Haunted by the hallways streamed with pasta art and whiffs of crayons
floating around, middle school alumni are not usually thrilled to return. But, that opinion is rivaled this year when Ana Begochea ’13, Courtney Kameros ‘13, and Maggie Michel ’13 decided to volunteer at St. Jane DeChantal School.
DeChantel is a private, co-ed, first through eight grade independent school lcated on Old Georgetown Road. While walking up and down the hallways I got a first glimpse
into how the school is run and how the girls keep up. Since Ana and
Maggie had actually gone to St. Jane DeChantal, their return rivaled most
people’s pledge to never go back to their old school days. The girls
knew their way around the seemingly confusing hallways and most of the
teachers even remembered both Ana and Maggie, treating them with love, respect, and joy.
From cutting out crafts to grading homework to organizing class
folders these girls and myself had no free time. They worked busily
away on their various projects, only stopping to admire fine art in
the hallways. Wherever Ana, Maggie, and Courtney ventured they were
greeted by a warm hello and instant conversation from teachers. People
provided help when help was needed but for the most part they trusted
the work of the girls. It is almost like a family has developed
between the teachers, students, and volunteers which created a very happy atmosphere.
Although returning to an old, sometimes scary memory seems
unappealing these girls found away to make it a rewarding and
productive experience.
