February 12- February 16

Director's Message

Dear Community Members,

Please join me in wishing Ms. Phillips, our LS principal, a speedy recovery from her knee surgery. I sincerely appreciate Elizabeth’s determination and strength. Despite the operation, Elizabeth continues to be the dedicated hard-working administrator that she is and, from her bed, she is working with me to hire new faculty. A special thank you to Ms. Lydon and Ms. Baran for keeping the boat steady during Ms. Phillips’s absence.

I would like to take a moment to address an important matter regarding personal belongings. As members of our school community, it's crucial that we prioritize safety and security for everyone. With that in mind, I want to remind everyone of an important matter regarding bringing valuable items on campus.
Please ask your child to refrain from bringing valuable items, large sums of money, or any other items of significant worth to school. This includes expensive accessories and valuable jewelry. Every day we receive valuable items brought to our office which were found on campus and we have a great deal of valuable clothing piling up which has not been recovered. While we understand the convenience and importance of having certain items, bringing valuables to school increases the risk of loss or theft. To mitigate this risk, children should leave valuables at home or securely store them in their lockers if necessary as in the case of Upper School Students. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all students.

Our heartfelt thanks goes out to Wiam Aichour and Myriam Mohemmane and all the volunteers who organized and facilitated the blood drive last Saturday. Your hard work and commitment to Community Service made the event yet another success. Thanks to your efforts, countless lives will be impacted by the donations received. Out of the 70 volunteers, 57 could give blood and, hence, contributed to saving a life. We even had some family drivers and local guardians who participated.

We are proud of you Wiam and Myriam and the rest of the team.

Condolences to Mr. Rachid Hamda, our Plant Manager for the loss of his mother who passed away this past weekend. Our thoughts are with Rachid and his family.

Last but not least, as part of our commitment to respecting the privacy and preferences of all families in our school community, we want to ensure that we honor your wishes regarding the posting of your child/ren's pictures and/ or names on our social media platforms. If you prefer that your child/ren's photos or names not be shared on our social media channels, please let us know by contacting Halima Sarhane at hsarhane@cas.ac.ma

We value your feedback and will ensure that your preferences are respected.

Sincerely yours

John Randolph

Academics

From the Lower School Principal

I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the CAS community when learning of my unexpected knee replacement surgery. Your kind, thoughtful, and understanding emails wishing a speedy recovery has made this experience much more bearable. I’d also like to acknowledge Dana Baran and Meghan Lydon, the Lower School Coordinators, for their leadership in my absence. As well, thank you to all of the EC and Lower School staff for the continued professionalism and quality teaching they deliver day in and day out. It is working with colleagues like them (and community members like you) that bring me comfort during my recovery.

Elizabeth Phillips

From the US Principal

The past few weeks in the upper school have been an exciting time. Our Grade 12's have completed their mock IB exams and are now looking forward to hosting the MASAC Tournament for Basketball.

Our advisory classes have completed the Gratitude portion of Choose Love and many have had celebrations and activities to commemorate this accomplishment.

In the weeks leading up to the break at the end of the month, students are busy planning and presenting the CAS Talent Show. Please read about all of these highlights in other sections of What's Up, Cobras!

Derek Harwell

From the IB Coordinator

Congratulations seniors who successfully passed the IB Mocks this week!

These exams are essential for all IB candidates (diploma or certificate) for two primary reasons. One reason is that we use the mocks as training for the rigorous IB Exams we hold in May. The second one, a crucial one, is that these exams give seniors the opportunity, in a friendly environment, to understand where they are in their preparation for the exams and improve their performance accordingly.

A huge THANK YOU to all teachers supervising the exams and assuring the best organization.

The “EE Seminar: Choose your extended essay subject” organized for juniors will take place on Monday, February 12th during the Advisory class. Successful seniors and teachers are ready to share their experience and give explanations.

Grade 10 students and parents attended the first IB Information session on Monday, January 22nd. During the session, they received a general presentation of

the IB program
the requirements for awarding an IB Diploma
the IB Course Certificates track
the criteria for enrollment in an IB course

The next step for them is to attend the IB Fair: Discover the IB Courses that will take place during the Teacher-Parent conferences on February 21st.

Alina Zamfirescu

IB DP Coordinator, Math Department Chair & Educator

About Mock Exams by Seniors

Sara Najem: I enjoyed Mocks because it really helped prepare us for the real IB Exams. We got to get a glimpse of what it will be like. I want to say thank you to all the teachers who took their time to supervise us!

Mohamed Saaad: As a senior, Mocks was an experience that I believe is a great way to prepare us for the real exams. We were put into exam-like situations that replicated the IB exams. My advice to every student who will take exams to study hard as it will pay off!

Reda Faid: I felt Mock exams prepared us well for both the in-testing factors as well as the out-of-testing factors. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the teachers, students, and myself for all the efforts, time and hard work.

Adam Leon Lugarov: A word of advice: that you shouldn’t overestimate the Mock Exams. Take some time to have fun and socialize. Also, these IB Mock Exams help to prepare for the finals.

Malik Benssy: These two intensive weeks really gave us a true overview of what we will experience in the approaching months. Despite the difficulties, I find it necessary.

Shemsi Mesfioui: Mock exams is literally a good overview of the near upcoming IB Exams. Mocks are truly a gift in a way that they help you manage your time and identify your weak parts, which can be reviewed before the real exams. If I could, I would advise all IB-programmed schools to consider Mocks.

Unanimously, these students heartedly thank their IB teachers and IB supervisors for their time and their dedication.

Literacy Week at CAS

It is Literacy Week in CAS! We are so excited to celebrate Literacy on the week of February 19th-23rd under the title “Just Read CAS.” This year, we will be coordinating school events every day to celebrate our love of reading and enhance our Learning. Many Exciting events taking place in our school. We hope that you take this opportunity to support reading and participate in school-wide and classroom activities.

The Book Fair is open to all CAS Families and Friends February 19th-23rd from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The Book Character Parade: Friday, February 23rd at 10:30 AM - parents are invited to watch their children in the parade and display their Book Character costume.

All CAS Families are invited to join us in celebrating our love of reading.

Excitement is building around us, join us for an amazing Literacy Week. "Just Read CAS".

Book Fair 2024.

Literacy week 2024

From the College Couselor

Congratulations to the class of 2024 on their university offers! 371 applications have been submitted so far, and 28 students have already received university offers.

Congratulations to our students, and best of luck to everyone who is still waiting for admission decisions!

Rana Haroun

IB Visual Art Exhibition

"Mark your calendars for March 9th, 6:00 - 8:00PM! Our grade 12 IB Visual Arts students will be presenting their exhibitions in fulfilment of their course requirements in the Moroccan Salon in the Lower School building. Come celebrate their learning and achievements! If you cannot be present at the opening night, stop by before the 14th of March."

Eliott Mann

IB Art Teacher

Community News

Visit of Moroccan artist Myriam Chaaib

On the 1st of February, Grade 11 French A, B, Ab Initio, and IB Vis Art students welcomed French-Moroccan Artist, Anaëlle Myriam Chaaib, for an interview. Students were able to ask questions about her career, artistic decisions and process, and multi-ethnic experience. The following day, Myriam worked with the students in the Art studio to illustrate their own mock “New Yorker” cover page; students generated imagery and a message that they mediated with paint on paper using Myriam’s classic “Naive” style. It was an excellent opportunity for students to learn from an accomplished artist and businesswoman. We would like to especially thank Ms. Eva Hervet (French Department Head) for reaching out to Myriam au Citron and organizing the event.

Myriam will be showing her work at the 1-54 Art Fair in Marrakech February 8th-11th. You can also follow her @anaellemyriamchaaib .

NEASC ACE Accreditation Update

Dear CAS Community,

I am delighted to update you on the progress of our NEASC ACE Accreditation efforts. Our dedicated ACE Accreditation committees have commenced engaging the entire faculty to gather insights on our alignment with the NEASC ACE Learning Principles.

To give you a brief overview, these principles are foundational to our continuous improvement and commitment to excellence in education. They guide our practices, ensuring we provide the best possible learning environment for our students.

In the spirit of inclusivity and comprehensive feedback, we plan to extend this dialogue to include both parents and students. Your perspectives are invaluable to us as we strive to enhance our educational offerings.

This self-assessment process is a pivotal part of our community's journey, culminating in the development of significant learning plans aimed at elevating the quality of education at CAS.

Best Regards,

Abderrazak Behhar

PreK-12 Curriculum Coordinator

NEASC Accreditation Coordinator

Mhani Alaoui, class of 1995 will be presenting and signing her novel, The House on Butterfly Street next week. You are welcome to attend and meet Mhani on Tuesday, February 13th.

It is an honor for us to be part of Mhani's writing journey and a pleasure to have another alumnus Zaineb Sajid, class of 1997 as the moderator for this special event.

February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate the rich and diverse contributions of Black Americans to the society. It is a time to honor the achievements, resilience, and cultural heritage of Black individuals who have shaped history and continue to make a profound impact in various fields such as art, science, literature, politics, and more. Let us take this opportunity to educate ourselves, reflect on the past, and commit to creating a more inclusive and equitable future for all.

From the Business Office

Kindly be reminded that the deadline for payment of the second semester 2023-2024, along with any outstanding balance, is February 15th. We urge you to make your payments before this date to avoid any inconvenience. Please note that a 2% charge will be added to your invoice for payments made after February 15th.

Thank you for understanding.

Business Office

MASAC Basketball Tournament

What a busy athletic time at CAS! We are excited to announce that our school is hosting a thrilling basketball tournament, on Thursday and Friday, featuring teams from the following schools:

Casablanca American School

George Washington Academy

American School of Marrakech

American Academy of Casablanca

Rabat American School

American School of Tangiers

American School of Tunisia

American School of Ifrane

A total of 140 talented students will be showcasing their skills and sportsmanship on the court as they compete for victory.

The tournament promises to be an exhilarating event filled with fast-paced action, teamwork, and friendly competition. We encourage all students, staff, and families to come out and support our school's team as they represent us with pride.

Special thank you to our students photographers: Abla Mounir, Hiba Waheed, and Ada Atanur and to our Athletic Director Ghandi Najmeddine for organizing the event.

Cafeteria dues

We would like to kindly remind you to ensure that your child's cafeteria dues are paid for the 2nd Trimester, that started November 27th and will end March 15th. These funds help to cover the cost of providing meals for our students each day.

To check your child's cafeteria account balance or make a payment, please log in to the cafeteria payment portal link: https://connect-eat.newrest.eu/cas or contact Mr. Hanafi Walid at 06 78 62 52 35.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your continued support in ensuring that all students have access to cafeteria meals.

Lost and Found

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The Lost and Found will be displayed each Friday from 14:00 to 15:30 at the back gate. Please stop by or send your personnel to claim any item your child might have left at school.

New faculty & Staff

Our new faculty and staff biographies are being updated, and we thank you for your patience. Our staff is part of our community and all have an open door policy. Feel free to reach out to anyone of interest!

Alumni Corner

Visit our alumni page here! The CAS alumni network is an important part of being part of the community. This network is meant to create a space for networking and collaboration. Students are encouraged to reach out to alumni for college questions, job/business opportunities, mentoring, and more. If you would like to submit an alumni story please contact hsarhane@cas.ac.ma

KEY DATES

February 14th

Students'Early Dismissal

February 26- March 1- No School

February Break

Shout out to All Alumni!

We seek to share information on our Alumni to our community and it is also an opportunity for the Alumni to stay in touch! Please email us pictures and updates and we would be happy to share them!

We are eager to hear from you! Email us at the following email address: alumni@cas.ac.ma

What's Up Cobras