CAS at Kristin

Sports Highlights

As clichéd as it may read, we truly are living in unprecedented times. To quote Tony Stark (Iron Man from Marvel Comics), “The epic forces of darkness and light have come into play” and our students’

first steps into this new norm were magnificent.

I dare say CAS was one of the most impacted components of the IB Diploma by the COVID-19 outbreak, which ironically highlights the unique learning opportunities we are providing our students as a result.

There were inevitably many commitments that had to come to a halt: school committees, clubs, sports, productions, school events etc; not only those at school, but so many commitments involving individuals’ wider communities also. Our students did not just sit down and give up, however. They took that step into the realm of the unknown and were brave enough to embrace processes that were not familiar to them.

They continued to work out by themselves for their sporting commitments, not knowing when their seasons would restart; they practised their instruments, singing, dancing, photography, painting, drawing etc. They readjusted their plans, trying to think of new ways to help their communities as soon as possible.

There were records of self-workout schedules our students were keeping; research surrounding mental health and well-being was carried out during isolation; friends shared recordings of their instrumental performances; YouTube channels were created to deliver what they couldn’t deliver face to face… Our students literally did whatever they could from home in order to pursue their objectives. Most importantly, they have reflected. Learning in CAS happens through a reflective process. And my, did they reflect.

Their recent experiences were very foreign to them - frustrating and scary for some, anxiety-creating for others. For some, it was a time to calibrate their objectives and their actions. As a CAS Co-ordinator, I am enjoying the privilege of being able to read some truly astounding records of reflective learning. While I may not be able to share these reflections with you, I can testify that our CAS students are resilient, and they have come out of this lockdown experience more mature and accepting. I am truly looking forward to what this magnificent class of students will be able to achieve with this extraordinary experience now in their arsenal.

John Cho