Jazz Band: Village Market Holiday Performance, 3 December 2011

            For this performance I was hoping to, much like all my other concerts and performances, build my experience and skills as a saxophone player. I particularly wanted to improve my skills as a solo player and as an improviser. Therefore I played one planned solo and played louder on parts that were saxophone soli for the entire saxophone group. I also played an unprepared solo for one of our other songs. Mr. Ligon, our director, pointed at me during one of the songs near the end of our performance and asked me if I was willing to play a solo during the song. I accepted the challenge and improvised a solo. I think I was quite successful with the solo and this further established my comfort and confidence at improvising. This will ultimately help accomplish my goal of being a skilled saxophone improviser and soloist.

            In this performance we played for two hours with a few short breaks in which other performers played some solo songs. We played a variety of fun Jazz and Christmas songs. This performance was a great opportunity to extend our experience as a band and to become more recognized in our community. Many people came and watched even though most of them were ISK parents and teachers. I think that this experience was good for the development of our band and it would be good to organize more events similar to this one.

Jazz Band: High School Christmas Concert, 1 December 2011

            For this concert I was hoping to further develop my skills as a saxophone player. I also wanted to build my experience with performing on stage in front of a large crowd. This semester I was only able to go to the Friday morning practice sessions because I was had football training on Wednesday mornings. Therefore I was not able to play with the entire band as much as I might have liked. However, this was a challenge that I had to face and my experience with the saxophone and with playing in concert bands allowed me to cope with this challenge. This is my third year in Jazz Band so I was able to still play to a high level even though I had less band practice.

            The High School Christmas concert included all the High School choirs and bands. The Jazz Band played last and we played four songs. These were all fun Christmas/Jazz songs. I believe we played quite well as a band and that we were successful as a band to entertain the audience. I therefore gained more experience as a saxophone player and as a performer. This helped build my confidence as a Jazz saxophone player and it further prepared me to improvise and play solos as is required in a Jazz Band. My experience and confidence with playing the saxophone prepared me for playing solos in the next performance we had in Village Market. It also has prepared me to hopefully play many solos in the next semester of Jazz Band and to become very comfortable with improvising.

            However, I do believe that the band could work a bit better together to become a truly good band. This could be done by practicing more often as an entire band. Since this year many people were unable to make both practice sessions, the band was unable to reach its maximum quality level. I therefore believe that if everyone in the band could attend all the Jazz Band practice sessions, the band could develop into a very good band that would be recognized countrywide. For this to happen, it would be good to organize more performances in different places like the Village Market to develop our experience and to build our recognition around the country.

Marich: Golf Tournament, 11 November 2011

            We organized this same event last year as a fundraiser project for the Friends of Marich group. This event was very successful last year so we decided to organize the same event this year to raise money for the bridge that we are building this year in Marich. Before the event day we had to organize all the hole sponsors and the prizes for the winners of the tournament. We also had to organize the golf course so that everything would be ready for the day of the event. Since I was away for ISSEA during most of the organizing period, I was unable to contribute greatly in acquiring sponsors and prizes for the event. However, I did help set up and organize the tournament on the day itself.

            On the 11^th of November we went to Windsor early in the morning to set up all the sponsor banners and to confirm that everything was ready for the tournament. We set up different banners across the golf course as well as around clubhouse. Matthew, James, Alberto, and I all had to leave back to school before the golf tournament started to go and play a football match but a few of the other members of the group stayed behind to ensure that everything went as planned during the tournament.

            This tournament as well as the raffle draw raised a good amount of money and we were satisfied with the outcome of the tournament. We still have to raise more money to reach our desired goal but we have significantly progressed. We are now looking at future possible fundraising projects to add to our collection of money so that we are able to carry out the desired projects when we get to Marich. When school starts again in January we will immediately look at what we can do to raise more money. Some possible projects include a concert and a poker tournament.

            It is great that the Friends of Marich group, a group that a Mr. Currey, Mr. Robbins, a couple of friends and I started two years ago, has become so successful. It is an excellent service group and it has already had many significant positive impacts on the local people of Marich. I am very proud to be a leader of this group and it this group is a great opportunity for students at ISK to give something back to their host country Kenya. Since Marich is such a remote area, hardly any people go to visit that side of Kenya. Therefore it is important for us to show people at ISK what a beautiful place the North of Kenya is and how we can help the people living there.

It is very exiting to see the newer members of the group work hard for the group and it will be very interesting to see them working in Marich. Our hope is that these younger members carry on what we have started and that it continues to grow and develop. Our goal is also to show the significance and honor of doing service work in Kenya and how if one takes his/her own initiative, service becomes a fun and interesting thing to carry out. We hope that other groups and possibly other IC trip members see that long term involvement in a project somewhere in Kenya is more effective than a one off service project that is completed over the course of one IC trip.

I have been very privileged to be part of the group that started this group two years ago and to have been able to visit Marich for three years come January. It has been and continues to be a great experience to be committed to the area of Marich and to its people. This has allowed us to form close relationships with the local community in Marich and this helps with the efficiency and effectiveness of our work there. Creating a strong relationship with the people you are working with in a service project is crucial for the success of that project. I therefore hope that other people see this necessity too so that the students of ISK can contribute significantly and positively to Kenya as a whole.

Marich: Raffle Organizing, November 2011

            For the Friends of Marich group, we organized a raffle to raise money for the bridge that we are planning to build in Marich. We gave each person in the group at least ten raffle to sell at 200ksh each. I personally also sold 50 tickets. The prizes for the raffle included vouchers for nights at hotels, such as the Hilton and the Tribe, dinners at restaurants, and massages, among others. The raffle draw was then done at the Golf Tournament in Windsor on 11 November 2011. The money raised by the raffle draw will be used to pay part of the bridge in Marich. This money will go along with money raised at the Golf Tournament as well as money from Mr. Brown’s foundation and other fundraising projects. Some of the money will also go to the other projects that we are planning to do in Marich such as building a library and possibly adding to the playground that we built last year.

            We will build the bridge when we are in Marich end of January during the IC trips. The goal of this project is to provide safe passage over the rivers for the local Pokot people. Together with the organization Bridging the Gap we built a bridge in the area of Marich last year and we will do the same again in another area near Marich. It will be nice to see the happy and grateful faces of the local children and elders when we have built the bridge. That was definitely a highlight of last year’s project.

ISSEA Boys Football Lusaka, 2-6 November 2011

I was part of the ISSEA Boys Football 2011 team this year. I played as the goalkeeper and this was my fourth ISSEA football tournament. I was captain of the team and the experience greatly improved my leadership skills and football skills. It was a great experience and honor to be captain of this team since the team was incredible. We ended up winning the tournament and this made us the first ISK Boys football team to win the ISSEA Boys Football tournament. It was a great pleasure and honor to be part of this team let alone be the captain of the team. I am very proud of the team. This was an experience that I will never forget.

I will add to this blog post later on with more details of our preperation and the trip.

Update:

            This year’s ISSEA, which was in Lusaka, Zambia, was the most successful ISSEA for the Boys Football team in the history of the ISSEA tournament. Our team was the first ISK ISSEA Boys Football team to win this tournament. It was a great experience and it was great to finally win it after personally having already played in it for three years. Winning ISSEA in my fourth year was incredible and it was even more special because it happened in my senior year and I had the honor of being the captain of this winning team. The team played excellent at the tournament and the determination shown throughout our football season was evident again in this tournament. We took 10 players from our Varsity Boys Football team and played against the 6 other teams in the 6-a-side, 3-day, tournament. A 10-player girls team also accompanied us to compete in the same tournament.

            Similarly to how we started our friendlies in our league season, we lost our first match 3-0 against the reigning champions Uganda. It was a big shock as we came to the tournament prepared to win it so we knew we had to start playing our good football. We quickly made up for our loss and won the next three games, even though we never reached our full potential. The next day we met the other strong title contenders ICS from Ethiopia and it promised to be a tough game as they had won all their other games. We played a good game but were unable to score so we lost the game 2-0. We went on to win our last game. These results put us in third place behind Uganda and Ethiopia in second and first place respectively. This meant that we faced Uganda in the semi-final in a repeat of the semi-final of the ISSEA 2010 where we narrowly lost to Uganda on penalties to then go on to become third in the tournament.

            We were determined to not let the same thing happen again so we came out and played one of our best games of the season. We ended up beating them 3-2 to move on to the final against Ethiopia. The final was set to be a very good game between the two best teams of the tournament. Our team was very focused and this greatly helped us throughout the tournament and it is this quality and the exceptional team spirit of the team that helped us win the final. We went down one goal in the first half but then, like frequently before, came back and scored two goals in the second half to win it. It was a great feeling when the referee blew the final whistle. I could not believe that I had finally won an ISSEA and that we had done it in my last year. It was even more special because I was the captain of the team that had finally done what no other ISK boys’ football team had done before. I am very proud of the team, especially the younger defenders who made our team so solid. It was a great experience again and I am so grateful of the privilege that I have had to experience this amazing tournament for four years. My determination and desire to continuously improve and develop my football and sportsman skills was rewarded since along with the first place medal, I got an All-Tournament Player medal for the third time in a row. I am very proud of these medals as they reflect the effort that I have put into the football teams over the past years.

            This tournament has greatly improved and developed my skills as a footballer, as a leader, and as a sportsman. The atmosphere at these tournaments is amazing as we get to see new countries, meet new people, play competitive football, and live with a new host family. These tournaments have definitely confirmed that I am a true sportsman and that I love playing sports a lot. I therefore hope to continue playing sports, especially football, throughout my life as it teaches one many things about real life situations such as the significance of teamwork.

Coaching the ISSEA Girls' goalkeeper

I have started to help out with the ISSEA girls' football team. I have already had two training sessions with the goalkeeper of the team and I am planning to train her every Monday morning during their training sessions. I might have to train more with her later on when ISSEA is near to get her fully prepared for the tournament.
I plan on helping the keeper, Meg, build on her weaknesses and become more comfortable as a player. Since I have already played as a goalkeeper in the ISSEA tournament for 3 years, I have gained much experience and I am aware of the most important skills needed to be successful in the tournament as a keeper. I will use this experience to help Meg become a very good goalkeeper.
I have already coached keepers before so I want to build on this coaching experience to then make me a better football player. I have coached the Varsity girls' football team goalkeepers in the past 2 years and I have also coached several under-10 and under-14 boys' keepers at Sags Academy.
I hope to build on my experience as a coach and football player as well has make Meg feel very comfortable in goal. This will hopefully build the girls team so that they are fully prepared for ISSEA so that both football teams can be very successful at the tournament.

Update:

Coaching Meg proved to be quite a challenge as she is resistant by nature and has a lot of attitude. It was hard to get her to do everything that I wanted her to do that I believed was necessary for her to improve as a keeper. She often refused to try the keeper drills that I got her to do and this greatly affected our progress during training sessions. I often was forced to get her to try particular drills over and over again till she finally tried through her frustration and was able to do them. This took away a great amount of our time together so I was unable to train her as much as I would have liked. Meg could do almost everything that I asked of her but she was unwilling to do them because of her fear and lack of determination and belief in herself.

            However, I was able to convince her that she was able to get down low, something that she had refused to do for a long time because of her long history of injuries. Also largely because of this long injury list, I was determined to get her comfortable with diving and getting to the ground quickly as these are important skills during ISSEA. I was able to teach her a few new skills by the time ISSEA came and I was able to make her a bit more comfortable with the ground. However, since she always said she was going to do everything I told her during the games but refused to do them during the practices, she was not as prepared as I had hoped she would be by the time the tournament came and she was unaware of this unpreparedness as she felt very confident. Since I had already played in three ISSEA tournaments before this ISSEA tournament came I was well aware of the tough and tiring nature of the tournament. This is something that I tried to get her to understand but she was too confident to realize that the tournament required a lot of hard work even for a keeper.

            Despite these set backs, she was able to start quite well in their games but was not always able to replicate what I had taught her during the training sessions. This resulted from her failure to practice these various skills when I was not with her and also often when I was with her. Her unpreparedness was then evident when she dislocated her knee in the semi-final and was no longer able to play any further. This forced the girls’ team to put one of their already decreasing number of fit players in goal, which could not have come at a worse time. I therefore had to quickly train three of the other girls to see who would be better in goal and to get them as familiar with the basics of keeping as I could in the very short time I had with them. Because of all the injuries that plagued their team, the girls ended up fourth place. I hope that Meg has now learnt from this experience and realized that success only comes with hard work and that one needs to practice their skills over and over again no matter how good they are if they want to be consistent and if they want to develop and improve their skills.

            This experience was also clearly a challenge for me and it has helped me realize the difficulty of coaching and it has giving me a better understanding of the techniques used that will most effectively help a coach communicate with his/her trainees and how a coach can motivate an athlete to continuously try their best to improve and develop. This was a great experience to test my leadership skill and to develop them for future use. It has also made me more aware of the difficulties that other people face when being a keeper that I am more comfortable with and therefore do not directly think about. This awareness has allowed me to more effectively train other keepers and I hope to test these developed skills while coaching other keepers. I might therefore continue coaching the girls’ football team’s keepers to help them improve on their skills and to help me develop my skills as a sportsman.

Varsity Football 2011

The Varsity football team has been playing for approximately 2 months so far. We are slightly past half way through our season and we are looking like a very strong team. I am the captain of the Varsity team and it has been a fun challenge to take up. I am responsible for making sure that the communication between the entire team, including the coach, is good. I lead the team during training sessions and during matches.

As a captain, and after having been on the Varsity and ISSEA football teams for 3 years now, I share my experience with other players and I use my experience to judge what is best for our team to make us as successful as possible. I am therefore constantly discussing tactics as well as other issues with our coach Sags.

This year we had a very strong returning Varsity team that was composed of mainly mid-field and attackive players. For this reason we had to bring in many new young players mainly in defense to the Varsity team. These players were inexperienced and it has therefore been a challenge for us as a team, and for me as a captain and keeper to build our defense as strong as possible. The younger players have been excellent in defense so far and they have definitely stepped it up as very strong players.

We have focused a lot on playing possession football this year and we have gotten very good as a team. The attitude of the returning Varsity players has also been excellent and this has been crucial at building our team to make it as strong as it is now.

I have been lucky this year to be able to play as a keeper as well as an outfield player during our league games. This has given other players a chance to play as well as given some a chance to rest. Playing different positions has allowed me to be closer to the team so that I can lead them from different areas on the field as well as share my experience as an all-round player to the younger players. It has also allowed me to build my skills as a football player so that I can build my experience even more as a football player and as a leader.

We have been very successful so far this year with 4 wins, 1 draw, and 0 losses. We have played very good football on many occasions but we have also had several issues during games. Our goal now is to build on those issues and mistakes so that we can be a solid team throughout each entire game. This will allow us to reach the semi-finals and hopefully the finals. It will also get us fully prepared for the ISSEA tournament in Lusaka, Zambia in early November.

We hope to continue building our team to ultimately become the best team in the league as well as in the ISSEA tournament and I believe that our team is certainly capable of accomplishing this. We just have to continue working hard and continue building on our weaknesses, but also continue strengthening our strengths.

Update:

Final reflection:

            This year has been a very successful year for the Varsity Boy Football team. I have been on this team for four years now and this year was definitely my best. It has been a long time since the Varsity Boys Football team has made it to the finals of the ISL league but we were able to accomplish it and we were very close to winning it. Having been the captain of the team, it was a great honor to lead this great team.

            The season started out with several worries for our defense since most of our defenders from the previous season had left. We were more comfortable with our attack and midfield players since most of them were returning Varsity players. These worries were emphasized when we lost our first two friendly games against Rosslyn and RVA, loosing 4-0 in the Rosslyn game. However, together with coach Sags, we worked on our defensive problems and slowly built a very solid team. I worked very closely with Sags to ensure that the team continued to progress. The returning Varsity players were excellent this year at leading and motivating the younger players. The determination shown by the returning players was outstanding and this was quickly mirrored in the younger players and this was very significant in our later success as a team. The younger players, especially the defenders, did an incredible job at improving and making the defense solid. We did have a few issues with disciplinary problems with several of the younger players at the beginning of the season but we quickly and effectively solved these issues and made it clear to the younger players that playing on the Varsity Football team was a privilege and that it was very serious.

Therefore when our league games started we were very well prepared and continuously improved throughout the season. The work ethic and fighting spirit of the team was amazing and this is what brought us through to the final. We came from a goal down a few times during the season to win each of those games. There was only one game that we did not play as well in and that was the Braeburn game. However, the fighting spirit was again evident in that game and we were very unlucky to not come out and win it and we therefore tied the game at 1-1. This was a big disappointment for the team but we did not let that end our determination so we came out the next few games and won them all. This then brought us to our second meeting with Rosslyn but then this time in a league game. We knew that we were good enough to beat them so we gave them a very hard game to play. We were very unlucky to not score a few goals so the game ended 0-0, but this score line was a big difference from the 4-0 loss at the beginning of the season. Our team had clearly improved greatly as a team.

We went on throughout the season unbeaten till we met Turi in the semi-final. This was a tough game since they had come first in their pool and they had beaten most of the other teams in their pool quite easily. Therefore we had to be fully prepared and when the day of the game came we were ready. We played the game with great determination and it was clear that the team really wanted the win. The fans that came and watched witnessed a great game. We ended up winning the game 2-0 to put us through to the final against Rosslyn the next day at RVA. Since the final was the day after the semi-final, it was tough and the players had to do their best to keep their bodies fit for the final so that we could play our best game. We were well prepared so we played a good game and it was clear that we were very evenly matched with Rosslyn. The game ended 1-1 so it progressed to silver-goal extra time where a winner after five minutes would end the game. If there would be now winner after the extra five minutes we would move onto another five minutes and then a penalty shoot-out. We were very unlucky and we conceded a very unlucky goal in the last 30 seconds of the first five minutes of extra time to then lose the final. It was very disappointing but the team was proud of having been so successful throughout the season and it was a great pleasure and honor to have been the captain of this team. Having won ISSEA Boys Football for the first time ever, we knew that this team was very special and that we were all very privileged to be a part of it. The success of the team was largely because of our coach Sags and the determination of every player in the team.

My goals to improve on my football skills as an all-round player and to develop my skills as a leader by being the captain of the team were accomplished. I was able to play as the first keeper, left and right-winger, midfielder, defensive midfielder, and striker for the team in the league matches. It was a great experience and it allowed me to effectively communicate with the rest of the team as a captain. Captaining this team has greatly developed my leadership skills and I hope to use this for future sports, academics and many other areas. I also hope to be the captain of the Boys Rugby team next season and help build the Rugby team to a strong team able to compete against the more experienced other teams in Kenya.

Rugby

Arno Tuts

Rugby

04-05/11

Hours: 20

1.                  In this activity I played in the ISK rugby team. I played as the team first Hooker and I was the vice-captain of the team. I was very unlucky to get injured in my knee at the beginning of our second game and this kept me out for the rest of the season. I needed surgery on the knee so I was unable to play any more games. However I did join some of the practices after my injury to support the team and to give them advice since I was one of the more experienced players. Our team this year was very young so they needed inspiration to play well. I also watched some of our later games to provide some support. I interacted with my teammates and with our coaches, Nixon and Finn. They all motivated me to play harder and better and they inspired me to be a leader.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish learning more about playing rugby and about various rugby techniques and skills. I also wanted to gain more experience as a rugby player and as a leader. As a leader I hoped to inspire the younger players and motivate them to play better.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to learn new rugby skills as well as develop my rugby techniques. I was also able to improve on my weaknesses from the previous season of rugby. I was also successful at gaining more experience as a rugby player and a leader because of my role as vice-captain. The other players looked up to me and this gave me the determination to perform well. It was difficult to accept that I was out for the season once I injured my knee but the team game me good support and I was able to lead from the sideline. Some skills in rugby were more challenging than others but I was able to acquire them through practice. I hope to improve even more on my rugby skills next season.

4.                  I learned that I am a good leader and that I lead through example. The pressure of motivating others helps me greatly by increasing my determination to succeed and play well. I am good at leading others in a game and motivating them to play even when their moral is down. My role as a vice-captain gave me a lot of experience and I hope that I will get more of such roles in the future. Therefore I hope that I can be captain in the Varsity football team as well as the rugby team.

5.                  My teammates helped me by motivating me to put all my effort into the team and the coaches encouraged me to lead the team. Other leading players also encouraged me by giving me support in the leading role and this made it easier to accomplish.

6.                  This activity helped others by giving the rugby players more experience in rugby. It gave the younger rugby players the necessary will to continue playing rugby and to put in all their effort. It also gave everyone competitive game experience and the coaches got more coaching experience.

Coaching Girls Keepers

Arno Tuts

Coaching Girls Keepers

01-03/11

Hours: 7

1.                  In this activity I helped coach the Varsity girls. I specifically acted as the Goalkeeper coach. Mr. Hertz, the coach, trained the whole team in all positions while I took the three goalkeepers aside to teach them the basic and some of the more advanced keeper techniques. I did this activity because I have been the first Varsity boys goalkeeper for three years so I have gotten a lot of experience. I also realized from my own experience that goalkeepers do not get much attention in the football teams because there is only one coach. I therefore wanted to give the goalkeepers more attention so that they can also improve. I interacted with the goalkeepers and taught them what I knew of goalkeeping. In return they helped me develop my teaching skills. This then helped me gain more experience as a goalkeeper myself. I also interacted with the coach and the rest of the girls on the team. One of the training sessions I joined the girls in a few of their drills to give them an extra challenge.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish learning more about being a goalkeeper and a coach. I wanted to develop my experience and skill as a goalkeeper by coaching others.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to learn more about understanding more complicated keeper techniques by trying to explain them to the girl goalkeepers. This coaching also helped because I was able to develop my leadership skills. It was sometimes difficult to explain certain aspects of goalkeeping but I was able to teach by example and this helped a great deal.

4.                  I learned that I am pretty good at coaching goalkeepers. I have done the same for under-12 goalkeepers at Sags Soccer Academy and I have learnt many techniques of making teaching easier and making goalkeepers skills easier to understand for other people. I also learnt that this experience really helps improve my own skills as a goalkeeper.

5.                  The girl goalkeepers helped me learn more about coaching by being patient and by listening very careful. They also were willing to try what I asked them to do. The coach also helped me by giving me the chance to coach the goalkeeper girls and by helping me when I needed help. He also let me use all the materials I wanted. Alberto also helped me several times by shooting the ball at the girls and by picking up balls that had been kicked away.

6.                  This activity helped others by giving the goalkeeper girls some extra help and attention so that they could improve on their goalkeeper skills and also on their overall skills as a footballer. I also gave them a sense of importance which is important for a goalkeeper.

Jazz Band Moroccan Dinner Silent Auction

Arno Tuts

Jazz Band Moroccan Dinner Silent Auction

15/04/11

Hours: 3

1.                  In this activity I played the Alto Saxophone in the Jazz Band for the Moroccan Dinner and Silent Auction. We played many of our best songs and played for the people as background music. There were many ambassadors and other diplomats who came to the Silent Auction to raise money for the wife group that used the money to fund several projects in Kenya. We also played a few songs that the South Africa band played so many of us had to sight read the music. We got dinner there so we were able to take a short break during our playing. We interacted with each other in the band and we also interacted with a few of the guests. We played for them while they enjoyed the music.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish playing music for a good cause. We wanted to create a pleasant atmosphere during the night so that the guests felt comfortable and were willing to participate actively in the silent auction. I also hoped to gain extra experience as an Alto Saxophonist and as a sight-reader.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to play in the Jazz Band for a good cause and for important people. I also believe that we created a pleasant atmosphere for the guests that allowed them to enjoy the night. My experience increased and I was able to develop my sight-reading skills. We sometimes had some difficulties with the transformers but we managed to adjust and fix them. It was also challenging to play some parts of the sight-reading pieces but I was able to cope with them and quickly master them.

4.                  I learned that my sight-reading skills are very good and that I can quickly learn a piece that I have not yet seen before. I am able to follow the music at the right speed and I am also able to play the rhythms correctly while playing the correct notes. My experience as a saxophonist is clearly growing and I am gradually able to play pieces that are above my level.

5.                  My peers in the band helped me sight read at a quicker and higher level and the saxophonists that had already played the sight-reading songs before gave me good advice on how to play the pieces correctly. Mr. Ligon, the director, also helped us enjoy playing our music and helped us realize the significance of music as a background during such events as dinners and silent auctions.

6.                  This activity helped others by giving the diplomats background music to create a pleasant and comforting atmosphere. Some diplomats also observed us so they could learn from our playing and possible get inspired to learn to play an instrument themselves if they did not already play one. This event was organized for a good cause so this activity helped fund several charity projects in Kenya.

Ski Trip

Arno Tuts

Ski Trip

18-26/03/11

Hours: 50

1.                  In this activity I went to Switzerland on the Ski Trip. There I learned how to snowboard. It was the first time I had ever snowboarded and I really enjoyed it. We started on the baby slopes and learned the basic techniques. By the third day we were on the main slopes and we were learning simple tricks and getting more and more experience. Every time we went down the slopes we went faster and we did harder slopes. By the end of the week we were on the black slopes and I was speeding down these slopes. We snowboarded for most of the day and then did different activities in the evenings such as ice skating and swimming. For the remainder of the time we relaxed at the dorms or went to Verbier village to shop and enjoy the local atmosphere.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish learning how to snowboard to a good level and I also hoped to feel comfortable on the snow slopes. I wanted to be able to master all the basic snowboarding skills and learn some new tricks that I could test out. Another goal was to not fall too much. I also wanted to enjoy the village and Switzerland itself.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to learn how to snowboard to a high level. By the end of the week I was very comfortable on the snowboard and I could go down steep slopes at a fast pace. I had also mastered all the basic skills and I was able to do simple tricks. I also was very successful at achieving my goal to not fall much. I hardly ever fell hard and I did not get any sore places as was expected from us beginners by all the leaders and teachers. The town was also very fun and we were able to experience Verbier to its fullest. We shopped a bit and drank the famous hot chocolate. Some difficulties I encountered were that some people in my group were slower at learning that I was and therefore I was unable to make the very most of my learning. However our leader, Kevin, was very good so I was able to improve on specific things that he said on my own. Some techniques were also a bit challenging but after practicing them a few times I was able to grasp these techniques and I was therefore able to snowboard better.

4.                  I learned that I was a very fast learner and that I am good at snowboarding. I was able to learn the skills of snowboarding very quickly and this allowed me to gain a lot of good experience. This will be a great advantage for me in the future if I decide to snowboard again. I also learned that I really enjoyed snowboarding and therefore I would really like to do it again if I can. It was a great and very fun experience.

5.                  My peers helped me improve my skills even more by challenging me and Kevin helped me learn very well. I was able to master the basic skills very quickly because of the good explanation skills that Kevin had. When I asked Kevin what I specifically needed to improve on he would tell me what I needed to do to make my technique better. My peers also ensured that I enjoyed Verbier and had fun even when I was off the slopes.

6.                  This activity helped others by teaching them how to snowboard or ski at a higher level. It also helped the ski and snowboard leaders gain more experience as leaders. Therefore everyone gained experience and everyone had a lot of fun. This activity also helped the younger students because they were able to look up to the older students as inspiration. Therefore everyone improved together.

Jazz Band Mardi Gras

Arno Tuts

Jazz Band Mardi Gras

4/03/11

Hours: 2

1.                  In this activity I played Alto Saxophone in the Jazz Band for the Mardi Gras dinner at Rosslyn Ridge. We played several fun carnival jazz songs for the small group of guests that were there to eat a buffet. We all put on facemasks and played for about an hour. We interacted with some of the diners who were listening but we mainly interacted with each other.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish gaining more experience on the Alto Saxophone and to gain more concert experience. I also hoped to entertain the diners.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to gain some extra playing and concert experience on the Alto Saxophone and I think we were successful at entertaining the guests. However there were not many guests during the time we were playing. This made it a bit less interesting to play but we continued as planned and left when we were done.

4.                  I learned that I am able to play many songs comfortably with not much practice because some of the songs we only got right before the Mardi Gras concert. This helped me realize that I have already got good experience with my Alto Saxophone.

5.                  My peers in Jazz Band helped me play with more comfort and my director, Mr. Ligon, helped us all realize that we were there to have fun playing and that it was a good opportunity to improve on our playing as a band.

6.                  This activity helped the band gain experience and it helped the band realize what we had to work on as a band. It also gave the diners at the Mardi Gras dinner a background music to listen to.

Goals to Go

Arno Tuts

Goals to Go

5/02/11

Hours: 7

1.                  In this activity I played football in the Goals to Go tournament with a team of five others. Goals to Go is organized yearly as a fundraiser for the Lady Lusha school. My team played very well and we ended up winning the tournament. Since several players had to leave early, some other players joined our team to retain the right number of players. I also had to play with other teams who themselves had lost some players. It was a long tiring day but it was a lot of fun. It was also interesting to play against teams with girls in them and against teams with younger players in them. This makes the tournament so special because of the diversity of football skill. Some students from the Lady Lusha school joined the tournament as well and played in sever teams. We also gained one of their players in our team. I interacted with the other players in the tournament by playing against them and talking to them during the breaks. I also interacted with the Lady Lusha students and learnt a bit more about them as they did with us.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish playing some competitive but diverse football and to have a fun day out on the pitch. I also wanted to gain some extra experience as an outfield player because during the football season I am the goalkeeper in all the competitive matches. I also wanted to inspire younger players to play good football because I had a strong experienced team myself.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to play competitive football but it was very diverse with many different skill levels involved in the different matches. This was very interesting and made the day very fun. I also gained extra experience as an outfield player in all positions. I think my team was also successful in inspiring other players because we played good football against younger teams and they played very good competitive football against us. It was entertaining to see their determination and desire to play good football and this was great. Some difficulties during the tournament were that some teams were harder to play against but this challenge was good for my team and it made the match all that more fun. We also had some player problems when some had to leave the tournament early but we were able to overcome this by getting other players to join our team.

4.                  I further developed my sportsmanship skills. I was able to play fair against the younger players and the girls but still make it challenging for them. This makes it more interesting and fun for them. I realized that we could not play too aggressive against certain teams and my team adapted to the variety of skills. I also have a lot of energy because I was able to play for different teams with not many breaks to get a rest.

5.                  My teammates helped me adapt to the different player skills and age groups of other teams and they helped me think more about my sportsmanship skills. This helped me improve these skills so that I enjoyed myself as well as our opponents.

6.                  This activity helped others by raising money for the Lady Lusha school. It also helped the football players improve their skills and experience. It gave the younger players a chance to play against older, more experienced, and more skilled players. This challenge is always the best way to improve one’s skills. It was great to see the younger players enjoy themselves on the field and express their determination to challenge the more experienced players. It was also entertaining to see them show off their skills.

Playground Building

Arno Tuts

Playground Building

27/01/11

Hours: 4

1.                  In this activity I helped build a playground for a local school in Marich. With money we raised, metal workers at ISK built a swing and monkey bar set for us and we brought these with us on the bus. When we got to the school we had to dig eight holes to place the playground set into. I drove the wheelbarrows full of large rocks from a pile of rocks outside the school to the designated playground area. We used these rocks to fill the holes once the playground had been placed inside. We then mixed cement and gravel to cover up the holes and fasten the playground to the ground. As a final piece of work we poured some water over the gravel. I interacted with the children of the school by playing small games with them. It was great to see their faces lighten up as they saw us build the playground.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish making the children of the school happy. I wanted to give them something that was new to them so that they could have fun. I also wanted to witness the joy and curiosity on the faces of the children.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I was able to make the children happy and it was a special feeling to see the children’s faces glow with their joy and curiosity. It always feels nice to do something meaningful. It was sometimes hard to transport the wheelbarrows because of the several problems they had. With one of the wheelbarrows the wheel was crooked and with the other one the handles were half broken. Therefore I had to carry the wheelbarrow from one side of the wheelbarrow. This made the load more difficult to transport but it was manageable. We also had trouble with the straightness of the playground a few times but we overcame this problem by adding or taking away a few stones.

4.                  I learned that I am good at doing manual work and that my strength gives me many advantages when building something. I have also developed my skills with cement and gravel mixing and I am well informed on how to fasten objects to the ground.

5.                  My peers helped me think about my learning during this activity by sharing my interest and curiosity in the children’s happiness. This way I was able to fully appreciate the work I was doing and therefore also enjoy it.

6.                  This activity helped others by giving the children of the school a new playground to add variety to their play during their free time. We also gave them something to be excited about. The children now have more to do when they have free time. This also makes it easier for the local teachers.

Bridge Building

Arno Tuts

Bridge Building

26/01/11

Hours: 6

1.                  In this activity I helped build a bridge in Marich. The Friends of Marich group raised money by organizing a golf tournament and this money was then used to fund the materials for our bridge. Together with Bridging the Gap we built a bridge in a community near Marich. Bridging the Gap provided the necessary materials for the bridge with the funds we raised. With these materials, Friends of Marich built the bridge for two days. I helped build the bridge on the second day. We had to build the walkway and then hang it on the steel cables that were stretched across the river. I helped nail boards on the walkway, spread wire across the sides of the bridge, and tighten the steel cables. I interacted with my peers who helped me build the bridge. I also interacted with the workers who helped us build the bridge and who guided us through the necessary steps to successfully build the bridge. We also interacted with several school groups and elders who came to the opening ceremony. It was great to see the gratitude on the faces of the community for who we were building the bridge.

2.                  During this activity I hoped to accomplish learning more about building bridges. I wanted to understand the mechanics behind bridge walkways. I also hoped to build something that really meant something to the community. I wanted to make the community happy and see their gratitude.

3.                  I believe that I was successful in achieving my goals. I learned how to build a bridge and I was successful at building something that the community really needed. The gratitude of the community was visible during the opening ceremony and it was great to be a part of such a project. Some of the difficulties we encountered were nailing the boards. We struggled to hit the weak nails into the hard boards. However after a bit of practice we managed to master the hammering technique and we were able to successfully accomplish our job.

4.                  I learned that hammering can be a real challenge. There is a specific technique needed that is very difficult to master. However I was able to competently accomplish my job. I also developed my appreciation of working for others who are in need. It is always a relief to see thankful smiles.

5.                  My peers helped me learn the hammering technique and helped me build the bridge at a descent pace. Together we managed to finish the bridge on time. The speeches of the community leaders really helped me realize the meaning this bridge had for the community. This helped me realize that small things can mean a lot to the right people.

6.                  This activity helped others by giving the local community a bridge for them to safely cross the river. This bridge will be highly significant for the local people during the rainy seasons when the river floods. These flooded waters are very dangerous and very risky to cross without a bridge. The bridge we built is very durable so it will last very long if it is properly maintained. This bridge will be much better than the seasonal bridges that were previously built. These previous bridges were washed away during each rainy season.