CAC High School Principal’s Notes
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Thank you for reading this week’s Highro-Glyphics. As I write this, the annual Halloween Celebration is about to get underway. Thanks to the PTO, HS Student Council, and National Honor Society students for all their work to make a great all-school event.
Go Screaming Eagles!
Thanks also to everyone who welcomed our visitors from the International School of Brussels and who cheered on all the teams throughout an exciting soccer tournament. Congratulations to our Boys’ Varsity team for their hard-fought victory in the third place game.
We hope to see that same level of CAC Spirit to support our volleyball teams at Crowd the Court on Monday!
Good luck also to the volleyball teams competing in CISSA tournaments this weekend.
Good luck and safe travels to our teams at the ISAA tournaments in London and Geneva for soccer, volleyball, and cross country.
Good luck and safe travels to the World Scholars’ Cup team at the Tournament of Champions in New Haven, Connecticut.
Finally, our drama students are also in action November 4 for a Musical Cabaret in the Black Box (MS L29) at 5:30 pm. The entire CAC community is welcome to come and support the performers.
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:
Nov. 7
Nov. 21
Dec. 5
Season 2 Athletic and Activity Eligibility
Current grades as of November 7 will be used to determine athletic and activity eligibility for season 2. Students should check with teachers this coming week to make sure their grades meet eligibility requirements. We will also run a second eligibility check for season 2 based on final first semester grades.
November Holidays
Please note that there is no school on November 10 for Prophet’s Day. There is no school November 28 for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
HS Parent Coffee
Please join us on November 13th, at 9:30am, in MS/HS room 115 for a parent coffee morning. Check this space next week for a list of topics.
First Semester Final Exams
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.
The final exam day-to-day schedule is being finalized this week with Department Heads.
The month leading up to examinations can be stressful, busy times for students. We have a few suggestions to make in order to help alleviate the stress that most of our students experience as exams approach:
● Your child should be working to make sure his/her class notes and graded assessments are in order and are readily available for study and revision.
● He/she should be devoting some time per day to prepare for exams as well as making wise use of Flex times during the school week.
● We encourage your child to make an appointment to see his/her teachers for extra help if needed.
● Make sure your child is getting proper rest during the days/weeks leading up to exams. One of the best ways to prepare for an exam is getting adequate sleep.
● Your child should avoid cramming – almost all academic studies reveal that cramming is not a particularly efficient method of test preparation. Continually self-testing throughout the semester has been shown by cognitive scientists to be one of the most effective ways to prepare for final exams.
Following these suggestions will not ensure a completely stress-free, pre-exam period for your child, but it will help alleviate harmful stress, thus providing for a better outcome.
Bikes, Skates, and Scooters
An important reminder to ensure safety on campus: biking, skating, and any other activity involving wheels is not allowed in CAC hallways or corridors. The pillars in the hallways have edges that could cause severe injury if struck at speed on a wheeled vehicle.
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.
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
Canadian University Fair, November 5th. Lunch Hour
Tuesday during the Lunch Hour, 22 universities from Canada will be visiting CAC to speak with students and parents. This is the first time we have had this large of a group come from Canada. Please stop by their tables outside the MS/HS Office to learn more about their academic programs, application processes, and why these schools could be the right match for you. Here is the full list of universities visiting CAC on that day.
Deadline to Register for December SAT Exam
If you plan to take the SAT Exam in December, please sign up ASAP! The deadline to register is November 8th. The counselors are available next week if you have any questions or need any help registering.
Parents of 12th Graders:
Many seniors are getting prepared to submit their first round of college applications (and some done so already)! It is an exhilarating time but it can also be stressful. The counselors are in touch with the seniors frequently as the students have us review their materials prior to submission. Thanks for your continued support as your student applies and then must wait patiently for the universities to respond.
Claudia Bean, Stephanie Barker, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
The CAC Musical Cabaret
The HS Performing Arts is proud to announce the CAC Musical Cabaret. It is a ‘work in progress’ type of event that gives interested High School students a chance to explore this theatrical form. Students range from first time performers to seasoned veterans.
The Musical Cabaret will be performed in the Black Box Theater (MS building room L29) to minimize production values and make the event a more intimate and less intimidating experience.
The entire CAC community is welcome to come and support the performers. The mini performance takes place on November 4th at 5:30PM.
Rob Lazar
HS Theater
ISAA Schedules
CAC will participate in tournaments in the new ISAA league held in London and Geneva on November 7-10, 2019. See the tournament event list and link to tournament schedules below:
• ISAA Girls Soccer @ TASIS, London, November 8-9
• ISAA Boys Soccer @ TASIS, London, November 8-9
• ISAA Girls Volleyball @ ISG, Geneva, November 8-9
• ISAA Boys Volleyball @ ACS Egham, London, November 8-9
• ISAA Cross Country @ ACS Hillingdon, London, November 8-9
http://blogs.cacegypt.org/athletics/2019/10/31/isaa-tournament-schedules/
CAC VOLLEYBALL – Monday, November 4, 2019
Crowd the Court
• 4:00, Hayah @ CAC, varsity girls and varsity boys
• 5:00, CAC varsity 2 @ CAC JV, girls and boys
Join us for an evening of varsity volleyball games in CAC’s main gym.
Booster Club concessions will be open.
Thanks to all for supporting all teams and games. Go Screaming Eagles!
Scott Fitzgerald
Activities and Athletics Director
Transportation Announcement
The Transportation Department would like to remind parents and students that friends are not allowed on buses. It is also not permissible to switch buses. Thank you for your cooperation.
Mohamed El Ghalban
Motor Pool Manager
Saturday Openings for November and December
The CAC Libraries will be open on the following Saturdays in the month of November and December:
– November 2
– November 16
– November 23
– December 7
– December 14
You can see the full list of Saturday openings for the CAC libraries here.
Josianne Fitzgerald
MHS & Head Librarian
Girl Scouts Leaders Wanted
There are four ninth graders who would like to continue their Girl Scouts careers. We need leaders to guide them. Please consider volunteering to lead this troop for the year. Girl Scouts at this level can lead their own meetings and projects, but they will need a liaison with the Cairo Council of leaders and with the USAGSO organization. Please email Sara Torosian, cairogirlscouts@usagso.org, if you would be interested in leading these girls. It’s an extremely rewarding experience; you will not regret it!