Middle School Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents,
Thank you for reading this week’s News and Views. It was a solid week of teaching and learning for all.
As we depart for Spring Break and the EID holiday, we want to wish everyone a much-deserved break. We hope that you have a restful and fun holiday.
The Grade 6 Awlady Fundraiser & Iftar
We are thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of our Grade 6 students in their recent service learning project benefiting the Awlady Orphanage in Maadi. Their efforts have not only exceeded our expectations but also demonstrated the core values we strive to instill in our students.
Our initial goal was to raise LE 100,000, with hopes of reaching LE 70,000. However, our students’ determination and creativity led to an astounding total of LE 323,700!! This incredible amount was raised through various initiatives, including bake sales with roving sales units (even staying after school), a walkathon, and various student-led “side hustles.”
Selected students from each advisory represented Grade 6 during two important visits to Awlady Orphanage. The first visit was to gather insights and identify meaningful ways to allocate the funds. After this visit, our student ambassadors compiled a list of potential uses for the surplus funds and voted on their top choice. We’re excited that they’ve selected a playground as their preferred project. We will inform parents and students once this decision is finalized.
The second visit took place yesterday for the Iftar event. During this visit, our ambassadors truly shone by setting up tables, carrying supplies, distributing meals, entertaining children with face painting, bead crafts, and football, and engaging in meaningful interactions with the orphans.
An administrator from Awlady shared this heartwarming message after yesterday’s event: “I can’t describe how happy the children, both young and old, were on this day! They even keep asking me when they will come again.”
This project highlighted our students’ exceptional qualities, including responsibility, creativity, perseverance, entrepreneurial spirit, compassion, positive attitude, and helpfulness. We are proud of our Grade six students and grateful for their dedication to this cause. Their efforts have made a real difference in the lives of others and exemplify the values we cherish as a school community. Well done, Grade six! Find photos HERE!
By its very nature, we all know that education is an abstraction. Uplifting certain skills and understandings while leaving others in the background. The system that many still cling to or merely tinker with is rooted in a 19th-century framework, designed around isolated subjects, standardized testing, and age-based progression. At its core are content standards defining what every student must know. This approach once served a society eager to sort young people into predefined roles.
Today, however, we live in a world reshaped by AI and converging technologies. This demands a new way of thinking that prizes agency, adaptability, creativity, critical thinking, and the capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn. While the broader system may reinforce that older model, in our middle school, we proudly implemented an interdisciplinary approach that places learning in real-world contexts rather than on mere test performance.
This year, our seventh and eighth graders have been diligently working on interdisciplinary units, which they will proudly showcase this May. Through these projects, our students understand why knowledge matters because it equips them with the confidence and capability to do remarkable things in the world. I could not be more excited to see the fruits of their labor and the bright future this new abstraction of education promises.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our Middle School.
In Partnership,
Courtney Bailey
The Middle School Principal
Announcements
PYPx Cosmetics Survey: Animal Experimentation
Dear CAC Community Ladies,
Luna and Jana, ES students, are conducting a PYPx project to investigate the CAC community’s understanding of animal experimentation in the cosmetics industry.
Your participation in this brief survey will provide valuable data for their research.
Please click on the following link to access the survey: Survey Link
Your insights are greatly appreciated. Thank you for your support!
Author Hena Khan is visiting soon! April 7th -10th!
Middle School Students – Join the Hena Khan Reading Challenge –
Students who read 6 of her books will be invited to breakfast with the author! Stop by the library for a punch card! Her books are quick reads and she has something for every reader!
Parent Session with Author Hena Khan – April 9th at 3:15pm
The CAC libraries are thrilled to welcome acclaimed author Hena Khan to our school on Wednesday April 9th in MHS library at 3:15 pm for a special Q&A session with our parents and community! Hena Khan is known for her engaging and heartfelt books, including Amina’s Voice, More to the Story, and Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun. During this session, Hena will share insights into her writing process, the importance of diverse representation in children’s literature, and how stories can foster empathy and inclusion. Fill out the form here if you are interested in attending.
The Annual ECO Fair & Sustainable Events
Wednesday, April 16
1:00 – 4:30 PM
MS Lawn
What is happening there?
The Green Gallery
This experience is a chance for you to use recycled materials you have around and make something out of it, your piece will be displayed at the Green Gallery. People will learn to go green and have a deeper understanding of what they can do with the waste they produce by incorporating the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), leading to a greener and happier earth. The event will showcase pieces made of recyclable materials and will represent how science and technological projects could help us improve the earth and help bring it back!
The ECO Fair:
Join us for the 2024 Green Team Eco Fair on Wednesday, April 16 on the MS Lawn from 1:00 -4:30. We are excited to announce that we are holding our Annual ECO Fair at Beyond COP21, a two-day event focused on sustainability. Enjoy a unique selection of sustainable products. If you know sustainable vendors, please share this sign-up form with them
The Garage Sale:
Exhibit your sustainable products and advocate for environmental awareness. If you are interested, please email the high school Green Team (Sofia Hintze) to participate and receive further details on registration. This event is a great opportunity for vendors, initiatives, and individuals to inspire and educate members of our community on sustainability and eco-conservation!
Mark Your Calendars for the Sustainable Events Coming up on Wednesday, April 16, and stay tuned for more announcements in alignment with the Worldwide Earth Day Celebrations on April 22!
Follow the CAC Green Team on Instagram (@cac_instagram) to stay updated!
HASSAN-WEBB AQUATICS CENTER
Swim-A-Thon
On Thursday, April 10th, CAC Age Group 1 and 2 swimmers will meet for their first event of the Spring Season, the 27th Annual Swim-A-Thon at the CAC Pool.
Parents are needed as well to help with this annual FUN event.
Find more information HERE!
From Fresh&Co
CAC Piano Recital
Calling all CAC pianists!
We are thrilled to announce that we are hosting our first school-wide CAC Piano Recital to celebrate our talented pianists from across all three divisions at school.
The recital will take place on Monday, April 28th in the CAC Theater from 6:00-7:30 PM.
If you are interested in participating, please complete the Piano Recital Sign-up Form and submit a one minute video audition by Wednesday, March 26th.
Who Can Audition: This recital is open to all students and teachers/staff members who play the piano.
We encourage a variety of musical styles and pieces, including duets and instrumental accompaniment, so let your creativity shine!
Important Guidelines:
-Your audition video just needs to be one minute, your actual performance should be no longer than 4 minutes.
-The audition piece is the one you plan on playing at the recital. Please include the name and composer of your piece.
-Ensure the video is clear, well-lit, and with good sound quality.
-Open to all grade levels and teachers/staff.
-Selection Process: A panel of teachers will review all submissions and will pick a few performers from each division. You will be notified by April 7 if you have been selected.
Selected performances will be featured in the recital, so be sure to give your best performance!
If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact Ms.Dolly Shalaby or Ms.Tai Torky.
Happy playing, and good luck with your audition!
HASSAN-WEBB AQUATICS CENTER
Spring AGE GROUP SWIM TEAM
The Spring Age Group Swim Team season is off to a fantastic start! We’ve had a great turnout for tryouts and sign-ups, and it’s exciting to see so many swimmers enthusiastic about the season.
Find more information HERE!
Three Cheers
Three Cheers to all our students who have endured and work hard to this point in the year.
Three Cheers to Ms. Harouny, Ms. Ereeny, and Mr. Stout for supporting the Grade six Iftar with Alwady Orphanage.
Three Cheers to all the AMC Math students.