Middle School Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents,
Thank you for reading this week’s edition of News and Views. It has been a solid week of teaching and learning.
We began the week with a Middle School assembly on Street Awareness, led by the Regional Security Officer (RSO) from the U.S. Embassy. The session not only highlighted strategies for personal safety but also addressed important topics such as cybersecurity and bullying.
In Grade 7 Science, students conducted an experiment on leaf chromatography to uncover the hidden pigments inside leaves. Through this process, they observed how chromatography separates different colors, showing that leaves contain more than just green pigments. This activity deepened their understanding of how plants use various pigments for photosynthesis and why leaves change color in the fall.
A reminder that progress reports will be posted at the end of the day on Thursday. This is the first progress report of the semester, focusing primarily on Approaches to Learning (ATLs). New students will receive a teacher comment, as will those with a “Rarely” rating in any ATL category. Please use this as an opportunity to discuss your child’s ATLs with them. With seven weeks of school completed, students should now be fully transitioned out of summer mode and into school mode.
Looking ahead, please note that after Fall Break next week, students will return for one week of classes before departing on PRIME and Cairo-based trips. We encourage you to carefully review all school communications regarding these trips to ensure your child is well-prepared for this exciting week of learning, exploration, and fun.
Food for thought:
Telling someone to “work smarter” is useless because it assumes they already know what smarter looks like. If they did, they’d be doing it.
“Work smarter, not harder” is often framed as the opposite of hard work, but working smart is itself a derivative of hard work. You have to work hard just to figure out what working smart means.
Beginners can’t work smart because they don’t yet know what smart looks like. They have to work hard first, building the pattern recognition that makes smart possible. It’s like a chess master spotting the best move instantly; it looks like working smart, but it’s built on thousands of hours of working hard to earn that intuition.
Smarter approaches aren’t universal shortcuts, they’re contextual insights uncovered through deep, sustained effort.
Thank you for your continuous support of the middle school.
In Partnership,
Courtney Bailey
The Middle School Principal
Announcements
Halloween Candy Donations – MS Advisory Competition 
Throughout the weeks leading up to the Halloween Social (Thursday, October 30),
we will be running an advisory candy donation competition to help make the Middle School Halloween Social as sweet and enjoyable as possible!
Bring in as much candy as you can each morning to your advisory teacher – please make sure:
• You bring candy that you enjoy eating.
• Please make sure that candy is individually wrapped.
• Halloween-themed candy is very much appreciated!
The advisory that brings in the most candy donations in each grade will receive Krispy Kreme donuts for advisory.
The last day to bring in candy donations is Thursday morning, October 30.
CAC Talks is back!
We’re excited to welcome back CAC Talks, a PTO-initiated series that fosters growth and community through expert-led sessions. To browse past editions, click here (CAC login required).
We start the new season off exploring The Power of Perspective: The Science of Resilience and Learned Optimism with Hamide Eygoren. Hamide holds a Master in Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied under Dr. Martin Seligman, world-renowned psychologist and founder of the field of positive psychology. See Hamide’s bio here.
When: Monday, October 13 at 8am
Where: In Person: iSpace, ES Building, 3rd floor | Online: Zoom link
In this hybrid workshop, Hamide—also a CAC parent of three—will share research-based strategies to help families build resilience and optimism without falling into the trap of toxic positivity. You’ll learn to:
– Distinguish realistic optimism from toxic positivity
– Reframe negative self-talk using Seligman’s “3 Ps”
– Apply the ABC(DE) script for setbacks
– Practice family-friendly tools to strengthen optimism every day
**Sign up and share your questions here.
Whether online or in person, you’ll leave with practical tools to boost resilience for yourself and your children. We look forward to learning and growing together as a community!
Warmly,
PTO & Dr. Ericka Galegher, CAC Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
From CAC PTO
Hello CAC Families!
Time is flying at school, and we’ve got lots of exciting things coming up. We’d love for more parents to jump in and get involved.
A big thank you to everyone who joined our first Community Service of the year—we hope it was a meaningful day. Special thanks to Donia for organizing it. We’d love to see even more of you join us in future events!
Before we head into our well-deserved October break (great job, parents, for keeping up ), here are a few important updates about what’s happening after the break:
Halloween Decoration Committee
Winter is Coming… and so is the CAC Winter Bazaar!
Get ready! The highly anticipated CAC Winter Bazaar returns on Friday, December 5, 2025.
To help us host this wonderful community celebration, we’re inviting you to partner with us! We rely on your support to bring this tradition to life.
– To become a Sponsor: Please find the opportunities here and email us at winterbazaar@cacegypt.org
– To be a Vendor: Sign up here: Vendor Sign-Up Link.
Priority will be given to CAC-affiliated businesses for both sponsorship and vendor spots.
Thank you for your support.
The Heart Run – October 17th in Palm Hills
Run the Race, Save a Heart
Mark your calendar for October 17th and join the Heart Run in Palm Hills to benefit the Magdi Yacoub Heart Foundation.
The run is your chance to put your best foot forward and make a difference.
Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a first-timer, heal hearts by taking part in the run, support a great cause and have fun with friends and family.
All proceeds from registration and donations go directly to support free heart surgeries. Run the Race, Save a Heart.
Link for registration: https://stamina-sports.com/heart-run
Promo code for 20% off: HART20
Spirit Café Update
The Booster Club loves seeing so many students enjoying the Spirit Café each week! We know the lines can get long (and hot!), so here are a few tips to help things move quickly:
– Please review the menu with your child ahead of time so they know what they’d like to order.
– Exact change is always a big help.
– The Spirit Café accepts EGP cash only (no cards).
– Our core menu stays the same, and we post weekly specials on the window—be sure to check them out!
Our full price list is below to make planning easier. Thanks for helping us keep the line moving so everyone can enjoy their Spirit Café treats!
Spirit Café Price List
Candy & Sweet Treats
– 5 EGP – Lollipop
– 30 EGP – Sour Straws
– 40 EGP – Skittles, Gushers, Candy Bracelets, Sour Patch Kids
– 50 EGP – Ring Pop, Fun Dip
– 60 EGP – Chocolate Bar, M&Ms
Snacks & Packaged Treats
– 10 EGP – Oreo Cookie Pack
– 20 EGP – Doritos, Raw Chips
– 30 EGP – Fitness Bar
– 40 EGP – Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich, Ice Pop
– 50 EGP – Baked Good, Granola Bar
Drinks
– 10 EGP – Cup of Ice Water
– 20 EGP – Pink Lemonade, Juice Box, Soda
– 40 EGP – Coffee, Hot tea, Hot chocolate
– 50 EGP – Nescafé Iced Can, Cappuccino, Latte
– 60 EGP – Latte with Syrup
Hot Foods & Savories
– 40 EGP – Noodles
– 70 EGP – Chips and Salsa
– 120 EGP – Hot Dog, Nachos with Cheese
– 150 EGP – Taco in a Bag, Nachos Grande
Three Cheers
Three Cheers to Mr. Moataz for organizing the Safety Assembly with the US embassy.
Three Cheers to Ms. Amin for her support with the ongoing admission process.
Three Cheers to STUCO president (Kwame) and Vice-President (Jack) for their presentation to the Board of Directors.
Three Cheers to students and teachers for their efforts during the first seven weeks of school.