CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Thank you for reading this week’s Highro-Glyphics!
This week we held a meeting with our senior class–it was wonderful to see their smiling faces (even if those faces were in little boxes on a screen).
We discussed graduation, which we still plan to hold on June 5 at the Pyramids. We also highlighted some upcoming events, including alumni “Master Classes”, the annual Recognition Ceremony, and the Senior Luncheon. Some of our IB teachers have added some fun lessons to keep their seniors engaged even though IB exams are not happening: biology students used Skribbl (online Pictionary) to review vocabulary, literature students wrote valedictory poetry, and economics students learned about about micro lending (and actually made a microloan through Kiva).
Of course, many other good things happened this week: parents attended a virtual coffee asking great questions and expressing appreciation for what teachers have been doing; teachers enjoyed some Teacher Appreciation Week treats; students in grade 9-11 continued with their online classes; and everyone at CAC kept working hard to keep our students learning in these challenging times.
Here is what we have coming up:
Principal’s Notes Highlights:
● Graduation
● “Master Classes” for Seniors
● High School Recognition Night/Athletic Awards
● Yearbook Orders
● Final Exams
● Student Virtual Meetings with Mr. Duggan
● E-Learning Reminders
● Skyward Gradebook
● Moving on from CAC at the end of the year
Graduation
As noted above, we plan to hold our graduation ceremony as scheduled June 5 at the Pyramids of Giza. We will need to practice proper social distancing, but we believe we can hold a beautiful commencement ceremony. An email explaining specific plans will be sent to seniors and their parents next week. Of course, ultimately we need to follow government decrees, and we will keep the community apprised of any changes.
“Master Classes” for Seniors
Two of our illustrious CAC alumni will be offering online “Master Classes” to our seniors. On May 13, Chaise Waites will hold a virtual cooking class. On May 17, Hassan Abdou will offer a session on entrepreneurship. Seniors will be sent more information and invitations via email.
High School Recognition/Athletic Awards Virtual Ceremony
The annual High School Recognition Ceremony will take place online May 18 at 4:00 pm. This year’s ceremony will include the End-of-Year Athletic Awards. We will send invitations to recipients via email next week, but everyone is welcome to attend (virtually, of course) and will be provided a link to join.
Yearbook Orders
HS Parents, don’t wait to order your copy of the CAC 2019-2020 Yearbook!
Fill out the following HS Yearbook Order Form to reserve your copy. Yearbooks will be on sale for LE 550. For multiple copies, please fill out a separate form for each copy you request. Google forms will send you a confirmation receipt once your answers are submitted. Make sure to print out your emailed receipt to claim your copy. Parents who will fill out the form will be committed to purchase the 2019/20 Yearbook. Pick up date will be announced soon.
Final Exams
Given the unusual circumstances of this year, we have decided not to hold final exams as originally planned. This change will allow teachers to add some instructional time to their classes, enable us to provide students with alternative assessments to demonstrate their learning, and mitigate the stress that might come from high stakes testing in a novel learning environment. Please see the morning announcements for more information and for the revised schedule for June 3-8.
Student Virtual Meetings with Mr. Duggan
This week my Flex Block virtual meetings went on temporary hiatus, but they will resume next week. 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.
Moving on from CAC at the end of the year?
To help us with our planning for next year, and In order to prepare your records in time for your departure if you haven’t already done so, please use the link below to let us know if you are withdrawing from CAC at the end of this year.
https://www.cacegypt.org/index.php/cac-withdrawal-request
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
This week, high school counselors sent out the final Freshman Seminar task of the year.
Students were emailed instructions on how to start drafting their resumes in Maia Learning.
Each year, counselors will remind students to add their clubs, sports, activities, and achievements, so that students have a complete resume to use for summer programs, college applications, and internships. Please take the opportunity to discuss the importance of a resume and engaging in a variety of experiences throughout high schools with your student.
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!
Claudia Bean, Stephanie Barker, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
Moving on from CAC at the end of the year?
To help us with our planning for next year, and In order to prepare your records in time for your departure if you haven’t already done so, please use the link below to let us know if you are withdrawing from CAC at the end of this year.
https://www.cacegypt.org/index.php/cac-withdrawal-request
Registrar’s Office
2020/2021 Detailed Calendar
• 2020/21 detailed calendar is now available online.
• Proposed dates for CAC Week Without Walls (HS) and Prime Trips (MS) for the SECOND SEMESTER of the 2020-2021 school year will be confirmed in August 2020 by the CAC administration for February 14-18 or March 21-25, 2021.
Scott Fitzgerald
Activities & Athletic Director
Curbside delivery of print library books
The CAC libraries will continue to provide curbside delivery of library books. Patrons need to place a hold on a title by 8 am of the day of pick up, and the book – if it’s in the library – will be delivered to the front gate for pick up between 12 and 3 pm. Please note this is only on business days, so this next Sunday there will not be a curbside delivery.
Please follow instructions here for placing holds.
PARENTS: All parents at CAC are listed in the ES catalog, so you will need to log in on the ES library side even if you wish to place holds on MHS books.
See here for a short video tutorial on how to place holds on MHS books from the ES catalog.
Enjoy our ebooks and digital audiobooks
We have lots and lots of titles available on Sora, the e-reading app. Download Sora to your mobile device or visit soraapp.com. You will need to log in with your CAC single sign on when you are asked for a Follett account.
Here is a brief video tutorial on how to use Sora.
PARENTS: If you would like to see titles for you, please click on the little binoculars at the bottom of the screen on the app, then click on “Preferences”. There you can change the audience to “general adult”.
By default, Sora will limit students in the ES to the “juvenile” audience level so they will not see the young adult and general adult titles.
Josianne Fitzgerald and Nan Miller
CAC Librarians
Booster Club’s Teacher Appreciation Video
The Booster Club would like to ask you to help us celebrate our AMAZING CAC teachers. During these strange and challenging times the Booster Club would like to make our teachers feel special by making a video compilation of their students telling them how much we miss and appreciate them. Please make a small video (no longer than 10 seconds) or a still photo of students (and parents) wearing CAC Spirit Wear and holding a sign thanking any or all teachers. You can also type a digital message on your video/photo if you’d prefer. Please send your videos/photos to the Booster Club at: boosterclub@cacegypt.org and we will then make them into an awesome video. We will send the video out soon to make all of our amazing teachers feel great. You have until Thursday, May 7th to send your video/photo. Hope to see your video/photo in our inbox.
Booster Club