Happening at the El Cajon Library

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Greetings to East County Californian readers! I’m Hildie Kraus, the branch manager at the El Cajon Library, and this is my first column for the paper.  We appreciate the local coverage and community spirit of the Californian, and are very happy to share what’s happening at the El Cajon Library, 201 E.

Greetings to East County Californian readers! I’m Hildie Kraus, the branch manager at the El Cajon Library, and this is my first column for the paper.  We appreciate the local coverage and community spirit of the Californian, and are very happy to share what’s happening at the El Cajon Library, 201 E. Douglas Avenue in downtown El Cajon.  Library cards are free, and they entitle you to a world of resources, like movies, music, books, magazines, online databases, and e-books.  All of our services and materials are free, too.  We offer many programs for people of all ages.  Please visit us, get a library card, and start using this terrific public resource.  It’s your library!

We’ve got some very cool things happening at the library in April, and we hope you’ll join us for them. The major one is the MulticulturalFamily Fiesta on Saturday, April 9 from 12 – 3!  Please come and enjoy singers from St. Sophie’s Madeline Center, Steel the Band steel drums, the dance troupe from Cajon Valley Middle School, the Arabina Belly Dancers, and more, not to mention free books for kids, crafts, refreshments, an information fair, and fun activities for everyone.  We hope you’ll attend and make this the most successful Fiesta ever.

New! The Career Online High School is for adults who want to return to the education system and earn a high school diploma. Areas of study include childcare and education; security officer; office management; trucker/commercial driver, retail service and food service.  Students are paired with an academic coach, and there are scholarships available for qualified adult learners. You must be at least 19 and a resident of El Cajon. For more information, visit www.sdcl.org/cohs.

Here’s a sampling of our adult programs in April.

Senior Mobile Technology Lab, Monday, April 11 from 12 – 2 p.m. Adults 60+ are invited for individual instruction in email, social media, Skype and YouTube.

LEARN Tutor Training, Thursday, April 14 at 4:30 p.m. We are looking for patient caring people to teach adults to read and write. Change your life and someone else’s too.

DMV Review Classes, Tuesday, April 5 and Wednesday, April 6 from 6 – 7 p.m. Get ready for the written test.  April 5 is in Spanish, and April 6 is in English. 

Veterans’ Services, Mondays, April 11 and 25, 9:30 – 1:00 p.m.  Assistance with claims, appeals, public assistance and VA medical care.

Creative Crafters, Tuesday, April 5 at 12 p.m. Make a hummingbird feeder!

Military Family Resource Table, Thursdays, April 14 and 28 at 2:30 p.m. Fleet & Family Support staff answers questions about career services, deployment, relocation and resumes.

Gateway Computer Classes in Arabic, Tuesday through Friday. Beginner classes at 8 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, intermediate class on Friday at 5:15 p.m. Call Safa at 619-469-2151 for more information.

 Citizenship Classes, Saturdays at 10 a.m. Prepare for the examination and the interview in a friendly atmosphere.

Some of our programs for youth and families in April:

San Diego Symphony Kinder Koncert, Wednesday, April 13 at 4:30 p.m. This is a popular annual event; please come and enjoy simple, beautifully played music geared toward kids of all ages.

Gown Giveaway, Saturday, April 23 at 10 a.m. New and gently used dresses free, plus makeovers by California Hair Design. For teens in grades 9-12. Please call 619-588-3718 to register.

Understanding Your Child’s Behavior, Mondays at 6 p.m. Workshops feature small-group learning, incentives and opportunities for one-to-one coaching

Little Listeners’ Storytime, Tuesdays at 10 a.m. Join Miss Kristin for stories and songs for the 3 and under crowd.

Students for Students Crafternoon, Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. Stories, songs and a craft!

Rockin’ Recess, Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. Fun fitness activities in the library! Geared for ages 5 – 10.

El Cajon Exploratorium, Saturdays at 1 p.m. Explore science and art through fun, hands-on activities – can be messy, dress accordingly. Ages 4 and up.