Interview season approaching

Most of you have your CAS portfolios under control and have enough experiences to cover all the learning outcomes and strands of CAS.  Remember that you cannot finish CAS early - you must have at least one experience that continues right up until your final exams in May next year.

I will be interviewing everyone before the end of the term in weeks 14 and 15 (straight after the Spring Break).

Before the interview you should all check the following:

1. Have you got an experience for each one of the outcomes? 
You can find something similar to this on the right hand side of your portfolio.  If you have a yellow bar - that means that you have planned the outcome but not reflected on it.  Green means planned and reflected. Blank - no experiences planned with that outcome in mind.  You must cover each outcome at least once in order to be eligible for your diploma.

2. Have you covered each of the strands in a balanced way?  The strands are Creativity, Activity and Service.  You should have about the same amount for each (around 50 hours). You can find this image under the outcomes.  Hours are not shown as complete until an experience is finished so you just should look that the approved and completed added together.  But remember if you plan hours and then don't actually do them - they will not count.  I can only see what you have planned and say that you are on track - if you then fail to do what you plan, you could find yourself ineligible for the Diploma.

3. Do you have a project with evidence that you have followed the CAS stages?

A project must be done with others and you must make sure you follow the 5 stages and document them.  They are: Investigation, Preparation, Action, Reflection and Demonstration.  

4. Do you have evidence and reflections for your experiences?

Evidence should show that you really did participate in the experience - photos, schedules, film, audio, etc.

Reflection - should describe your feelings and questions that arose as a consequence of your participation in this experience. It should not be simply - I did a great job!  It should show that you have learnt something and that you can use that in the future.  It MUST relate the the learning outcomes that you have selected.  

How to succeed with CAS

• Check you portfolio regularly.  
• Up-date your evidence frequently
• Complete finished experiences by doing CAS questions and getting supervisor reviews (where relevant)
• Reflect at significant moments
• Read the notes I write on your portfolio and do what I request.  See me if they are unclear.