CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Senior exams in full swing
Battle wounds from hours of writing
After the pencil has hit the paper for a week straight, after thousands of exams have been cast and written, after all of the late nights and stress, we have successfully reached the end of the semester one exam cycle. Thank you to the teachers for your work preparing students, and congratulations to all of the students who put in the time and effort to get the best from yourself.
*Please note that Skyward will be closed to parents and students at 4:00 on Thursday, Dec. 18. We will begin processing final grades for the end of the semester.
The teacher team put together a strong front against the boys team
The boys basketball team strategized to deal with the size and experience of the teacher team
Pre-Season Track & Field
Apart from the rigors of studying, we still found time to have some fun. The boys basketball team took on the teachers in a friendly competition after school on Monday. The level was high and the play was serious. The boys team continues to show improvement and greater court sense as they ready themselves to travel and compete in January. Pre-season Track & Field is already in session as well. Coach Bryce had the shot put and tape measure out to test the strength and technique of the newest cohort.
Our parents taking the tree down in the Study Room
Thank you to the parents for putting up (and taking down) the festive christmas tree that was the center piece of the Study Room for the past two weeks. The cheer was welcomed and the ornamental messages spread wishes throughout the school.
Again, thank you for a great first semester. We wish you safe travels and the very best during the winter break. See you back at CAC in 2026!
Adam Smee
HS Assistant Principal
Important Dates on the Horizon
• Sun 11 Jan – First day of Semester 2. Will be an A Day.
• Tue 20 Jan – 2026-27 Course Registration Process begins
• Thu 22 Jan – Semester 1 Reports Released
• Thu 22 Jan – Student Council’s Welcome Back HS Dance
• Sun 25 Jan – Police Day / Revolution day Holiday (no school)
• Wed 28 – Fri 30 Jan – High School Production Winter Break
• Thu 29 Jan – Early Release Day. 11:30 dismissal.
• 8-12 Feb – Week Without Walls
IB English 11 Non-literary texts presentations
Counseling Department Announcements
Week of December 18, 2025
Parents of The Class of 2027:
Please Save the Date for Monday, January 26th , 2026, in the evening for the University Process Kick Off sessions in the HS Meeting Room hosted by the HS Counseling Team. We will have sessions on various topics that you can attend according to your student’s post-university plans. We will send the details and an RSVP when we return in January after the break. Also early in Semester 2, counselors will reconvene with the juniors during their Flex to continue the university and career research process which we started with them last fall. Look for our RSVP in January, and we look forward to seeing you for the sessions.
Course change requests for semester long electives Semester 2: The add/drop period for course change requests for classes that are only one semester in length is from January 13th-19th. Students should speak to their counselor during that time if they have questions about their semester long elective.
SAT Prep Class Spring 2026: Recommended for those who plan to apply to a university in the US and will take the SAT next May, June and beyond. The course will run over two weekends, April 17 & 18 and April 24 & 25, 2026. Please see the attachments here (flyer, parent letter, and calendar). To register, visit their website here: hgl.co/cac. The registration deadline is February 27, 2026.
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. Note: test registrants for any ACT test may receive a relocation notice if ACT moves the testing location from CAC to a different center. You will receive an email from ACT about a week before the test if you are moved.
Claudia Bean, Staci Petrich, Jody Stiles
HS Counseling
General Announcements
Moving on from CAC before the winter break?
If you haven’t already informed us please use the link below to let us know if you are withdrawing from CAC at the end of this semester. Please note that middle school report cards and the final high school transcript which includes this semester’s grades will not be available until the last week of January 2026.
https://cacegypt.org/index.php/withdrawal-request
A few days before your departure, a withdrawal form that includes several signatures must also be completed by middle and high school students in order to clear any outstanding obligations, and turned in to the Admission/Registrar’s Office to release records.
Registrar’s office
From the Motor Pool Office
The 4:20pm and 5:30pm ASA buses will resume on Sunday, Jan 18th.
Motor Pool Office
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:
Congratulations to all activity participants and student athletes on a great semester 1.
David Goetz (Athletics and Activities Director) &
Kasey Semler (Activities Coordinator)
Parenting Together With Positive Discipline (Tweens & Teens) – Starts Feb.01, 2026
For CAC Parents with Children in Grades 4-12
Join Carey Harris & Amira Hashem for a parenting course designed for all CAC parents.
The 8-week long course meets weekly to…
• address real issues for parents of today’s tweens & teens
• learn over 50 long-term, take-away tools for parenting during the adolescent years
• create a support network for parents of the Cairo American College community
Space is limited! Save your spot – REGISTER HERE
To learn more about the course visit: https://parentingtogether.edublogs.org/
Carey Harris
School Counselor & Positive Discipline Trainer (CPDT)
The Health & Hope Oasis (H&HO) Trip
Friday, January 16 (the first weekend after we return from Winter Break)
Join the ES Students (Eaglets of Action and Eagle Council) as they deliver the toy gifts generously donated by the CAC Community and thoughtfully packed by all our ES Students in December. During this trip, we will personally distribute those gifts to the children at the Health and Hope Oasis (H&HO). We will also create fun activity stations for the children and their mothers—bringing joy, connection, and moments of celebration to the day.
Click HERE for more information and sign up for the trip
The H& HO is a supportive care center providing nutritional, physical, and emotional well-being for children recovering from cancer in an environmentally healthy setup. It is located in Wadi El Natrun on the Cairo-Alex Desert Road.
They serve low-income families, providing their services completely FREE of charge.
The Gifts Criteria! (Reviewed with the H & HO)
(All must be new or in excellent condition!)
• Toys such as dolls, cars, Legos, and clean, soft toys.
• Coloring or craft books, stickers, etc.
• Crafts, Facepainting, Jewelry Making, etc.
• Winter Warmers such as scarves, socks, small blankets, etc.
• Backpacks
• Bikes, scooters, and tricycles for the Bike Track
• Chocolate, Candies, etc.
If you have any questions, please contact the service-learning office:
Ms. Ereeny Gawdat
Service Learning & CAS Coordinator
egergess@cacegypt.org
Happy Holidays & See You in 2026!
As we head into winter break, the PTO wants to share a huge THANK YOU to you, our amazing community. Your support, time, and energy have made 2025 a truly wonderful year for our students and staff. We hope your break is filled with relaxation, tradition, and wonderful memories with family and friends.
Looking Ahead: The International Festival
We are already buzzing with excitement for the new year! We have big plans for community building in 2026, starting with our favorite tradition: the International Festival.
We want you to be a part of it! This is a chance for families to share the traditions, flavors, and performances that make their heritage special. Whether you’d like to host a food tasting table, perform a traditional dance, or display art from your home country, we need your help to make it shine.
Sign up at the link below to let us know how you’d like to contribute: https://forms.gle/SQ2DVX5SaP7vpHnW9
CAC PTO