Creativity, Action, Service Program

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CAS Communities

CDP and IBDP students today are involved in a multitude of communities: our school community, our local community, the international community and of course the virtual community through the internet and social networking site.  To manage our CAS program, we use a website called Manage Bac.  Students are also encouraged to use Facebook, our own website, the student website and Moodle to communicate efficiently in their groups and projects.  In developing their CAS program, students are primarily involved in the following communities:

School

As well as participating in school organized activities, students are encouraged to plan and initiate activities.  Our first IBDP class has been instrumental in creating in-school activities such as the photography club, the student website, the greening club, ErmitagEco and the NGO club.   Students can serve their school as tutors, as mentors for younger students, as classroom helpers, library helpers etc.  Students can participate in athletics and adventure such as Duke of Edinburgh Expeditions, ski and snow seek, adventure hikes, the Running club, Fit for Life among other activities. 

Local

Students may choose from a variety of activities.  In France, many extra-curricular activities are done outside of school through local sporting, creative and service associations.  IBDP students are engaging in activities as varied as hockey, football, basketball, swimming, martial arts, tennis, horseback riding, and dance and music lessons.  In service to the community, students may engage in actions against poverty: food banks and soup kitchens, actions for the elderly: retirement home visits and performances, and actions aimed at helping handicapped children.

International

Students are also encouraged to engage in issues of global importance.  These activities can be individual initiatives, CAS group projects or school organized clubs: such as the Model United Nations and Round Square Conference and Service Projects, the Human Rights Club and the Environmental group.

Learning Outcomes and Reflection

CAS requires students to expand their horizons, to set goals outside the classroom and meet the IB learning outcomes outlined below:

1. Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth
2. Undertaken new challenges
3. Planned and initiated activities
4. Worked collaboratively with others
5. Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
6. Engaged with issues of global importance
7. Considered the ethical implications of their actions
8. Developed new skills

Sample CAS Activities for 2010-2011

CAS Coordinator, Mrs. Peyrard, joins the action during Mr. Grady's CAS Running Club!

CAS students from ErmitagEco present to Collège students during May 2010 Placitums!

CAS Program Feedback

On February 1, 2010, the Regional Office of the IBO evaluated our own CAS program.  Below is an exerpt from the original document submitted to our offices.  We are particularly proud of our CAS Coordinator, Mrs. Margaret Peyrard!

The Regional Office finds the CAS programme at your school:

• An excellent start, showing sound planning and contemplation of all requirements
• A broad range of activities on offer
• Monitoring is organized in a logical and professional manner and the students appear well-supported

The school is commended for:

• The administration of Ermitage not only supports but embraces CAS through an important budget, timetabling and scheduling accommodation and offering regular support to students
• For encouraging student initiated activities and promoting international mindedness through some of them
• For ensuring that students experience an overall balanced CAS programme and that CAS activities are meaningful not only for the students, but for all impacted by the activity
• For using a Manage-BAC online software as a CAS log to record reflection, which allows interaction among students and supervisors
• Involving the TOK teacher to help students developing significant reflection on experiential learning and understanding the links between both core requirements
• For involving all the Ermitage community to ensure a successful CAS programme

The school can only be congratulated for the planning and starting of an excellent CAS programme!

We asked our CAS students to finish the following statements, and this is what they had to say: