F O R E W O R D S

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth.” – Muhammad Ali

As I reflect on the past year as the CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) coordinator for the IB Diploma program, the words of Muhammad Ali resonate with me: "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth." These words capture the essence of CAS and its significance in the journey of our students.

Over the past year, I've witnessed amazing instances where students embraced this philosophy wholeheartedly, engaging in several service activities that not only benefited others but also enriched their own lives in profound ways. From volunteering time at various organizations to organizing fundraisers for worthy causes, our students have demonstrated a genuine commitment to making a positive impact on their communities.

Through their service experiences, students have learned valuable lessons about empathy, compassion, and the importance of giving back. Their enthusiasm and passion for service have inspired me and reinforced my belief in the transformative power of community engagement.

However, the journey hasn't been without its challenges. Balancing academic demands with extracurricular commitments can be daunting for students, and encouraging them to prioritize service can sometimes be met with resistance. Yet, it is precisely during these moments that Ali's words serve as a guiding light, reminding us all of the importance of service in shaping not only our communities but also our character and values.

Looking ahead, I am filled with optimism and excitement for the continued growth of our CAS program. With each passing year, I am confident that our students will continue to embody the spirit of service exemplified by Muhammad Ali, paying their "rent" to society by making meaningful contributions to the world around them.

Encouragement and Challenge. I’ve often reflected on these two concepts and their relationship to each other. It has been particularly true this year. Maybe that is true for you as well.  

Personally, as a Christian, I’ve been reflecting that often God provides profound encouragement followed by difficult challenges. For example, in his letter to the Romans Paul writes that everything that we do is an act of worship. This is incredibly freeing, but at the same time presents an incredible challenge as everything we do should be worship. Another example is comfort. In his letter to the Corinthians Paul describes God as the “father of all comfort.” - The Encouragement. But Paul goes on to say that we experience this comfort so that we can comfort others - The Challenge.

As teachers and coaches this is often what we do, we encourage and then challenge.  In essence, we’re saying, “Great work, but…” or “amazing job, next time…” From someone who loves teaching TOK, “Good thinking, but have you thought about…” or “Intriguing object, what does this tell us about truth and power and perspective…” 

The experiences and reflections that I read for CAS showcase impressive opportunities, capabilities, passion, and talent - The Encouragement. But now you have a responsibility (as do I) - The Challenge.

It can be easy to get lost in the responsibilities that demand our attention.  Certainly, for some, CAS might wear the guise of just another responsibility on an ever-growing to-do list.   A closer look, however, reveals a deeper responsibility that many of us tend to neglect as our duties grow and our time shrinks:  the responsibility we have to ourselves and our communities.  

In the context of school, which in many ways is the precursor to the world of work, students learn how to follow directions, complete tasks, and meet the expectations of others - whether that be a teacher, an administrator, or a curriculum.  These demands, while meaningful and challenging in their own right, are concrete, fixed, prescribed, and usually predictable.   

CAS serves as a reminder of the other side of that coin.  CAS asks the question, What will you do with your time when no one else is telling you what to do?  

The responsibility of autonomy is both freeing in its potential and daunting in its uncertainty; it is also essential to being a fulfilled human being.  CAS gives students a glimpse at the importance of being an engaged, lifelong learner beyond the academic world - because there is a world beyond academics.  

As I continue to engage with the CAS Program as an advisor and Core teacher, what emerges for me as the central value of CAS is that it offers a space for students to decide how they will engage with that world - ideally for the betterment of themselves and others.   

The ancient Greeks referred to the “good life” as a life of fulfillment, or eudaimonia.  The Greeks defined fulfillment as living in a way consistent with one’s values and aspirations in service of individual happiness and service to the community.  

I am excited and proud to see our IB Diploma candidates conducting themselves in a way that would make ancient sages like Aristotle and Epicurus proud.  Our students are cultivating their intellect in their studies across the six subjects, and they are developing their own athletic and artistic talents and serving their community through CAS.   

The IB Diploma is certainly a challenge, but confronting meaningful challenges is a precondition for fulfillment.  Our IB candidates understand that their hard work, creativity, and service have value both to themselves and our community.  I am happy to help our students achieve some great things. 

When I first came to RIS eight years ago I was immediately struck by the school motto ad astra, which means, of course, to the stars. You might say (and pardon the pun) I’ve been a little star-struck with RIS ever since! For me at least this school’s motto resonates; it makes me think about what it is we are looking for when we speak about living and learning well, what it is we seek, and where it ought to be sought, in the heavens or on earth, in practice or theory, in our classes or outside of them. 

When I first thought about the stars and their implications in the RIS school motto I also thought about what Oscar Wilde had said about them. Wilde's memorable line has become something of a cliche, but for me,  it sparkles a little still.  We are all in the gutter, says Wilde, but some of us are looking at the stars. I take this to mean that no matter where you are coming from, you shouldn’t let go of your dreams. The no less eloquent American wit Ralph Waldo Emerson counsels us to hitch our wagons to a star, implying the same sentiment.     

Speaking of stars, it has been an honor and a privilege to work with our IB students on their CAS projects this year. I’ve had the unique privilege of working with some stellar people and I have learned many things from this experience. I will take away from it what I think is perhaps the most important lesson of all – that some kind of service is central to a well-rounded education, and that no matter what stars we are aiming at it is well to remember our roots. It’s important, that is, to keep one foot on the ground. To remember the view and to help others seek out their own path… Ad Astra!     

At the EARCOS teachers conference this year, a speaker said that teachers are responsible for modeling CAS service to inspire students. In other words, if teachers are not creative, active, and serving our communities, why will students see it as an ongoing way of life beyond the IB diploma program? Here is my self-report on creativity, action, and service to let you all know that I am trying to choose it every day, but I can still improve. Service is something that I want to increase and make a central part of my family life as my children grow older. We make donations, but I want to teach my kids to take the next step and serve in a meaningful way.

Luckily, the RIS Amnesty International club included me as a chaperone when they fed the homeless community with Bangkok Community Help. The owner of Sunrise Tacos runs this charity, and anyone can sign up on the weekend to prepare and deliver food to those who need it most. What are you doing next weekend? Creativity is already a big part of my home life through daily drawing, coloring, and building projects with my children. As a mother of two small children, I am involved in daily activities, such as flying kites, playing catch, and running alongside scooters (maybe not running, but accompanying). But I can do more and will take on the EARCOS speaker’s challenge to get more involved in modeling how to include CAS beyond high school and that it will improve our quality of life and our communities. 

This was my first year as an IB CORE Advisor here at RIS and I couldn’t be more pleased with the group of seniors I worked with.  I’ve taught in many different schools and seen several good programs, but working with the IB CORE/CAS class has shown me how the IB program uses CAS to put all of the knowledge and skills the students are developing into practice. It forces the students to actively use the information they are learning in ways that benefit the community. They are continuously reflecting on the processes and the effects that their work is having on all stakeholders, including themselves.  Seeing how our students have developed that wholeness as learners, has inspired me to seek further training and work more with the IB program.