Week 32 March 30- April 3rd

Thank you for condolences Messages

Dear Community Members,

I would like to thank each and every one of you for your kindness and sympathy messages. My dear Marie to whom I have been married for fifty years and enjoyed a life full of love and friendship, passed away on March 23rd. Your outpouring of support, messages and phone calls were and still are of a great comfort to me during these most difficult times.

Marie and I first moved to Morocco in 1985. Until our departure in the summer of 1998, Morocco was our 2nd home. We put our complete efforts towards servicing the CAS community. We contributed to forging successful young men and women, to making CAS a great institution, and in return to gaining lifetime friendships. Together, with the support of our wonderful parents, dedicated staff and motivated students, we have always confronted challenges head on and accomplished many milestones. During all these years, Marie’s outpouring of love for CAS' students in particular and its community in general was simply amazing. She diligently and quietly worked behind the scenes without fuss or fanfare, sharing her know-how, giving advice and guiding our support staff with care, humor, joy and an amazing zeal. Yes, Marie has left us, but her legacy to make the places to which she has secretly contributed successful and improved will remain undeniable. She deeply loved Morocco and our CAS community!

As I pray for my wonderful wife and partner, I wish you all good health and serenity in these difficult times in which we now find ourselves.

Covid 19 Pandemic and CAS Community

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating worldwide. It is however, no longer a disease with a distant impact for it has hit our CAS community. It deeply saddens us all to report that COVID-19 has cost the lives of two CAS Perez family members while another is in the ICU struggling for his life; the Sekkat family has lost their Grandfather, Mr. Fadel Sekkat; Mr. Saidi contracted COVID-19 was hospitalized and we are fortunate to report that he has fully recovered. No words can serve to replace love ones lost and the most dreadful aspect of this disease is that in our loss we cannot be comforted by our relatives, acquaintances and friends due to the separation we are forced to maintain. Please reach out by email to our CAS families to support them.

This disease is incredibly contagious and is very lethal, but unfortunately many still refuse to take it seriously and follow the preventative measures which have proven to protect us all. No one is immune to this virus! No one! Please stay safe and healthy, and hopefully, we will see each other soon.

Academic News

e-Learning launched and is working...

After much preparation and organization, eLearning for CAS students was launched on Wednesday, March 18th. The schedules were finalized and we are proud to announce that most every student has adhered to and has been following eLearning. It is important to note though that every student needs to be seated and ready to join every online session at least five (5) minutes before the scheduled time. Lateness and absenteeism will not be tolerated and we shall contact the parents of every student who does not fully comply. Teachers begin their lessons at the scheduled time and expect everyone to be present and ready to participate. They do not have time and neither do classmates have time to stop and repeat what had been covered, because a student was late arriving! Lateness interrupts normal schooling never mind its impact on eLearning and it is most inconsiderate and a sign of selfishness and gross immaturity not to be prepared on time!

Whenever we are suddenly faced with a challenge, it is those who rise up to engage not run away from that challenge making adjustments and bringing forth creative and innovative responses who are the real heroes. At CAS we have many heroes, our CAS instructional staff! We congratulate and thank our faculty, and classroom teaching assistants who have ran towards this threat and successfully confronted it while all around them was uncertainty, panic and fear. The majority of our instructional staff are expatriates and being away from their families during this time weighs heavily on them. We all were suddenly thrust into a new and completely unaccustomed situation and we all have witnessed first hand the cohesiveness of our faculty, their dedication to share and their devotion to their craft of teaching and learning. eLearning is new to us all and, besides negotiating a new instructional method, it is very labor intensive for our faculty. We are fortunate to have the resolute and tireless leadership or our Principals, Ms. Elizabeth Phillips and Mr. Simohamed Sarhane, our Grade Level Coordinators, our Department Chairs, and the solid support of our IT Department, Mr. Nabil Benmakhlouf, Mr. Mohamed El Baakili and Mr. Adil Hriche who field and negotiate all of the connectivity issues. We also extend our congratulations to Mr. Nabil Benmakhlouf on his new family addition, Yasmine. We thank all of our CAS parents for their patience and support during this period.

There are countless acts of kindness and support everywhere in our CAS community and we have received many messages from our CAS parents who thank us for what our instructional team is accomplishing.

We also have many of our support and administrative staff who have been directly involved in helping to address the many issues we face daily due to being closed.

Spring break starts this coming Friday, April 10th, and no eLearning/instruction will be offered so please take the time to spend quality moments with your children, keep safe. We shall ask our Lower and Upper School Librarians to reach out to you this week to assist you with securing eBooks so that your children may continue reading at home during the break. eLearning will resume on Monday, April 20th.

As an educational institution, we have been obliged to follow the Moroccan Department of Education's mandates and we shall inform you of any official changes to our closing status as soon as we receive them.

Please feel free to contact us with your questions at:

John Randolph, School Director: jrandolph@cas.ac.ma

Si Mohamed Sarhane, US Principal: ssarhane@cas.ac.ma

Elizabeth Phillips, LS Principal: ephillips@cas.ac.ma

Halima Mounbahij, Director's Assistant: hsarhane@cas.ac.ma

Amina Alami Talbi:, US Assistant: alami@cas.ac.ma

Imane Elkadiri, LS Assistant: ielkadiri@cas.ac.ma

Fatiha Sajid, Communication Manager: fsajid@cas.ac.ma

Mohamed Amrani, Finance Manager: mamrani@cas.ac.ma

Lamiae Moudni, Human Resources Manager: lmoudni@cas.ac.ma

Mostapha Abrouch, Accountant: mabrouch@cas.ac.ma

Samira Peters, Admissions Manager: speters@cas.ac.ma

Atika Amani, Registrar: aamani@cas.ac.ma

Rana Haroun, College Counselor: rharoun@cas.ac.ma

Mouna Lekfy, School Nurse: mlekfy@cas.ac.ma

Meriem Bousfiha, School Counselor: mbousfiha@cas.ac.ma

Alina Zamfirescu, IB Coordinator: azamfirescu@cas.ac.ma

Nabil Benmakhlouf Andaloussi, Mohammed El Baakili, Mounir Zerouali, IT Department: it-dpt@cas.ac.ma

Distance interaction with Grade 4 through Grade 6 students

What a pleasure it was this past Friday to see our Grade 4 through Grade 6 students. I sincerely miss all of our students and members of our CAS Community. I was indeed thrilled to interact with them and discuss the Science Labs and Microscopes, which we are preparing them to use upon school's reopening. Questions were to the point, and more sessions will be held soon. I thank Ms. Phillips, our Lower School Teachers and Specialists and the IT Department for their assistance lent to me to make this all possible. I shall be meeting with our Grade 3-6 students on Fridays following our Spring Break.

Cancellations

IB Exams cancelled

As you were informed earlier this week, the IB organization (IBO) decided to cancel this year's annual examination sessions scheduled for May 2020. Depending upon for which each student has registered, the student will be awarded a Full IB Diploma or an IB Course Certificate which reflects their standard of work. This standard is based upon the student's coursework and the established assessment expertise as rigor and quality control are already built into the programmes. The details of the procedures to award an IB Diploma are now published on the official IB page at https://www.ibo.org/news/news-about-the-ib/covid-19-coronavirus-updates/#examinations

At this moment it is confirmed:

all the internal assessments must be completed and submitted; as from this moment, they will become both internally and externally marked components
all the assessments for Theater and Visual Arts (internal and external) must be submitted
all teachers must submit predicted grades for all of their students and these are to be submitted to IB; the grades are not shared with universities and they are by IB used for deciding the grade boundaries for each subject

We expect that more details will be forthcoming from IBO this week and thereafter.

As the curriculum that we offer at Casablanca American School is in part based upon the IB curriculum, in order to graduate, our students must

have on ManageBac a completed CAS Portfolio in terms of reflections and evidence on the activities they already have (as they cannot add new activities or projects) and/or any new requirements that will come from IB no later than April 3rd
submit all the external assessments that are done by online submission (in Theater and Visual Arts).
submit the internal assessments for all subjects (including TOK presentations) to their teacher according to the deadline given by the teacher.

I/we am/are confident that your child's/ren's teacher will offer the necessary support and guidance for you to finalize this entire process.

To all Seniors, stay focus and work hard to successfully end your last year of Upper School at CAS.

SAT and John Hopkins University Summer Programs

As is the case for the IB Exams, the May SAT and the Session 1 of the Summer Program offered at the John Hopkins University have been cancelled. Please always check the College Counselor's corner for updates.

Regarding Seniors' Graduation, Grade 6 Graduation and our usual annual Awards Ceremonies, we will inform our Community how we will proceed.

Admissions at CAS are open

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, admissions for 2020/21 have actively continued at CAS since the beginning of this year. It is our pleasure to inform our community that many prospective students have applied to CAS and that some have been accepted after tests or observations have been conducted. If you are thinking of enrolling your child for the year 2020-2021 or if you know of relatives, friends or other interested families, who would like to attend our institution, please contact, Ms. Samira Peters, at the Admissions Office at: speters@cas.ac.ma

Community News

CAS Parent shows generosity towards our workers

I would like to thank one of our CAS parents who anonymously and graciously offered for the second year, sheep to our workers during this COVID-19 time. This is how our CAS Community typically responds and illustrative of how we care for one another.

We take this opportunity to inform our community that we are launching our annual Ramadan Food Drive for our workers. Many of our workers support an extended family and for some they are the only source of income so any assistance will be most appreciated. Because many things are complicated this year due to the threat of the spread of Covid 19, if you would like to donate, we invite you to do a wire transfer to the following bank account under PTC Ramadan Drive. We will use the money to purchase vouchers and distribute them to our workers so that they can obtain the staples they need. Any gesture, however small or large, will be much appreciated.

Feed a Family Impacted by COVID-19

Faced with a "State of Emergency" in Morocco following the COVID-19 pandemic, many rural Moroccan families find themselves in an incredibly vulnerable position. It is times like this that Amis Des Écoles needs your support more than ever!

We have launched an emergency program to supply 1,000 families with basic necessities in the region of Tata and Oussertek, where poverty, COVID restrictions, and severe weather conditions leave the local people without the basic necessities to live. We have already raised enough to feed 334 families, but many more need your help.

For 300 Moroccan Dirham or approximately $30 US dollars, you can feed and protect a family of four for one month with basic necessities like flour, oil and soap. In times of hardship, it is even more important to consider those who are less fortunate. Even if you can only donate a small amount, your contribution will save lives.

300 MAD ($30 USD) =

Feeds and protects

One family for one month

DONATE NOW

Nourrir une famille touchée par le virus de la COVID-19

Face à l'"état d'urgence" au Maroc suite à la pandémie COVID19, de nombreuses familles rurales marocaines se retrouvent dans une position incroyablement vulnérable. C'est dans des moments comme celui-ci qu'Amis Des Écoles a plus que jamais besoin de votre soutien!

Nous avons lancé un programme d'urgence pour fournir des produits de première nécessité à 1 000 familles dans la région de Tata et Oussertek, où la pauvreté, les restrictions du COVID et les conditions climatiques sévères laissent les populations locales sans les produits de première nécessité pour vivre. Nous avons déjà récolté suffisamment pour nourrir 334 familles, mais beaucoup d'autres ont besoin de votre aide.

Pour 300 dirhams marocains ou environ 30 dollars US, vous pouvez nourrir et protéger une famille (de quatre personnes) pendant un mois , avec des produits de première nécessité comme la farine, l'huile et le savon. En période de difficultés, il est encore plus important de penser à ceux qui sont moins chanceux. Même si vous ne pouvez donner qu'un montant beaucoup plus modeste, votre contribution permettra de sauver des vies.

COVID Reflections

Covid 19 Appreciation Corner

We'd love to hear from you, parents/teachers/students/alumni! Share your thoughts on this new "Covid Lifestyle Era" and we'll post it here:)

How is your e-learning experience treating you? Thoughts from teachers, students and parents are welcome AND encouraged!

Pictures and stories are encouraged!!!

How are your confinement days? Do you have any tips, suggestions, ideas you'd like to share with us? Please do not hesitate to email them to hsarhane@cas.ac.ma or fsajid@cas.ac.ma !

College Corner

Congratulations Seniors!

Take a look at our College Corner for the latest updates about university admissions:

https://sites.google.com/cas.ac.ma/cascollegecorner/home

In response to the rapidly evolving situation around the coronavirus (COVID-19), the College Board is canceling the May 2, 2020, SAT administration. Registered students will receive refunds.

There are no SATs offered in June 2020 at international testing centers.

Source: The College Board

For questions, please contact SAT customer service:

Email: sat@info.collegeboard.org

Phone Number: 001-212-713-7789

Website: www.collegeboard.org

Johns Hopkins CTY Program

Message from the Director of Recruitment at the Johns Hopkins CTY Program:

Dear students,

As the Center for Talented Youth, in close coordination with Johns Hopkins University leadership, continues to actively monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, we are particularly focused on the health and well-being of our community. We are following guidance from the best and most current public health information, as well as the university’s experts in infectious disease, epidemiology, and emergency preparedness. Based on the information we have today, and with the health and safety of our students and staff in mind, we have made the difficult decision to cancel Session 1 of our 2020 Summer Programs, along with all courses at our Hong Kong sites.

We know the decision to cancel our Session 1 and Hong Kong-based courses may be disappointing to your students—and we at CTY will greatly miss welcoming them to our sites for this session. It is something we plan for all year, and seeing these remarkable students grow, discover, and engage with one another is one of the greatest and most rewarding expressions of our mission. We are confident, however, that this decision is in the best interests of our CTY community.

We have shared with families via email options for Session 1 refunds. Specific information for Session 1 families with financial aid awards was also communicated via email. Our adjusted refund policy can be found online, as well.

At this time, we are still cautiously planning to operate our Session 2 courses, the earliest of which begin on July 12. As the situation continues to evolve, we will update Summer Programs families as we have new information. You can refer to our online information center at any time.

We are still actively working to find ways to serve students, even if we cannot do so at summer sites. Our excellent Online Programs are increasing capacity to serve families facing long-term school closures. We’re also exploring new, virtual ways to support families coping with this unprecedented situation. Please stay tuned for more information as those offerings are developed and don’t hesitate to reach out to us at ctyinfo@jhu.edu should you need anything.

We appreciate your continued support of CTY. Please take good care of yourselves, your families, and neighbors as we navigate this situation together.

Sincerely,

Luke Kasim

Director of Recruitment

Grade 11 Important Information

Dear Juniors,

First, I would like to congratulate you on finishing our 7 College Preparatory Workshops! Since December, we have worked together on completing your university application folder. This week, we have talked about the College Essay and I gave you guidance on how to write it. While we are done with our workshops, you still have work to do to prepare your university applications! The completed folder is due no later than June 15, 2020.

Please click on this document to review the list of tasks you have to complete by then. I have added these tasks and deadlines on ManageBac as well as on BridgeU. Each time you complete a task, I will mark it as done on BridgeU. This should help you stay on track.

I added many useful resources on Schoology that will help you finish your tasks. Please take a look at these resources and make use of them.

In the meanwhile, please remember that College Counseling is Teamwork! And while it is your responsibility to finish all your tasks, it is mine to assist you in this process. Therefore, please reach out to me to schedule individual appointments. My office hours are Monday through Friday, from 3 pm to 6 pm. We would meet virtually on Google Meet.

Email: rharoun@cas.ac.ma

WhatsApp: 0671 20 38 38

College Counseling Resources Website

Alumni Corner

Congratulations to our Alumni, Othman Laraki (class of 1996), for launching a COVID-19 Testing Initiative

Othman Laraki, graduated valedictorian at CAS and pursued his studies and career in the United States. He holds an MBA from MIT and a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Science & Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. Othman is an investor and entrepreneur. He has founded several companies, the latest of which was acquired by Twitter, where he was VP of Product, responsible for Growth, Revenue and International. Before MixerLabs, Othman was at Google, where he managed a number of products including the Google Toolbar, Google Gears, early Firefox extensions, as well FastNet (real-time fetching and caching infrastructure).

He founded his most recent company COLOR in 2015 which provides high-quality, physician-ordered, genetic testing at a low cost. A few days ago, Color officially announced that it is launching a high throughput, CLIA-certified COVID-19 testing laboratory integrated with public health tools.

What's Up Cobras