CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of Highro-Glyphics.
Spirit Week
The zaniness of Spirit Week has concluded, but we hope the positive vibes created by it will live on. This year’s Spirit Week was particularly competitive, as all grade levels had record participation in the dress up days, and the classes worked hard together trying to win the various events. All grades should be proud of their accomplishments, especially their efforts in the clothing drive: together the high school students brought in 3,063 kilos of clothes and blankets to donate to charitable organizations. At the end of today they enjoyed some well deserved treats. Thanks to the Student Council and faculty advisors (Ms. Bean, Mr. Dunham, Mr. Knox, Mr. Santowski, and especially Ms. Knox) for an amazing week!
See below for more Spirit Week photos.
High School Photos
High school student photos for the Yearbook will take place on Sunday and Monday, September 29-30. Grade 9 students will be accompanied by teachers during their study hall periods to the MS Auditorium. Grades 10-11 who are on flex will sign in for flex in the MS Auditorium to have their pictures taken. Make up times for photos will also be during breaks and lunch. The photographer will be available only on those dates, so students should make sure to have their photos taken. Envelopes for package orders will be available with the photographer and at the HS Office. All package orders should be delivered directly to the photographer.
WWW
Week Without Walls starts at the end of the week, with the first trip (Tanzania) leaving from the CAC front gate late Thursday night! Please make sure your high schooler pays close attention to communications from their teacher trip leaders. All students will have mandatory meetings during the assembly time on Tuesday to review final itineraries and expectations. Please email Ms. McCall with questions.
Skyward Gradebook
The gradebook section of Family Access on Skyward allows students and parents to view student progress each fortnight. Teachers are available to speak to students face-to-face about progress and academic performance. Below are the dates the Skyward gradebook will be open for the rest of the semester:
Oct. 3
Oct. 17
Nov. 7
Nov. 21
Dec. 5
Upcoming Progress Report and Athletic Eligibility Determination
Mid semester narrative progress reports will be available on October 20. Please be aware that this progress report represents the grades to date at the half-way mark of the semester. All students will be provided with narrative feedback on this progress report, which we hope you as the parents find helpful. This progress report is used to determine athletic/activity eligibility and academic probation. It is very important that any students with outstanding work submit it well before the progress report is posted. Once the grades are posted they will not be adjusted and, as such, students who find themselves ineligible will be unable to continue participating or travel in upcoming tournaments.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
The High School Parent-Teacher Conference Days are an excellent opportunity to visit campus and discuss your student’s academic progress with teachers. Conferences will take place on Monday, October 21 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, October 22 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mid-semester progress reports will be posted on Sunday, October 20.
On October 21, conferences will be “arena style” in the High School Gym. No appointments are needed and conferences are limited to quick “check ins” that do not require confidentiality. On Tuesday, conferences will be in teachers’ classrooms. Appointments will be made in fifteen-minute intervals. For both types of conferences, students are encouraged to attend with parents.
There will be no school for High School students on Tuesday, October 22.
If a teacher’s schedule is fully booked for Tuesday’s conferences, you are to email that teacher directly to schedule a conference at another time and date. Also, if you won’t be available on the parent-teacher conference day, but want to visit specific teachers, please contact each teacher directly. Instructions for the signup will be sent on October 10.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Eman Hamza in the High School Office at ehamza@cacegypt.org or 2755-5403.
Open Call for StoryFest Participants
On December 10-12, CAC will inaugurate StoryFest, a celebration of storytelling and stories in all their myriad forms. Our community will welcome professional storytellers, authors, photographers, musicians, and more to share a variety of performances and workshops with students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni over three afternoons.
Recognizing that our community is full of diversity and talent, StoryFest invites you to participate in a number of ways beyond simply attending the event:
● Perform or lead a workshop in any mode of storytelling you can imagine (music, spoken-word, drama, visual, etc.), in whatever language you speak.
● Read a story or poem at the StorySLAM or PoetrySLAM events.
● Participate in the Flash Fiction contest.
● Record a reminiscence about CAC in the sound booth. Stories are being collected for CAC’s upcoming 75th anniversary!
We aspire for this event to involve a diversity of voices, reflecting our community’s internationalism. If you are interested in any of the above, please contact Noah Balazs at nbalazs@cacegypt.org.
First Semester Final Exams – Travel Plans Near Christmas
Semester 1 final exams begin on December 15 and continue to December 18. Please do not make travel plans that depart before final exams are finished.
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
Upcoming University Visits
Wed, October 2nd – Emerson College and Worcester Polytechnic University
Seniors
IB Scores
Full-IB seniors will have the second round of predicted scores available after Sept. 23rd. Seniors are requested to make a 15 minute appointment with their counselor to go over how they will be used in their college applications.
College Meetings
Seniors are meeting with their counselors individually as follow up to senior college night. This meeting with the student and counselor should occur by Oct. 1st.
Standardized Testing Dates for 2019-2020 School Year
SAT:
7 December 2019 (Registration deadline is 8 November 2019)
14 March 2020 (Registration deadline is 14 February 2020)
2 May 2020 (Registration deadline is 3 April 2020)
ACT:
12 October 2019 (Registration deadline is 20 September 2019)
14 December 2019 (Registration deadline is 22 November 2019)
8 February 2020 (Registration deadline is 17 January 2020)
4 April 2020 (Registration deadline is 13 March 2020)
13 June 2020 (Registration deadline is 22 May 2020)
Claudia Bean, Stephanie Barker, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
Crochet for a Cause
Thank you to all who have expressed interest in crocheting items for our charity donation. There is still time for others to join us. Find information about the project and WWW activity here. We will provide cotton yarn and polyester stuffing.
Please note that the deadline for crocheted items is October 8. Thank you!
Library Saturdays
The CAC Libraries will be open this Saturday, September 28. Here is a schedule of Saturdays with open and close dates. You can also check if we are open on a particular Saturday on the school’s detailed calendar. As a rule of thumb, if the Thursday before or the Sunday after is a holiday, the libraries will be closed that Saturday.
Josianne Fitzgerald
MHS & Head Librarian
Fundraiser Bake Sale In the Memory of our Hamada Khalaf
(Sun Sep.29 – Thurs Oct.3)
A fundraiser will be held in honor of helping the family of Hamada, an electrician who passed away last Tuesday 24th of September in a tragic accident on his way to school. Hamada was a good friend of many CAC students. He was always there to help out in all our campus events with a smile on his face. We encourage you to bake or purchase goods (Such as Cookies, Brownies,etc,..and please drop off all goods in either the MS Teacher’s Lounge or the Service Learning Office located in the HS Counseling office in the first floor of the admin building. The bake sale will be held by the MS Teacher Lounge: During HS/MS Lunch at 11:05 -11:55 and at the Front Gate After School 3:00-3:30.
All donations made will be going directly to support his family. We urge you to please spread the word and come to support this cause.
Service Learning Office
Opera Aida coming very soon! 1ère tomorrow evening! At Cairo Opera House
Pascale Rozier
MS/HS Choir