Middle School Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents,
Thank you for taking the time to read this week’s version of the News and Views. We started Phase 1.5 this week with Group one students attending their four classes on Tuesday.
The students enjoyed being on campus and followed mitigation protocols diligently. We ended the day with an assembly to launch the Battle of the Books and recognize all our Soaring Eagles recipients. The students also learned more about our activities and athletics program that will begin later this month.
It is everyone’s responsibility, and we need to continue to think of others before we act. Currently, several of our classrooms close to the HS construction site cannot open the classroom door to create a flow of air. However, with the high school building construction and teachers wearing masks, it isn’t easy to hear instructions because of noise pollution. Therefore, teachers have chosen to keep the door closed.
In a few weeks, you will be receiving Semester 1 – Progress Report Card II. Teachers will be reporting out on the Standard Based Grading and the student’s Approaches to Learning. All new students and students with Rarely and Not Yet mark will receive a comment. Standard Based Grading works by removing extraneous factors, focusing on a student’s academic achievement, and continued mounting evidence indicating an accurate assessment of the student’s present attainment of learning.
In middle school, we emphasize the importance of learning, and that is why we believe Standard Based Grading is best suited for our students. The conversation you should be having with your child is,” Tell me your understanding of this standard,” “How does your teacher connect your in-class work to the unit’s objectives?” or “What more do you need to do to achieve this benchmark?” Some students struggle at the beginning of units, fail assessments, and give up; with Standard Based Grading, the door remains open to achieving standards.
In Phase 1.5, we will gradually bring back groups of students on campus. We will start with students that have been identified and qualify for specific face-to-face support five days per week, in which case you will be contacted directly by the school; otherwise, your child will continue in the Blended Learning Program.
Thank you for your continuous support of the middle school.
In Partnership,
Courtney Bailey
Middle School Principal
Announcements
General Services Staff (GSS) Appreciation Lunch:
Tuesday November 24, 2020
IN 2013, a fourth-grade student, Han Byul Lee who was also a member of the Student Council, was inspired by janitors helping in the lunchroom. She then thought of organizing a luncheon for them in appreciation of their hard work. Ever since then, this has become an annual CAC tradition that all our GSS look forward to.
Our GSS are: security guards, janitors, gardeners, bus monitors, drivers, car washers, electricians, painters & carpenters. A total of 147 staff members.
The GSS Appreciation Lunch is a whole school event where our entire community of students, parents, faculty, staff and alumni collaborate together. We show our appreciation for these hard-working teams by organizing a special lunch, relying on the generous donations and efforts of our community.
This year, in order to maintain social distance, we will not be having the on-campus lunch but rather providing a hot meal of the GSS’s choice.
How can you join /support?
1- Write a thank you note to our GSS in Arabic/English.
2- Make a short video (not more than 20 seconds) to thank our GSS in Arabic/English.
3- Compile videos.
4- If you know a restaurant that offers grilled meat/chicken which would be interested in sponsoring this event.
5- If you know a dessert place who would be interested in sponsoring this event.
4- If you know someone who can donate juice/soft drinks.
5- You can donate cash in the donation box that will be located on campus.
6- We are open to other creative ideas.
Our goal is to give each GSS member; a lunch meal, a dessert item, & a juice or a soft drink.
If you are interested to support, please contact the Service Learning Office,
Ms. Ereeny Gawdat: egergess@cacegypt.org
The Second PTO Q&A Session Transcript
The full transcript of the Second Q and A Session organized by the CAC PTO is now available on the PTO blog: https://blogs.cacegypt.org/ptobooster
November CAC Talks
November CAC Talks is not one to miss! Led by counselor and parent educator Carey Harris, “Finding Balance in a Digital World” focuses on the effects of technology and social media on the cognitive functioning of our kids. Carey will provide practical, research-based solutions and strategies families can implement to help our kids and families navigate the pitfalls and potentials of our increasingly digital world.
Join us Tuesday, November 10 at 6pm via the Zoom link
https://fundforteachers.zoom.us/j/95641725891?pwd=Y3N1bWdrK3FReUpEQjdRdG96RlcyZz09
MS and HS students are also encouraged to attend!
Screenwise by Dr. Devorah Heitner and Talking Back to Facebook by Jim Steyer are highly recommended reads regarding this topic. Screenwise is available as both an ebook and audiobook through the CAC library’s Sora app.
Please send any questions you have for our expert, Carey Harris, ahead of time to cacpto@cacegypt.org.
From the MS/HS Library
CAC Libraries Open This Weekend
The CAC libraries will be open this Saturday, November 7. Please see list of open Saturdays here.
You will need to make an appointment for Saturdays through the online booking system on the CAC dashboard.
New York Times access for CAC
The CAC libraries have a digital subscription to the New York Times. To access, go to nytimes.com/passes and create a new account or log in with your CAC single sign on. Follow the prompts until the site says, “Get Started.”
You will need to do this even if you already have an account from the 2019-2020 school year.
Once you have created an account, you will be able to access the NYT from any device and any location. You can also access it through the NYT app.
(Our subscription does not give us access to the NYT crosswords, sorry.)
Three Cheers
Three Cheers to our teachers and students for a successful five day week with students on campus.
Three Cheers to Ms. Nibal and the janitorial staff for all they do to keep our campus clean.
Three Cheers to Mr. Moataz and the security guards for their efforts to keep our campus safe.
Three Cheers to Ayman and Chery for their efforts to maintain the buildings around the campus.