Increased their awareness of their own strengths and weaknesses
This is certainly something I learnt on the basketball court. I learnt that even if you are not initially able to cope with something a little persistance goes miles in improving the skill. For example, during basketball (before the team was chosen) in the early part of the season we did many suicides. Sometimes it just sort of felt like it was going to kill you, yet my desire to make the team kept me going, and I found that not only was I able to continue with suicides for longer later on, but I was also a lot fitter.

Undertaken new challenges
Making the basketball team was definetly a challenge, especially during the intense first semester of senior year.
Taking on  the leadership of the Alzeihmer's Elective was also challenging since I would be fully responsible for the running of it.   

Planned and initialised activities
Several Alzeihmer Events, most notably the Primary School Treasure Hunt, where I had to coordinate with several people (primary principal, parents etc) to get the event running.  

Worked collaboratively with others
Definetly with the Alzeihmer's Elective to organise the events as well as working together as part of the basketball team, in order to get the best results.

Shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
Without this I most certainly would not have made the basketball team, which was quite a big goal for me. Sometimes, the responsibility of planning everything for the Alzeihmers Elective was slightly pressurizing with all my other accademic responsibilities, but I managed to perservere and run the elective quite successfully.  

Engaged with issues of global importance
Helping underpriveleged communities with Cancer...

Considered the ethical implications of their actions

Developed new skills

With Basketball as a player but also with persistance skills, and being part of quite a competetive team.

With Cancer Hospital I belive with every meeting with the children I became better at interacting with people who are very different to me, with language etc.

And leading the Alzeihmer's Elective taught me the importance of creativity and organisation in leadership.

Alzeihmer's
Our group recently carried out a treasure hunt for grades 2-5 in the primary school. The surprising complexity involved in organizing such a seemingly simple event was a new experience for me. We needed to have six different routes to the treasure, to allow for some competition. This meant fanning out to all parts of the school, marking eye catching land marks as clue spots. We also had to market the event properly to attract as many primary school kids as possible. Another key difficulty was digging the treasure hole, more physical than mentally challenging.
The event on the whole went off successfully, although the kids did prove to be a little cleverer than we believed, finishing off in less than half an hour. Our total gains from the event was roughly 12,000 rupees, which is pretty successful.

Saisa Basketball Nepal

Our basketball team ended our season coming in fourth place overall out of eight teams. Admittedly this is dissapointing from last year, but the amount the team has grown together and fought hard at most times through the season has been rewarding to watch. Travelling to Nepal was also a new experience to me, and was something I also loved. Flying over the breathtaking himalayas, living in the magnificent hospitatlity of our host, the cheerfully cold weather and the new school were all mememorable experiences. Hopefuly, next year the team will grow and reach past heights once again.

BASKETBALL
My second try out for the basketball team has recently begun. This year we are decidedly with less firepower than last year, nevertheless the enthusiasm and determination of younger students are positive. Training is as usual both mentally and physically challenging but it becomes extremely rewarding to meet the challenge and makes the activity more fun.

Sri Lanka Alzheimer's Foundation Walk
Our elective group from the Overseas School of Colombo participated in a charity walk organised by the SL Alzheimer foundation. The majority of particpants were elderly so the teenagers from our group helped provide a bit more energy to the event. The walk was a short 4 kilometers, with lots of music, red&white balloons and large banners. This was the first time we had actively participated with the larger alzheimer foundation group and it was pleasing to see the fairly widespread response the event recieved.

Alzeihmer's Elective

In addition to the raffle, the SL alzheihmer foundation is also organizing a 'Walk for Alzheimers' on the same day. Our first step to get people to the walk was to put up posters literally everywhere in the school! We then asked all our members to also bring a friend along to the walk, which should increase our numbers. Unfortunately, my co-leader will not be able to make it since he is attending a SAISA swim meet in Mumbai, India.

Cancer Hospital

We recently visited the hospital after the summmer. The new play room is much cleaner, 'spick and span' and rather alluring as well! The kids, however, were not there on that day, so we improvised and cleaned the area outside the playroom - lots of wet sponges, mops and brooms!