CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Dear High School Parents,
Welcome to this week’s edition of Highro-Glyphics!
Thank you to the PTO for providing popsicles to all students on Wednesday and Thursday. They were a big hit, and a great way to celebrate another successful week!
Students seem to be adjusting to the new rhythm of the Blended Learning Schedule. This week we are modifying that schedule slightly because of the early release day on Monday. Please see the details below.
Principal’s Notes Highlights:
● September 14 Early Release
● Skyward Gradebook
● Helping Your Student Keep Track of Assignments
● October 6 Holiday
● Health and Safety Checklist
● Community Campus Access for Students
● Food on campus
September 14 Early Release
Monday, September 14 is an Early Release Day, as we will hold faculty meetings and professional development in the afternoon. In order to maintain equal instructional time, we will use that day instead of Tuesday as our Tutorial Day. We will have a revised tutorial schedule that day, and the rotation for that week will proceed as follows:
Sunday, Sept. 13: A1
Monday, Sept. 14: Tutorial Day (8:00-11:30)*
Tuesday, Sept. 15: A2
Wednesday, Sept. 16: E1
Thursday, Sept. 17: E2
*Please see the HS Morning Announcements for the Sept. 14 Tutorial Day Schedule.
Skyward Gradebook
Skyward is the secured student information system used at CAC that also has a ‘Family Access’ portal for students and parents to view demographic and academic information. The gradebook section of Family Access allows students and parents to view student progress each fortnight, starting today after school until Sunday morning. As it is still early in the semester, some courses may not yet have assignments entered. Teachers are available to speak to students in person and on Tutorial Tuesdays about progress and academic performance.
Upcoming Skyward opening dates: Sept. 24, Oct. 8.
Helping Your Student Keep Track of Assignments
Blended Learning does require students to take more responsibility for managing their time and keeping track of assignments. All students have been given a daily planner that they can use to write down their assignments. Yes, that is an old school approach, but it is grounded in science: there is a substantial body of research showing that writing things down can help us to remember them better. If your student is having trouble keeping track of assignments, encourage use of the planner and ask to see it. Having your student explain assignments to you further aids in remembering and understanding them.
October 6 Holiday
Tuesday, October 6 is the Armed Forces holiday. There will be no Tutorial Tuesday for that week. However, the Prime Minister may announce that the holiday will be moved to Thursday, October 8. If the holiday is moved, the rotation for the week will proceed as follows:
Sunday, Oct. 4: A1
Monday, Oct. 5: A2
Tuesday, Oct. 6: E1
Wednesday, Oct. 7: E2
If the holiday is not moved, Wednesday will be an E1 day and Thursday and E2 day as normal.
Health and Safety Checklist
Please take time to review the checklists for students and parents (click here) related to health and safety. As with anything, teenagers will require practice to develop good habits. Please make sure your child knows how to properly wear a mask and does so in all public areas. Please also model appropriate wearing of masks, as they will follow your example. As noted above, we need to be quite strict about wearing masks and maintaining social distance on campus. Students who do not comply with health and safety protocols will be sent home.
Community Campus Access for Students
Students are able to access campus during community hours by signing up through the CAC Dashboard. If your student is taking advantage of this opportunity, please make sure they are familiar with and follow all mitigation measures, which they can view when they sign up. Students who violate rules will lose community access privileges.
Food on campus
Campus food vendors remain closed for the time being. Students are encouraged to bring healthy snacks and lunch from home. Food deliveries for HS students are allowed to the back gate only.
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
Senior Night Programming Coming Soon. The first videos will be posted on your single sign on for viewing this week.
Senior College Meetings: Seniors may now start to have their senior college meetings (From September 8-September 30). Students should email their counselor directly to find a time that fits in both of their schedules. This meeting is important to ensure upcoming college application plans, requirements, and deadlines are clear.
Freshman Seminar: The first Freshman Seminar will be on Tutorial Tuesday (September 22). The link to the Zoom meeting will be sent to Freshmen prior to the meeting.
Standardized Testing Update
As you know, the SAT in Egypt is cancelled for the 2020-21 application season, and the ACT is limited. 1,550 US universities are test optional for this year’s cycle and beyond. However, we know some parents are planning ahead for their younger students who may want to take part in a test prep course for future years. We want to make you aware of an opportunity to pursue test prep- which is online for now- and can resume in person here at CAC post pandemic. Higher Ground Learning offers standardized test prep options for CAC students, including 1-on-1 tutoring and small online classrooms. All of their services start with a free consultation; contact colton@highergroundlearning.com to craft an approach that fits your timeline and goals.
Save the date! Tuesday, September 15, 5:00pm Cairo time
Monica Esser, Director of International Enrollment Initiatives, will host a Town Hall meeting to discuss the test optional trends in US Higher Education for the admissions cycle of 2021 and beyond. She will also give an overview of Fordham University. We will announce a Zoom link so you can book your calendar.
Syracuse Virtual Admissions Workshop
Syracuse University will be hosting a Virtual Admissions Workshop coming up this Saturday, September 12 at 4PM. Current students from Syracuse University will give tips on the Common Application process, essay writing, admissions requirements, programs, clubs, internships, and much more! Interested students must email Sherlyn Sychua at ssychua@syr.edu to RSVP and to get the registration link.
Counselor Appointment System
Just a friendly reminder that students can book appointments with the online booking system. QR codes are posted around campus and the daily announcements also have the links.
Last names A-E: Mr. Simon
Last names F-M: Ms. Bean
Last Names N-Z: Mr. Semler
Same day appointments available!
If your student needs to arrange a different time than what is pre-set on our calendars, s/he can email the counselor directly to set that time up.
Parents, feel free to email us with questions or if you need to set up a Google Meet with your student’s counselor for any reason.
Claudia Bean, Kasey Semler, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
Student Physical Reminder – 2020/2021
If your student will be entering grades 3, 6 or 9 next school year, we ask that he/she is seen and examined by a doctor, and a physical exam form completed and sent to the health office on or before the first day of school.
Completed physicals are accepted at the health office, by email at cgallagher@cacegypt.org or nosama@cacegypt.org or hand-delivered to security at the front gate.
https://www.cacegypt.org/PDF/Student_Physician_form.pdf
CAC Health Office
Community hours for the CAC libraries
Both CAC libraries will be open on Saturdays between 10 and 2 for our parents, faculty and students, for 30 minute appointments. Please book your time on the CAC Dashboard where you see “Campus Facilities Online Appointments.”
You will be asked for the number of people coming. If you are a parent, please include your child/ren in the count. We can only have 10 patrons in the library at a time. Appointment requests are only accepted until Friday, at 7 pm. You will not be able to come on to campus without an appointment.
Please note that library community hours are ONLY for Saturdays at this time. The weekday lunchtime appointment slots are only for HS students.
Parents can only check out on Saturdays. We will resume holds delivery in a modified format when we have received all the students’ books back from the summer.
Students are returning their books, now it’s the parents’ turn
Our overdue numbers have decreased thanks to all the students returning their books.
Now it’s the adults turn to bring back their materials. There are book drops at ES gates 6 and 7, as well at the MS gate (the main gate to CAC).
Do please return all of your library materials so that others can enjoy them.
Josianne Fitzgerald
MHS & Head Librarian
Let’s put our ideas together “THE IDEAS TANK”
We have created a google form that will serve as a tank of ideas. Questions proposed on this form will vary based on the school phases, safety measures & the calendar. This form will serve as a channel of communication with our CAC community to coordinate and put our ideas into action. The Ideas Tank Form link will be shared regularly in the newsletters.. Students may share their ideas and suggest the next questions, teachers may use these questions in a discussion in their classrooms, parents may start the conversation at their dinner table. We need everyone on board! Our first question will be;
“How can we contribute to the community while maintaining physical distance & managing our own safety?”.
Click here to send your ideas: THE IDEAS TANK. Selected ideas may be shared for inspiration.
Service Learning Office
PTO