Middle School Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents,
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of the News and Views. We have had a productive week of learning with students engaged in a variety of learning experiences. For example: In Language Arts, our students spent some time writing poetry on the lawn.
Kudos! To all the parents who managed to make it to the Principal’s Coffee Morning on Wednesday. We had guest speaker Bassem Malek who presented to parents on the topic of “Digital Addiction.” Some of the information that was shared with us was fascinating; like if you live to be 75 years old and you spend one hour per day on your phone, you will end up spending a total of three years on your phone. A recent study in the USA asked folks if they forget their jackets inside during the winter, would they go back and get it; and only 28% said they would go back and get it. However, when asked if they would go back and get their phone a total of 88% said they would. It goes to show just how we can’t live without our devices. To learn more about what you as parents could do, I am sharing an article with you, Five Reasons Parents Should Limit Screen Time and How to Do It.
Soon we will be hosting our Annual Middle School Talent Show 2020. Be prepared to be dazzled by dancers, singers, guitarists, pianists, and so much more!! Come out for a great night of entertainment, fun, and surprises in the CAC Theater on Thursday, February 6th from 6:00-8:00 PM. Tickets Sales take place during lunch in front of the MS Office from Monday through Thursday for 50 LE. All proceeds will be DONATED to a designated Middle School charity – extra donations are welcomed and appreciated. We have an all-star line-up of Middle School talent.
It is that time of year when students are going to be talking about being stressed. I want to share an excerpt from my recent reading. Damour, a psychologist and author of the new book “Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls,” has spent decades working with adolescent girls and their families. In recent years, she has noticed a change in how society views stress. “Somehow a misunderstanding has grown up about stress and anxiety where our culture now sees both as pathological,” said Damour. “The upshot of that is that we have adults and young people who are stressed about being stressed and anxious about being anxious.”
In the book, she pointed out that sometimes anxiety and stress reach levels that impede a girl’s ability to navigate life effectively. That said, Damour cautions that an emotional outburst — in and of itself — is not a reliable indicator of mental health. “If you are raising a normally developing teenage daughter, she will have meltdowns. And there’s nothing you can do to prevent that,” said Damour. However, sleep deprivation is one of the simplest explanations for the rise in anxiety-related concerns, Damour said. “Sleep is the glue that holds human beings together.”
Thank you for all you do to support the middle school.
In Partnership,
Courtney Bailey
Middle School Principal
Announcements
Maadi Little League Baseball
Registration for baseball is open! All children ages 5 to 16 are welcome.
To register, follow THIS LINK
Please note, MLLB practices and games will not interfere with Maadi Basketball Association if your child is participating in basketball this season.
Booster Club Annual Art Contest
The Booster Club is happy to announce that our annual Art Contest will be starting up next week. The theme this year will be: “Caring for our Planet”. If you would like to participate for a cash prize and to have your artwork possibly featured in an amazing new Spirit Store product please come to the Spirit Store starting next Monday, January 27th to get your application form, including instructions for the contest. The contest is open to all ages, as well as parents and alumni, so we hope to see lots of CAC artists apply. Good luck and have fun creating art!
Girls Get Strong 2020
CAC will host its 5th Girls Get Strong conference on Saturday, February 15th. This year’s theme is Girls Get Strong: It’s Within You! Ms. Riddle and a group of student leaders are working hard to assemble an amazing group of community members to lead workshops and fitness activities, provide financial support, or to show their general support for our female students. If you are interested in supporting this years event please contact Ms. Riddle at rriddle@cacegypt.org.
The CAC Annual Gala will delight you on February 14, 2020
Come celebrate the Day of Love and our CAC community at the extraordinary Marriott Mena House with a delicious dinner, special musical performances, open bar, wonderful people – a Valentine’s Day dinner with a touch of Tango!
Marriott Mena House has blocked a limited number of rooms for our Valentine’s Gala. If you would like to spend the night after our fabulous event, please do so as soon as possible by following this link.
Tickets go on sale Sunday, December 8, 2019. If you buy them before December 20, the cost is EGP 1,700; after that, the price is EGP 1,800 per ticket.
This event is organized by the CAC PTO. If you have any questions, please email Marcela Clavel at clavelmarcela@gmail.com
Going to the Gala? Get Ready!
Learn Tango and be ready to dance on our CAC Valentine Gala!
This is your opportunity to be part of Tango beginners course with Khaled Nassar.
Come learn and unleash your passion for this elegant and classy Argentinean dance.
You will learn the basics and fundamental techniques needed to put you on the first step to master this beautiful dance.
When: every Sunday until the Gala from 6:15 PM to 8.15 PM
Where: at CAC, MS Auditorium.
Cost:: LE 800 total course. Per couple LE 1500.
To register and for more information please contact Marcela Clavel at clavelmarcela@gmail.com or by WhatsApp or SMS to 0127-524-3232
From the MS/HS Library
New parent orientation to the CAC libraries – Feb. 5
The CAC Libraries would like to invite our new parents to an orientation session. We will be demonstrating the use of our library catalog and all the print and digital resources available. The session is also available to our “old” parents who’d like a refresher.
Please be sure to see the CAC Tech Office to register your mobile device on the school Wifi network for parents, and download the app Sora, which is the portal to our collection of ebooks and digital audiobooks.
Adjusted opening times for the MHS library
Due to reduced staffing with the retirement of our long time library assistant, Ms. Mervat , the MHS library will now be open from 7:45 to 4 during the week.
The libraries are also open most Saturdays from 10 to 2, except when the Thursday before or the Sunday after it are holidays. This means that the libraries will be closed on January 26 because of the long weekend.
Here is a list of the days when the library is open. (You may need to sign in to your school Google account to see these dates.)
Three Cheers
Three Cheers to Ms. Amin for covering Ms. Torky’s class during her maternity leave.
Three Cheers to all the parents who attended the Principal Coffee Morning.
Three Cheers to our students and the work they are doing reflecting on their learning.