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CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service)

PMHS IB Diploma Programme CAS Handbook

Please view the IB CAS Subject Brief here

CAS Junior Timeline

Welcome to CAS in the PMHS IB Programme! You may be asking yourself, what is CAS? CAS stands for Creativity, Activity, and Service, and is a way for you to get actively engaged in your school, community, and personal life, while earning service hours that count towards the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship!

What does it entail? As you proceed through your Junior and Senior years, you will log each activity or collection of activities/experiences/opportunities as CAS “Experiences” on Managebac, and be on your way to logging your minimum of 7 CAS Experiences (1 for each Learning Outcome—2 per area—2 Creativity, 2 Activity, 2 Service, +1 additional in any of the three areas) by the end of your Senior year. In addition to that requirement, you need to have a reflection for each learning outcome tied to an individual experience (at minimum 7, again following the 2 per area requirement) logged by April 30th 2022.

In addition to the minimum of 7 CAS Experiences, Juniors must meet with their CAS Coordinator (Ms. Neff Tompkins) once in their Junior year and log that interaction in Managebac as their first official CAS interview. This interview should discuss their CAS experiences, struggles with CAS, CAS interests, and development of the CAS extended project.

*Please note: Service hours for CAS can only be from the Junior/Senior year and must be entered in Managebac. Service hours for Bright Futures must still be turned in to Guidance for records (these can be from all four years of high school—turn in any hours to count toward Bright Futures to Mrs. Schumaker in Guidance—this is YOUR responsibility).

 

How to log CAS Experiences:

  1. Log on to Managebac.
  2. Under “CAS” tab, click on “Add an Experience”.
  3. Here you will click either “Creativity, Activity, or Service” and you edit the details of the experience.
  4. You will then need to select which “CAS Outcome” meets your experience. This will be used later when you reflect on the experience.

 

Senior Summer update on Major Assessments (EE and CAS)

At this point you should have begun logging CAS “Experiences” on Managebac, and be on your way to logging your minimum of 7 CAS Experiences (1 for each Learning Outcome—2 per area—2 Creativity, 2 Activity, 2 Service, +1 additional in any of the three areas). In addition to that requirement, you need to have a reflection for each learning outcome tied to an individual experience (at minimum 7, again following the 2 per area requirement) logged by April 30th 2022. Additionally, your CAS project must be complete and logged in Managebac by April 30th 2022.

Please meet with Ms. Neff Tompkins in December for your second CAS interview. You will log this in Managebac as an official interview. In addition, you will meet with Ms. Neff Tompkins following the completion of your CAS experiences and project on April 30th 2022. At this time you will discuss the CAS process and it’s impact on your life and record this conversation in Managebac as your third and final interview.

*Please note: Service hours for CAS can only be from the Junior/Senior year and must be entered in Managebac. Service hours for Bright Futures must still be turned in to Guidance for records (these can be from all four years of high school).

 

How to log CAS Experiences:

  1. Log on to Managebac.
  2. Under “CAS” tab, click on “Add an Experience”.
  3. Here you will click either “Creativity, Activity, or Service” and you edit the details of the experience.
  4. You will then need to select which “CAS Outcome” meets your experience. This will be used later when you reflect on the experience.

 

 

Creativity, Activity, Service

 


Suggestions of CAS activities:

Creativity: Creativity in CAS provides students with the opportunity to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression. Creativity will come from the student’s talents, interests, passions, emotional responses, and imagination; the form of expression is limitless. This may include visual and performing arts, digital design, writing, film, culinary arts, crafts and composition. Students are encouraged to engage in creative endeavors that move them beyond the familiar, broadening their scope from conventional to unconventional thinking.

  • Participate in the organization of the PMHS Cultural Fair, or another cultural/artistic showcase or event.
  • Draw plans for and make clothing (skirts, shirts, etc.) for children in developing nations.
  • Engage in website design for a non-profit organization.
  • Compose an original piece of music (or learn a challenging piece of music) and perform for a local audience.
  • Choreograph an original dance routine (or learn a challenging dance routine) and perform for a local audience.
  • Outline and script an original play and perform for a local audience.
  • Teach an art/music/dance class.
  • Participate in the school’s theater, dance, or musical productions, working in various areas of production, including technical, set design, costume arrangement, etc.
  • Participate in a local theater, dance, or musical organization. Working in various areas of production, including technical, set design, or costume arrangement, etc.
  • Write for the school newspaper, yearbook, or literary journal.
  • Serve as photographer for the school yearbook or newspaper, or other school organization (IB?)
  • Participate in the school’s Art Club and help organize a gallery showing.
  • Participate in a woodworking, metalworking, or other craft-based organization.
  • Engage in an oral/video/photo history of your family.
  • Design a Japanese garden for your home.
  • Design and draw educational posters for primary or middle school children, including children with special needs.
  • Learning a new language (not including language studies as a part of the Diploma Programme)
  • Build a piece of furniture, or refurbish (even tile) and old piece of furniture.
  • Build a fishing rod.
  • Planning, filming, and posting “How to…” videos on YouTube or filming PSA’s for elementary school students.
  • Build a totem pole.

 

Activity: Some excellent activities are not sporting or competitive but involve physical challenge by demanding endurance (such as long-distance trekking) or the conquest of personal fears. While activities can be sports related, there are a number of ways students can be physically active without playing sports. Please use this list to help you create your own “activity”.

  • Coach at the YMCA, after school program, or other youth-group sports organization.
  • Join a high school athletic team.
  • Join the high school marching band.
  • Work as a camp counselor at a local summer camp.
  • Participate in a physically oriented fundraiser such as Relay for Life, Walk to Cure Diabetes, or Race for the Cure.
  • Ride a bicycle across the state (or the United States).
  • Hike the Appalachian Trail or the Florida Trail, or any other trail (Moses Creek, etc.)
  • Participate in a trek through a Costa Rican jungle, up a volcano, or through a national park (or other international adventure).
  • Compete/ participate in one of the many Florida triathlons to raise money for national causes.
  • Take a summer outdoor leadership course.
  • Begin a systematic individualized exercise program.

 

Service: Service activities are those that benefit others and are unpaid and voluntary for the student performing the service. These activities must include learning opportunities and personal responsibility. The service undertaken in the CAS program will allow the student to interact with others in his or her community or within communities other than one’s own. In either case it is imperative that the student work collaboratively with a member or members of the community through communication and consultation, ensuring that what the student does for the community is respectful of the needs, autonomy, and dignity of the community, and that the service is in no way harmful, disruptive, or divisive.

  • Volunteer at a local medical center or hospital.
  • Tutor adults in computer literacy.
  • Organize and/or join a beach/park cleanup campaign.
  • Volunteer with a local service organization.
  • Entertain at a local senior center with a musical performance.
  • Work with students from our feeder elementary and middle schools as a mentor, coach, or tutor.
  • Participate in a fundraising campaign for an international charity.
  • Work with a local organization (Salvation Army, St. Francis House, etc.) to provide for the needy.
  • Volunteer time in a local animal shelter.
  • Help grow plants at the school greenhouse to sell for a local international fundraiser.
  • Participate in a canned food drive.
  • Work with Habitat for Humanity to help build housing for members of the PMHS community.
  • Participate in the Walk to Cure Diabetes, the Relay for Life, and other fundraising activities.
  • Donate blood at the local Red Cross.

Rules and Expectations for CAS Experiences

Clarifications on what is and is not a CAS experience:

What is NOT CAS:

  • Any experience that receives paid compensation
  • Any experience that is required by an IB Diploma Programme class (receive a grade in a required DP class – does not count if student taking for non-testing elective)
  • Any experience, that includes proselytizing (political and/or religious)
  • Any service experience for a  “for profit” organizations (ex. Volunteering at PetsMart)
  • Any activity (service or otherwise) that promotes divisiveness or conflict (i.e organized protests – regardless of our views of the righteousness of the cause)

What IS CAS: (lots of things not listed, but these are clarification)

  • Any experience that takes place in a non-DP class (throw a pot in a ceramics class – receiving a grade is fine for non-DP class)
  • Any non-graded (not required) experience in a DP class
  • Activities that are directed at a specific and willing community (ex. Aiding in a religious school class)

Expectation of Frequency of CAS Experiences and Reflections

Experiences
Juniors

  • Students must complete and post to their Progress Report a minimum of seven experiences each quarter.
  • “Ongoing Events,” such as soccer practice or tai kwon do, can only be counted as experiences once per week.
  • Each of the three CAS strands (Creativity, Activity, Service) must be addressed at least once each quarter.
  • At least two experiences in at least two strands (ex. Creativity – 5, Activity – 1, Service – 2)
  • All CAS Experiences must be posted by the CAS-Check period near the end of each quarter.

Seniors

  • Students must complete and post to their Progress Report a minimum of seven experiences each quarter.
  • “Ongoing Events,” such as soccer practice or tai kwon do, can only be counted as experiences once per week.
  • Each of the three CAS strands (Creativity, Activity, Service) must be addressed at least once each quarter.
  • All CAS Experiences must be posted by the CAS-Check period near the end of each quarter.

Reflections

  • The CAS programme is seven quarters in duration, starting the 1st quarter of the junior year and extended to the end of the 3rd quarter senior year.  Students will be required to submit one reflection per learning outcome (7 in total).
  • Each reflection will address a single unique CAS Learning Outcome.  By the end of the CAS programme, each of the seven CAS Learning Outcomes will have been addressed by a unique reflection.
  • Reflections will be assessed using the Reflection Rubric.  A minimum passing grade must be received on each rubric for the rubric to count towards the completion of the student’s CAS requirements.  ​