Welcome Back

It was great to have a chance to look at your CAS portfolios and see some of the great work that you have done.  I want to commend those of you whose reflections were read out in class as they were of a quality that really shows the value of CAS.  If you were not in class or wish to see the reflections again - you can find them here.

Making sure you will complete CAS

You must now check that you have:

• A project that clear shows you have followed the CAS stages and worked collaboratively on it with other(s).
• Quality reflections for all your experiences
• Evidence for all your experiences
• A balanced CAS portfolio with short and long term experiences as well as a good mixture of Creativity, Activity and Service
• CAS questions filled in for all completed experiences have the (you do not need to do all of them if they are already covered in the reflections but do always answer the last one!)
• Covered the 7 outcomes and have evidence and reflections that clearly show how.

Opportunities coming up

Tjurreset - Mud Run

Volunteers are wanted for the Tjurruset.  This is a fun terrain run with lots of mud involved in Flottsbro - just south of the city.  You can volunteer to be a functionary by contacting: Per at per.synnerman@gmail.com-

You can also join the run yourself for activity: See the web page at Tjurruset.  It takes place on October the 1st and 2nd.

Stockholm International Film Festival 

If you would like to help out at the Film Festival this year between the 9 - 20th November, you need to send a CV and short personal letter to volontar@stockholmfilmfestival.se. You should write 'event personnel' in the subject line of the email. More information can be found at SFF

Illustrate Articles about Human Rights

Are you good at drawing?  Here is an opportunity to use those skills for a service experience. Kalityfonden needs people to draw pictures to go with articles in a series called Untold Stories. See https://www.volontarbyran.org/en/node/78529 for more details.

Graphic designers for TEDx Stockholm

"We want you to be a part of the TEDx talks team in Stockholm. We are looking for someone who is a fan of the TED brand, and wants the opportunity to bring their own fun ideas to the table as great creative freedom is given.

From designing social media content, posters, and merchandise, the possibilities are endless, the only thing needed is the initiative to make it happen!"  Click here for more details: TEDx

Writers wanted for Vamter.org

An organisation called Eosos whose aim it to give support to children and their education has just started a webpage.  It wishes to publish well written articles about any topic in English.  The site is: http://vamter.org/.  You can read more details on the site - all profits go to children's education. 

Many other opportunities

On www.volontarbyran.org just now there are a lot of jobs helping people who have recently arrived in Sweden with Rädda Barnen in  Bromma, and for  Individuell Människohjälp.  You can also work in the RedCross shops on Kungsholmen and Hornsgatan and helping at Birkagården with selling of second hand children's clothes to raise money for refugees.   

Keep and eye on volontär byrån for more opportunities.  

The new meeting times for in school groups this term are:

Monday 10.30 Amnesty International C10

Tuesday 10.30 MUN in C5

Weds 10.30 Rhino Group C10

Weds 10.30 Student Council C9

Weds 15.30 The student newspaper - Quirky Quibbler

Last Post before the Summer!

Portfolios

I have taken a look through all the portfolio's once again since the interviews. I see that some people have not followed up on points that we discussed whilst others have. I know that everyone has been busy with exams over the last few weeks so now is the time to revisit your portfolio and look that notes we made together.  I have added some new notes so check them before the break in case there are any questions.

Projects

You will have some time in advisory this week to make plans for projects. Remember a project must be done in a group (at least 2 people) and you must show how you have followed the CAS stages:
Investigation, Planning, Action, Reflecting and Demonstration. You should have started - or even finished your project by now.  If you haven't, there is no better time to start than the present.

Reviews

Don't forget to do the CAS questions and get supervisor reviews for completed experiences or ones where your supervisor is leaving.  Always do the CAS questions before sending the request for the review.  Once a review is completed, the worksheet will lock.

Great Work

I have heard and seen some fantastic stuff that has happened as part of CAS. Most recently I have heard what a great job Stine, Angela and Ilman have done running the after school football club for the younger students.  This has been very much appreciated by the parents and the children.  

Sofia E recently helped out at the Amnesty 'Run For Pride' event in Stockholm.  A colourful event attended by students from all over Stockholm.  

Alexane has an amazing CAS portfolio and has directed a play, as well as attending the Nordic Network sports weekend.

Shashank and Leaondro seem to have got a lot of students involved in their film club. I hope that more will manage to enter the film competitions next year.

David and William have managed to engage a few others in physical activity and can their vlog can be seen on youtbe.

Many students have helped bringing you the news every week on the Quirky Quibbler.

Many others have also been involved in a variety of experiences and I have enjoyed reading your reflections.

Opportunities

HIV unconvered is looking for people to help with social media and making videos.  You can find the information (in English) at https://www.volontarbyran.org/en/english

Will you be around on the 11 June?  Make Music Stockholm is looking for volunteers for a music festival. Information: https://www.volontarbyran.org/make-musik-sthlm/make-musik-sthlm-2016

Red Cross is looking for young volunteers (over 16)  to work with young unaccompanied refugees during weeks 31 - 33. This will take place in central Stockholm.  Information: https://www.volontarbyran.org/roda-korsets-ungdomsforbund-riks/vill-du-gora-nagot-givande-i-sommar-engagera-dig-och-med


There are many other jobs on voluntärbyrån and new ones are being added all the time so keep an eye out if you are looking for something in the summer.

Have a great summer!

Last interviews

Interviews complete

This is the last week for interviews for CAS this term.  I hope that I have met everyone - if for some reason you have not had a meeting with me and don't have one booked this week, please see me as soon as possible.

Most of you have a good variety of experiences and are well on your way to having complete CAS portfolios at the end of grade 12.  Don't forget to do the CAS questions and get supervisor reviews for any experiences that are already completed.  Don't wait too long after completion to do this.

CAS and Ethics

This is one of the outcomes that many people find hardest to meet and reflect upon.  A new book (see details below) that has just been published about CAS gives the following example:

A student in a dance performance had her leg in a cast after she tore a muscle and wouldn't be able to train with the other dancers in the last weeks leading up to the performance. The producers of the show had to make the decision to exclude her as she wouldn't have time to catch up when her cast was removed.  Decisions like this that you have to make - accepting or not accepting people as part of a group, or their piece of work etc are important if difficult decisions that involve ethical considerations.

You can think about ethical decisions you have made in the following contexts: 

• sport
• dealing with other people
• carrying out a service experience
• in terms of academic honesty
• reflection

Think about how often "we make decisions in CAS relative to the feelings of our peer group."

Cannings, John, María Inés Piaggio, Peter Muir, and Tom Brodie. Creativity, Activity, Service CAS for the IB Diploma An Essential Guide for Students. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ Pr, 2015. Print.

Amnesty - Run with Pride

It's not too late to sign up for the Amnesty Pride run this Sunday.  Take a break from studying and give your brain some fresh air! 

stockholm/amnestyloppet-run-with-pride

Summer volunteers

For those of you who are here in the summer there are quite a few opportunities on Volontärbyrån.  Many of them require Swedish but keep an eye out as jobs pop up all the time.

Working with refugees in the summer

If anyone is interested in working with refugees and asylum seekers here in Sweden over the summer, please come and seem me.  For many young unaccompanied asylum seekers, the summer can be a very long period of time without school and not much to keep them occupied.  They have little money and not much to do.  I have contact with a group - Fånga Framtiden Tillsamans - 'Catch the Future Together'.  This group would like to organise some activities for the young people over the summer.  You can get involved, even if you don't speak Swedish.

I will not post on the blog next week as you have exams and I will be away with the grade 12s.  

Plan for the Summer

What are you doing in the summer?

There are a lot of volunteer opportunities for people who wish to do something in the summer break. I have listed a few here below from the Swedish volunteer site but I know that many of you are not going to be in Stockholm over the summer.  Will you have some time to do something in your own country?  Many help organizations need extra people in the summer when everyone goes on holiday.  If you think that you could give up a week or 2 of your summer, now is the time to look into it.  Find out what is available where you come from and see if there is something you can sign up for now.  This can count for CAS – just remember to get some evidence – a reference from the supervisor at the organization is great not only for your CAS portfolio but can come in handy when you are looking for jobs and further studies in the future.

 Here are some of the jobs that are available in Sweden.  The first is in English but the others are not.  I think that it is still possible to help out with the others –it can’t hurt to apply.  Use googletranslate, a friend who speaks Swedish or me to help you understand.  I have put a short summary in English a the end of each postion.

 Action 10

Action10 is a nonprofit organization operating in low-income countries (www.action10.org). We have programmes in seven countries: Kenya, Uganda, Togo, Cameroon, Liberia, Nigeria and Colombia. Our vision is a world without extreme poverty.

We are currently looking for more volunteers to join our Evaluation Planning Working Group. The group's responsibility is to ensure that all programs are carried out in accordance with our ten "actions" (needs-driven programs, resilience, quality values, equal partnerships, etc.). The group uses Action10's own evaluation method called The Ten Action Strategy. Furthermore, the group's responsibility is to collect and analyze the results of our programmes as well as maintain regular contact with our focal points in other countries.

When and where will the volunteering take place: 

The tasks are ongoing and all the meetings are held in Stockholm.

See action 10 for more details

Retoy

Lek är något som förenar alla barn, vart vi än befinner oss, vilket gör just leken och leksaken till ett utmärkt verktyg för att öva oss på hållbar konsumtion!

Retoys Leksaksbytesaktiviten är en uppskattad mötesplats som på ett skojigt sätt låter barn praktisera smart resurshantering och göra dem medvetna om deras roll i att skapa en hållbar framtid genom att byta och återvinna.

Din roll är att agera bytesaktiviteten vilket innebär att du kommer att ta emot barnen och deras leksaker, hantera stämpelkort och vägleda barnen i hur leksaksbytes går till. Du kommer att få förklara aktiviteten och inspirera barnen att skapa bilder av allt bra som barn i hela världen har rätt till!

När och var ska uppdraget genomföras: 

Från 9:e till 18:e juni kommer vi att arrangera leksaksbytesaktiviteter i samband med clownen Mannes föreställningar under hans parkteaterturné runt om i Stockholm! Vi söker dig som vill vara med och hjälpa till under några av dessa intensiva och roliga dagar. Spelplatserna varierar men tiderna är 10:00-13.00

This is a group that works with children.  This particular job is helping out on a toy exchange day.  They want people who speak other languages so lack of Swedish can be compensated by your skills in other languages.  The main days they need help are the 9th and 18th of June.

 More information: retoy

 Volontärbyrån

Volontärbyrån hjälper människor och ideella organisationer att hitta varandra och vi tror på att man mår bra av att engagera sig ideellt i samhället och vill därför vill vi ge fler möjligheten att hitta sitt volontäruppdrag. Vi arbetar med att förmedla kontakten mellan ideella organisationer i Sverige och de volontärer som vill engagera sig. Nu söker vi dig som vill hjälpa oss med detta arbete under nationaldagen då vi har möjlighet att nå ut till 20 000 personer!

Vi söker flera volontärer som vill hänga med oss i vårt informationstält och på festivalområdet för att dela ut flyers och uppmuntra till ideellt engagemang! Vi kommer troligtvis att genomföra en del tävlingar och ha frågesport eller något liknande och till det här evenemanget behöver vi din hjälp!

Vi kommer också att bygga upp och river ned informationstältet under dagen, om du kan komma tidigt eller stanna sent på dagen så är det uppgifter som ingår för dig som volontär.

On the 6^th June (Swedish National Day) there is always a bit celebration in Rålombshov Park on Kungsholmen.  Voluntärbryån (the volunteer organization) needs people to help set up their stall and give out information about their work.

More information: volontärbyrån

 Raoul Wallenberg Academy

Under Raoul Wallenbergs dag den 27 augusti kommer det nationella skolprojektet ”Varje människa kan göra skillnad” att visas upp för allmänheten.

Skolklasser runt om i Sverige har fått varsin kub (3x3x3 meter), där de på olika sätt skapat sin tolkning av en mänsklig rättighet. Vi söker nu volontärer som under ett pass om ca tre timmar bemannar en kub, hälsar besökare välkomna och ser till att hjälpa lärare och elever att hålla ordning i kuberna.

När och var ska uppdraget genomföras: 

Kuberna är uppställda i Kungsträdgården i centrala Stockholm mellan den 26-28 augusti.

This organization works for encourage young leaders.  They will have stalls set up in Kunsgträdgården on the 26^th – 28^th of August and need people to help out.  School children will be coming with cubes that they have use to display their interpretation of human rights.

More information: Raoul Wallenberg Academy

Make Hay While the Sun is Shining!

Exams, CAS, extended essays ......

It might feel just now that there is a lot to think about.  You are supposed to be around half way - if not more, through your CAS.  You are supposed to be writing extended essays and be about half way through that.  Then, to top it off, you are supposed to prepare for exams at the end of May.  Just as Spring is arriving and you really want to be outside making hay - metaphorically speaking of course.  I can say that most of you are in a good position with CAS.  I have spent the last few weeks interviewing people to check progress and found that you are well on the way to satisfying the CAS requirements. Please make sure you follow up on the points that we talked about as that will ensure that you do not fall behind.  It's really about getting on top of it now and not waiting, as next term you will not have so much time.  Make good progress now and you will thank yourself for it later on.

Theatre Performance a success

On Friday, many of us were lucky to see a very successful creativity experience.  Alexane directed a play with actors from the MYP and presented it to a large audience in the auditorium.  It was an fascinating story about monkeys writing Hamlet.  I hope that more of us will get a chance to see a repeat performance in the near future.  Well done Alexane.

Rhino Event

The Rhino preservation group has decided to hold an event at the beginning of next term and are looking for acts, art, and music to present.  If you have a budding ambition to be on stage, this is your chance.  Come to the meeting next week on Thursday or let one of the group members know that you would like to be part of this fund raiser.  

Sports Club

David and William's sports club is off to a good start and they are always looking for new members.  They are recording their progress on a vlog which you can watch on youtube.  You even see how to do different exercises.  Subscribe to their SIS Sports Group for regular updates and fun viewing.  This is their latest video.

Amnesty:  Run with Pride

Some of the students in the Amnesty group will be helping out at this fun event.  It is being held in Rålambshovs Park on Kungsholmen on the 22nd May at 15.00.  I know that is the day before your exams - but it is a good chance to run off some of the stress.  You can run 5 or 10 km.  The point the run is to show support for all people no matter what their sexual orientation.  In many countries people are persecuted if they don't fit into the norm and Amnesty is working to improve rights for all people.  You can register at: amnestyloppet-run-with-pride.  The cost is 100kr.  

Have a good and sunny week.

Global Issues and projects

Ideas for Projects

This weekend the school hosted a conference that focused on global issues. I met some interesting people from other schools and some ideas that would make great CAS projects.

Habitat for Humanity

This is a group that gets groups of volunteers to help renovate or build housing for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it. The group is active in many European countries such as Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. In order to participate, you need a group of around 12 - 15 people (though it is possible to join as an individual).  You need to raise around 6,000 kr per person to participate and pay for your own costs (travel, accommodation, insurance etc.).  The organisation is non-profit and the people who move into the homes participate in the project as well.  For more information see http://www.habitat.org/emea

Global Issues Network

This is a group of schools from all around the world that looks at how students work towards raising awareness or finding solutions to global issues.  They have conferences every year where students are invited to show what they have done to inspire and be inspired by others.  A teacher from Norway was hoping to organise a Scandinavian conference which I hope some students from SIS would be able to attend.  More information about this organisation can be found at: globalissuesnetwork.org

Get fit and do something for the environment

I heard about a great idea that some students had come up with in another school.  They had turned bicycles into  chargers.  Students could cycle  (stationary, indoors) and charge the school's computers are the same time.  Who is up for the challenge here?  

Volunteer Opportunities

A non-violence project is looking for someone to translate from English to Swedish material that is used in the School for Peace Project:  More details: Schools for Peace

Interviews Continue

I will be interviewing more of you over the next few weeks.  Please make sure you know when your time is.  I have not been going through the CAS portfolios as much as other weeks as I am meeting everyone individually so if you have any changes or questions that you are unsure of, please drop in and see me or send me a message.  

Running season has started!

Do you like running but feel you need a goal?  There are lots of organised runs you can join.  Who knows signing up might give you that little extra inspiration to train a bit harder.  Why not get a group of you together and run in the school name?  Here is a selection of some of the running events you can join in Stockholm. There is a fee for each of the events. You will receive a certificate of participation which you can put in your CAS portfolio.


7th May - 10 km run around Kungsholmen Kungsholmenrunt

4th June - 4.2 km - Junior Marathon

15th June -  10 km around the city STHLM10 

3rd September - 10 km run on Djurgården for women only Tjejmilen

23, 24 25th September - various runs on Lindingö from 10 - 30 km Lidingoloppet

1st and 2nd October - a mud race!  Tjurruset 

9th October - 10 km in Hässelby  Hasselbyloppet

There are other events that you can find details about in English at  :http://www.runwithmestockholm.com/running-events/

Well done ELEM!

Elem had their concert on Friday evening and quite a crowd turned up.  The group managed to raise  1,562 kr which will be donated to the Nepal Project.  Great work, great music!  I hope that we will see more of these talented individuals in the future.  

Nepal Global Walk

It was good to see that so many of you got involved with the Nepal project by participating in the walk as well as volunteering to help out.  

Volunteer Opportunities

The Red Cross is looking for people to help out in their shop over the summer click here for details

If you speak Swedish and like cooking, you can participate in Bjud en ny svensk för middag.

Both the Red Cross and IM are still looking for people to help in their shops at the moment - see last week's blog for more details.