Grade 10 Pre-ib c.a.s David Lam 2014-2015

Creativity All of my creativity hours is from piano (aside from the two hours at the ‘It’s a Crime Not to Read’ event which is more service oriented.) My past experience with piano has allowed me to confidently try new pieces I print from my computer. Some of these songs are a higher level than my current level, but I continue to practice and eventually get to the point where I am able to play it in my recital. Numerous times I have gotten really angry at a specific problem and just quit however, my perseverance has allowed me to get over those silly errors and move on with the piece. Songs I completed.

Action Badminton: There is always one sport I enjoy. That sport is badminton. I was on the badminton team in grade 9 and obtained 3rd place in the tournament. Now I play for recreationally with my friends from junior high, or with my new friends I made this year. Martial Arts: I have been taking martial arts for almost two years now. Within this one year, I have learned a new form and as well a lot more techniques I can use if I ever get into a situation where I need to. My devotion to it has allowed me to join the ranks of more advanced students in a short amount of time. I am proud of my progress with one of my favourite hobbies.

Action (cont.) Fitness Room: In the beginning of the year, I was hesitant on spending forty dollars on a fitness pass. This hesitation was soon overcome with the encouragement of my friend who also purchased a fitness pass. Since the beginning of the year until now, I have become more fit and active and have significantly improved my endurance and strength.

Service Snow shovelling: Even though I only did this for one day, I still felt a sense of happiness when I did. My neighbors are old and seeing them shovel makes me want to go out and help. I final reached this fulfillment when I decided I should help after a heavy snow storm. Big Brothers Big Sisters: This program is something that has been a very fun experience for me. On the first day I was introduced to my buddy. Although shy at first, we soon got along very well. Every week we would either play a sport or stay upstairs and play board games. This whole experience has changed the way I talked to kids as I have to more thoughtful of their likes and dislikes. The cookies my buddy and I made.

Service (cont.) Reading Buddies: I have been in this program for around three or four sessions now, starting form grade 9. This is the very first program I volunteered at and it has changed the way I thought about volunteering. I used to think that volunteering was just a chore to gain experience and people skills. With my time at Reading Buddies, my opinion was changed. I learnt that volunteering was not just something to do as a chore, rather, it was something you do for fun. You get to know the people in your neighbourhood and see people you would almost never meet. This program not only gave me skills to talk with strangers, but also realize that volunteering can be fun.

Service (cont. cont.) ‘It’s a Crime not to read’: I received an email about this event on a very short notice. Due to my devotion to Reading Buddies, I have been asked to help out at this event. I decided I will and realized this is one of the best event I have volunteered at. I gained useful skills such as working under a short time frame, communicating with strangers and people I have literally met a couple minutes ago and being able to come up with an activity creative enough to attract families. Although this was also one of my most labour intensive session (handing out pizza, moving tables and folding them, setting up chairs, setting up events, washing utensils), this event is forever etched in my mind for its message for the kids. That message is to never stop reading and pursue your goals. Note to self: Take pictures next time. This isn’t my session but it would’ve looked like this.

Learning outcomes Strengths and weaknesses Undertaken new challenges I have never liked losing anything. Whether it a game, or scoring bad on a test, I absolutely hate losing. With the amount of experience I have gained in martial arts this year, I have now learned that you cannot always win. In such situations, I have learnt to cope with it and lose with honor and grace. Not only will this help me in martial arts sparring but also with my future academic career, as I will now acknowledge my wrongs as a room for improvement rather than a disappointment. Undertaken new challenges Throughout my C-A-S journey, I have found that I gained a lot of life experience from the service hours I completed. This included my devotion to Big Brothers Big Sisters and Reading Buddies. Both of these opportunities have forced me out of my comfort zone and have allowed me to effectively communicate with others I do not know. With this experience, I have changed from a quiet individual, to a more outgoing but respectful person.

Learning outcomes (cont.) Planned and initiated activities In Big Brothers Big Sisters I had to be in charge of my little buddy. His quiet nature has allowed me to think every week on what activity to do. Due to this, I have organized numerous activities to play including active games to a relaxing board game. Developed new skills In both Reading Buddies and Big Brother Big Sisters, I have to look after a kid younger than me. This has taught me to be more patient and compromise instead of everything going my way. As well, I have been able to effectively communicate confidently with both adults and children. With these skills I am confident I will do well in future interviews. Worked collaboratively with others In the ‘It’s a Crime Not to Read’ event, I was faced with the task of collaborating with the coordinators and the other volunteers in setting up the event and serving pizza. I not only set up the food but with my assigned partner, we had to think of a creative game that would entertain the children after the meal. Both of these have allowed me to gain the necessary skills for future collaborative work.

Learning outcomes (cont. cont.) Considered the ethical implications During reading buddies, my buddies almost always lied when they did something wrong. I showed and told them that the virtue of honesty is a very important. I wanted them to grow up as mature and honest contributors of society in the future, even if it means I had to raise my voice and restrict them from doing something. I believe that this will allow me to become a better leader in the future. Engaged with issues of global importance With my participation in the ‘It’s a Crime Not the Read’ event, I have been able to engage in an activity that shows both the kids and their parents the importance of education. This has widened my eyes in the sense that I need to do something to help out society today. With this in mind, I have joined the Environmental Awareness Club in hopes of doing the same event one day, this time about the environment.

Learning outcomes (cont. cont. cont.) Shown perseverance and commitment in your activities It is never easy to start a piano song that is two levels ahead of yours. This, of course, did not stop me. Whenever I had time, I would sit down and practice. I would practice until my fingers were worn out or were too tired to continue. I pushed myself to my own limit and have gone even further sometimes and all of this work has allowed me to finally complete the song. Not only will perseverance help me with future songs but also my commitment to the IB program.