to go for an extra mile. The opportunity was to make their last day, give them a farewell they deserve to get. One of my colleague + friend, Muskaan Agarwal took an initiative to plan and organize the event; Farewell 2016.

WHY THIS: Firstly being organizer of event, I was undertaking a new challenge. Often I have been a manager or a participant in the event. But planning a event and as managing it was really different for me. This event also helped to identify my leadership qualities and as well as I can connect the process of management with my subject Business Management. I could use the knowledge of importance of human resource, the planning stage, handling the finance (

EVENT DESCRIPTION : This comes under one of the school event therefore, we were having approval and proper financial support from the school. Our first and important goal was of doing an astounding event. To reach this goal we have already decided to give our 100% behind the planning process and as well as the execution. After a lot of discussions and rejections we finalized a theme of Awards. We they being the star of the school needs to be given a celebrity feeling. After we decided the theme. We actually needed to ponder and arbitrate the flow and the activities suitable to the theme as well as the event. Finally, the itinerary included typical award function criteria. If including the anchors, for entertainment dance and drama (in movie/ video form), the categories of achievements, the awards for the achievements, relishing dinner, the proper invitations for the celebrities (Seniors).

ME AND THE EVENT: Even though I am not use to planning, but my partner and I have spent a lot in the planning stage and  have initiated to take and complete our duties. This was the first time when I was the main organiser for the event, and the pressure of making it work and best was always there in my head. Thus, it was very important for me and for my partner to sort out, how will we divide and manage things up. According to the plan we divided the event into three parts which was Designing and Decorating, Stage work (Dance, film, Skit etc), Food. Where we decided that Designing and decorating will be done by my partner and Stage work will be done by me. The food was done by both us because we wanted it to be fantastic. Even though we divided the work but we were clear with all the plan so, we have clear idea in all the departments. This event needed a lot of energy, motivation and hard work while executing the plan. 

LEARNING AND THE EVENT: We didn’t know how to plan or how to make a planning sheet. In this process I learned from one our school admin manager. Which actually helped in giving us a basic idea and to make sure that our aim/goal is getting fulfilled.  Later, I need to make sure that the plan is executed in the way we have actually planned. For that two things which I made sure from my side were that I co-ordinate with my partner and the volunteers in a positive and motivating attitude. So, I need to make sure that I am giving both of them their space and listening their point of views with an open-minded and positive behaviour. I mostly need to make sure that my volunteers are motivated properly because that can only led them to work willingly and make the work effective. So, need to praise them, challenge them, help them and many times even command them to get best out of them. Also, the connection between me and partner was really good. We were friends first, that’s the reason we had no misunderstanding and full trust on each other. The connection leaded to have good co-ordination because we already know each other. We knew our strengths and our weaknesses. Thus we could listen to each other and could easily find out the solutions. The other thing which I made sure was that I am committed to my work and just don’t leave everything on my partner. Often I had a habit  that when I work with partner whom I know well I used to convince him or her to do even my job but for this event I make sure that this don’t happen. I actually divided thing up and make sure that I am contributing equally or more to this event and am not leaving everything on my partner. That’s reason I wanted to divide the work in three departments. This decision of mine helped both of us to get involved and committed to the activity from the stretch till the end.

My strengths in the art field was really good. So, that is the reason I actually initiated for taking the responsibility of the stage work. I have already danced and acted before. In this, event I developed my skill in writing up the script and making the movie. I have specially learned how to used the movie editor. I understood and learned more about have movie making is done in more detail. This is when I Increased the awareness of my strength and did grow by doing it.  In this particular one of the most challenging area was to persuade or convince people every at every point. Whether it is convincing teachers or school authorities for allowing or permitting about few ideas, whether it is persuading the people to work or handle them in the worst situation. The idea itself was a challenge because this was the first time Fountainhead was doing this event. Also, we needed to take care about the environment of the event. We needed to make sure that the humor we tried to create is not offending. The songs we have choose are appropriate. the speeches and the dialogues are comforting.

At the end, I believe that each one who worked in the event contributed equally to make it a success. I am also glad that I had a great partnership with Muskaan which actually was the reason behind the great management. Because of our partnership there  were less misunderstanding, miscommunication but more comfort. At the end I can proudly say that I have a learned a lot from this first event of mine. 

 

I actually did not plan to do this event. I was offered to do this event by one of our teachers. Firstly, I was really glad that they thought that I am responsible enough to do this event. I was really obliged to grab this opportunity but this was a new challenge for me. The event actually requires a lot of planning and time but I had the time of only two weeks. In this two weeks, I need to make sure that we are ready with a performance of at-least two hours. Also, This was the first time I was doing this event alone. But I was ready to undertake a new challenge.

After taking this new challenge, I knew that I had to plan things up alone in an appropriate manner. In a way which will divide up things. I have planned the tasks, I decided to have three groups. The first group, on taking care of gifts, the second group on making the skit and movie and third group was about dance. After the planning, I had decided to be head of the second group and initiated in group two and three. I had written the script, produced and as well directed the script, acted in it and in group 3 I have danced in the third group.

While doing this activity, it was hectic because we really had less time and my schedule was getting affected because of the event. I still managed and realized that even in this less time I could plan well and go according to it. I always knew that I am good in convincing people but this time it was really different. I really thought that people will not agree in this short notice and there will be fewer volunteers. But when I actually introduced them and told them about the event, after few conversations they showed the interest and they tried to manage their timings and initiate. One of the difficult things was handling this many people together and work with them collaboratively. I have to make sure that everyone gets equal part in the event without any clashes and problems. One of the biggest positives of this event was that everyone participated and came out from their comfort zone. I able to convince nondancers to dance, not actors to act and convinced introverts to work in this big group and communicate with them. While doing this activity I realized that I don’t know how to make a movie video, I learned it from my friends and used my past experience to make it. I also learnt new features about using it.   I have to contact the other two heads every day about the progress, especially the group 3.

At the end, I  enjoyed this event and was glad to take and complete this opportunity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-x_Oafv0eE&t=27s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-n7YQ0qlVs

 

 

 

 

 

Fountainhead School Model United Nations is an event. This is the third time the school is having this event. I volunteered in this event because my friend was head in this event. I was assigned to the food department head. I was a food head before but this was all new experience. This event was quite big. For this event, we were given very less budget but we the items should be really fascinating and delicious. In here I have to plan for both cases I need to make a plan of food items and which place will be ready to give us.

One of the challenges in here was to work collaboratively. I had a junior head under me and a volunteer for the help. There was no problem between our communication or understanding. What became difficult was working under the head. It was very difficult to convince them because their expectations and choices were not in the given budget. Also I the location where this event was going to happen was quite far from the city, which added up the cost price in the food department. While doing the event I understood that I learned how to be more patient. Also with preparing for sponsorship I learned how to present myself as an event coordinator. I also realized that I often get upset if things are not working according to me. This then demotivates me and my work and energy gets the effect.

In this event, the budget given to me was less. It really got difficult but then I really got upset because I was not able to make my head happy at the starting stages because of zero results. But in last two weeks, I actually pulled my socks up and planned again. Found out a better solution to getting food from local places. This actually shortened the budget and maintained the essence of the food item.
On the D-Day, when the delegates, the participants, and the everyone were happy with the food. Their praising actually showed my efforts. Also, at the end, I was awarded title of the best department head.

Our school is the only school which give admission to specially abled kids. I am really proud about it. We are always taught to accept them in the society and instead making the feel different we should treat them as one of us. I really care and believe that this message should be spread to other people. For that I participated in a social service and had gone to a school named Shree Nandan.
I decided to spending the whole with this specially abled kids. Our job in their was to spent time, make them laugh, make them feel special by giving attention to them. First I was given two kids to take care of and than we have to rotate. When I had introduced myself to them they were quite awkward with me at the starting and that created the difficulty. I had to make sure that I am making them feel comfortable. I have to keep talking to them, ask many question identify what they like and what they want. Because of lack of conversation I wasn’t able to understand what they want or what they want to do. My friend however already know them so she helped in understanding them. I decided not to give up that easily, and try more harder. I was glad that once the time spent they were also really comfortable with me. They initiated talking and playing with me. Than we had a blast. I realised that if I want to bring a smile I have to appreciate them even in the small things they do. While doing the activities and this service I realised, that they are really special. They are people who requires love to get better. Also, I have taken care of the ethical consideration when comes to not hurting one’s sentiments as well as physically. 
At the end we also have to dance for  them and with them. We danced the way they danced and that was something which made them aware that we all are same. While ending up the session, they want that we come and meet them and don’t forget them. This was the first service which actually made me realise that I am doing something to make a difference.

This is Surat Ultimate organization 2015. A open- Frisbee sports event. It  is one of the school event. I volunteered in this event. I decided to be the head of the food department. Here my job was to plan and manage the meals of the event. I actually initiated as head alone for the first time. In this job, I had no partner as head nor volunteers under me. The reason of participating in this event was to take this as challenge and handle one department alone. I wanted to make the food conditions better than past year and memorable as well.
The event was there for two days. While planning the food I needed to make sure about few requirements of keeping food healthy, filling and as tasty as possible. The players should not feel sleepy. So I needed to take care about the food items I am deciding. In the planning process I was only told that I have to plan for three meal each day. I personally felt that for the players three meal are not enough. So, I decided to talk about this with the event planner. After the discussion I was glad that they considered my point and I was able to convince them about why is it important to add one more meal between lunch and dinner which is a high tea.
After the planning and finalising the food items. My most of the work was on day which was about taking care that food is reached on time at all the three grounds (which were at different places). I completed my task alone and it head no issues on day and off day. After this event I was convinced that I can handle the job alone and complete the responsibility. I was glad at the end that I completed my job very well, was appraised by event head as well as the school head.