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CAS Report - March

Uovo in purgatoria:

Carefully decorated gingerbread cookies (painting AND baking):

Bolognese pasta with vegan meatballs:

Fluffy Japanese pancakes:

March CAS reflections:

One evening, when I was home alone, I wanted to make something quick but refused to boil rice, pasta, or potatoes. I settled on Uova in Purgatorio because it only required one pan. It seemed foolproof - tomato sauce and eggs, what could go wrong? Well, I went overboard with the chili, and it definitely wasn’t salty enough, probably because I forgot to add salt. That said, the eggs turned out great, and I liked how simple yet flavorful the dish was. It was a reminder that cooking doesn’t have to be complicated to be satisfying.

Even though it was March, my family finally found the time to make gingerbread cookies. We had skipped them in December, but we still wanted to do it. I decorated mine with John Marston and Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption II, which felt oddly fitting for something as cozy as gingerbread. This experience made me think about traditions. While they can be meaningful, they can also feel like obligations. But there is no rule saying things have to be done at a specific time. Doing them when it works for you is just as valid.

I made tomato sauce pasta with meatballs from black beans, walnuts, and mushrooms. Since my family isn’t vegetarian, I was expecting skepticism, but they actually said the meatballs were delicious. It was a small victory, but it showed me that plant-based meals can be just as enjoyable as traditional ones. Cooking something unfamiliar and seeing it appreciated by others was a rewarding experience, and it encouraged me to keep experimenting.

I was sick of paying 40 zł for Japanese pancakes, so I thought it couldn’t be that hard to make them myself. That was a mistake. The process was long, a ridiculous amount of whipping was involved, and despite my best efforts, the pancakes ended up burned on the outside and raw on the inside. It was frustrating, but at least I learned how much effort goes into making them. I probably won’t attempt them again anytime soon, but I now have a new appreciation for the skill required to get them right.

Final Reflections

Cooking has taught me more than just recipes. It has given me independence. When I move to university, I know I won’t always have time to cook elaborate meals, but I have learned that even simple dishes can be enjoyable. And when things go wrong, like with the Japanese pancakes, I know that failure isn’t the end of the world.

Sports have shown me that physical activity doesn’t have to be about numbers or progress. Running with my dad and skiing reminded me that movement can be enjoyable in its own right. Even if I don’t always improve, the experience itself is worth it.

Service, through tutoring and small acts like feeding the birds, has taught me patience and the importance of small gestures. Helping someone understand English or making sure birds have food in winter may seem small, but they still make a difference.

CAS has made me more adaptable, resilient, and open to trying new things. Even when something doesn’t go as planned, there is always something to learn from it.

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CAS report - February

A run with my dad (in the snow :D)

Skiing:

A treat ball for birds:

Tutoring English:

CAS Reflections:

CAS Reflections

This week, I went for a 10K run with my dad. The distance was slightly longer than last time, but I was a bit frustrated that my pace didn’t improve. The snowy conditions made it more challenging - my shoes weren’t great for the slippery surface, and I had to focus more on staying upright than on speed. However, despite these setbacks, I was glad I completed the run. It reinforced the importance of consistency over immediate progress. Running in different conditions also made me more adaptable, and it was nice to share the experience with my dad.

I went skiing for the first time in a long while, and it was also my first time skiing with my mum since 2020. At first, I was nervous - partly because I was stressed about school and partly because I was worried I might injure myself. However, once I got onto the slopes, I started to enjoy it. Skiing required me to focus completely on the moment, which helped me disconnect from academic stress. I also realized that my muscle memory kicked in faster than I expected, and by the end of the day, I felt much more confident. The experience reminded me that stepping away from school-related worries and doing something active can actually improve my mindset.

My dad installed a birdhouse outside my window so the birds visiting me could cheer me up. It worked. Seeing them brought a small but meaningful sense of comfort. To help attract them, I researched bird food and made food balls from słonina (a type of pork fat), seeds, and apples. I set up my phone to record, and a couple of sikorki (great tits) visited! It was rewarding to see the results of my effort. This experience made me appreciate how small acts of care - whether for animals or myself - can make a difference in my mood. It also deepened my understanding of how animals adapt in winter.

My mum, who is a teacher, connected me with a 6th grader who was struggling with English. During our session, I taught them about the difference between continuous and non-continuous verbs. I went on Wednesday, which is literally the only day I finish early, but it turned out to be a fun and rewarding experience. Explaining grammatical concepts in a clear way required patience and creativity, and I enjoyed the challenge. It also made me reflect on how I learned English myself and how much confidence plays a role in language learning. Teaching someone else reinforced my own understanding, and I left feeling like I had done something genuinely useful.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - January

Maths lessons:

Fried noodles with tofu and cucumbers on the side:

Bao bun with oyster mushroom:

Homemade basil avocado pasta:

Reflections:

For my Creativity strand, I experimented with cooking new dishes. I made fried noodles with tofu and chili cucumber salad, as well as bao buns with oyster mushrooms and homemade basil avocado sauce. This experience allowed me to practice my cooking skills, especially balancing flavors and textures. One major challenge was steaming the bao buns, as I had never steamed anything before. It was a completely new technique for me, and I had to learn how to control the timing and moisture to get the right texture. After some trial and error, I managed to improve the steaming process and achieve soft, fluffy buns. I also experimented with seasoning to create a balance between spicy, savory, and fresh elements. Cooking these meals gave me a sense of accomplishment and reinforced the importance of patience and precision.

For my Service strand, I tutored a 6th grader in mathematics, mainly focusing on her homework and revising geometry. Teaching her required me to break down concepts in a simple, understandable way, which improved my ability to explain ideas clearly. I also had to be patient and adapt my explanations based on her level of understanding. It was rewarding to see her grasp difficult concepts after some practice.

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CAS report- December

December was when I tried new things:

Crocheting at Christmas

Making homemade hummus

Vegetarian (<3) gołąbki:

And running with my dad!

CAS reflections:

Okay so out of these 4, 2 things were miserable for me, which isn't bad but also isn't good.

First of all, crochet isn't easy. It's awful. I mean it was kind of relaxing at the beginning when I only did a single chain, but afterwards it only got worse. By the end I managed to create an unidentifiable piece of string. But I could talk with my grandma while lamenting my fate, and her teaching me what to do felt like a bonding moment so ill count it as a win.

The other creativity creation is homemade hummus. My family is in love with hummus so I asked my aunt for a recipe she uses and I think it was delicious. I'm afraid that ill be forced to make it for the next couple months, but... Maybe next time I'll experiment with paprika? Or something like that? Finding good quality chickpeas was bit annoying but it wasn't that bad.

I also made veg golabki for a Friendsmas party with family friends. I made it with mushroom and I added wine for the sauce. It's a different recipe than i'm used to, as my mum makes golabki with meat and tomato sauce, but I preferred this one. However making a big portion like this was exhausting. This makes me appreciate my mother even more for making family dinners.

During the winter break I also went on a run with my dad, something I mentioned in January 2024 (I think??). Let me say, despite the training, it was NOT easy. My dad tried to be nice about it, but it felt embarrassing to have worse stamina than a 50 year old... Nevertheless, waking up early and actually getting out of my bed made me feel really productive and good about myself. Probably it were the endorphins and fresh air working their magic, but I felt 100x times better than I would be if I had slept in.

[rawrmiski]

CAS project

December 14, 2024

Our (V, V, A, S) CAS project was repainting of the 2nd floor wall mural. It had gotten pretty ugly and it needed the job done. So we changed some of the buildings and added colorful accents.

The project happened on a Saturday so it was a bit eerie to see our school empty. Additionally I almost didn't make it on my train so it was definitely an activity training too, cause I was running the fastest I could. it was actually so cool to just talk and relax with my friends, A brought his speaker so we sang to music and chilled (along with painting). Although I wish we did it earlier (the original plan was to finish CSP in DP1, but we did it in December DP2) I'm still happy about the result. I especially enjoyed hearing students praise the wall on Monday morning.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - November

Activity - a walk in Rembertow and Grochow

Creativity - fried tofu (for me) and fried chicken for my fam + cinnamon rolls

Service - English class with an 8th grader.

Reflections

About fried chicken - this actually was the most reflective of all because for the first time in like 2 years I had to make a meat based food. My mum encouraged me to do this, saying that meat would be more sustainable for me in uni and I need to learn how to make it. However it worked in an opposite way: it made me realize that I don't want to eat meat ever and it strengthened my love for tofu.

Additionally I baked some cinnamon rolls which tasted quite good! It's not my first choice for a pastry, but the ones at the bakery near school are so good that I had to give them a try. Well the homemade version is definitely cheaper. Even though dough STILL terrifies me, based on the speed with which the buns disappeared, I think I did a good job.

My activity was a walk with my dog along the rails near the Rembertow train line. It was honestly a bit weird to see the views not from the train, seeing as I pass them almost everyday, but the views were STUNNING. And my dog enjoyed a change of scenery as well.

The service was extra English classes for the girl I taught last school year. I think that she matured a lot, and now she took the class more seriously. It was cool to see how much she grown. Additionally, learning how to teach was cool too - I really admire teachers, sometimes my patience was tested.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - September & October

First of all I would like to apologise for not sending the September report, but I forgot. Sorry again. I did my CAS though.

Considering that this month I was swarmed with million assignments and was still adjusting from “vacay-mode” I didn’t manage to do activity or service since it involves travelling somewhere and I didn’t really have the energy for that. Therefore I decided that since I already have a human need for nutrition, then maybe I could make something out of it. Here are the results of my tough culinary work.

Butter cookies with raspberry jam. I think it is quite self explanatory, these heart cookies were also really popular on TikTok 3 years ago so I thought that a little bit of nostalgia wouldn’t hurt.

Baked sweet potato and Korean cucumber salad. As it is autumn I was craving some seasonal vegetables, so I baked the potato with teriyaki sauce. As a side dish I prepared a Korean-inspired cucumber salad, which are cucumbers with soy-chili sauce and sesame seeds. Really delicious.

Speaking of seasonal vegetables here is pumpkin goulash with peppers and hand made kopytka. It was definitely tedious but it’s perfect for this weather.

Crumbl cookies dupe. As an avid TikTok user I was bombarded with videos of crumbl cookies from the US. So I made my own, to give myself a taste sugar overstimulation. I’d say that they were quite mediocre - they were too sweet and not gooey enough, and looked quite ugly.

Next is plum cake with crust. As you can see my family quite liked it, as by the time I wanted to photograph it, 90% of the cake was gone. Additionally I made it right after visiting my grandparents who have few plum trees.

The next dish I have made is this fried rice. I made it in dire conditions - I was sick, home alone and I had very limited ingredients. It is a simple dish - rice with egg, tofu and some seasoning. My main goal was to eat something that wasn’t chips and to make a few dishes dirty as possible.

This meal is probably one of the most creative ones I’ve made. It is pineapple filled with rice curry with pineapple and cashew nuts.

The last one, and the most thing I’ve made is this minion cake. It’s a simple chocolate cake with the addiction of minion frosting. Fortunately I am not taking VA in DP and I think it’s visible.

Reflections:

These two month taught me how long it takes to make food. Like genuinely it is so time consuming that I wanted to cry. But on the other hand cooking gave me few hours a week to relax and not study. Also I’ve learned how to cook with limited resources and how to bake a pumpkin (it’s hard). Furthermore I must credit my mother as a guardian and my coach (when it came to savoury meals) as the majority of recipes were here. I also had the opportunity to practice cooking for myself, so (fortunately) I won’t be hopeless at university.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - May 2024

Activity

This might be a bit repetitive but during may I skated a bit. I took my roller skates when I was visiting my grandma (I don't have any photos of that, because I didn't take my phone). I also met up my with my dear friend Zonia and we were skating together. However I did have to stop afterwards but I shall delve into that later.

Creativity

For creativity is stuck with cooking. The photos present my berry pistachio bowl and a salad with Camembert cheese, nectarines, cucumbers and honey-mustard sauce.

Service

My service this month was volunteering for dear future students of our school. It was an amazing occasion to get involved in school community. It so thrilling

Reflections

For activity: I have mixed feelings. At my grandmas town skating was excruciating. The roads and the bike path was uneven in every single place in the entire town. It was devastating and frustrating. I felt very defeated.

When I was roller skating with Zonia it was incredible. Zonia was my main inspiration that day. Although at first she made me feel very insecure and weak because I was wearing knee protectors. Furthermore Zonia was (sadly) more advanced than me, I was unstable and couldn't stop. However it also motivating. Zonia inspired me to skate to the hill at the end of the skating road. It was freeing and amazing. I thought I was going to lose my teeth. We also visited a small Wesoła fare. We also wanted to skate back home, however I was in so much pain that I couldn't do so. Afterwards it turned out that my roller skates were WAY too small and my feet were black and bloodied.

Creativity this month wasn't... very much creative. I'm currently on a very difficult quest to convert my family to vegetarianism. However, sadly, may marked the beginning of grill season, so they opted for sausage and chicken. It made me very upset when they scoffed at my delicious tofu.

Service was very funny. I served, dare I say. I was assigned in a team with my friend Kuba. I also had the opportunity to meat sister of my previously mentioned dear friend Zonia. I didn't really do much, except for making sure that the babies didn't get lost. I tried to initiate conversation at the begging but they weren't really cooperating. However I'd say although I didn't have much fun, I felt really good I could help out younger peers.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - March&April

Overview:

Activity:

I continued to go to the gym. I still sticked to cardio exercises: running in treadmill and now I also started using Stairmaster. Furthermore now I started a new activity, now that the weather is good: roller skating.

Creativity:

Feta cheese and cherry tomatoes pasta

Gluten free banana bread

Veggie bowl with: baked broccoli, baked sweet potato, baked carrots and cucumbers

A bowl with: avocado, tomatoes, eggs and salmon

Chocolate strawberry oatmeal

Pistachio and raspberry tarte (I don't have any photos of that, sorry)

Reflections:

I don't know whether it's clear in the photos but I actually improved in running in the course of the weeks. In the second pic I switched the strategy for running: I set the speed for 8.5 km/h and I ran nonstop for 30 minutes. It might not sound like a lot, but it was a very intense endurance training for me. For the StairMaster, I didn't know what to expect. But I definitely did not expect the sheer exhaustion it caused. After 15 minutes I thought like I was going to die (joke). I think it's a good training, considering that our school has 6 floors ;).

For skating (roller skating) I didn't know how would it turn out. It was a very spontaneous decision; I was walking down the street and I thought "Wow, I would love to skate right now" - and I did, after school. I must admit that I did not get it right away - my first attempt was rather pathetic and I came home covered in bruises. But as I continued to skate I gradually got better, even though plasters on my knees became a regular accessory in my outfits. I even created a playlist for that, and it was a (for the lack of a better word) a vibe. I plan to meet up with friends during May break and go skating together :))

[rawrmiski]

CAS Report - February 2024

During February I went to the gym 4 times. I mostly (only) did cardio exercises such as running on a treadmill, cross-trainer and some spinning.

Reflections:

Gym was rough, I felt exhausted, sweaty and disgusting. I totally didn't feel like I was getting better. Furthermore during one of my gym escapades I did a terrible miscalculation - I wore a thermic shirt instead of the air permeable one. And I thought I was going to die. I won't get into too much detail, but lets just say that it made cardio even harder than It already was.

However it would be unfair of me to speak only about the negative aspects. I felt so much more powerful and productive. And I guess that the whole thing about endorphins released during exercise is true, because I left feeling very well. Furthermore, I felt very accomplished because one of my 2024 goals was to become more active, so I guess I'm on the right track.

My overall goal is to run 10km without passing out or dying in the process (joke?) because that's how many my father runs and I would love to join him.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - January 2024

New year, new beginnings!

Week 1, 2, 3 - service

Over the span of 3 weekends that the winter break have granted me with I met up for math classes with a 6th grader. I mentioned her in my previous entry for November I think.

Week 4 - Activity

Reflections:

The math tutoring sessions were not as bad, as I thought there will. I always considered myself an inpatient person, making me an unstable and unsuitable tutor. However I managed to overcome my weaknesses in the pedagogical sphere and I think I did a pretty good job! Obviously explaining maths to a 6th grader on weekends was not really what I would choose to do, I actually had some fun revisiting some of the topics I used to write tests from.

When it comes to activity... Uh let's say it's the part of CAS I'm dreading the most. So for my first activity session I decided to go mild and took my dog out for a jogging session. Fortunately Zuko happens to have similar attitude to physical activity to me, so we were deemed as perfect partners. I won't lie and say that we ran like 10 kilometers and that I overall did awesome, because I didn't. But I think everyone starts somewhere and that is what's important.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - December

The 'c' in 'December' stands for?... Creativity! I must admit that among many school duties, an overwhelming number of tests and Christmas related stuff I found it troubling to find time to do anything creative. But I did!

During December I did something new (new for this school year) and I started sketching again. It's impossible for me to pinpoint the exact dates for each drawing so I'll just share the photos of those I did during this month, along with short descriptions.

Reflection

It's actually the first time I drew in like... 4 months? Maybe even more. I suppose that CAS provided me with a good reason to start again. At the beginning I was extremely stressed and I felt like everything I drew had to be perfect. But soon I rediscovered that drawing is actually very relaxing. It provided me with an outlet for creativity as well a way of calming down. I am extremely grateful that I got to draw again, and I hope that I will continue to do so in the following years.

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - November

November was a busy month, but surprisingly it was also when I managed to find the time for the most challenging element of CAS - service. Due to my mum being a teacher I had it easier to find a place to help people. My mum works in an elementary school in eastern Warsaw (due to privacy reason I'd rather not disclose any details) and she always told me about the struggles of kids attending this school. Many kids do not have an active support with homeworks they get, and a teacher in the "świetlica" cannot help everyone. That's why I decided I should offer my help. Also I don't have any photos of the service itself, because it would be weird to take photos of kids!

Meeting 1 - October 30

On my first meeting I was helping a 4th grade student with her English homework. I tried to not simply tell her the answers to the exercises but also explain the material. I even made up few tasks on my own! :) here's my cereal from this day haha

Meeting 2 - October 31st

The second meeting happened on the day after. I helped the same student from the day before and I actually had fun! We did English again, because it was something she was struggling with.

Meeting 3 - November 9th

On my first service meeting I met with different students. This time they were from the 6th grade and I helped them with English as well. I think that it went well, however all of those meeting made me reflect a lot, I will dwell on that later.

Reflection:

During November (plus the very end of October) I used all of my free days for service. However I cannot say that it was a waste of time. All three students I have met, were incredibly nice and I enjoyed tutoring them. These meeting made me reflect on the situation of immigrants in Polish education system. The first student I tutored moved to Poland when the war in Ukraine started, but she started attending a Polish school very recently. I could tell that she was an intelligent girl, but sadly the main factor of her troubles with school was a language barrier. I think that she needed someone that could sit down with her and explain the material to her. It was also incredibly rewarding, because I've heard that she later said that I "explained it better than the teacher" and that she "finally understood what was going on". The last meeting I had was a bit challenging for me. One of the girls I tutored had opened up about her struggles as an Asian student in Poland. She told me about the blatant racism she had encountered in her previous school. I have found it incredibly moving, considering that I have always went to private school and lived a privileged life. I think that she really needed someone older than her to talk to. We also bonded, because of me learning how to speak Vietnamese. The tutoring I had conducted made me reflect on the issues of those I usually don't think about. (If time allows) I'll try to go back and tutor kids again :)

[rawrmiski]

CAS report - October

The ‘c’ in October stands for creativity! And that was my focus for that month.

For the span of four weeks I tried baking different types of cakes every week. I mostly found inspiration online, but I also asked my family around, about what they want to eat. On the last week I switched to cooking instead of baking, because I discovered an amazing recipe for fried tofu! Yum yum.

Week one: matcha cookies with white chocolate chips

I made them with my friend when I came over, and honestly it was extremely enjoyable. Sadly I don’t have any photos of the baked cookies, because we ate them so quickly!

Week two: Matcha Cheesecake

I think that it is easy to notice a pattern here. I am a proud matcha lover, and due to the influence from Instagram Reels, I try incorporating it into my baking passion.

Week three: banana bread

Week four: crunchy tofu with caramelized carrots and avocado

This one more of a whole dish than one food, but I enjoyed it nevertheless.

Reflection:

I hope it doesn’t sound to tacky, but this month taught me a lot about acts of service as a way of expressing love. Every thing I prepared were made with intentions of making people happy. The cookies were a way of bonding with my friend, banana bread were name-day gift for my sister and the tofu meal was made to prove my family that vegetarian food can be tasty as well.

Sadly, my sister didn’t eat my tofu, settling for meat instead. Maybe one day she’ll try plant-based food too.

The matcha cheesecake was my funniest creation yet. The amusing thing is that I don’t even like cheesecake and I barely ate the one I made. However I made it anyways, because my family loves cheesecakes. It might sounds too dramatic, but seeing people I love, enjoying something I made for them felt much more satisfying than if I simply made something for myself.

Although baking and cooking itself stresses me out, I’m always anxious about other people not liking the things I made, it always pays off. However what I didn’t enjoy was the cleaning afterwards. But I guess it was worth it.