Library Bags

Every ES student at CAC is asked to bring his or her own library bag when they come to the library with their class. Cloth bags with CAC logos can be purchased at the CAC school store, but students can choose to bring a cloth bag from home. All bags should have the student's name clearly marked on the top.

Why do we insist on a library bag? Library bags can serve many purposes. They help

• to keep our books protected from damage
• to transport library items home and back
• to keep library books organized and gathered together
• to organize their materials at school and at home
• to protect DVDs in case the case opens and the disk falls out

We encourage our students to take books home in their library bags, enjoy and share the book at home, and then return the book to the library bag right away so that it is ready for re-reading or return. 

Please note that students can return and checkout books on any day of the week, not just their library day. Students are welcome to come in on their own to the library before and after school, during lunch and afternoon recess. Provided they have no overdue books and that they are within their 10 book limit, they are welcome to check out at those times. Our library is also open on most Saturdays from 10 to 2. See the CAC detailed calendar or the ES library calendar widget on the sidebar to see the Saturday dates it is open. (It's open this weekend, Aug. 29!)

If students do not bring a library bag, we limit their checkout to 1 book and no DVDs, as it is easier to keep track of just one book. 

We thank all students and parents for supporting the library collection by embracing the library bag rule. 

First Day 2015-2016

Welcome to CAC! We are excited to be starting the 2015-2016 new year. We hope everyone has had a restful summer and is ready to start with great energy and enthusiasm.

 What's new at the CAC ES library this year?

• this blog (be sure to subscribe to keep up with all the latest news and information)
• more space in front of our Egyptian tent as we've moved the circulation desk
• Ms. Wafaa and Ms. Enas will be teaching the prek/kg and g1 library lessons respectively, under my guidance. I will be teaching the grade 2 classes.
• new books - LOTS!!!!

Here's a little reminder of our library circulation procedures.

• Students come to the library for a scheduled lesson (prek-g2) or checkout period (g3-5) every week. 
• Students can have up to 10 books checked out, but we strongly encourage them to only take 3 or 4 at a time. 
• Students with overdue books will only be allowed to check out one book until the account is cleared. This might be overruled if books are long overdue. 
• All students must have a library bag to transport their books home and back to school. 
• Choose books before DVDs.

Students are welcome to the library before school, after school and during lunch recess. We ask that students do not come to the library during the first recess as other classes are scheduled at that time. 

Let's have a great year of reading, everyone!

Getting ready!

With the 2015-2016 school year just around the corner, we're getting the library ready for a full year of reading and information seeking.

We just removed the dust covers off our bookcases and we're going to be adding lots and lots of new books, especially in the non-fiction section. Thanks to Youssef, an ex-fifth grader, who helped Ms. Wafaa remove and store the plastic covers.

We are told our new books are coming today. They are already at CAC, stored in the basement, but there's so many of them that it will take a while to bring them all in! Can't wait to see all the new books!!! There's nothing better than opening a brand new book and jumping in to a world of information and imagination.

Please remember to return all of your summer checkout library books on the first day of school. We are expecting quite a few books to return and the sooner they all come back in, the sooner we can get started with fresh reading this year!

What a year!

The library is silent, wrapped in plastic to protect it from dust and well-meaning janitors. It's having a well deserved rest and dreaming of the new books, new students, new activity it will have in the 2015-2016 school year.

Here's a quick calendar tour of the CAC ES library this year.

August - back to school

September - planting potatoes inspired by John Coy book

October - storyteller visit by Giles Abbot

November - Character Dress Up Day

December - Author visit by John Coy and PTO Book Fair

January - lots of classroom-library collaboration

February - harvest potatoes

March - New Book Open House

April - DEAR time assembly

May - used book sale

June - farewell to Mr. Ibrahim

And this is just one highlight per month! You can bet there was a lot more accomplished this year. We definitely deserve these summer vacations!

New blog for CAC ES library

Welcome to the CAC ES library blog. My goal for this blog is to communicate with the Cairo American College community and beyond.

We already have an active Facebook page - www.facebook.com/CACESlibrary - but that is sometimes limited, so this blog will allow us to give more detail about the many fascinating things that go on in the CAC ES library.

You might be thinking: "Wait a minute! Isn't it the end of the school year? Why start now?" Why not? is my answer.

Here are a few things you might find in this blog as I continue to post to it:

• news and information about things going on in the CAC ES library or at CAC in general
• book reviews
• invitations to events
• useful tips for readers
• news from the library world
• tutorials on information literacy and using the library
• photos of our library and our students
• reading recommendations

I hope you will consider subscribing to the blog to stay up-to-date on the ES library's happening, and especially that you will add your comments to bring the blog alive. 

Ahlan wa sahlan! Welcome!