CASthenix 2011

This year an amazing monumental event was planned by the students of IBDP Year 1 of Sharad Pawar International School, to organize a community service at an extremely large scale, which should not only help the community but also enhance their talents and skills. Keeping this in mind everyone enthusiastically started preparing for it.

After several discussions, meetings, and planning we come up with the title "CASthenix" which is going to be our program's name. Each one of us were divided into several groups to manage and decided the necessities of a particular section, like stage management, music, lights and sound, artists, models, performers and so on.

After going through all the requirements we calculated our budget for which we now need sponsors. Then all of us worked together to collect the required amount by contacting companies, organizations, agencies, committees who are interested in helping us in funding the event, and we did get positive results as well. Not only then but also are own school helped us a lot for it.

Finally it was decided that the event will take place on 12th February, 2011 at Ishanya Mall's Amphitheatre, Pune. There begins the printing of the invitations and tickets, their selling whereas we the students on the other hand began preparing for the event.

I was supposed to work in the music and art sections and was also have to gave a performance on the event. Therefore I started practicing for it and finally prepared one of my best song to perform.

On the day of the event the students who were selected for the stage management including myself reported at the venue at around 8 a.m. We began preparing and decorating the stage with huge banners and posters which we are supposed to draw and paint by ourself. This task seems to be quite daring and difficult but eventually with the help of our art teacher we did it and were successful too. And the stage looks awesome.

As the clock hits 6 o'clock in the evening the crowd of people starting gathering in the Amphitheatre and there began the program awaited since so long. The program started with a traditional welcome dance by a professional. Thereafter the students studying in village schools were given a chance to showcase their talent and they did it. They performed so well that the claps of the audience didn't stop for such a long time. After them we had a dance performance by a group of professional dancers, who too gathered a lot of appreciation from the audience. Finally after this it was time for my performance. I was all set and performed really well as can be seen by the audience's response. Finally the program end with a band performance after which everyone was directed for the dinner place, and hence the program comes to a successful end.

Therefore conducting, participating, and managing such a great program was indeed a really great experience. Not only we learned how to organize a program on a higher level but also learned how to be the role model for the society. I feel great pleasure when I saw the smiles on the faces of those students who never get such chance in their entire life to heighten their talents. But we made it possible too.

At the end all thanks goes to our CAS Co-Ordinater, our IBDP Co- Ordinater, Teachers, music staff, technicians, artists, stage management team, our sponsors, the venue owner, our school and our well wishers who made it possible. Last but not least a great thanks to the CAS, the fundamental part of the IB Diploma Programme who encourages students of doing such things for the society, for the school, and for ourself.


Reported by,

Aakash Gupta
IBDP- 1
Sharad Pawar International school,
Pune,
INDIA

CAS Week: KALASANGAM

The last week we the students of SPIS organised a large scale CAS activity whose motive was to encourage talents of kids from lower societies. We planned to organize a talent hunt for the less privileged students studying in Lohegaon village schools.

The mission started on 10th January, 2011. All the IBDP year 1 students were divided into six groups comprised by one IBDP teacher, whose work was to go to their assigned school in Lohegaon and conduct the competition as decided.

The very first day of our CAS week started on 10 January, my group comprised by Mr. Kaushik Majumdar was assigned a school named Panduram School, Lohegaon. We went to their school to conduct drawing competition in which not only us but the students of that school shows their active interest towards the competition. We distributed them the necessary things required like pencils, colors, drawing sheets, rubber, sharpener etc. By the afternoon we successfully completed our given task of drawing competition from which we selected six best drawings which was then sent for inter school competition.

On 11th January, 2011 we again went to the same school in the morning but with some different task which was Rangoli competition. We distributed them rangoli colors and as the competition ends we clicked the photographs of each rangoli, drawn by the students.

On 12th January, 2011 we organised poetry and essay writing competition. We left our school in the morning the materials to be distributed for this competition which were pens, pages etc. We distributed these to all of the students and also inspected them during the whole competition. Again by the afternoon we collected all the essays and poetries and returned back to school.

With this we successfully completed the above mentioned competitions but the major ones was still left and those were Dance, Singing, Drama and Elocution which were to be conducted in our school on 13th January, 2011.

On 12th January, after the school gets over one of my friend and me sticked all the drawings, which were collected on the day when drawing competition was held, on the big chart paper so as to showcase them on 13th January.

On the mourning of 13th January, 2011 we all gathered in the auditorium of our school and each one of us were assigned different tasks for the whole day. Firstly I have to stick all of the drawing charts on the wall of the entrance of the auditorium so as to showcase them to the people, students and other staff members of the schools coming in our school.

The participants and their school staff were given breakfast arranged by us and after that the different competitions were given green signals.

My two friends and me collected the medals to be given to the winners from our teacher, cut the school and kalasangam stickers in round shape, sticked them on the medals and finally arranged them properly.

As soon as our this task was over we helped in Dance and Drama competitions taking place in the auditorium. We collected the song CDs from the participants and played them when their chance comes. We also helped the students and their teachers and also interacts with them. During lunch we directed them to the basketball court which was the venue for lunch.

Finally when all the competitions were held successfully, our head of school were invited and requested to give away the medals and shield to the winners of all the competitions held till now starting from 10th January, 2011.

With this way we successfully completed one of the largest CAS activity held till now. Not only we enjoyed this task of giving support to the hidden talents but also learned how to organize such a big program, how to manage it, how to work as a team, and also to encourage others for these kind of noble activities. Nevertheless we the students of IBDP - 1 would like to thank all of our teachers who helped us in each and every step, our head of school for their support in organizing the competitions, the village school's teachers and students for their active participation in the competitions held and to all of them, which I forgot to mention, for their kind encouragement to make this event a grand success,

Thank You.

Reported by,
Aakash Gupta,
IBDP - 1

CAS Field Trip to the Sinhagarh Fort

On 13th November, 2010, in the morning we the students of IBDP Year-1 and Year-2 along with our CAS co-ordinater and other teachers began our journey to the historical fort in pune, named Sinhagarh Fort with a motive of community service. We reached the fort at 11 a.m. and unloaded the stuff we bought with us which includes our lunch, some snacks, water and things required for cleaning the area.

We began our work as per the instructions of our teachers. We wore gloves and each were given one garbage bag so as to collect all the non-biodegradable waste from the whole area. We were divided into two groups, one group started from Kalyan gate and the other from Pune gate.

We worked continuously for several hours collecting all the waste in the garbage bag and till the lunch time each one of has returned to the place, where we meant to meet, with a bag full of garbage. There we washed our hands and prepare the salads. After that we had our lunch and a small talk with our teachers telling them about our experience. After this we went for a tour of the fort and saw several historical statues and the stones on which the history about the war was written which happened long back ago.

Finally we finished our tour in the evening and returned back to school with lots of enjoyment in the way as well. So in this way we collected 7 hours of service and more than that a great satisfaction.


Reported by,

Aakash Gupta,
IBDP Year-1

Annual Day celebrated at SPIS

On 27th and 28th of October, 2010, we the students of DYP SPIS celebrated our Annual Day. The major item to be presented in the Annual Day was "The Midsummer's Night Dream". The program began at 1 p.m. in the afternoon by lightning of the lamp followed by the introduction speech. The program started by the enthusiastic performance from the college band in which I was the lead guitarist. Then the play started followed by its introduction. In between the play there were several forms of dances performed. Some of them were: Hiphop, Salsa, Afro Jazz and Bollywood style. The characters played their roles very well and ended with a beautiful manner, therefore making the Annual Day 2010 a grand success. Finally the program ends with Head of School's speech in which she thanks our guests, parents, teachers and all the students for their extreme efforts in making this day an enjoyable one.

The most interesting part of this Annual Day was that all the students of the school participated in it. We started preparing for the Annual Day about a month before, practicing and rehearsing the full program. We would also like to thank our volunteer for their support behind the stage.

Reported by,

Aakash Gupta,
IBDP Year-1

Hindi Diwas Celebrations

Today an Inter School Hindi Debate and speech competition was organised in International School Aamby on the occasion of Hindi Diwas, celebrated on 14th September, 2010.

Five IB schools participated in the competition comprising of SPIS. Four students from each school had to participate, two for each (debate and speech). From SPIS three of my friends and me took part in that. We startes our journey to the Aamby Valley City at around 8:30 in the morning. The school was located on the hills and the surroundings were very pleasant and cold.

The competition started at 11:30 with Hindi Debate competition followed by speech competition. In between we have our lunch there. And as soon as the competition got over the photo session started and finally the results were announced. Our school really did a great job wining several positions.
Thus with this we went and reached back to our school at 7 p.m..

With this we celebrated Hindi Diwas.

Reported by,

Aakash Gupta,
IBDP Year 1.

Shiamak Davar Dance Classes

Yesterday we the students of IBDP Year 1 gathered in our auditorium for a Dance Session by the Shiamak Davar's dance trainers. The trainers showed us several forms of dance steps which they will tech us. The interested students had enrolled their names.

Thus from today we started our dance classes in the school itself, the duration of the dance sessions last for an hour which is included in our school timings. The different forms of dance include hip-hop, salsa and a certain style of jazz. It is a 114 days course for which we will be given CAS hours in the field of Action and Creativity. We'll also be awarded certificates for each form of dance after successfully completing the course.

The dance program has received a positive response from the students of SPIS and, many of us are looking forward to it.

Reported by,
Aakash Gupta
IBDP Year 1.
    

TeachForIndia Campaign

Yesterday we the students of grade 11 were gathered in our auditorium for the presentation by the representative of TeachForIndia Organisation.

The representative introduced, her organization and what is it about, to us. TeachForIndia is an organisation which aims for helping the needy by making them educated. This is a social serving organization which includes students, teachers or any person interested in social servicing by teaching the students, teachers or anyone who is willing to learn.

We the students of SPIS are requested to join this campaign and to extend our maximum support. Anyone who is interested in this have to teach in schools for 3 hours in a week, which not only be helpful to other but also to ourselves in increasing our teaching abilities, getting experience, knowing others, and the most important, getting the satisfaction of making someone to stand on one's legs by making one literate.

Hopefully more of us should join this and be of some use to others as well.

Reported by:

Aakash Gupta,
Grade: 11 A