Welcome to this week’s edition of Highro-Glyphics
Principal’s Notes Highlights:
● StoryFest
● Skyward opening
● Final exams information (updated)
● Winter Vacation
● Second semester information
StoryFest
Thanks to those who attended and helped out with Story Fest, which concludes today. From expert storytelling, to poetry and fiction slams, to music (including a performance by Señor Barens), it was a remarkable cross-divisional event. Thanks to Mr. Noah Balazs for putting it all together.
Skyward Gradebook
The gradebook section of Family Access on Skyward will remain open until final exams begin on December 15.
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 can be found here. The specific room schedule can be found here. Students may not take exams other than times posted unless they have a medical or family emergency; this emergency must be accompanied by a medical note. If students become suddenly ill, parents must notify the office by 9:00 am on the day of the exam. Thank you.
We have a few suggestions to make in order to help alleviate the stress that most of our students experience as they prepare for::
● A student should devise a structured study schedule for each day and stick to it.
● A student should get proper rest each night. One of the best ways to prepare for an exam is getting adequate sleep.
● A student should avoid cramming – almost all academic studies reveal that cramming is not a particularly efficient method of test preparation.
● Continually self-testing has been shown by cognitive scientists to be one of the most effective ways to prepare for final exams.
● It is also helpful to alternate between the subjects a student is studying. For example, study English for 30-60 minutes; switch to math for 30-60 minutes; switch back to English; switch to science; and so on.
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.
Off Campus Privileges During Exams
During exam week, students are required to be on campus only for their exams. However, once students arrive, they may leave campus only with parental permission.
Students in grades 9-11 must get an off-campus exam permission form and return the signed form to the HS Office.
Seniors who already have off campus permission do not need a form.
IMPORTANT: Students who have had their off-campus privileges revoked for any reason must have them restored by Ms. McCall before their forms will be accepted.
Below is the link to the exam off campus form. Hard copies are also available in the HS Office.
Final Exam Off-Campus Form December 2019
Winter Vacation Begins December 20
Making travel plans for the Holiday Season, a reminder that the first day of Winter Break is December 20. The last day of winter break is January 11, as classes will resume again on the 12th of January at 8am, with an assembly in the theater.
Registration, Second Semester Exams, and Graduation
Course Registration – Course registration for the 2020-2021 academic year will start in February.
Second semester exam dates are June 1-2 for seniors and June 3-8 for grades 9-11. Please keep in mind while you plan your summer travels that seniors are able to depart after graduation and underclassmen after their final examination.
Graduation – A memo will be circulated to all parents of seniors in early March outlining the events leading up to graduation. As we know that some extended family members plan to come to Cairo please note that this year’s Graduation Ceremony is on Friday, June 5.
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
With the arrival of exam season, counselors want to remind students to make time to reflect on how to take care of themselves during this stressful time. Creating a balance between studying and self care is key to a successful school life as a teenager. Take a look at this article about how to prepare for exams and manage stress. See your counselor if you want to talk more about strategies for managing stress.
Seniors, be sure to check your university portals for application updates and any additional documents or information needed by the university.
Claudia Bean, Stephanie Barker, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
From Athletics
Wrestling Dual Meet, Thursday, December 12 @ 6:30 – 8:30 in the Lower Gym.
Winter Season Trips 2019-2020
Wrestling – February 5-9 AES- New Delhi
Varsity Boys Basketball – March 12-15 BSN- The Hague
Varsity Girls Basketball – March 12-15 ISB- Basel
Athens Cup Swimming – March 5-8 ACS- Athens
JV/Varsity Swimming – March 11-14 BSN- The Hague
Dance – March 12-15 Move It- London
CISSA Tournament Schedule Season 2 2019-2020
JV Girls Basketball, Feb. 14 @ MES
JV Boys Basketball , Feb. 14 @ AISE
Varsity Girls Basketball, Feb. 22 @ AISE
Varsity Boys Basketball, Feb. 22 @ CAC
Athletics Office
The Maadi Basketball Association (MBA) – Coaches Needed!
If you are interested in coaching a team in the MBA this year, we need you. The children on the teams range from 5 – 15 years of age. The season begins when school resumes after the winter holiday and goes until the Spring Break in March. This will entail coaching one practice and one game each week. If you are interested in coaching a team, please contact the MBA Coordinator, Monte Davis, at:
mdavis@cacegypt.org
The Maadi Basketball Association (MBA)
Assessments this Weekend!
Registration is underway, and we have assessments this weekend.
Players should come on their assigned days and be ready to play in a practice game in order to be assessed on their skill level.
Assessment dates:
13-15 year olds: Thursday, Dec. 12th from 7:00-9:00
Parents may register their children at the following link:
https://forms.gle/bXivXrwmPM8J8bAo8
For more information, contact the MBA Coordinator, Monte Davis, at:
mdavis@cacegypt.org
Monte Davis
New Year Gifts from CAC
Flourish by Spreading Happiness Among Our Community! Dec. 8-19, Front Gate
Click below for more details
New Year Gifts from CAC
Service Learning Office
Winter Reading
The CAC libraries offer many ways of reading during the winter holidays.
• Print books in all genres and subjects – up to 10 per student
• Audiobooks in CD or Playaway formats – up to 3 per students
• Ebooks and audiobooks through the Sora app
• Non fiction reading through our databases – log in to the library catalog to see all our database subscriptions
• New York Times online news
Come see us at the library if you’d like help accessing any of the above reading materials.
Josianne Fitzgerald
MHS & Head Librarian
PTO Trip
CAC PTO is organizing a shopping trip to the Khan El Khalili! December 16, 2019.
We meet at the CAC back gate and leave by 8.30 AM.
We will return by 2 PM to CAC.
PTO will take you around and show you the best spots for shopping at this amazing bazaar.
Please note that the trip costs EGP 150 per person. Participants are responsible for site entrance fees, snacks, meals and souvenirs. Please bring cash with you.
See you there!
The CAC Annual Gala 
will delight you on
February 14, 2020
Come celebrate the Day of Love and our CAC community at the extraordinary Marriott Mena House with a delicious dinner, special musical performances, open bar, wonderful people – a Valentine’s Day dinner with a touch of Tango!
Marriott Mena House has blocked a limited number of rooms for our Valentine’s Gala. If you would like to spend the night after our fabulous event, please do so as soon as possible by following this link: https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1569258982735&key=GRP&app=resvlink
Tickets go on sale Sunday, December 8, 2019. If you buy them before December 20, the cost is EGP 1,700; after that, the price is EGP 1,800 per ticket.
This event is organized by the CAC PTO. If you have any questions, please email Marcela Clavel at clavelmarcela@gmail.com.
PTO
Moving on from CAC before the winter break?
To help us prepare your records in time for your departure, please use the link below to let us know if you are withdrawing from CAC this semester.
https://www.cacegypt.org/index.php/cac-withdrawal-request
A few days before your departure, a withdrawal form that includes several signatures must also be completed and turned in to the Admission/Registrar‘s Office to release records. Withdrawal forms can be picked up from the counseling offices or can be downloaded from the same website.
Please note that High School transcripts including this semester’s grades will not be available until January 27, 2020.
Registrar’s office
CAC ID Card Offers
Great news for CAC ID card holders! If you are a current student, parent, faculty/staff member, or an alumni; you now have the opportunity to receive offers and discounts provided by our alumni and community organizations. The list of organizations extending offers will be continuously updated.
To view the list of organizations and their relative offers, please go to the Dashboard and click on “CAC News” on the left hand margin.
If you have an organization and it would like to extend an offer, please send an e-mail to Ms. Engy Rabie at erabie@cacegypt.org.
Office of Advancement