The story appears on

Page B3

January 26, 2016

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

Home » Feature » Education

Make CAS part of your next vacation

At Yew Chung International School of Shanghai, Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) is at the heart of our secondary school curriculum. As a school dedicated to developing well-rounded students, all of our secondary students participate in the CAS program, and our students who are studying at the IGCSE and IB levels seek out and create their own meaningful projects.

Students gain many benefits by participating in CAS activities, and this is often an avenue for them to discover and pursue what they are truly passionate about. It also provides them with guidance on a direction they may want to take in the future, whether it is for their university studies, a career, or even a lifelong hobby.

Holiday break is a fantastic time to pursue a CAS activity, as the time off allows them to get more involved and in-depth in pursuits. Here are a few ways students can get involved in CAS projects during their holidays.

Creativity: A break is a great time for students to explore a new skill, such as learning a new instrument or taking an online design course. You can also explore an existing hobby further. One of our Year 13 students, Cathy, who is a very talented artist, recently incorporated both creativity and service on her family vacation by volunteering to create henna designs for guests at the resort at which she stayed.

Activity: Vacation can also be an opportunity to challenge yourself physically. Whether it’s a local hike or zip-lining through a jungle, vacation can be an optimal time to incorporate activity. Recently, a YCIS Year 13 student, Adrian, had fun and pursued activity during a ski trip to Japan over winter break.

Service: To get the most out of service, it’s important that students commit their time to something they are truly passionate about. Furthermore, although raising money for charity can be beneficial, there are many additional engaging ways to get involved that don’t necessarily need a huge time commitment. Although some YCIS students dedicate a large portion of their holidays to CAS projects, such as Year 13 student Federico, who spent last summer participating in a life-changing charity project in South America, some find they can make an impact even in a short time frame. For instance, another Year 13 student, Melody, took one day out of her family vacation in Taiwan, to provide service at a home for the elderly.

Although vacations end, it doesn’t mean that discussions have to, too! Once students have completed their CAS activities, it’s equally important to take time to reflect on the experience. Since parents are generally present during family vacations, they can act as important catalysts in these reflections. By talking as a family about the experience and discussing next steps, parents can help students’ fully absorb the impact they have made and understand how they can carry their experiences into their future.

Students who try something new during their holiday will come home with something more meaningful than a souvenir or a tan. So, this break, take the time to get creative, be active, and serve others in order to make the most out of your holiday!

(Jeanne Serge is CAS coordinator at YCIS Shanghai, Gubei campus.)




 

Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

沪公网安备 31010602000204号

Email this to your friend