CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Thank you for reading this week’s Highro-Glyphics!
It is hard to believe we have now been engaged in e-learning for four weeks of classes, with at least one more week to go. I know I speak for the entire High School staff when I say we miss the students! Though I have not been able to hold as many Flex meetings with students this week, it has been great to chat with those who have checked in, and we are all looking forward to seeing them back on campus.
We wish we could say with certainty when that will be. (In these uncertain times, almost any kind of certainty is welcome.) We currently plan to return to campus on April 27, but that is subject to government restrictions and, of course, what is best for the health and safety of our students and community. What we can say for sure is that we will continue to provide a quality education for our students, and that we keep them always in our thoughts and in our hearts.
This week we have been taking stock of what has worked well in e-learning and how to proceed if it is extended further. Teachers met virtually this week to discuss approaches to assessment that are appropriate to the e-learning environment. We aim to provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in ways that are feasible, fair, and consistent with our core value of integrity. I will provide more information on this topic if e-learning does extend beyond April 27.
We hope everyone in our CAC is safe and healthy.
Principal’s Notes Highlights:
● Eastern Easter/Sham El Nessim Holiday
● Student Virtual Meetings with Mr. Duggan
● E-Learning Reminders
● Skyward Gradebook
● Graduation
● Second Semester Exams
Eastern Easter/Sham El Nessim Holiday
There will be no classes on Sunday, April 19 and Monday, April 20 in celebration of the Eastern Easter/Sham el Nessim holiday. We wish everyone a blessed holiday!
Student Virtual Meetings with Mr. Duggan
I have been holding 30-minute virtual meetings with groups of students by grade level during Flex blocks, to give them a chance to ask questions and share their perspectives. I am hosting these meetings at different times on different days, and over time I will try to offer every student the chance to participate. Participation is optional. If your child receives a Google Meet invitation, please encourage them to join in.
E-Learning Reminders
● We will continue the 2-day rotation of ABCD/EFGH for as long as we are using the e-learning platform.
● It is important that students try to maintain a regular schedule.
● Though e-learning remains asynchronous, students should make every effort to attend live sessions. When possible, teachers will record live sessions for the benefit of those who have connectivity problems or other issues.
● Remember that if you see an “N” in your student’s attendance in Skyward, it means their participation has been below expectations during that week. Please see the note below regarding the Skyward Gradebook.
● Teachers will continue to be available for office hours for a given class during the block that class would meet according to the two-day rotation. Of course, students may contact teachers by email at any time, but they should not expect to receive replies outside of regular school hours.
● It is very important that students also check email and respond to emails within 24 hours.
Skyward Gradebook
The gradebook section of Family Access on Skyward will remain open as long as we are engaged in e-learning. This will provide students and parents a way to track completion of assignments. Be aware that teachers may post assignments that have not been graded, or even collected, therefore a mark with of * (asterisk) is not cause for concern. However, a mark of “0” means that the work is overdue, and that it has been factored into the semester grade.
Graduation
At present, we plan to hold our graduation ceremony as scheduled June 5 at the Pyramids of Giza. We recognize circumstances may force us to alter those plans, so we are working on contingencies. I have been and will be soliciting input from seniors during our virtual meetings.
Second Semester Exams
Second semester exam dates are currently scheduled for June 1-2 for seniors (in non-IB/AP and year 1 IB classes) and June 3-8 for grades 9-11.
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
Seniors, your counselors are staying up to date with the latest developments in university admissions for fall 2020. We will reach out to you with as much relevant information as possible. Also feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Parents and students, please remember that your high school counselors are here to support you! We are a resource for questions that you may have about your classes, being organized for e-learning, future university goals, or just to chat about anything in general. We want you to know that we are here for you!
Juniors
Our university planning meetings have moved online! If you haven’t already scheduled yours with your counselor, be sure to do so ASAP to occur by the end of April. Have your packet from Junior College Night handy so we can discuss your transcript, your testing strategy, and your timeline for university applications.
Claudia Bean, Stephanie Barker, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
Athletics:
Season 2 Athletes:
Please follow up on returning CAC uniforms to the front gate. Thanks to athletes who have returned uniforms already.
CAC Athletics
Library Books Curbside Service Continues
CAC families can place holds on print library books and have them delivered to the front gate for pickup. See here for details on the service. We have checked about about 100 books from the MHS alone this week, and even more from the ES.
We use gloves to handle all check outs and book returns. Books that are returned are set aside for a 48 hour quarantine, as recommended by the American Libraries Association. The COVID-19 virus can live up to 24 hours on cardboard, and so we’ve decided to double that time for our returned books.
Once the 48-hour period has passed, books are checked in. If you have returned library books to the front gate and they are still on your library account, it’s because of this 48-hour wait.
Please note that the library carts will not be at the front gate until school reopens on Tuesday. You are welcome to place holds over the weekend for pick up on Tuesday. The cart and book drop for returns are at the gate from 12 to 3 pm.
Our collection of ebooks and digital audiobooks is open 24/7 via the Sora app, or the Sora website: soraapp.com. You only need your CAC single sign on to borrow books and read from your mobile device. See video tutorial for accessing Sora here. (When Sora asks for your Follett account, that means the CAC single sign on.)
Happy reading!
Josianne Fitzgerald and Nan Miller
CAC Librarians