Turner Fenton Secondary School

CAS Handbook
2019/20

The nature of creativity, action, service

...if you believe in something, you must not just think or talk or write, but must act.
Peterson (2003)

Creativity, action, service (CAS) is at the heart of the Diploma Program. It is one of the three essential elements in every student’s
Diploma Program experience. It involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the 18 months of
the Diploma Program. The three strands of CAS, which are often interwoven with particular activities, are characterized as follows.

CAS Experiential Learning

CAS enables you to enhance your personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning. At the same time, it provides an
important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the Diploma Program. A good CAS program should be both
challenging​ and enjoyable, a ​personal journey of self-discovery​. Each of you will have a different starting point, and therefore different
goals and needs but ideally you will all have ​experiences that are profound and life-changing​.
For personal development to occur, CAS should involve:
1.​ ​real, purposeful activities​ - with significant outcomes
2.​ ​personal challenge​ - tasks must extend the student and be achievable in scope
3.​ ​thoughtful consideration​ - such as planning, reviewing progress, reporting
4.​ ​reflection - ​on learning outcomes and personal learning
All proposed CAS activities need to meet these four criteria.​ It is also essential that they do not replicate other parts of your Diploma
Program work.

What is CAS?
Creativity ​(Arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking)
Creative activities should have a definite goal or outcome. They should be planned and evaluated like all CAS activities. This can present
something of a challenge where, for example, a student is a dedicated instrumental musician. It would be artificial to rule that something
that is both a pleasure and a passion for the student could not be considered part of their CAS experience. How, though, can it help to
fulfill CAS learning outcomes?
Perhaps the instrumental musician can learn a particularly difficult piece, or a different style of playing, in order to perform for an
audience. The context might be a fund-raising activity, or the student might give a talk to younger children about the instrument, with
musical illustrations. Appropriate CAS activities are not merely “more of the same”—more practice, more concerts with the school band,
and so on. This excludes, for example, routine practice performed by IB music or dance students (as noted earlier), but does ​not ​exclude
music, dance or art activities that these students are involved with outside the Diploma Program subject coursework.

Action​ ​(Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle)

Similar considerations apply here. An outstanding athlete will not stop training and practicing in order to engage in some arbitrary,
invented CAS physical activity. Setting goals, and planning and reflecting on their achievement, is vital. “Extending” the student may go
further, for example, to asking them to pass on some of their skills and knowledge to others. If their chosen sport is entirely individual,
perhaps they should try a team game, in order to experience the different pleasures and rewards on offer.
To avoid possible confusion, it is appropriate to note that the use of the term “action” in CAS is very different from that in the IB Primary
Years Program (PYP). In CAS, action relates specifically to physical activity.

Service​ ​(An unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student)
It is essential that service activities have learning benefits for the student. Otherwise, they are not experiential learning (hence not CAS)
and have no particular claim on students’ time. This rules out mundane, repetitive activities, as well as “service” without real
responsibility. A learning benefit that enriches the student personally is in no way inconsistent with the requirement that service be
unpaid and voluntary.
 *******It is essential that CAS activity is an extension to subject work. To attempt to count the same*********
work for both a subject or extended essay and CAS would constitute malpractice.

Responsibilities of the Student

● Plan, do and ​reflect ​(within ManageBac).
● Undertake at least three meetings with the CAS Coordinator (two meetings in year one and a final review in year two).
● Must partake in a ​minimum of 5 experiences up to a maximum of 10​. One of these need to be a ​CAS Project​ (see below for
details)
● Two of the five CAS experiences should be done outside of Turner Fenton S.S.
● Keep records of their activities, achievements, and ​reflections ​(within ManageBac).
● Show evidence of achievement of the eight CAS learning outcomes (within ManageBac)…outcomes listed below
● Ensure 18 months of ​consecutive​ activities from the beginning of September in DP Year ONE to the Spring of DP Year TWO.

The CAS Project

Each student must complete one CAS Project. Students must identify their project this can be checked off when creating an experience.
The CAS Project is just a experience that meets the following criteria:
● Needs to be collaborative (work with others)
● Must be at least a month in length
● Must require some initiation on their part( a leadership role or developing something new)

Learning Outcomes
As a result of their CAS experience as a whole, including their ​reflections​, there must be evidence that students have met these Learning
outcomes. An average CAS portfolio meets these 3-5 times. If a student finds it hard to meet ​one​ of these outcomes to complete CAS to
will have to be met at least once. The outcomes are:

1. Increased their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth​: they are able to see themselves as individuals with various
skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward.
2. Undertake new challenges​: a new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one.
3. Planned and initiated activities: ​ Planning and initiation will often be in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that are
part of larger projects, for example, ongoing school activities in the local community, as well as in small student-led activities.
4. Worked collaboratively with others: ​Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a
band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project, involving collaboration and the integration of at least two of creativity, action and
service, is required.
5. Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities: ​At a minimum, this implies attending regularly and accepting a share of the
responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the course of activities.
6. Engaged with issues of global importance: ​Students may be involved in international projects but there are many global issues that
can be acted upon locally or nationally (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly).
7. Considered the ethical implications of their actions: ​Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field,
in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). Evidence of thinking about ethical issues can be shown
in various ways, including journal entries and conversations with CAS advisers.
8. Developed new skills: ​As with new challenges, new skills may be shown in activities that the student has not previously undertaken, or
in increased expertise in an established area.
All eight outcomes must be present for a student to complete the CAS requirement. Some may be demonstrated many times, in a variety
of activities, but completion requires only that there is ​some ​evidence for every outcome.

Political and Religious Activity

● The IB has​ no official position​ on participating in Political activities. Their only concern is if the activity is safe for the student.
This must be decided by the CAS Advisor, parents and students combined.
● Concerning religious activity, it is recognized that this is a sensitive and difficult area. Nevertheless, the general rule is that
religious devotion, and​ ​any activity that can be interpreted as proselytizing, does not count as CAS.
Aims of CAS
Within the Diploma Program CAS provides the opportunity to develop many of the aims that highlights their connections with the IB
learner profile.
The CAS program aims to develop students who are:
● ​reflective thinkers​ - they understand their owns strengths and limitations, identify goals and devise strategies for
personal growth
● willing to accept ​new challenges​ and new roles
● aware of themselves as members of communities with ​responsibilities​ towards each other and the environment
● active participants in ​sustained, collaborative projects
● balanced​ - they enjoy and find significance in a range of activities involving intellectual, physical, creative and
emotional experience.

The Learner Profile

Inquirers They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show
independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their
lives.

Knowledgeable They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth
knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex
problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a
variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the
individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that
accompany them.

Open-minded They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values
and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points
of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal
commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of
spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for
themselves and others.

Reflective They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand
their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

Recording, Meeting and Reporting

Students should document their CAS activities recording in particular their ​reflections ​upon their experiences. This documentation may
take many forms, including journals, blogs, videos, illustrations, and photography. ​All CAS activities must be submitted using
ManageBac​.
The student is responsible for completing a minimum of TWO (2) meetings with their CAS Advisor in their DP Year ONE and a minimum of
ONE (1) meeting with their CAS Advisor in DP Year TWO. The CAS Advisor will arrange an “exit” interview, it is the responsibility of the
student to ensure they attend this meeting.
The School is responsible for reporting back to IB. All records must be complete in ManageBac, in order to file these with IB.
Using ManageBac
1. Once you have logged on to the ManageBAC site​ ​https://​turnerfenton​.​managebac​.com​ you can add and reflect on all your CAS
activities. The following four steps are necessary to have an activity count towards your CAS program:

2. ​‘Add a CAS Activity’ proposal ​before​ you start it. Your CAS advisor will approve it if it meets CAS goals. PLEASE USE THE
PROPOSAL REFLECTION FORMAT PROVIDED IN THIS HANDBOOK. PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE APPROVED IF THEY ARE NOT IN THE
CORRECT FORMAT.

3. Add ‘Reflections’ on your learning outcomes ​during​ the activities duration. The reflections should discuss what you learned and
focus on ​how you met the learning outcomes​. You are NOT trying to summarize what you did or prove that you completed the
activity. A journal is the minimum, but you can also add, photos, YouTube links, or files. All reflections should use the language
of the learning outcomes to demonstrate growth.
​PLEASE USE THE REFLECTION FORMAT PROVIDED IN THIS HANDBOOK. YOUR UNDERTAKING WILL NOT BE COMPLETED IF
THE FORMAT IS NOT FOLLOWED.

4. Request Supervisor Review’ at the conclusion of the activity. This will send an email to your activity supervisor so they can
Review your evidence and verify if you completed the activity as you have stated. You can also print a PDF to get signed if email
is not possible.

5. The final step is for your CAS Advisor to review your evidence and your supervisor review to ensure the activity can be marked
complete.
Activities are not counted on your report until all these steps have been completed.

Proposal Format
SAMPLE UNDERTAKING REQUEST FOR APPROVAL
Each individual experience has to include:
● A description paragraph which explains the event/experience and your role in it.
● estimated hours
● at least​ ​two​ of the eight Learning Outcomes up to a maximum of four
● clearly stated, point form goals (under each Learning Outcome subtitle)

​Activity Proposal sample

Student Conference (title of the experience)

Insert conference name here​ is a student run conference that offers opportunities to build leadership skills in
junior students. My role will be that of Leadership Developer. As a leadership developer I help create the
content for the conference and support Student Leaders who deliver the content to the Gr. 9’s.

WORK COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHERS

-meet weekly with conference team
-Plan games/activities for session that are based on mindfulness
-respect ideas of others as we determine what the session will look like

DEVELOP NEW SKILLS

-learn how to facilitate a session to encourage mindfulness : how to encourage kids to take a risk and
speak/share with others
-use new software to create posters to inform students about mindfulness and resources in the community

**AN UNDERTAKING WILL ​NOT​ BE APPROVED IF IT IS NOT IN AN ACCEPTABLE FORMAT**

Reflection
When reflecting students might want to consider each stage of an activity (before, during and after):
● Look back and reflect on if they met the learning outcome and what challenges they faced in doing so
● ·​What they learned from the activity and how this learning (for example, a change of perspective) might apply more widely.
○ Connections ​must​ be made to the IB Learner Profile, this is essential for authentic reflection
● How they felt
● What they perceived
● What they thought about the activity
● What the activity meant to them
● What the value of the activity was

Reflection Format
Pictures, videos, etc. can be used to assist in your reflection but must be accompanied with a written reflection that outlines the Learning
Outcome achieved.
Remember: You provide an artifact(s) that prove you did the activity. This can be in the form of
video, pictures, scanned documents, emails etc.

Your reflections ​must relate to the learning outcome​ and try to make connections to
your IB learner profile.

Student MUST use this format when writing their reflections.

Reflection example – What, So What, Now what?

Working Collaboratively with Others ​(Learning outcome you are reflecting on)

What ​– I was part of a two person leadership developer team that was to share mindfulness activities and
resources with the delegates. We had to research mindfulness and found examples that were designed for our
target audience – students ages 13-16. ​Include specific examples in a real reflection

So What​ – I struggled at first when looking for resources, but my partner shared some ideas with me and we
divided it up. By the next meeting we were able to share what we found. I felt supported by my partner and
that allowed me to feel like I was contributing. In the end we found a lot of the same information and activity
ideas. I was excited to talk about how we are going to share the mindfulness message around the school prior
to the conference. We found lots of inspirational ideas that we were going to modify for the Turner Fenton
student body.

Now What ​– The next step for me will be to learn how to create a professional looking series of posters that will
be used not only in our session, but in the school as a whole. I will work with Photoshop because I have friends
that can help me. My partner will be coming to the next meeting with activities developed from the short list we
developed. Splitting up the work load and communicating continuously was critical in achieving this task. It
allowed the project to come together nicely. I have seen other groups where the members have not worked
well together and it seemed to come down to communication. Seeing this, going forward in group work I want
to make sure I have open communication among all parties of the group.

TFSS students should complete a minimum of TWO experiences, outside

the school community.