Highro Glyphics

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

Students in English Class

Design and Engineering Class

The first university acceptances are coming in!

CAC high school is a big and busy place. There is a lot happening, many activities to keep on top of and many systems and procedures for the smooth operation of the school. The overall academic landscape is also complex. As a parent, sometimes this full schedule and level of complexity can perhaps be a little overwhelming.

An easy and proactive way to be informed and aware of how the school operates is through the Student-Parent Handbook. The handbook is available to download as a PDF on the CAC website in the High School section.

The handbook is organized into categories which include: the daily life of the school, basic operational matters, a contact list to help you know who to reach out to with questions, school policies on academics, and behavioral expectations. Some key pieces of information that may be of interest to you as a parent may be:
• The schools policies on attendance and punctuality.
• Academic expectations.
• Assessment and grading—including reporting procedures.
• Academic integrity—The expectations we have of students in terms of how they approach their academic work honestly and ethically.
• Dress expectations.
• Health and safety—including information about alcohol and drug awareness, policies and procedures.
• Athletics and Activities.
• School trips.
• School services.

If you have not already done so, please download a copy of the handbook today, and familiarize yourself with some of the important policies of the school. This helps you to be informed as a parent and able to engage and interact with the school efficiently and have meaningful conversations with your child about what the CAC expects and how it operates. We are always here to work in partnership with you and I encourage parents to come into school (or email us) any time if you have questions, queries or concerns; we value your feedback and ongoing partnership.

IB Theatre ISTA Workshop

The grade 11 IB Theatre class has had a very special 3 weeks engaging in a series of workshops led by a visiting artist from the International Schools Association (ISTA). ISTA design and lead workshops aimed specifically at students worldwide who are pursuing a love of the Arts through the IB Theatre course and they explore the key areas of curriculum using practical and physical approaches. The artist, Fenella Kelly, is an international drama specialist, teacher, teacher trainer and dancer. She has worked in Istanbul, Brazil, India and Egypt. In fact she is a former faculty member of CAC! It was a fantastic opportunity for these students to work alongside an expert of this caliber and also an invaluable way to introduce them to the multifaceted areas of learning that make up the IB Theatre course.

Grade 12 IB Theatre Performance

Speaking of IB Theatre classes, the Grade 12 IB class shared their final devised performance with a public audience last week. The piece was an excellent example of how art can communicate big ideas relevant to our world and what connects us as in our human experience. I hope you enjoy these few photos of the two experiences.

Cross Country Travelling Team

And finally, our varsity volleyball, cross country, and soccer teams are currently in Europe, representing CAC in the Season One ISAA tournaments. Next week I will be able to update you on how they get on. In the meantime, we send them the best of luck and a hearty…Go Eagles!

P.S. – The October 2023 WWW survey will close Saturday evening. Please take a few moments to leave your feedback on your family’s experience with the program.

Dates for your Diary
• Wed 15 Nov – Parent Coffee Morning (9:30 am, HS Meeting Room)
• Wed 15 Nov – Season 1 Athletics Awards Night (5:30 pm, Theatre)
• Thu 16 Nov – HS Talent Show (Theatre, 6:00 – 8:00 pm)
• Sat 18 Nov – Girls Get Strong event on campus
• Wed 22 & Thu 23 Nov – Thanksgiving Holiday (no school)
• Tue 28 Nov – Early Release Day
• 4 & 5 Dec – Winter Concert Series
• 4-7 Dec – Exam preparation and review days in school
• 10-14 Dec – Semester 1 Exams
• 15 Dec – Winter Break begins

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of November 9, 2023

SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 29th at 6 pm
USA Financial Aid and Scholarships Overview. Learn what’s new for FAFSA and US based financial aid for 2024-25 and about scholarship opportunities for international students. This will be a virtual presentation by Shawn Abbott from Tulane University. An RSVP and Zoom link will be sent soon.

Grade 10 programming
This week, counselors introduced the Grade 10s to the various pathways/courses available for their junior and senior years at CAC. We aimed to get them comfortable with the terms and choices they’ll have as we explore these options in depth later in the year. Additionally, the students completed a career interest profiler and reflected on the connection between their interests and potential future studies.

Grade 11 programming
Our Grade 11s spent some time reflecting on their future. On Maia Learning, they took an interest inventory where they discovered and reflected on possible careers that may fit their interests. They also were able to get a snapshot of what the next 12 months will look like for them as they prepare their postsecondary applications.

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 (CAC is full; please sign up at other centers in Cairo)
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

 

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

From the Transportation Office

This is a gentle reminder that the 4:20 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. buses will not be operating till Nov 19th due to the end of the after school activities session last Thursday. The only bus that will be operating is the 3:20 p.m. bus.

Transportation Office

 

ES-CCA After-School Activities

The ES students always leave each session with big smiles, Thanks to the wonderful High School students who generously donate their time, knowledge, and kindness. The ES Activities office greatly values the support and dedication you have demonstrated throughout the program and recognizes the significant contributions and impact you had. We are thrilled to have such a fantastic group of HS students and look forward to collaborating with you in the future.

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

 

Link to MLLB 2024

Email: psilick1960@gmail.com

 

Borders NOT Barriers.
20 days for 2M lives.
Just a few hours away people in Gaza are facing very challenging conditions and it is our duty as global actors to help them. This is why two CAC students, Hannah Abdelshahid and Nadia Assaad, have started a donation drive that will aid Gazan men, women, and children in need. This donation drive will be from November 6th – November 26th. You can donate items (red donation boxes scattered around the school between the MS, HS, and front gate)

People can donate a variety of things including but not limited to:
• Children’s products (Diapers, bottles, milk, baby clothes…)
• Hygiene products (masks, soap bars, shampoos, body wash, anti-bacterial wipes/sprays)
• Food products (canned food – tuna, beans, hummus, etc.)
• Clothing ps. unused garments are encouraged.
• Towels
• Footwear: shoes and socks, slippers
• Women’s products (pads)
• Medical/resourceful supplies (flashlights, any medical assistance equipment, including – CPR machine, blood testing…)

Donations will be categorized and sent to one of the following organizations and into the Rafah border.
• Egyptian Food Bank
• Egyptian Red Crescent
• Egyptian Clothing Bank

Contact @25nassaad@cacegypt.org and 25habdelshahid@cacegypt.org for more information.

PS: follow @bordersnotbarriers on Instagram!

Hannah Abdelshahid and Nadia Assaad

 

COMING UP! on Monday, Nov. 20
The 10th Annual General Services Staff (GSS) Appreciation Lunch

The GSS Appreciation Lunch has been a CAC tradition since 2013 where the entire CAC community comes together to show appreciation for our hard-working GSS teams. These teams are the: security guards, janitors, gardeners, bus monitors, drivers, car washers, electricians, painters & and carpenters. A total of 170 members. On that day, we organize the packing of delivered meals relying on the generous contributions of the CAC community. This event was initiated by an ES, Han Byul Lee who is now an Alumna of the Class of 2020. Check her VIDEO on the CAC Facebook Page.

If you would like to join the planning team, please get in touch with the Service-Learning Office,
Ms. Ereeny Gawdat egergess@cacegypt.org
01200 278 966

Ereeny Gawdat
PreK-12 Service Learning & CAS Coordinator

 

ES Production of Animal Jam

The Chicken Rockstars ARE COMING TO CAC!!! TICKETS ON SALE until opening day Thur. Nov. 9th! Shows: Thurs. Nov. 9, 6pm & Friday, Nov. 10, 3pm. Can’t wait to see you there!! 200 le

ES Production Team

 

From the PTO

We started the week with our General Meeting on Sunday afternoon. We are grateful to all the people who attended. Please find detailed minutes here.

Our drive for contributions in support of General Services Staff Appreciation has already gotten off to a great start. We need to keep up the momentum to reach our goal ahead of the event on November 20th. For your reference, each meal for this event costs 1000le and we are aiming to provide for 180 staff and their families. Please see the flyer for how to contribute.

We are organizing for a winter bazaar and are looking for interested vendors.

Thank you for being a part of our community #loveCACPTO

CAC PTO

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

Another busy week on campus! It was great to see so many parents attending conferences on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. If you have any questions or didn’t get an opportunity to speak with all of your child’s teachers, please don’t hesitate to reach out to them individually to set an appointment. Please let the HS office know if we can help.

Over the past few weeks we have noticed a rise in the amount of litter on campus from food and beverages that are brought onto campus from outside. Despite several reminders from teachers on duty and homeroom discussions, there has been little change. Please remind your children that ordering and bringing food on campus is a privilege, and they must do their part to keep our spaces clean. If the situation does not improve by next week, food delivery privileges may be suspended for high school students. Fortunately there are several on-campus catering options for our students to take advantage of, should this happen.

After all the events and general excitement of the last few weeks, we are looking forward to putting our heads down and focusing on learning as we approach the end of the semester. Semester one exams will be upon us quickly (starting December 10), and your child should be working productively at home to support their in-class learning by reviewing and revising course material along the way. In your child’s CAC planner, there are several pages at the front devoted to effective study skills based on what we know about learning and cognitive science research into this area. If you have not reviewed these pages, it would be well worth doing so, as the strategies suggested there are sometimes counterintuitive to students but are known to effectively support studying for tests and exams. You may also find those resources here. Please note that the semester exams are required coursework components and their completion counts towards course credit and final grades for all students. As such, all students are required to be present in school for the full week before the winter break holiday and travel should not be planned until after December 14.

When you have a few moments, please help the WWW planning team out by completing the October 2023 WWW survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance. This week’s photos capture our students who took part in local WWW courses: Photography, Service, Golf, and Sports Camp.

Dates for your Diary
• 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 November 2, 2023

Upcoming university visits:

Monday, Nov. 6th. 11:15 am-12 noon outside the front of the high school: Mini College Fair (click on the links below to find out more):
• American University of Ras Al Khaimah
• University of Wollongong in Dubai
• American University in Dubai
• American University of Sharjah
• Georgian College – Canada
• Staffordshire University
• INTO University Partnerships
• IED

Grade 12: SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, Nov. 29th at 6 pm
USA Financial Aid and Scholarships Overview. Learn what’s new for FAFSA and US based financial aid for 2024-25 and about scholarship opportunities for international students. This will be a virtual presentation by Shawn Abbott from Tulane University. An RSVP and Zoom link will be sent soon.

November 1st has passed – Congrats on EA/ED apps!
Congratulations to all Early Action and Early Decision applicants! As we wait for decisions, please remember to regularly check your emails (including your spam folder) and university portals for any updates or communications. Well done!

PSAT
Great job to all of our Grade 11 students who participated in the very first digital PSAT this past week! Students should receive results around November 15, however if counselors receive news results are out sooner, we will be in touch.

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!

 

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

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

Borders NOT Barriers.
20 days for 2M lives.
Just a few hours away people in Gaza are facing very challenging conditions and it is our duty as global actors to help them. This is why two CAC students, Hannah Abdelshahid and Nadia Assaad, have started a donation drive that will aid Gazan men, women, and children in need. This donation drive will be from November 6th – November 26th. You can donate items (red donation boxes scattered around the school between the MS, HS, and front gate)

People can donate a variety of things including but not limited to:
• Children’s products (Diapers, bottles, milk, baby clothes…)
• Hygiene products (masks, soap bars, shampoos, body wash, anti-bacterial wipes/sprays)
• Food products (canned food – tuna, beans, hummus, etc.)
• Clothing ps. unused garments are encouraged.
• Towels
• Footwear: shoes and socks, slippers
• Women’s products (pads)
• Medical/resourceful supplies (flashlights, any medical assistance equipment, including – CPR machine, blood testing…)

Donations will be categorized and sent to one of the following organizations and into the Rafah border.
• Egyptian Food Bank
• Egyptian Red Crescent
• Egyptian Clothing Bank

Contact @25nassaad@cacegypt.org and 25habdelshahid@cacegypt.org for more information.

PS: follow @bordersnotbarriers on Instagram!

Hannah Abdelshahid and Nadia Assaad

 

COMING UP! on Monday, Nov. 20
The 10th Annual General Services Staff (GSS) Appreciation Lunch

The GSS Appreciation Lunch has been a CAC tradition since 2013 where the entire CAC community comes together to show appreciation for our hard-working GSS teams. These teams are the: security guards, janitors, gardeners, bus monitors, drivers, car washers, electricians, painters & and carpenters. A total of 170 members. On that day, we organize the packing of delivered meals relying on the generous contributions of the CAC community. This event was initiated by an ES, Han Byul Lee who is now an Alumna of the Class of 2020. Check her VIDEO on the CAC Facebook Page.

If you would like to join the planning team, please get in touch with the Service-Learning Office,
Ms. Ereeny Gawdat egergess@cacegypt.org
01200 278 966

Ereeny Gawdat
PreK-12 Service Learning & CAS Coordinator

 

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

 

ES Production of Animal Jam

The Chicken Rockstars ARE COMING TO CAC!!! TICKETS ON SALE today and everyday am + pm on Campus until opening day Thur. Nov. 9th! Shows: Thurs. Nov. 9, 6pm & Friday, Nov. 10, 3pm. Can’t wait to see you there!! 200 le

ES Production Team

 

From the PTO

CAC PTO will hold a General Meeting on November 5th at 2pm in the PTO Lounge on the first floor of the Admin building. Please note that due to a scheduling conflict the division principles and Head of School will not be able to join us, however we think this a provides us an opportunity to have a conversation with our community. We hope to see you there!

More details will be available soon.

You can leave donations in an envelope marked PTO at the front gate. If an electronic method works better for you, we have the following options. You can send funds to our Co-President Salma through Venmo or use the number 8328763386 to send via Zelle. For Egyptian accounts, you can send to our Head of Room Parents Rasha using her InstaPay @rashaak. No matter the donation method, make sure to note whether funds are for a specific event or the PTO general fund.

Our Health and Wellness committee is beginning work on organizing our Wellness Fair at the beginning of next year. We’d love to have you help shape this event, be on the lookout for further information.

We have a lot coming up in the next few months, please mark your calendars!

CAC PTO

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

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

 Vietnam

South Africa

Switzerland

Senior Seminar

As we write this Highro, students are returning home from experiences here in Cairo and farther afield. Welcome back! We’ve included some of our favorite group photos in this week’s edition.

Enjoy the weekend with your family and friends, and we look forward to seeing everyone back to school, refreshed and reinvigorated after a long week of learning, exploring and having fun!

Turkey

Sports Camp

Fayoum

Spain

Rome

Dates for your Diary
• Sun 22 October – First day back in classes after WWW. It will be an H Day
• Mon Oct 23 – Early Release Day (Assessment). Dismissal at 11:30 am
• Oct 25 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward. You will be notified by email when they are ready (please note this is one day later than previously published)
• 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)
• Wed 1 Nov – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (All day. No classes)
• 9-12 Nov – ISAA Season 1 tournaments
• Thu 16 Nov – HS Talent Show (Theatre, evening)

Diving

Copenhagen

Croatia

Golf

Explore Service

Photography

 

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of October 19, 2023

Grade 11: PSAT

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.

Upon returning from WWW, students will be asked to complete the Digital Readiness Check to ensure devices are functioning properly. Students with alternate test day arrangements will be contacted soon.

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!

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

From Athletics

This season we are featuring two matches on Wednesday 25th October.

1. Varsity Girls Volleyball vs MES – 3:30pm
2. Varsity Boys Football vs MES – 3:30pm

Degla Dash

CLICK HERE for the registration form.

Athletics Office

 

Girls Get Strong! We need your help

Dear Community Members,

We need your support!

Girls get Strong is back!

For those of you who are new, with the support of Cairo American College (CAC), Girls Get Strong (GGS) was founded in 2016 to empower girls in health, fitness, and athletics. As we embark on the eighth year, Girls Get Strong has grown into an event that strives to empower girls in all aspects of their lives through connections with positive and inspiring community role models.

The staple of Girls Get Strong is an annual health and fitness conference that draws upon the abundant resources in our community to inspire girls to be socially, emotionally, and physically healthy. Experts in health, fitness, and athletics engage students ages 10-18 in workshops and fitness activities.

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: November 18, 2023
Time: 8 am – 2 pm
Location: Cairo American College (Maadi, Egypt)
Grade Level: 5th-12th Grade
Total Students: 100-150

As a not for profit event, Girls Get Strong relies heavily on community support. There is further information attached about the various ways in which you can support this event. We reach out to you today to join our mission of keeping girls active.

Volunteer sign up form

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss your involvement further. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Siobhan Buckman
Teacher Leader

 

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

CAC PTO

 

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

University Fair

Today is the big day when our Week Without Walls program finally takes off! The first of our international trips departed this afternoon, and the group is currently at the airport awaiting their flight to Vietnam. Following closely behind are groups heading to South Africa and Croatia, with the rest of the trips scheduled to depart throughout the weekend. On Sunday, all the Week Without Walls courses will be fully activated, and students will engage in dynamic learning experiences here on campus, in wider Cairo and all around the world.

This type of ‘experiential learning’ is a core part of the holistic education at CAC. We are extremely proud of the program and we know that it is deeply enriching, albeit sometimes challenging, for our students. They will be guided through their learning journeys by our experienced team of educators, and there is no doubt that they will return from these experiences with wonderful memories and a treasure trove of stories. These are the memories they will carry with them for many years to come.

The Week Without Walls program doesn’t happen without a great deal of hard work and dedication from our faculty and administration. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all on behalf of our parents and students for this wonderful, enriching opportunity. Watch this space for some awesome photos in the coming weeks.

It was wonderful to host the large International University Fair on campus this week as well. Representatives from more than 110 universities from around the world were here for several hours engaging in conversations with students and parents. Well done and a big thank you to our counseling team for the organization of the event.

Dates for your Diary
• Sun 22 October – First day back in classes after WWW. It will be an H Day
• Mon Oct 23 – Early Release Day (Assessment). Dismissal at 11:30 am
• Oct 25 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward. You will be notified by email when they are ready (please note this is one day later than previously published)
• 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
• Wed 1 Nov – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (All day. No classes)
• 9-12 Nov – ISAA Season 1 tournaments
• Thu 16 Nov – HS Talent Show (Theatre, evening)

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of October 12, 2023

Grade 11: PSAT
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.

Upon returning from WWW, students will be asked to complete the Digital Readiness Check to ensure devices are functioning properly. Students with alternate test day arrangements will be contacted soon.

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.

A Big Thank You for the Successful University Fair!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our University Fair this past week. We’ve received outstanding feedback from the college representatives, commending the preparedness, engagement, and thoughtful questions from our students. Thank you all for making it a great day!

Another huge thank you to our student ambassadors who volunteered their time to help with the fair. These student leaders helped with check in, leading the representatives to the gym, and monitored the fair. We are so thankful for their help and professionalism!

ACT test information:

The registration for 23-24 test dates are as follows:

Saturday, October 28, 2023 (full for CAC location)
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

From Aquatics

Swim-A-Thon /Time Trials Fall 2023

Aquatics Office

 

BOOSTER CLUB

Please note that due to WWW and Prime Trips the Booster Club Spirit Store and Spirit Cafe will not be open from October 15-19. Thank you and see you soon!

BOOSTER CLUB

 

Girls Get Strong! We need your help

Dear Community Members,

We need your support!

Girls get Strong is back!

For those of you who are new, with the support of Cairo American College (CAC), Girls Get Strong (GGS) was founded in 2016 to empower girls in health, fitness, and athletics. As we embark on the eighth year, Girls Get Strong has grown into an event that strives to empower girls in all aspects of their lives through connections with positive and inspiring community role models.

The staple of Girls Get Strong is an annual health and fitness conference that draws upon the abundant resources in our community to inspire girls to be socially, emotionally, and physically healthy. Experts in health, fitness, and athletics engage students ages 10-18 in workshops and fitness activities.

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: November 18, 2023
Time: 8 am – 2 pm
Location: Cairo American College (Maadi, Egypt)
Grade Level: 5th-12th Grade
Total Students: 100-150

As a not for profit event, Girls Get Strong relies heavily on community support. There is further information attached about the various ways in which you can support this event. We reach out to you today to join our mission of keeping girls active.

Volunteer sign up form

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss your involvement further. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Siobhan Buckman
Teacher Leader

 

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

Important dates:

October 19th – DONATION DEADLINE for contributions to the ES Halloween celebration
October 19th – DEADLINE for submission of Agenda items for the next CACPTO meeting
October 26th – Halloween festivities
October 29th – CACPTO’s next General Meeting
November 16 – CACPTO after-school film fundraiser; showing Elemental! Details TBA
November 21 – CACPTO Teacher Appreciation event

We are thrilled to announce that Michelle Serry has joined our CAC PTO Executive board as our Secretary! We are beyond fortunate to have her on our team.

We still need a Korean Liaison to help us effectively connect the PTO and Korean community. You’ll need to attend Executive Board meetings and communicate concerns and feedback from the Korean community to PTO as well as encourage involvement in PTO events. If you’d like to join our team, please email cacpto@cacegypt.org.

Help! We need more Halloween candy and non-candy donations for the ES trick or treat lane event. We’re only at 20 percent of our goal as of now and just over a week left till the donation deadline October 19th. You can leave your donations at the front gate monster box or at the ES office monster box.

Get ready for the spooktacular CAC PTO Halloween carnival!
Ticket price: 200 LE per child.
Ticket sales dates: October 17th-19th at pickup. October 22nd-25th at drop off and pick up.
Ticket sales location: Front Gate.
This event is open to CAC ID holders. Children under 3 do not need a ticket.

Connect with CACPTO! You can follow us on Instagram page and join our Facebook Group for announcements and community conversations. All of our programs run on volunteer support and events are organized through committees. If you’d like to see how you can contribute to the community through the PTO please join our WhatsApp Group.

If you have concerns that you’d like to bring to the CACPTO look here to see where to direct your message.

Mark your calendars for the very first PTO ES after school movie this year, with the very exciting ELEMENTAL movie showing. This movie will be supervised by parents and will start at 3:15 on Thursday November 16th in the ES hall. There are no ASAs on this day. The PTO is fortunate to have the Booster Club joining in this event to sell some of their delicious cafe menu items right in the ES hall for your convenience, while the movie is playing. Ticket sales info and all other details to follow. This is a PG movie recommended for 6 and up, if younger children’s parents wish to attend, then please have a look at common sense media review https://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/elemental

Have a great weekend! #loveCACPTO

CAC PTO

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

It was great to host a coffee morning for parents of Grade 9 students today. The session covered various topics of interest for Grade 9 and the slides used can be found here.

Week Without Walls Reminders – October 3
• WWW takes place in one week! If your child is leaving home for WWW, this is a good time to review family emergency numbers / contact information, expectations for cell phone use and data roaming packages, and expectations for behavior when traveling with school. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to the course teachers.
• Google Classrooms -Parents – if you need help accessing the classrooms, please contact Mona Abdelhady (mabdelhady@cacegypt.org).
• Course Teacher Contact – If you wish to contact the WWW course leader for more information, please refer to your child’s schedule in Skyward; the teacher is listed there under WWW.
• Essential travel documents – please ensure all documents have been completed and handed in to the course leaders.

Dates for your Diary
• Oct 10 – Large University Fair (morning)
• Oct 13-20 – WWW
• Mon Oct 23 – Early Release Day (Assessment). Dismissal at 11:30 am
• Oct 24 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward at 3:15 pm
• 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
• Wed 1 Nov – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (All day. No classes)
• 9-12 Nov – ISAA Season 1 tournaments

 

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of October 3, 2023

Grade 11: PSAT
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.

Seniors
Senior Drop-In Sessions: Most Tuesdays during lunch, counselors are available in the conference room for any application-related queries or guidance. The schedule can be found here.

Counselor Letter of Rec Questionnaire: Students are minded to complete their Counselor Letter of Recommendation Questionnaire, if they haven’t already (especially for those who have looming deadlines).

Upcoming University Fair:
Tuesday, Oct. 10th from 9:15-11:15 AM right here on campus! The fair will have timed entry by grade levels during those hours and parents will also be given a time to enjoy the fair. With over 110 universities represented from 19 countries, this is your student’s chance to gather information, ask questions, and explore opportunities. You can see the list of confirmed universities here.

ACT test information:
The registration for 23-24 test dates are as follows:

Saturday, October 28, 2023 (full for CAC location)
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

From Aquatics

Swim-A-Thon /Time Trials Fall 2023

Aquatics Office

 

Mark Your Calendars!
What? The Baheya Foundation Fundraiser
When? Tuesday, October 10 from 11:15 – 12:00
Where? Area in front of HS building

This fundraiser is a great opportunity to learn about the Baheya Foundation a charity hospital for the treatment and early detection of breast cancer. All profits will go to the hospital to support all of their efforts in aiding Egyptian women against the harsh illness that is Breast Cancer.

Please follow the Service Learning Executive Committees (SLEC) Instagram @slec_team and the Global Issues and Services Club (GISC) Instagram @cacgisc for more information about this event and this organization!

Thank you all!

We look forward to seeing you!

Sincerely,

The HS SLEC and GISC teams

 

Girls Get Strong! We need your help

Dear Community Members,

We need your support!

Girls get Strong is back!

For those of you who are new, with the support of Cairo American College (CAC), Girls Get Strong (GGS) was founded in 2016 to empower girls in health, fitness, and athletics. As we embark on the eighth year, Girls Get Strong has grown into an event that strives to empower girls in all aspects of their lives through connections with positive and inspiring community role models.

The staple of Girls Get Strong is an annual health and fitness conference that draws upon the abundant resources in our community to inspire girls to be socially, emotionally, and physically healthy. Experts in health, fitness, and athletics engage students ages 10-18 in workshops and fitness activities.

Details of the event are as follows:

Date: November 18, 2023
Time: 8 am – 2 pm
Location: Cairo American College (Maadi, Egypt)
Grade Level: 5th-12th Grade
Total Students: 100-150

As a not for profit event, Girls Get Strong relies heavily on community support. There is further information attached about the various ways in which you can support this event. We reach out to you today to join our mission of keeping girls active.

Volunteer sign up form

Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss your involvement further. We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Siobhan Buckman
Teacher Leader

 

From the PTO

Heads-up: It has been a short week but our announcements this week are lengthy. There’s a lot of important info here!

Important dates:

October 10th – After School Bakesale
October 26th – Halloween festivities
October 29th – CACPTO’s next General Meeting
November 16 – CACPTO after-school film fundraiser; showing Elemental! Details TBA
November 21 – CACPTO Teacher Appreciation event

Did you know you can sync to the school’s Google Calendar? You can choose which division events you want automatically added onto your calendar to help stay informed of what is on the horizon. Login to the dashboard, scroll down to the CAC Calendar and in the lower right corner of that widget click the Plus sign. This is a great resource if you like to have scheduling information further ahead of time than the blogs tend to provide.

Our PTO Executive Board is looking for two more people to join us to increase our effectiveness in working for our community.

We are looking for a Secretary to take notes in Executive Board and General meetings. The Secretary will also work with the Executive board to prepare meeting agendas as well as organize PTO documents and equipment.

We also need a Korean Liaison to help us effectively connect the PTO and Korean community. You’ll need to attend Executive Board meetings and communicate concerns and feedback from the Korean community to PTO as well as encourage involvement in PTO events.

If you’d like to join our team in either of these roles please email cacpto@cacegypt.org.

In pursuit of our mission to foster community and enrich the learning experience here at CAC, the Executive Board wants to make sure you know where to direct feedback and concerns so we can most effectively offer meaningful support.

If you have any general Elementary School related feedback or questions you can contact the ES Liaison Najla Demerdash.
Email: najlad@gmail.com

If you have any general Middle School related feedback or questions you can contact the MS Liaison Sara Harrison
Email: sarajoy.harrison@gmail.com

If you have any general High School related feedback or questions you can contact the HS Liaison Riju Shrimali
Email: rijushrimali@gmail.com

If you have any Health and Wellness related feedback or questions you can contact the Health and Wellness liaison Nadine Sabry:
Email: ndinesabry@gmail.com

If you have any school wide related questions or feedback please contact the Co-Presidents:
Salma Zaky
Email: salmahzaky@gmail.com
Najla Demerdash
Email: najlad@gmail.com

If you have any class related feedback or questions please contact your teacher directly.

Last week PTO held our second General Meeting. If you weren’t able to attend the meeting but want to stay informed, please find our detailed notes here. Our next General Meeting will be October 29th. If you have an item you’d like on the agenda please bring it to us no later than October 19th to give PTO and admin time to prepare a meaningful response.

We understand that needing to come to campus to donate in support of the PTO is an obstacle to many of our community members. If an electronic method works better for you, please make note of these options we are now offering.

You can send funds to our Co-President Salma through Venmo or use the number 8328763386 to send via Zelle. For Egyptian accounts, you can send to our Head of Room Parents Rasha using her InstaPay @rashaak. Make sure to note whether funds are for a specific event or the PTO general fund.

Lastly, we’ve gotten a sneak peek of what our Halloween Committees are up to and we just couldn’t keep it to ourselves!

A thousand thanks to our dedicated committee members who have already put in lots of work to make our Halloween festivities extra special.

Have a great long weekend everyone! #loveCACPTO

CAC PTO

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

Ladies and gentlemen, Spirit Week has drawn to a close! This past week has been a whirlwind of vibrant energy, camaraderie, and some pretty intense inter-grade level competition. It’s been a time for students to come together, not only to foster grade-level unity but also to showcase their diverse interests, talents, and skills through a selection of events curated by this year’s Student Council.

The week kicked off with a thrilling Capture the Flag showdown, followed by the cerebral excitement of a Kahoot quiz to keep minds sharp, a breathtaking biggest splash contest, and a nail-biting Rock, Paper Scissors event. We braved the Tug Of War and ended on a high with a fantastic lip-syncing and banner design competition bringing out students’ creative and artistic sides.

Beyond these spirited contests, the daily dress-up themes and generous food and essential items donations added layers of meaning to this week-long celebration. Spirit Week isn’t just about fun; it’s also a chance for personal growth and well-being. It’s a platform for our students to embody CAC’s core values and character strengths as they collaborate within their grade-level teams. So, as we bid farewell to this unforgettable week, let’s remember that it’s more than just a series of events; it’s a testament to our school community’s vitality, imagination and fun-seeking nature.

Week Without Walls Reminders
• Google Classrooms – Google classrooms are active. Parents will need to use their Google accounts to access the classrooms. If you need help accessing the classrooms, please contact Mona Abdelhady (mabdelhady@cacegypt.org).
• Course Teacher Contact – If you wish to contact the WWW course leader for more information, please refer to your child’s schedule in Skyward; the teacher is listed there under WWW.
• Health Forms, Visas (overnight travel) due Sep 30

Dates for your Diary
• Sept 28 – No school (Prophet’s Birthday Holiday)
• Oct 3 – Grade 9 Coffee Morning (9:00 a.m.), HS Meeting Room
• Oct 10 – Large University Fair (morning)
• Oct 13-20 – WWW
• Mon Oct 23 – Early Release Day (Assessment)
• Oct 24 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward
• Fri 27 Oct – Degla Dash – fundraising community running event in Wadi Degla
• Mon 30 Oct – Grade 11 PSAT test taking day
• Tue 31 Oct – 3:30 – 5:00 – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences
• Wed 1 Nov – Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences (All day. No classes)
• 9-12 Nov – ISAA Season 1 tournaments

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of September 27, 2023

Seniors should have held their individual college meeting with their counselor by now. Counselors will continue to meet with seniors ongoing as needed while students get ready to submit their first set of applications for university.
Drop In Sessions help will continue at several upcoming Tuesdays at lunch. 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. Also, please review the materials from Senior College Night here.

Upcoming University Fair:

Tuesday, Oct. 10th from 9:15-11:15 AM right here on campus! The fair will have timed entry by grade levels during those hours and parents will also be given a time to enjoy the fair. With over 100 universities represented from over a dozen countries, this is your student’s chance to gather information, ask questions, and explore opportunities. You can see the list of confirmed universities here.

ACT test information:

The registration for 23-24 test dates are as follows:

Saturday, October 28, 2023 (full for CAC location)
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

 

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

From Aquatics

Swim-A-Thon /Time Trials Fall 2023

Aquatics Office

From the PTO

This week PTO held our second General Meeting. We were glad to see several community members. Participation in PTO events to this point has been wonderful and we’re looking to maintain our momentum! If you weren’t able to attend the meeting but want to stay informed, please find our detailed notes here.

We had another delicious bake sale on Tuesday afternoon. Please note that there will not be a bake sale next week due to the long weekend.

Halloween candy and non-candy donation boxes are positioned near the front gate and in the ES office. Have you seen them? The committees did such a beautiful job with them!

We understand that needing to come to campus to donate in support of the PTO is an obstacle to many of our community members. If an electronic method works better for you, please make note of these options we are now offering.

You can send funds to our Co-President Salma through Venmo or use the number 8328763386 to send via Zelle. For Egyptian accounts, you can send to our Head of Room Parents Rasha using her InstaPay @rashaak. Make sure to note whether funds are for a specific event or the PTO general fund.

We are grateful for your continued support!

CAC PTO

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

45th CACMUN Opening Ceremony

MUN Secretary General opens the event

As I write today’s newsletter post, the campus is abuzz with the vibrant activity of more than 450 model United Nations delegates attending the 45th CACMUN event here on campus. It is wonderful to welcome students from schools all around Cairo and one international school from overseas to this prestigious annual event. The CAC team of students, guided by CAC faculty members David Godfrey and Bobby Cowles, has been working diligently since April of last year to plan this event. Along the way, they have developed excellent leadership and organizational skills, which are paying dividends today.

MUN Delegates at work

MUN events present an array of wonderful opportunities for students such as:

• Broadening Horizons: With participants from around the world, this event provides a unique chance for students to explore different viewpoints and cultures, broadening their horizons.
• Problem-Solving Skills: MUN challenges students to think critically and find solutions to complex global issues, a skill set that’s highly valuable in today’s interconnected world.
• Communication Excellence: Delegates must express their thoughts clearly, negotiate effectively, and draft resolutions, honing their communication skills for future success.
• Leadership Development: Empowers students to become confident leaders, ready to advocate for change and collaborate on global challenges.
• Networking: Opportunities for students to connect with peers, mentors, and experts, fostering valuable connections for their future endeavors.
• Cultural Awareness: Exposure to different cultures is an essential part of MUN, promoting cultural awareness and appreciation.
• Global Citizenship: MUN encourages our students to embrace their roles as responsible global citizens, informed and motivated to address global issues.

Next week is Spirit Week! For those of you who have been at CAC for more than a year, I do not need to say more; you know what’s coming! However, if you are a new family in town, be prepared. Spirit Week in the high school is an energetic and intense period of time where students celebrate their unique grade level and CAC spirit in a competitive arena throughout the week. Your child will no doubt come to school dressed in wacky costumes and return home with tales of adventure, hijinks, and lots of fun. Look out for photos in next week’s edition of this newsletter. In the meantime, I wish you a safe and pleasant weekend.

Week Without Walls
This week, we were delighted to be joined by many parents in our online Week Without Walls meetings. Excitement is rising as the WWW adventures draw nearer. Be sure to check the relevant Google Classroom for your child’s allocated course; there are forms and paperwork that need to be completed to authorize travel.

Link to the WWW website
https://www.cacegypt.org/CAC-intranet/index.php/hs-week-without-walls-23-24

Week Without Walls Reminders
• Google Classrooms – Google classrooms are active. Parents will need to use their Google accounts to access the classrooms. If you need help accessing the classrooms, please contact Mona Abdelhady (mabdelhady@cacegypt.org).
• Course Teacher Contact – If you wish to contact the WWW course leader for more information, please refer to your child’s schedule in Skyward; the teacher is listed there under WWW.
• Health Forms, Visas (overnight travel) due Sep 30

Dates for your Diary
• Sept 24-27 – HS Spirit Week
• Sept 28 – No school (Prophet’s Birthday Holiday)
• Oct 3 – Grade 9 Coffee Morning (9:00 a.m.)
• Oct 10 – Large University Fair (morning)
• Oct 13-20 – WWW
• Oct 24 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward

MS/HS Strings Ensemble at Peace Day Assembly

MS/HS Choir perform at Peace Day Assembly

 

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of September 21, 2023

Grade 9 Seminar: This week, our Grade 9 students gathered in the library for a seminar led by Ms. Ennis. Students learned about research techniques, generative AI/plagiarism, and took a deep dive into our CAC Academic Honor Code. Later this semester, Grade 9 students will have another informative session in the library.

Upcoming University Fair:
Tuesday, Oct. 10th from 9:45-11:15 AM right here on campus! The fair will have timed entry by grade levels during those hours. With over 100 universities represented, this is your chance to gather information, ask questions, and explore opportunities. You can see the list of confirmed universities here.

Seniors: Upcoming Drop In Sessions
On most Tuesdays during lunch, at least one counselor will be available in the counseling conference room for drop-in sessions. 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 test information:
The registration for 23-24 test dates are as follows:

Saturday, October 28, 2023 (full for CAC location)
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

 

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

From the PTO

We had another awesome bake sale on Tuesday. Our volunteers brought some incredible treats to sell. We are so grateful for the support of our volunteers and the community who purchased and enjoyed the goodies. Keep an eye on our socials and WhatsApp groups for details about our next bake sale.

Our New Family Felucca Trip was this Thursday. We hope all the new parents who participated had a wonderful time connecting and getting to know each other. We’re very glad to be able to bring people together to nurture our wonderful community.

Mark your calendars!

On Sunday, Sept 24th at 2pm we will have our CAC PTO General Meeting in the PTO lounge on the first floor of the Admin building. We look forward to seeing you there. We will share what your CAC PTO has done in the last few weeks, what we have on the horizon, and a budget snapshot. Your attendance and participation is vital to our organization!

Looking ahead:

Planning for our Halloween festivities is well underway. The collection boxes for candy and other donations will be in the ES office and by the front gate daily from 7:30-3pm. It is a real community effort to put together this annual tradition and we appreciate your support and donations.

PTO

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

Varsity Volleyball team off to Paris!

Varsity Boys Soccer Match

It’s been a busy week for our sports teams with several exciting games taking place on campus for the soccer and volleyball teams. Also, last weekend the JV volleyball teams traveled to Alexandria to compete against Schutz American School. This weekend, the varsity volleyball teams are heading to Paris to represent CAC internationally. The cross country team continues dedicated practices, even when those take place at 6 am, like this morning. To come to school and see our campus alive and buzzing with activity that early in the morning (especially considering these are sleepy teenagers!) is a truly impressive site and gets the day off to a fantastic start for them and all of us. Go Eagles!

The HS INJAZ team

Congratulations to our HS INJAZ Team who won first place in the Injaz young entrepreneur competition that took place last weekend. They will now represent Egypt in the regional round in Qatar during the last week of October, competing against teams from 12 other countries. These high school seniors have been working hard together the last few months to bring their project and business plan to fruition. You can see that they have been doing here: https://www.instagram.com/exten.desk/

Grade nine successfully completed their MAP testing in math and reading this week. Results will be available for parents in Skyward shortly. We will send an email with information to Grade 9 parents about this soon.

Don’t forget this weekend is the final deadline for Week Without Walls payments. Please make arrangements with the accounting office to settle this bill if you have not done so already. In order to get prepared, please check your student’s WWW Google Classroom for more information about the individual courses and experiences. Students in need of visas for travel should be actively pursuing those at this point in time. Parent meetings (online) will take place next week. You will receive an invitation via email every soon inviting you to join.

It’s wonderful to have some slightly cooler weather after the heat waves earlier this month. Disruptions to the weather and the chaos and tragedy this has been causing, even very recently in some of our neighboring countries, is concerning and deeply upsetting. We wish all our families well and send best wishes for a safe weekend.

Dates for your Diary
• Sept 15 – WWW payments due
• W/B 17 Sept – WWW parent meetings (online)
• Sept 17-20 – HS Yearbook Photos
• Sept 21-23 – CAC MUN Event on campus
• Sept 24-27 – HS Spirit Week
• Sept 28 – No school (Prophet’s Birthday Holiday)
• Oct 3 – Grade 9 Coffee Morning (9:00 a.m.)
• Oct 10 – Large University Fair (morning)
• Oct 13-20 – WWW
• Oct 24 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward

NAHS mural in the High School

 

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of September 14, 2023

Upcoming College Visits:
Monday, Sept 18th, from 11:15-11:55 AM
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in front of the high school. Learn about their programs, campus life, and more. For additional information on SCAD, visit their website here.

Upcoming University Fair:
Tuesday, Oct. 10th from 9:45-11:15 AM right here on campus! The fair will have timed entry by grade levels during those hours. With over 100 universities represented, this is your chance to gather information, ask questions, and explore opportunities. You can see the list of confirmed universities here.

New Student Lunch
This past Tuesday, we had the pleasure of gathering our new students for a special lunch to celebrate their first few weeks as CAC students.

Seniors: Upcoming Drop In Sessions
On most Tuesdays during lunch, at least one counselor will be available in the counseling conference room for drop-in sessions. 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 test information:
The registration for 23-24 test dates are as follows:

Saturday, October 28, 2023 (full for CAC location)
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

 

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

Annual HS Yearbook Photos Next Week

Annual photos for all 9-12 students are taking place next Sunday-Wednesday, September 17-20 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the Top Floor in front of the Studio Art classroom. Students must adhere to the school dress code in their yearbook portrait. Grade 9-11 students wishing to purchase school photos must fill out this High School Photography 2023-2024 Form. Seniors should fill out this form. All forms and payments should be delivered directly to the photographer and forms are available at the HS Office. Purchasing photos is optional, but all HS students must have their photo taken for the purpose of publication in the annual HS Yearbook.

GRADES 9-11: Questions – Ms. Erica (eminix@cacegypt.org)

• Grades 9-11 will have their pictures taken during study hall and flex on Sunday through Tuesday.
• Grade 9 will be accompanied by teachers during their study hall periods.
• Grades 10-11 who are on flex should sign in for flex at the HS Office then have their pictures taken on the top floor.
• Students without a flex will have their pictures taken during lunch.

GRADE 12: Questions – HS Yearbook Co-Editors Lara Mekawy (24lmekawy@cacegypt.org) and Maddy Grainger (24mgrainger@cacegypt.org)

• Grade 12 will take their official cap and gown headshots on WEDNESDAY 9/20.
• Look sharp! While students have free choice of their styling, formal dress is desired (i.e. wearing a tie or nice jewelry looks great as it shows under the gown!)
• Small groups shot can also be taken for seniors who are interested (limit: 6 people per picture with caps and gowns).
• Seniors may also arrange to have their own photos taken (in addition to their cap & gown portraits) to run in the Senior Section of yearbook. Requirements for individual headshots will be sent by the HS Yearbook team later this fall.

Erica Minix
HS Art Teacher (Studio, Digital Arts, Yearbook)

 

CAC HS/MS Basketball Programs 

On Saturday – Sept 16 – the CAC Main Gym will be open for basketball shooting, individual drills, and open play. The gym will be supervised by a CAC teacher/coach and students may show up to the open times according to the following schedule:

• 1-2 pm: HS Girls
• 2-3 pm: MS Boys/Girls
• 3-4 pm: HS Boys

Thank you for adhering to the above schedule so that all have an equal opportunity to play.

CAC HS and MS Basketball Coaches

 

From the PTO

This Tuesday, the PTO had our first bake sale of the year. We were so impressed with the support from our incredible community; both from the volunteers who donated their time and creations and the students, parents, and staff who purchased and enjoyed the goodies. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Our next bake sale will be Tuesday, September 19th after school.

Speaking of after school nibbles, Fresh & Co is offering their menu of drinks and snacks. You’ll find them in the ES Cafeteria Sunday-Wednesday from 2:30-4:00. 10% of the proceeds from those sales benefit the PTO. We are happy to be able to bring this option back to campus and are so grateful for your support.

Our Halloween committees are hard at work already. We extend our thanks to the parents who stepped up to lead the decorations and carnival committees as well as all the volunteers who are committing their time and talents to bring this fun tradition to life. Keep your eyes open for details on how to donate candy or non-food items in support of the fun.

Important dates: The New Parent Felucca will be next Thursday, September 21st. Our next PTO General Meeting will be held Sunday, September 24th at 1:30pm in the PTO lounge.

We want your ideas! Please follow us on Instagram page and join our Facebook Group for announcements and community conversations. All of our programs run on volunteer support and events are organized through committees. If you’d like to see how you can contribute to the community through the PTO, please join our WhatsApp Group.

PTO

CAC High School Principal’s Notes

Teaching and Learning in the HS

The end of this week marks just over three weeks of learning behind us. It’s evident that our school is fully operational, and everyone has settled into their routines and rhythms. New students and teachers have integrated seamlessly, and learning is well underway for everyone.

Teaching and Learning in the HS

If you haven’t already, I encourage you to check your child’s Skyward gradebook this week. Teachers will have entered early assessment information by now. It’s important to remember that these early assessments provide a snapshot of the ongoing learning process. Whether the grade is good or not-so-good, it represents the student’s initial opportunity to demonstrate their understanding. Throughout the semester, there will be many more chances for them to showcase their progress.

I’d like to commend our athletics coaches for their dedication this week. Despite scorching temperatures, they persevered, even when faced with cancellations due to the heat. Our teams showed remarkable adaptability by finding alternative practice locations, including a creative use of the high school building by the cross country team! They remain committed to working towards their goals. Go Eagles!

This week also featured the Service Fair here on campus. I extend my gratitude to our service learning coordinator, Ereeny Gawdat, for organizing this event. It’s inspiring to witness local entrepreneurs and businesses prioritize service-oriented and sustainable practices in their operations. In connection with this, I’m pleased to announce that CAC’s solar panel project is now contributing a significant percentage of electricity to the campus. While we continue to manage the daily power cuts, it’s reassuring to know that CAC is actively moving towards more sustainable energy consumption practices.

Lastly, it was heartening to see such a large turnout of parents at our first parent coffee morning this week. For those who couldn’t attend or anyone who wants a recap, you can find the slides used during the event here.

Link to the WWW website

https://www.cacegypt.org/CAC-intranet/index.php/hs-week-without-walls-23-24

Week Without Walls Reminders

• September 15 – deadline for final payment for WWW. For payment amounts and details, please contact the Finance Office directly. The contact person is Dina Sadek (dsadek@cacegypt.org).
• September 17-19 – Parent information sessions will be held online; session specifics will be sent by course leaders.
• Google Classrooms – Google classrooms for overnight adventures are active. Parents will need to use their Google accounts to access the classrooms. If you need help accessing the classrooms, please contact Mona Abdelhady (mabdelhady@cacegypt.org).
• Course Teacher Contact – If you wish to contact the WWW course leader for more information, please refer to your child’s schedule in Skyward; the teacher is listed there under WWW.

Dates for your Diary
• Sept 9-13 Grade 9 MAP testing (Reading and Math. Done in class time)
• Sept 11 – Grade 12 IB Info Evening
• Sept 14 – Early Dismissal (11:30 a.m.)
• Sept 15 – WWW payments due
• W/B 17 Sept – WWW parent meetings (online)
• Sept 17-20 – HS Photos
• Sept 21-23 – CAC MUN Event
• Sept 24-27 – HS Spirit Week
• Sept 28 – No school (Prophet’s Birthday Holiday)
• Oct 3 – Grade 9 Coffee Morning (9:00 a.m.)
• Oct 10 – Large University Fair (morning)
• Oct 13-20 – WWW
• Oct 24 – Quarter 1 Progress Report posted on Skyward

Parent Coffee

Student Council Pizza Sales

 

 

Andrew Buckman               Rachel McCall
                HS Principal                  HS Assistant Principal

 

Counseling Department Announcements

Week of September 7, 2023

Grade 12

Thank you to everyone who attended Senior College Night on Tuesday! We hope the evening was both motivating and informative. Please look for an email from Ms. Bean as this will contain the powerpoint slides and information from the evening. As we now embark on this personalized journey, we kindly remind our senior students to schedule their one-on-one meetings with their counselors to occur by September 27th.

Welcome to Ms. Lena!

Ms. Lena Rezk joins our counseling office this coming Sunday as one of our Administrative Assistants! Stop by and say hello to her to welcome her to this new role.

ACT test information:

The registration for 23-24 test dates are as follows:

Saturday, October 28, 2023
Saturday, December 2, 2023
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Saturday, April 13, 2024
Saturday June 8, 2024

Registration details here!

 

Claudia Bean, Jody Stiles, Kasey Semler
HS Counseling

General Announcements

Health Office Reminder to Gr. 9 Students

Health Office

 

3 vs 3 Tournament

Monte and I would like to thank everyone who came out to support our first annual 3 on 3 basketball tournament. A special thanks to David Goetz, Courtney Bailey, Phil Green, and Matthew Parnell for all of your support, time and efforts during the tournament. Last but especially not least, thank you to all the teams. It filled our hearts to watch you all do what you love.

Below you will find the winners of the tournament:

1st place:
Kasey Semler
Jeff Mortelette
Abdallah Fahme
Bess Parnell

2nd place:
Elijah McCloud
Nathan Keddington
Daniel Alula
Mostafa El-Zayat

3rd place:
Joshua Tippins
Henry Nutsch
Adrian Tabanan
Ewan Eldridge

Congratulations to all of you!!!!

Thank you,

Lakesha Davis
Monte Davis

#Basketballislife

Athletics Office

 

CAC HS/MS Basketball Programs 

On Saturday – Sept 9 and 16 – the CAC Main Gym will be open for basketball shooting, individual drills, and open play. The gym will be supervised by a CAC teacher/coach and students may show up to the open times according to the following schedule:

• 1-2 pm: HS Girls
• 2-3 pm: MS Boys/Girls
• 3-4 pm: HS Boys

Thank you for adhering to the above schedule so that all have an equal opportunity to play.

CAC HS and MS Basketball Coaches

 

Learn-To-Swim program is now inviting students to sign-up for the Tuesday swim school program. Please sign-up at below link.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/139Dfvge8mrez6HDQ1fCMuWhUW3ha_E3O3vLsTaghTRQ/edit

Aquatics Office

Hello CAC! Welcome to Cairo Girl Scouts!

Please fill out this form if you are interested in having your daughter join Cairo Girl Scouts and/or if you yourself are interested in being a troop leader. More information is available on the form.

Meghan Ennis
MS/HS Library

From the PTO

The PTO wants to connect with you! Aside from our school blog here, we maintain a number of channels to communicate with our community. You can follow us on Instagram page and join our Facebook Group for announcements and community conversations. All of our programs run on volunteer support and events are organized through committees. If you’d like to see how you can contribute to the community through the PTO please join our WhatsApp Group and fill out our Volunteer Survey.

We had a General Meeting on August 27th and were so happy to see our beautiful PTO Lounge filled with community members! If you couldn’t make it, the notes are here: August 27th Meeting Notes.

Have a great week!

PTO

 

Booster Club Spirit Store Opening Hours

Sunday-Thursday 
8:00 am – 10:00 am
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm
CASH ONLY

Thank you for shopping at the Spirit Store.

Kindly note that the Spirit Store will not be able to provide Spare recharge.

Your CAC Booster Club is now on Instagram. Come follow us @cacboosterclub and on Facebook, CAC Booster Club. You may also email us at boosterclub@cacegypt.org.

CAC Booster Club