Are All your Experiences Current?

You must participate in CAS until you start your exams but you should have a green tick for all completed experiences.

If you do not have this mark next to your experience, that means that you are actively participating in it still.  That in turn means that you must be active in uploading evidence and reflections to go with that experience.

Take the time now to get the green tick for as many experiences as you can.  Just make sure you keep one going.

How do I get a green tick?

• Submit evidence to show that your have done what you said you would - this can be photos, videos, emails, documents, recordings, etc
• Submit reflections about what you have learnt and how you felt.  This can be written or an oral/video recording. 
• Make sure you show how you met the chosen learning outcome.
• Complete the CAS questions
• Request a supervisor report (if you don't have a supervisor it goes to me).
• Once the supervisor report is filled in - the green tick magically appears.

Don't leave CAS to the last minute

Next term you will be even busier than this term.  Make sure you take the time now to update your CAS portfolio and finish completed experiences so that you do not have to worry about it so much in the midst of your last term.

Exams Approaching - Get your CAS under control

I am pleased to write that most people now have green flags and those who don't are mostly one document away from it!  I feel confident that all of you will qualify to have your CAS portfolio marked complete in June and be able to pick up the IB Diploma at the end!

However do not start to forget about CAS as it must continue into the end and you must keep up with reflections and evidence.  It would be crazy to fall behind now.

Don't jump off the bike yet - there's still 6 months to go!

Good luck with your exams next week and see me if you have any questions about your CAS portfolios.  Next Tuesday Advisory lesson will be a study period and time for me to meet up with anyone that I still have some questions or concerns about.  

Feeling stressed?  

The QQ is going to run an article about exam stress.  Why not tell them your story? Look out for a reporter near you.

Projects Covered!

Great effort most of you!  All but 9 students have shown the almost completed the CAS stages for their CAS projects as well as met the other requirements and are well on the way to having complete CAS portfolios.

The 9 people with red flags have until the end of the exam week to get it fixed before I will have to contact their parents and warn them that their child might not get a Diploma.  I am not expecting this will happen because no one gets this far and then doesn't bother to fill in one document and miss out on a Diploma.  Do they?

You should all be proud of the effort you have put into your CAS projects.  There have been some amazing achievements.  Here is a list of what you have done:

• Started a football club for younger students after school
• Read to children after school in the library
• Created a website for the Nepal Project
• Held fundraising activities for the Rhino project
• Started a film club for students 
• Made films to raise awareness about anti-bullying
• Started a sports club for DP students and made a vlog about it
• Ran activists projects for Amnesty International
• Made cartoons to tell people about the need to protect rhinos
• Held concerts to raise money for the Nepal project
• Organised MUN conference at the school

Time to Tidy your Portfolio

It's been a while between blogs but I see that there has been some action on the CAS portfolios.  I know that it is easy to forget about CAS in the middle of all the assessments but try to give it a few minutes each week as it is much easier to add evidence and reflect as you go along than it is at the end.  With regards to reflections - they must be continuous.  You will not be able to have a completed CAS portfolio if you have not taken time to reflect as you go along.

Next term I will run some CAS sessions in advisory to make sure you get a chance to reflect informally and formally, individually and in groups.  Towards the end of the term, before the exams, you will need to :

• show how you have worked towards the 7 outcomes, 
• demonstrate the CAS stages for you collaborative project 
• have a balance of Creativity, Activity and Service

Axel's Clothing Drive

Axel is once again organising a clothing drive for Xmas.  Here is a note from him:

Hi everyone. I am organizing a refugee clothing drive on behalf of the Annexe C student council, in partnership with Stockholm's Stadsmission. Boxes have been placed in the main building, annexe B and annexe C. Donated clothing will be highly appreciated. It's for a good cause! Thanks.

Decoders wanted for Amnesty International

I just received an sms from Amnesty about an urgent project they need help with.  Unlike many other Amnesty projects you can do this by sitting at your computer. It involves mapping the most remote and vulnerable villages of Dafur. It is done by looking at satellite images and clicking on villages.  They have so many images, they need as many people as possible to log villages.  All explanations are in English and easy to follow.  Remember to take a screenshot of your work as evidence for CAS.  https://decoders.amnesty.org/

Amnesty again death penalty

Our school Amnesty group recently sent off around 80 signatures to get the case of death sentenced Kevin Cooper re-heard.  Let's hope it has an impact.  From what they group could see this man is most likely innocent, and to put him to death would be a travesty of justice.  

Rhino Gala

On Friday the rhino group held their gala event.  It was not so well attended which gives them something to reflect upon in their CAS portfolios.  Despite that they were able to add over 300kr to their fundraising efforts for the Project Rhino KZN .  Thank you to all the wonderful people who supported them by performing and attending the event.  They still have plenty of postcards and friendship bands for sale and hope to reach their goal of €300 euros.  Look out for an opportunity to support them by purchasing items.  

Interviews over - work still to be done!

I have nearly finished the interviews for this term.  You will have one more interview next term.  The point of the final interview will be to reflect on what you have learnt by doing CAS.  You will be asked to show how you have worked towards each of the learning outcomes and how you have developed as a learner.  We will do some work in advisory time with regards to making sure everyone has clearly shown how he/she has met the outcomes.

Most red flags are because people do not have projects or have not shown the CAS stages for the projects.  Don't leave this too long - or it will be too late.

Don't leave it too late

Originally drawn in a fan art group app for Alice in Wonderland at Sketchfu.

© 2014 Miss A.. Licensed under CC-BY.

'Electric' Chair

Over the next weeks in school

The Amnesty International group is collection signatures for a petition to get the case of death row prisoner in the USA to have his case reheard.  There is some doubt about Kevin Cooper's guilt and activists would like this to be investigated before he is put to death.  Look out for the Amnesty students with the 'electric chair'.

The Rhino group is planning a gala evening to raise money to protect rhinos.  You can donate to the cause at: https://www.givengain.com/activist/136687/projects/12381/

You can also purchase tickets for the event, friendship bands, post cards and guess the candy in the jar.  Look out for rhino warriors asking you to support this cause.  Watch the rhino video below and follow Riley's adventures. Subscribe to the SIS Rhino group on youtube.

Also don't forget to keep up with all the latest news at the Quirky Quibbler.  This week there is an exciting account of the Nordic Championships.  Why not subscribe so that you never miss an article?

CAS status changes

Today I started the interviews and have been pleased to be able to change some red flags to green and even award a gold cup for a great CAS portfolio.

To make your CAS interview go smoothly, please look at your portfolio before the interview.  Read the notes and make the changes necessary to achieve a green flag.

You will not get a green flag without a project and evidence of the CAS stages.

I might not get time to check all the CAS portfolios each week while the interviews are going on so please don't be surprised if you make changes and I don't change you status.  I will change it when we have the interview.

Learning Outcomes and Reflections - what is the connection?

When writing reflections (or recording) please note what learning outcomes you have selected for that experience.  When I am going through the portfolios at the end of the year, I will be looking for specific evidence/reflection that shows that you met each of the 7 learning outcomes. In order for you portfolio to be considered complete, I must be able to find experiences that clearly show how you met the outcomes.

If you have chosen : Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences - You must show how you did that.  

• It might mean that you went to the gym every week.  
• That you continued training outdoors even when the weather was cold and you really wanted to stay in bed.  
• That you turned up to help someone with their homework even when you had a test the next day. 
• That you kept on working towards a date for an event even when other members of the group started to drop out.
• It might mean continuing with something even though you don't like it, because you made a commitment. 

Show some commitment and perseverance! 
Picture by https://www.flickr.com/photos/htakashi/5420516454

From Red to Green to Flags

Some of you have managed to move from red to green flags over the last week.  Great work.  The main reason that people still have red flags is the CAS project.  For a CAS project you must show the CAS stages of: investigation, planning, taking action, demonstrating and reflecting.   You can find more details about each of these and what you should include on the 'links to documents page'.

Raise Money to buy Xmas Presents for Refugees

I am still looking for a group of people to help with this project.  We will need 5000kr so buy movie tickets for everyone in the group.  These are people around your age - many of them here in Sweden without other family members.  They meet regularly for homework help through a group called Fånga Framtiden Tillsammans (Seize the Future Together).  FFT is a completely volunteer organisation with no paid staff.  If you can help to raise this money, you will make life a little better for a few people who otherwise don't have much.

Volunteers Wanted:

"We are looking for a volunteer photographer for the Civil Society Gala. We need someone to take pictures of participants, speakers and genre pictures of the event. We also want you to sort and edit images, and deliver a portfolio within a few days. For us to follow-up the event and to use in our future communications work. The long-term aim of these images, as well as with civil society gala, is to support and spread the idea of ​volunterism is worth celebration, and that the NGOs have an indispensable role in society. We hope that you want to help out with this! There is no financial compensation, but you may participate in the dinner, your images will be spread and you get a reference for your work. You also get the opportunity to do something important for the Swedish civil society!"

More details can be found here 

Some of the QQ team

Rhino Gala - 21st of October

Don't forget that our intrepid Rhino group are planning a fun evening with music, films and art on the 21st of October.  Look for the posters.

Quirky Quibbler

This week the QQ is featuring an article by Elena in grade 11 and it's all about CAS!  You haven't forgotten to subscribe to the student newspaper have you?