CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Celebrating the Class of 2025 Graduation
Student Artwork on Display
Parents at the Back to School event
Back to School Event
We were happy to see so many parents in attendance at the Back to School event earlier this week. It was great to see parents taking advantage of the opportunity to establish a productive partnership with teachers. We hope that the event was informative and interesting, and we welcome any feedback you have to share. Please find a link to a short survey below:
Back to School Parent Feedback Survey (will take 2 mins to complete).
High School Parent Coffee – Wed 10 Sept, 9:30 a.m. HS Meeting Room
Next week, there is another opportunity to further develop the partnership between yourselves and us here at school. We are looking forward to welcoming you to the first HS Parent Coffee of the year on Wednesday. We will present a general overview of the big picture of learning and programs at CAC as well as discussing the importance of parent partnership, emphasizing ways that parents can be engaged and involved in their child’s high school experience. We will also introduce our homeroom and counseling programs and showcase some things that are coming up this year to look forward to. Of course, there will also be time to socialize with other parents and ask the HS admin team and counselors questions. I hope you will be able to join us.
Wishing you a wonderful long weekend.
Andrew Buckman
HS Principal
Upcoming dates:
• Thu 4 Sept – Holiday (Prophet’s Birthday)
• Mon 8 Sept – Senior College Information Night 6:00 pm. Theater
• Wed 10 Sept – Parent Coffee Morning 9:30 a.m. HS Meeting Room
• Wed 10 Sept – Service Fair (11:00 – 4:00) Drop in any time. MS Lawn.
• Sun 14 Sept – Skyward gradebook opens. 4:00 pm
• Sun 21 Sept – Early Release day. Student dismissal at 11:30 am.
• Week of Sept 22 – HS student photos
• 5-9 October – CAC Fall Holiday
Study Time in the Reading Room
Seniors Studying Outside During Flex
Innovative Open Air Study Spaces
Group Work in World History Class
Project work in World Cultures
World Cultures & Society
IB Theatre Class
Design Technology Class
Counseling Department Announcements
Week of September 3, 2025
Class of 2026- Parent University Application Information Session – Supporting Your Child:
Monday, September 8, 6:00 pm to 7:30 in the theater. This session will provide an overview of application timelines, systems, and counselor support, with time for your questions. Counselors met with all the seniors during their flex this week for their Application Kick Off, so we look forward to meeting with parents at this special evening session as well. Please RSVP here.
Standardized Test Dates: Your student can click on this link to find out more about the SAT, ACT, TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo for those planning to take a standardized test for university entrance requirements.
Claudia Bean, Staci Petrich, Jody Stiles
HS Counseling
General Announcements
English Language Arts Program Review
Over the past year, CAC has focused on reviewing and revising our PK-12 English Language Arts program to ensure alignment between our English Language Arts Beliefs and Practices and current research. Building on the strengths of our existing program, we have committed to further developing foundational literacy skills in the Elementary years through a greater focus on phonics and phonemic awareness using the University of Florida Literacy Institute (UFLI) program. We have also created a more intentional balance of fiction and nonfiction, with a focus on helping students see themselves in their reading while gaining insights into new perspectives, cultures, and voices. In writing, each grade level now concentrates on two of the three major genres—narrative, explanatory, and argument/opinion—as the writing curriculum spirals from K-12, allowing students to deepen their skills in meaningful ways. Finally, the program has been designed holistically so that students build knowledge, cultivate empathy, and develop as critical thinkers, and effective communicators, as well as discerning consumers and responsible producers of information. This comprehensive approach ensures that our students are well prepared for the rigors of more advanced English study, including the IB Diploma program. Over the course of the year, we invite you to engage your child in conversations about what they are learning, reading, and writing so that you can share in their growth and discoveries.
Theron Mott
Director of Teaching & Learning
Activities & Athletics Update
Stay in the loop with what’s happening at CAC! For the latest updates, event details, and schedules, check out our live Google Calendar:
Degla Dash – Run for a Cause!
Mark your calendars: Thursday, September 19! Degla Dash is almost here — lace up your shoes and join the run to support Cancer Recovery Research. Every step you take makes a difference.
Mike Ross was a beloved PE teacher at CAC who passed away after a battle with cancer in 1995. Please join our annual community run to raise money for recovering cancer patients. This event is appropriate for all ages.
For High School Families:
Season 1 Athletics are off to a great start! We wish all of our student-athletes the best as they build momentum for the season ahead.
Season 1 Clubs and Activities will officially begin on Sunday, September 7. If you are new to our community and your student is still exploring options, please encourage them to connect with Mr. Semler (ksemler@cacegypt.org). There are plenty of opportunities available, and we will be happy to help them find the right fit!
As always, if you have any questions about our Co-Curricular Offerings, please don’t hesitate to contact us:
activities@cacegypt.org
athletics@cacegypt.org
Also, please feel free to pass by the 1st floor of the Athletics & Activities Building to say hello!
Jr. Golf Club Donations
The Activities Office seeks donations of jr. golf clubs and equipment for our upcoming grade 4/5 golf program. Please send any donations to the MS Office or the ES Activities Office. We are happy to accept any used equipment.
The Heart Run – October 17th in Palm Hills
Run the Race, Save a Heart
Mark your calendar for October 17th and join the Heart Run in Palm Hills to benefit the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation. The run is your chance to put your best foot forward and make a difference. Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a first-timer, heal hearts by taking part in the run, support a great cause and have fun with friends and family. All proceeds from registration and donations go directly to support free heart surgeries. Run the Race, Save a Heart.
Link for registration: https://stamina-sports.com/heart-run
Promo code for 20% off: HART20
David Goetz (Athletics and Activities Director) &
Kasey Semler (Activities Coordinator)
The 4th Annual Service Fair
Discover Opportunities!
Wednesday, September 10
11:00 – 4:00 MS Lawn
Our annual Service Fair is a networking event where various local community partners are invited to CAC to meet students, teachers, and parents. This is an opportunity to extend education beyond the classroom and inspire meaningful, compassionate action.
Check the link to the: Participating Organizations
Our Goal this year for all our service initiatives is to be more impactful by moving beyond materialistic contributions. Accordingly, all fundraisers must have a specific post-fundraiser plan to be accomplished after the collections. This can be a delivery trip, a guest speaker visiting the school to explain how the collection will be used, or another appropriate plan.
Ereeny Gawdat
PreK-12 Service Learning & CAS Coordinator
Food Vendors/Spare App
Food vendors on campus: Coffee Bean, Greco, Fresh and Co., and Jared’s Bagels.
The link to the Spare App Parents’ Guide is found here: SpareCAC
Note: Lunch orders made through Spare can be picked up from the vendors on campus.
If you run into any issues, you can read some answers to common questions or submit a support ticket at http://www.paywithspare.com/support or send an email to support@paywithspare.com, and they will get in touch to assist you.
From the Booster Club
CAC Booster Club
From the PTO
We’ve all completed the first full week of school! Great job, everyone!
At the start of the year, much of our focus is on building community. One way PTO supports this is through informal WhatsApp groups that help parents connect. Please note these are not official school communication channels.
We offer broad groups for each division (Elementary, Middle, High School), grade-level groups, and classroom groups in Elementary. Each serves a unique purpose, so it’s helpful to join the ones relevant to you. Division-level chats are best for announcements or questions that affect the whole division. To share a community event, please contact a group admin who can forward your message to keep chats from becoming cluttered.
For the Elementary School, there will be one main channel for announcements and reminders. This helps us avoid repeated messages across multiple chats and keeps communication clear and organized.
If you need a link to join, email CACPTOOC@cacegypt.org with your phone number, and our Outreach Coordinator will connect you.
We also invite all new and returning parents to a Coffee Morning on Sunday, September 7th, at 8:00 AM in the PTO Lounge (Admin building, 1st floor). Come meet other parents, connect with the PTO team, and enjoy coffee and light refreshments as we look ahead to an exciting year!
Warm regards,
The PTO Team
CAC PTO