Cairo American College

It's Official

Cairo American College is one of my favorite schools that I have visited - ever.

I had a rotten cold for two of the days I was teaching here and even that couldn't put a damper on my enthusiasm for the students, staff and parents who populate the campus.

We based our operations at a round table in the library outside of curriculum specialist's Peter Ducket's combination office and coffee oasis. From this vantage we deployed into elementary, middle and high school classrooms for five days. In every single class we found interested students eager to learn and engaged teachers. We worked hard, but with participants like the crew we met here in Cairo one can really say, without fear of hyperbole or cliche, it was a labor of love.

Every evening was filled with excursions into the city or to the campus book fair which was running in conjunction to our visit. Special shout out to Sue and the rest of the parent volunteers at the book fair - you made us feel like rock stars. As long as I'm naming names Shy-mar (my phonetic attempt) Peter's secretary couldn't have been more helpful, knowing what we needed before we did. If Ann the librarian is not one of the nicest persons walking the face of the earth I'll eat a bowl of sand from in front of the great Sphinx.

I can't thank Seamus Marriot, the elementary school principle whom we first met while he was Shanghai, enough for facilitating our visit here. And of course, I would be no better than a mummy eating jackal if I neglected effusive and babbling kudos to our gazelle gaited guide to all things Egypt, Peter Ducket who went above and beyond the call of duty making us feel welcome, wanted and in some cases happily weary.

Thank you Cairo American College - 'til we meet again.