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Week Without Walls Objectives
The primary goal of the Cairo American College High School Week Without Walls program is to fulfill the CAC mission by ensuring the following:
“.....that each student achieves his or her educational and personal potential in a safe environment. We challenge all students to envision new possibilities, empower them to achieve their aspirations, and inspire them to serve a global community and contribute to a sustainable future.”
WWW Objectives:
- Enrich and expand the cognitive and affective aspects of the CAC curriculum by providing the students with diverse educational experiences.
- Allow students the opportunity to forge stronger links between the classroom and the wider world.
- Foster academic and personal growth through writing, research, and exploration.
- Reinforce self-esteem and provide a sense of achievement.
- Create positive interactions/relationships among students in mutli-age groups, faculty, and other tour leaders in unique settings.
- Provide opportunities for service learning, adventure and curricular and cultural experiences.
Due to Egypt’s unique geographical setting, it is the intent of the program to offer experiences mainly within the African, Asian, and European regions.
Students who successfully pass their Week Without Walls course will be granted 0.25 credit. If a student fails a course for disciplinary reasons, parents will be notified in writing.
Service Learning Course Requirement
Students who attend high school at CAC for four full years are required to participate in at least one Week Without Walls service learning course. Students who attend high school at CAC for less than four full years, and have had access to less than four Week Without Walls courses, are not obligated to take part in a Week Without Walls service learning course.
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WWW and the IB:
Students may elect to earn CAS hours in lieu of WWW credit (subject to the approval of the IB coordinator).
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Risk Assessment and Safety Procedures
The nature and purpose of specific courses may expose students to a degree of risk that is atypical of regular on-campus classes. Recognizing that courses which involve travel, physical activity, and exploration are not risk free, all courses are subject to a risk and safety assessment. The following criteria have been established in order to assess and minimize the potential risks associated with WWW courses. All courses are subject to the following:
- Prior to departure, parents will be required to complete a health form and inform course chaperones of any special health related issues regarding their sons(s)/daughter(s).
- Specific courses may require students to submit a medical clearance certificate and have a physical.
- Activities which require rigorous physical exercise or special skills may require mandatory pre-course training or assessment.
- Courses will not include destinations for which the U.S. Embassy has current travel warnings discouraging travel.
- All adult chaperones for off-campus courses must have had first aid training.
- First aid kits shall be prepared and taken on all off-campus courses.
- Access to emergency medical care and reliable communication must be confirmed for all Adventure destinations. Such information must be communicated to all participants and parents prior to departure.
- Upon completion of the WWW course, each chaperone will submit a written evaluation of the travel conditions, safety standards, quality of guides, student/teacher ratio, and discipline matters, for review by the school administrators.
Parents must take the following into consideration when authorizing their child’s participation in a particular course:
- For some courses, immediate and/or twenty-four hour telephone communication may not be available.
- For some courses, immunization is required as advised by the World Health Organization (WHO): http://www.who.int/ith/countries/en/.
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Student and Parent Responsibilities
Students Must:
- Read CAC Week Without Walls Handbook of course offerings.
- Obtain parent approval before registering for any course.
- Meet requirements for course(s) of choice.
- Fill out the Registration Form, Medical Release Form and Waiver Form. In order for a student to be permitted to register for any course, all forms must be filled in completely and signed by the parent or guardian.
- Attend all pre-course orientations and meetings.
- Communicate to parents all necessary information received during pre-course meetings.
- Fulfill all pre-course, during-course, and post-course requirements.
- Abide by all chaperone, school and WWW rules.
With the following exceptions, all high school students at Cairo American College are eligible for Week Without Walls courses:
- Any student who has received either an in-school suspension or out-of-school suspension as a result of a WWW course violation will be placed in a “Supervised Activity” during the following WWW.
- Any student who fails WWW for disciplinary reasons will be placed in a “Supervised Activity” during the following WWW.
- Any student who repeatedly shows a disregard for school rules and/or a lack of responsibility during the school year will not be allowed to travel and will be placed in a “Supervised Activity” during the Week Without Walls (subject to review on a case-by-case basis by the high school administration).
Parents Must:
- Read CAC Week Without Walls handbook and help their son(s)/daughter(s) make appropriate choices.
- Attend the Parent/Student Information session which will be held on October 27, 2009 in the CAC Theater at 7:00 p.m. for the parents of 11th and 12th grade students, and 8:00 p.m. for 9th and 10th grade students. All parents are highly encouraged to attend these sessions.
- Attend the February 10, 2010 Pre-Travel Meeting for the course for which their son or daughter registers.
Please Note:
While the school will provide the necessary documentation to aid students in obtaining visas, ultimately the responsibility for having the appropriate travel documents is that of the parents.
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WWW Calendar 2009 - 2010
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Parent Information Night
7:00 - 9:00pm
Monday, November 9, 2009
Student Registration
8:00am - 3:10pm
Tuesday, February 10, 2010
Pre-Travel Parent Meeting
5:15pm
February 26 – March 5, 2010
WWW Program.
It is preferred that courses will begin no sooner than Thursday February 25th, 3:00pm and end no later than the evening of Friday March 5th. Exceptions may be made due to flight restrictions.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
WWW Showcase Night
5:15pm
The order of alpha groupings this year
Alpha groups rotate each year. In 2010 - 11, the order of the alpha groups will be as follows:
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WWW Registration
What you need to bring to Registration
Out-of-Cairo Courses
- Signed Registration Form
- Signed Medical Release Form
- Signed Waiver Form
- Signed Behavior Code
- Photocopy of the picture page from the valid passport with which the student will travel
- For students with diplomatic passports:
- Copy of picture page
- Copy of the student’s diplomatic ID
Or
- Copy of parent’s diplomatic ID and a copy of the dependent stamp page from the student’s diplomatic passport.
In-Cairo Courses
- Signed Registration Form
- Signed Medical Release Form
- Signed Waiver Form
- Signed Behavior Code
Registration Policies
- The minimum number of students required for a course to run varies per course and is determined by the administration. In the event a course is undersubscribed the administration may choose to cancel the course. Students registered for the course in question will be asked to choose from the remaining available slots on other courses in the order in which they registered for the canceled course. In such a case, the grade-level quotas for each course can be expanded to accommodate these students.
- Students who are not able to register at their appointed time on Registration Day may send a proxy to register on their behalf. Proxy registrants must be at least 20 years of age and should identify themselves to the registration coordinators prior to the appointed registration time.
- Late registration will be scheduled for students who fail to register on Registration Day. At Late Registration course selection is limited by the grade-level quotas established for each course. Students who are admitted to CAC after the WWW registration process is complete will follow this same process. Students who fail to register on Registration Day or at Late Registration will be assigned a no-cost course by the HS Principal.
- All registration is considered final as soon as completed, and changes in registration are not possible. Requests for exceptions to this rule are reviewed by the HS Principal and are only permitted in consideration of medical safety.
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Week Without Walls Payment Options
The deadline for payment is January 10, 2010. On the course registration form, parents choose the method of billing for the course, either to the place of employment or directly to the parent. Since WWW is a required course and part of the High School curriculum, many businesses assume the cost of these courses. At the direction of the parent, CAC will list the cost of the WWW course on the tuition bill sent to a business or company for the spring semester. If a business chooses not to pay the cost of the WWW course, CAC will bill the parents. Ultimately, parents are responsible for all costs associated with the WWW course of their son/daughter.
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Insurance Information
All courses conducted out of Cairo include medical insurance coverage for each student. The insurance cost embedded in the course price is $45 per student. Detailed information is available upon request. Students on courses conducted in Cairo are covered by existing school insurance at no additional charge.
An optional Travel Interruption/Fee Insurance is available for an additional $25. This provides limited coverage in the event a medical or family emergency necessitates cancellation prior to departure.
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