GROUP

SEMESTER 1 AND 2 2013 - GROUP, SERVICE AND CREATIVITY

SMITH FAMILY PENCIL CASES

    Planning Form:

    

Evidence (Fundraiser): 

In order to raise funds for our CAS project (which we needed to buy materials and stationery for the pencil cases), we conducted a bake sale. I contributed to the bake sale by cooking approx. 60 chocolate coconut balls which were sold for $0.50. I also helped out by volunteering to sell the goods at the bake sale.

Below is some photograph evidence of me creating the chocolate balls to sell at the fundraiser:

(Ingredients) 

(adding the ingredients)

(making the chocolate balls) 

(Finished chocolate balls) 

(Final Product)

Below is some photograph evidence of me selling goods/helping out at the bake sale store:

Evidence (Making Pencil Cases) 

The next step in our CAS project involved actually making the pencil cases which we were going to send to the Smith Family. This involved cutting material, ironing on interfacing and then finally sewing the material together to make a pencil case. 

Below is some photograph evidence of me preparing/cutting the material for the pencil cases :

(image of the material used to create the pencil cases) 

                

(image of me cutting the material used to create the pencil cases) 

         

(Image of me cutting the material used to create the pencil cases into small squares) 

(Image of me ironing the interfacing onto a piece of material, which is used to create the pencil cases)

(image of a piece of material with the interfacing ironed on. This piece of material is then used to create the pencil cases into small squares) 

Below is some photographic evidence of me sewing the pencil cases:

Two pieces of material were used to create the pencil cases. The first step in sewing the pencil cases involved sewing one half of the zipper to one of the two pieces of material. This step is shown below: 

(Image of me sewing one of the zippers onto the first piece of material) 

(Another image of me sewing one of the zippers onto the first piece of material) 

(Image of the material after the zipper was sewn on) 

                 

The next step involved repeating this process by sewing on the second half of the zipper to the other piece of material. This step is shown below: 

(Image of me sewing the second half of the zipper onto the second piece of material) 

(Another image of me sewing the second half of the zipper onto the second piece of material)

The next step of the process involved sewing the two pieces of material together (inside out), so that when you turn them inside out again you can't see the seams. This step is shown below: 

(Image of me sewing the two pieces of material together, inside out) 

      

(Another image of me sewing the two pieces of material together, inside out) 

The final step of the process involved turning the pencil cases inside out so that you now have the finished product. The 15 pencil cases I made with this lot of material are shown below: 

Image of 15 finished pencil cases

Evidence (Group Pencil Cases) 

By the end of the year we made 108 pencil cases. An image of these is shown below:

Reflection:

Term 1 2013 

My group project for this year is “The Smith Family” pencil cases project. Our goal is to make 200-300 pencil cases (complete with stationary) for disadvantaged Australian children. By doing so, we will hopefully be participating in an issue of global importance as limited access to education and educational resources is a global issue, that is not just limited to Australia. The components for this project include:

• Fundraising for purchase of stationary and for the materials required to make the pencil cases.
• Purchasing the required materials e.g. interfacing, cotton fabric and zippers
• Assembling the pencil cases – cutting material, ironing on interfacing and sewing the pencil cases
• Purchasing the required stationary e.g. pencils, rubbers, rulers etc.
• Distribution of pencil cases to the “Smith Family”

This term we have mainly focused on undertaking fundraising activities. In planning for this fundraiser we had numerous meetings to discuss what type of fundraiser we should have. The group decided collaboratively that we should have a bake sale. This is because we believed (based on past experiences) that bake sales have been very successful fundraising activities. In my opinion, the bake sale was a great opportunity for us all to improve our teamwork skills. This is because during the planning stage we had to learn how to compromise with each other and even on the day of the sale we had to help each other out. For example, my friend and I allocated each other tasks; one would sell the cakes whilst the other would collect the money. The bake sale was very successful as we raised over $200, providing us with funds to buy the materials for the construction of the pencil cases.

Term2/3 2013

In the past two terms we have been focused on:

•             Purchasing materials for the production of the pencil cases – fabric, interfacing, zippers
•             Cutting the fabric in dimensions of 20cm x 25cm and interfacing in dimensions of 18cm x 23 cm
•            Sewing the pencil cases together

We held several meetings during this period to discuss how to best construct all these pencil cases. During Term 2 we realised that we had a limited number of available sewing machines, which meant that during each session not each student could use a machine. As a result, we collaboratively decided that it would be best to allocate different functions to different people on a rotational basis. These functions included cutting material, ironing on interfacing and sewing.

Another problem we faced was that many of us, including myself, had limited sewing experience, so workshops were held during lunchtime to teach us how to sew. I found these workshops quite challenging and helpful, as I had to learn a number of new skills e.g. how to sew a zipper. However, despite the challenges I faced due to my lack of sewing experience, I persevered, as I was very committed to our cause. It was such an amazing feeling, when I finally sewed my first pencil case; I felt so successful and accomplished. I feel that my sewing skills have greatly improved in the past few months; my last pencil case looks a lot better than my first! Additionally, I found sewing to be a rewarding experience as it allowed us to further develop our teamwork skills. This is because we all worked together to help each other learn how to sew.

Moreover, participating in this project has assisted me in developing a better understanding of myself. I have found that when challenged, I am an extremely dedicated and motivated worker. This is a quality, which I intend to maintain, as it will come in handy next year when studying for school or participating CAS in activities. On the other hand, I believe that my own personal organisational and planning skills are weak and need improving, which is why one of my goals for next year is to become more involved in the planning of activities.  

SEMESTER 1 2014 - GROUP, SERVICE AND CREATIVITY

SMITH FAMILY PENCIL CASES

Planning Form:

Evidence (Fundraiser) 

In order to raise funds for our CAS project (which were needed to buy further stationery for the pencil cases), we conducted a bake sale. I contributed to the bake sale by cooking approx. 60 chocolate coconut balls which were sold for $0.50. I also helped out by volunteering to sell the goods at the bake sale.

Below is some photograph evidence of me creating the chocolate balls to sell at the fundraiser:

Breaking up the biscuits for crushing 

Crushing the biscuits in the blender 

Mixing the dry ingredients

Adding the condensed milk 

Final Product 

Below is some photograph evidence of the goods sold at the fundraiser:

Below is some photograph evidence of me selling goods at the fundraiser:

Evidence (Purchasing Stationary) 

One of my roles within the CAS group, was to assist with the organisation and purchasing of 400 pens, which were included in the final pencil cases. The pens which were purchased are shown in the photo below:





Evidence (Packaging stationary)

The next step in the group project included packaging the stationary into the pencil cases. The stationary/pencil cases are shown in the image below:

Below is some photograph evidence of me filling the pencil cases:

Evidence (Attending meetings)

Throughout the past two years, we have had regular meetings in which we discussed issues regarding the project e.g. fundraisers, sourcing materials etc. In these meetings we also did sewing and packaged items. Some screenshots of "rolls" taken at these meetings are shown below:

Reflection:

Term 1 2014

At the beginning of this term, I volunteered myself to assist with the organization and purchasing of stationary items, which will be included in the pencil cases. In particular, I was in charge of purchasing the 400 pens, which were required. This was an excellent opportunity for me to further build upon my teamwork and communication skills as I worked together with a couple of other girls during the planning process. We decided how many pens to buy, which colours etc. In my opinion, participating in this has activity has been a very worthwhile experience as it has allowed me to develop a greater awareness of the importance of teamwork in achieving success and moreover, the importance of task delegation.

Additionally, given that we have a limited budget we wanted to ensure that we were going to purchase stationary that was not very experience. Therefore, since I was in charge of purchasing the pens, I looked at various stores including Kmart, Target, Officeworks and Coles in order to find the cheapest option. Eventually, I found that Coles offered the cheapest products. Personally, I found this to be a meaningful task as it assisted me in developing a variety of skills such as budgeting, product sourcing and finding the cheapest supplier. Moreover, it assisted me in improving my leadership skills, as I had to make a variety of decisions, plan and collaborate. 

Furthermore, this term we realised we needed more funds in order to purchase all the stationary that was required. As such, it was decided (during one of our meetings) that we would hold another fundraiser in order to raise additional funds. Since our bake sale last year was very successful we decided that we should do another one. Again, I found that this was a great opportunity for the whole group to collaboratively improve their teamwork skills. For example, through discussions (online and in person) we worked together to ensure that each would be contributing a different dish to the fundraiser. This ensured that there was not an oversupply of one particular product and that a large variety was offered to the students.  

Term 2 2014 

This term, was our final term of the CAS group project. All stationary had been purchased, so the last task which had to be completed was filling the pencil cases with stationary and organising shipment of the pencil cases to The Smith Family. I really noticed the improvement in my own and the group's team works skills when we were filling the pencil cases. This is because, we functioned as an efficient assembly line - each person adding in a particular piece of stationary e.g. a pen, pencil etc. I think it would have taken us longer to complete this task if we weren't working so well as a team. 

Even though we had planned to make 200 pencil cases, we only ended up making 110. This caused a few problems with packing our stationary and really tested our conflict resolution skills. For example, when we were allocating stationary for each pencil case, we realised that there were extra pens (because I had bought enough pens for 200 pencil cases, but we only ended up making 110 pencil cases.) At first, my team members were upset that we had extra pens. I took full responsibility for the extra purchase and explained to them what had happened. Since I felt personally responsible for this, I came up with a solution to the problem - I suggested that we give each pencil case an extra pen.

Overall, I am really glad that I participated in the group project because I believe it has been a great opportunity for me to overcome numerous challenges, develop new skills and contribute positively to the wider community.