Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. The start of a school year brings with it a sense of excitement and a fresh lens to build upon our past achievements. As the Cairo American College Head of School, I am thrilled to be starting my tenth year at CAC, with my children in grade 12, 10, and 9. My wife, Carey Harris, is the ES counselor and a positive discipline parent educator. CAC is a remarkable school, and we feel blessed to be a part of such a wonderful school community. CAC is the place to be.

I am happy to welcome the many new families joining our community from around the world: 254 new CAC students, from 164 families, representing 28 nationalities! Your presence enriches our diversity and strengthens our collective learning journey. I look forward to getting to know each one of you over this school year, please do stop by my office to say hello.

This summer has seen many exciting developments. Notably, we completed the installation of solar panels, a project close to our hearts post COP 27. This carbon footprint reducing endeavor not only aligns with CAC's commitment to sustainability but also serves as a tangible example for our students about the importance of environmental stewardship. In addition, the Early Intervention Center is nearly complete, which will open on January 8, 2024 serving young neurodiverse students.

Looking forward, we are setting our sights on several strategic goals. One of the key areas of focus will be a comprehensive review of our assessment practices and philosophy, ensuring support for our American Educational Values within the IB Framework. This is an opportunity for us to ensure that our methods of evaluation are as effective, fair, and supportive as possible.

Also on the horizon is a review of our language arts curriculum. Language arts form the cornerstone of communication and critical thinking skills. CAC is committed to ensuring that our curriculum is robust, innovative, and inspiring.

In addition, I am thrilled to introduce our new CAC '2050' courses. These innovative classes will guide our students through the convergence of technologies in Artificial Intelligence, Decentralized Finance/blockchain, Genome Sequencing, Green Energy, and Extended Reality. This interdisciplinary approach will not only provide a glimpse into the future but also equip our students with the skills and understanding to navigate, shape, and lead in a technologically advanced world.

These new courses align perfectly with CAC's strategic pillar 1 to provide a forward-thinking education that prepares students for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. I look forward to witnessing the inspiring work (and hiccups) our students will undoubtedly produce in these ground-breaking courses. CAC is one of the only schools in the world to have so quickly and effectively responded to the impact of Artificial Intelligence. We are privileged to host the Near East South Asia (NESA) Learning Institute on March 1-2, 2024 attracting educators from all over the world. They will learn about how CAC researched, developed, and implemented the 2050 courses.

We are ready for a year full of Learning, Exploring, and Having Fun. Our enrollment, a ten year high, is at 970 smiling students representing 55 different nations! Thank you for your continued support and commitment to Cairo American College. Let us embrace the opportunities this new school year presents to us and make it a memorable one. See you all on August 16.

Warm Regards,

Dr. Jared Harris
Head of School