CAC High School Principal’s Notes
Dear parents,
After a week of online learning, students in grade 11 may return to campus on Sunday, February 28 and will resume attendance of in-person classes. We are pleased to inform you that all juniors who were asked to take PCR tests because of contact with a confirmed case have reported negative results.
We much prefer to have students on campus, and we think face-to-face instruction is best for their learning.
To keep that going, we need students’ cooperation in two important ways.
First, they need to make good choices in their social interactions and follow the protocols that have been shown to work: see their friends outdoors; eat meals outdoors; wear masks (especially indoors); limit the size of gatherings; stay at least 1-2 meters apart at all times; wash their hands.
Second, they need to be transparent: if they have been in contact with someone who has tested positive, they must let the Health Office know the circumstances of that contact as soon as possible; any student who contracts COVID-19 must inform the Health Office as soon as possible about everyone with whom they may have been in contact, and specify the nature of that contact. Information is a powerful weapon against the spread of the virus. It is as important as mask wearing, distancing, ventilation, and hygiene.
Parents, follow these same protocols and reinforce them with your children. Make sure you know where they are socializing, with whom, and with what mitigations in place. We appreciate your support in keeping everyone safe in our wonderful CAC community.
I know I repeat these messages often. This pandemic is not over, so they can’t be repeated often enough.
Stay safe!
Principal’s Notes Highlights:
● IB Exams Update for 2021 and 2022
● Progress Reports
● Parent/Teacher Conferences
● Skyward Gradebook
● NESA Parents as Partners 2.0 Webinars
● 2021-22 Course Registration
● High School Lunch
● Second Semester Exams and Graduation
IB Exams Update for 2021 and 2022
Class of 2021: The International Baccalaureate has confirmed that schools in Egypt will administer exams in May as planned.
Class of 2022: The IB has announced that the May 2022 examination session will be adapted in light of the loss of learning due to COVID-19. Many of these adaptations are similar to those for the Class of 2021 and include removal of examination components, reduction in the number of questions on remaining exam papers, and modification of course content. Teachers will communicate these changes to students during class in the coming weeks. Please reach out to Mr. Williams with any questions.
Progress Reports
Mid-semester narrative progress reports will be posted on Skyward on March 8 at 4:00 pm. Please be aware that this progress report represents the grades to date at the half-way mark of the semester.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held online via WebEx after school on Tuesday, March 9 (3:30-5:00pm) and all day on Wednesday, March 10 (8:00am-4:00pm). On February 28, parents will be able to start scheduling appointments. Instructions for how to book meetings have been sent in a separate email. There will be no school for students on Wednesday, March 10. Students will be encouraged to attend conferences with their parents online. Some teachers may also require students participation in conferences.
Skyward Gradebook
Skyward gradebook is open for student and parent viewing. Students are encouraged to reach out to the teachers if they have questions about assignments. Skyward Family Access will close at 8:00 am on March 7 as we prepare mid-semester progress reports.
NESA Parents as Partners 2.0 Webinars
The next webinar is Tuesday, March 2, from 4:00-5:00pm on the topic of Parents Supporting Learners to be Mastery Oriented.
The full schedule of upcoming webinars in this helpful series can be found by clicking here. You can register by clicking here.
2021-22 Course Registration
Online course registration is underway. Students have received emails with instructions of course registration for their respective grade levels. They should also see the morning announcements for additional details.
High School Lunch
Dear Parents and Guardians,
We are happy to inform you that your son/daughter can now pre-order special items from our HS Vendor, Coffee Bean, using the Spare App. CAC, in partnership with Spare Payments, provides a cashless system for these items. First introduced on campus in November 2020, Spare will eventually be used at all on-campus vendors to replace cash transactions.
The Spare system uses smart technology connected to a mobile application on which you will be able to recharge your son/daughter’s balance (set budget) and set a limit for their spending. Accounts may be recharged via credit card in-app or with cash on campus, at CSA Maadi and at Power Plant Store. Students use their IDs to purchase items on campus, or parents may purchase items for them using the Spare app.
The menu of pre-order items from Coffee Bean will be available in the Spare app starting February 13. To view the menu, click on “Online Store”. Pre-purchase will be available 3 pm – 9 pm the day before pick up. Please note at this time, Coffee Bean will limit online selections to pre-ordered salads; other items may still be purchased on site using cash or with IDs linked to Spare.
To open a Spare account and pair a student’s ID, please follow the instructions sent to you via email on February 11.
Second Semester Exams
Second semester exam dates are May 31 – June 1 for seniors and June 2-7 for grades 9-11. Please keep in mind while you plan your summer travels that seniors are able to depart after graduation and underclassmen after their final examination.
Graduation
A memo will be circulated to all parents of seniors in early March outlining the events leading up to graduation. This year’s Graduation Ceremony is on Friday, June 4.
Jerry Duggan Rachel McCall
HS Principal HS Assistant Principal
Counseling Department Announcements
Current 9th and 11th graders: Course verification forms will be handed out in English classes on Sunday and Monday, Feb 28th & March 1st. Students will take the form home, review it with their family, sign it and return to the HS Counseling Office (1st floor Administration Building) on Monday and Tuesday, March 1st & 2nd. If you are away from CAC, we will send the form to you as an email attachment.
Sophomores- Grade 10 students and families should be sure to schedule their course planning meeting with their counselor to occur by March 14th. Contact your student’s counselor or the admin. assistants in our office to set your meeting day and time (30-45 minutes).
Juniors- Grade 11 students and families should be sure to schedule their university planning meeting with their counselor to occur by April 14th. Contact your student’s counselor or the admin. assistants in our office to set your meeting day and time (45-60 minutes).
All Grades:
Upcoming Virtual Events:
AUC’s Virtual Open Day: Sunday, March 6, 2021. Interested in learning more about The American University of Cairo (AUC)? AUC’s Virtual Open Day can help you “virtually navigate your way through AUC’s programs with faculty from every department and get the insights you need to choose your path.” More information about this event and how to register can be found here.
Other Upcoming Virtual Events, Available Scholarships, and Summer Opportunities
See the CAC HS Counseling Resources Webpage to see the upcoming virtual events, available scholarships, and summer opportunities. This document is updated regularly: CAC HS Counseling Resources Webpage – Events
Appointment system: As usual, students can schedule appointments with counselors from the QR codes posted around campus.
Claudia Bean, Kasey Semler, Cameron Simon
HS Counseling
General Announcements
Transportation Office Announcement
After School Activities 4:20 p.m. buses are suspended till further notice due to the Covid 19 situation.
Transportation Office
CAC Communications App
To receive instant updates, and important announcements, please be reminded to download our CAC Communications App, School Stream, and register with the email address you have given to the admissions office. If you have not yet registered, you are missing out on important announcements. Download Instructions are available here. Please feel free to contact Mona Abdel Hady (mabdelhady@cacegypt.org) for assistance.
CAC Libraries open Saturdays in February
The libraries will be open this Saturday. Remember that you must book a 30-minute time slot on the CAC dashboard, but parents can only book for a Saturday appointment. (You can reach the booking system from the school app as well.) Bookings must be made by 7 pm on Friday.
Josianne Fitzgerald
MHS Head Librarian
Booster Club Spirit Store
The Booster Club Spirit Store has resumed regular weekday hours, from 8:30-10:00am and 1:30-2:45pm. Entrance is at Gate 7 (next to the ATM). All transactions will be through the window with one customer at a time allowed inside the gate. Properly worn masks are mandatory when entering campus through Gate 7 (next to the ATM), with valid CAC ID. Temperatures will be taken at the gate. Customers will need to exit campus as soon as their store transaction is finished.
Please note that the payment methods accepted are only EGP and USD cash. No USD checks accepted.
Booster Club
KNITTING GROUP
Meets every Tuesday at 10am at CSA. No experience needed, just come to chat and enjoy some time over knitting. COVID safety precautions taken with social distancing, mask wearing, and meeting outdoors.
S I P & P A I N T — Colors of India
Join us over some creativity as we paint & chat with a COVID safe environment, seated at your own table! Sign up here (limited to 18): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4DAEA829A2FF2-sipand3
