CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Happy Halloween
Students returned from their Week Without Walls trips and activities last weekend. Back at school on Sunday there was a wonderful atmosphere on campus as friends reunited and stories were shared. After a very busy preceding few weeks, teachers have used this week to catch up with students and reconnect them with the learning that takes place in the classroom.
I would like to take a moment to extend my thanks on behalf of the entire parent and student community to the teachers, support staff, and school administration who worked extremely hard to plan and operationalise the wonderful Week Without Walls experiences that your children enjoyed. A special mention must go to Ms Rachel McCall and Ms Natasha Bagsair, who led the planning and organization. Sending more than 270 students overseas simultaneously and running engaging, meaningful experiences here in Cairo and on campus, is a tremendous feat. We value this experiential education program very highly at CAC, and we are thrilled to see high levels of engagement in these once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
WWW in Fayoum
As you are aware, this week Quarter One Progress Reports were released this week. We will be hosting parent-teacher-student conferences on Tuesday after school, and all day Wednesday. This midpoint in the semester is an excellent time to touch base with your child about their progress and learning so far. The progress report provides a snapshot of their current grades and the conferences are an opportunity for you to speak with the teachers to understand their progress. They should focus their energy for the second half of this semester. We encourage parents to drop in to the conferences on Tuesday after school. However, if you require slightly longer, or if you have specific concerns to address, we encourage you to set up an appointment with a teacher on Wednesday. Alternatively, you can connect directly with the teacher via email to set up a mutually convenient time for a longer conversation.
Believe it or not, there are now only seven weeks of school left until the end of semester one and the winter break. We will be using these weeks to maximize learning by and ensuring our students are making progress through the curriculum. The semester will culminate in exams as usual, and we will provide more information about that nearer the time.
Students in English class
IB Theatre students working with ISTA artist in online workshop
Student artwork from Digital Art class
We are looking forward to the Degla Dash this weekend. I hope many of you will join us in Wadi Degla for a morning of physical activity in support of a very worthy cause. You will find more information about this below. In the meantime, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Dates for your Diary
• Fri 27 Oct – Degla Dash – fundraising community running event in Wadi Degla
• Mon 30 Oct – Grade 11 PSAT test taking day (morning)
• Tue 31 Oct – 3:30 – 5:00 – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (Drop-Ins, Gym)
• Wed 1 Nov – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (All day, Classrooms. No classes)
• 9-12 Nov – ISAA Season 1 tournaments
• Thu 16 Nov – HS Talent Show (Theatre, evening)
• Sat 18 Nov – Girls Get Strong event on campus
• Wed 22 & Thu 23 Nov – Thanksgiving Holiday (no school)
• Tue 28 Nov – Early Release Day
Andrew Buckman Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
Week of October 26, 2023
Grade 11: PSAT is 4 days away!
Date: October 30, during Blocks G and H
Format: Digital via the Bluebook App (students must download)
Devices: Students will use their own devices (no chromebooks allowed)
Rooms: MS Hall, MS 115, and the Cairo Room – specific room assignments will be shared as the test date nears
Prep & Details: Please review with your child and check the links provided in Mr. Semler’s email.
Students MUST download Bluebook on their devices in order to test. Downloading instructions here.
Upcoming University Visit: American University of Beirut- Cyprus Campus
Date: Sunday, Oct. 29th
Time: 11:15-12:00 in front of the high school
Seniors: Drop In College Help Sessions Tuesdays at lunch will continue! This is for students with specific application questions or for general advice on any aspect of their application process. Students can find the drop-in session schedule here.
ACT Prep Course with Higher Ground Learning – March 2024
We’re excited to announce a collaboration between CAC and Higher Ground Learning. Join us for an intensive in-person ACT prep course, spread across two weekends in March, right here at CAC. There must be at least 5 people enrolled for the course to take place. For details on registration, dates, fees, and more, click here.
ACT test information:
The registration for the remaining 23-24 test dates are as follows:
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024
Registration details here!
Grade 9 Seminar
This week the grade 9 students engaged in their 3rd seminar which focused on reflecting on their 1st quarter of high school and setting goals for the 2nd quarter. There was information sharing and discussions about the importance of using feedback in all aspects of their school life. Students were also introduced to MaiaLearning which is a college and career platform used to plan, discover and explore academic pathways and careers that fit their profiles.
Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling
General Announcements
From Athletics
Athletics Office
From Aquatics
CAC FALL AGE GROUP SWIM MEET – FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD AND 4TH!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f4T-PkudylYxtMYT6NqENUyHDWIiE1rTb4SCu80l1pc/edit
Aquatics Office
ES- Activities Volunteers
Elementary after-school activities are fun, optional activities scheduled from 3:15-4:00 on campus every weekday except for Tuesdays. Activities are offered to grades K-5
We offer a range of choices to enable students to explore their talents and interests.
These activities develop useful life skills, such as responsibility, teamwork, communication, creative thinking, and self-confidence. We were blessed to have our first CCA season this year.
Volunteer engagement would be much appreciated. Students/ parents who are interested in supporting the CCA program for the upcoming season please contact me at mabdelfattah@cacegypt.org.
Season Timeline:
Sunday, November 5, 4:00 p.m.- Sign-up begins
Wednesday, November 8, 7:00 a.m. – Sign-up closed
Tuesday, November 14, 4:00 p.m. – Confirmed activities sent to parents
Week of Sunday, November 19 – First week of the season
Week of Sunday, February 11 – Last week of the season
Last day of the season. Thursday, February 15.
Mahmoud Abdel Fattah
ES Activities Coordinator
Green Team Halloween Recycling Challenge
Egypt produces 5.4 million metric tons of plastic annually, making it the biggest plastic polluter in the Arab world.
This October, the CAC Green Team is challenging the HS and MS to make a positive difference. Start collecting, rinsing and donating all the recyclable plastics you use. The homeroom/advisory to successfully fill their three bags will win a special prize on Halloween. All plastics will be recycled by Bekia.
CAC Green Team
From the PTO
We extend our sincere thanks to the many volunteers who took part in the planning and execution of the wonderful Halloween events on Thursday. It was a much-needed opportunity to appreciate the strength of our community and enjoy some time together.
Please note that the CAC PTO General Meeting has been rescheduled from October 29 to November 5th.
On the horizon:
On November 16th we will host a movie night for ES students where we will screen the movie Elemental! Details about tickets will be coming soon.
Our Staff and Teacher Appreciation Lunches will take place November 20 and 21 respectively. Please be on the lookout for further details shortly.
CAC PTO