Grade 10 Community and Service

During the second semester of grade 10 I took part in the Cleft Lip and Palette service group. I found that this would be a new experience for me as my previous service group was recycling and had very little personal effect on me. In this group I could help under privileged children in need of treatment. Since this operation costs 10,000 rupees, many of the kids can't afford to undergo the surgery. Our service group hoped to raise money for this good cause and I was motivated and inspired to contribute in as many ways as possible. We started the activity by planning a party to be held on the 22nd April 2011. During our Thursday afternoon sessions we came up with a variety of ideas to make this event as successful as possible. This included coming up with creative themes and posters. The idea was to organise a social event which would cost 1000 rupees for entry and all the money would go to the Lady Ridgeway hospital to help underprivileged children with Cleft-Palette disorder.

The condition is very serious and can result in permanent damage to the patient if not treated within the first year of birth. During an assembly prior to the event our leader showed a video to the whole school portraying the seriousness of the condition and why it is so important to do the operation. We hoped to inspire our fellow students by doing this and give them an incentive to attend the social event.

During this group I contributed significantly as I was in charge of publicity along with a fellow classmate. Together we advertised the event through posters and the social network, facebook. We made more than 1000 people aware of this event and provided information about the condition. I found that my role was significant because without good publicity, there would be very poor attendance.

I think this service group has enhanced my organisational skills and shown me how capable I am even when the task at hand seems too big to be dealt with by someone my age. I feel that it also improved my communication skills as I had to speak with DJ's and various other people to help get this event together. Not only my communication, but also my professionalism. This is something that will play a vital role in my life during the years to come and especially when I have to find a job for myself.

Overall, a great experience and one that I will remember for years to come.

Community & Service Grade 9

During grade 9 I participated in the recycling group. I did this for the entire first semester. During this activity we collected all recyclable materials from all around the school. Mostly we visited classrooms but we also obtained paper and cardboard from the admin, secondary/primary offices and the gym. Towards the end  the semester we had collected enough paper to take to the hardware store down the road. Here we sold all our paper where we were charged per kilogram of paper.
During this activity I contributed by being active and enthusiastic throughout. So much in fact that I was the first student who volunteered to visit the hardware store with Mr. Lockwood and being a Sri Lankan, I was able to translate for Mr. Lockwood and the salesman.
I found this CS group very moving as it made me realise just how much paper the school uses per week and it occurred to me how much higher this number would be across the nation. I felt inspired to recycle paper and cardboard and even other materials whenever I got the chance and I have made constant efforts in doing this ever since grade 9.