A Beautiful Day

The temperature had risen to the mid-90's, humidity was thick in the air, and storm clouds were rolling in from the west as I began the south-of-the-creek leg of my summer self-guided tour around Collegiate’s North Mooreland Road campus this past Tuesday afternoon.
Walking by the physical plant offices adjacent to the West Gym, I encountered Leon Brown, a jack-of-all-trades whose specialty is painting.
 
“What’s going on?” I asked.
 
“A little bit of everything,” my friend responded. “Patching and painting, mainly.”
 
“You look pretty relaxed,” I said. “The pace of life is slower during the summer, isn’t it, with not as many kids here?”
 
“Actually, it’s very busy,” he answered, “and I’d rather have the kids around. I just love to hear them running around playing, laughing, and joking.”
 
“It’s hot and humid, the sun’s bearing down on us, some bad weather is moving in, and Thor Guard is just itchin’ to go off,” I said. “What does the rest of the afternoon look like for you?”
 
“Inside, I hope,” he responded with a chuckle.
 
My walk took me next through Nunnally Hall where I ran into maintenance technician Douglas Johnson repairing an uncooperative outside door.
 
“What was up with the door?” I asked.
 
“Not really sure,” he responded. “The hinge needs to be greased or something because it isn’t balancing like it should.”
 
“So how’s it going?” I asked.
 
“Going slow,” he responded, “but I think I’m going to get it.”
 
“Over the years, I’ve found that there’s not much you can’t fix,” I commented.
 
“Not much,” he said, “but if there’s something I don’t know how to do, I’m going to keep working until I get it.”
 
“That’s the spirit,” I responded.
 
Next, I walked into the Watt Library where Cheryl Matson was working behind the desk.
 
“What’s up?” I asked.
 
“We’re really busy with the Hooked on Books camp,” Cheryl replied. “This is our second session. We’ve had two weeks in June and two weeks in July. We’ve had the little ones, the 3- and 4-year-olds, all the way up to fifth grade…very different groups. They come in for story time. (Head librarian) Allison Williams reads them stories. They check out books. There’s no academic requirement. They get to do a lot of fun things. They love it. It’s so exciting to see them take a series that they find that they love and want to read all the books. Or read a Lego book when they don’t normally get to do that.”
 
“These days, so much is on a screen,” I observed. “What’s alluring about the library?”
 
“I think just the ability to browse: to look at the shelves and see the books and actually feel the books,” Cheryl said. “We find that more of the older children use the devices. The younger ones not so much. The books are just as portable as the device.”
 
Cheryl is finishing her eighth year as library assistant after volunteering for 16.
 
“What brings you back?” I asked. “What about this job makes you smile?”
 
“Oh, my goodness, the children,” she said without hesitation. “The children are the best part. And the wonderful (colleagues). I think everyone here would say that. It’s such a pleasure to come to work every day. It’s not even work.”
 
Cheryl Gahagan, just a month into her new role as assistant Lower School head for curriculum and instruction, was enjoying some quiet time in her office when I entered.
 
“What excites you about coming to Collegiate each day, even in the summer? I asked.
 
“What I like about the summer,” she said, “is just the time to think and plan and dream and hope. There aren’t huge limitations on my time, so I can really get deeply involved in things. I really enjoy that.”
 
“What’s a typical day like?” I asked. “Or are days in a school even typical?”
 
“(LS head) Debbie (Miller), (assistant head, student progress) LaNessa (West), and I have done a lot of talking and planning together from our big summer to-do list to very specific topics around professional development,” Cheryl said.
 
“It’s July 17,” I said. “Are you chomping at the bit to get going?”
 
“When the time comes,” she said with a laugh, “I’ll be ready. But I’ll definitely be soaking up every minute to get things done until then.”
 
My tour of the Lower School always includes a visit to the Summer Quest office in Luck Hall where I found Jake McDonald, the assistant director, working at his desk.
 
Outside his window, a bank of ominous cumulonimbus clouds was quickly approaching.
 
“Every day’s a beautiful day,” he said. “We’re hitting peak numbers in terms of enrollment. We’ve filled more spots than we ever have.”
 
Summer Quest extends for 11 weeks and includes 176 different programs. Thirteen hundred individuals fill 3000 spots.
 
“Why is this fun?” I asked.
 
“The kids,” he answered without question. “And the people we have working. Teachers don’t sign up to run camps unless they’re really passionate, so you’re getting the best version of a high quality teacher who’s creating a high-quality camp experience for kids who want to be here. That’s the joy of it. Mondays are a little crazy. It’s like a new start of school for everyone. After that, to see people thriving is pretty cool.”
 
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