Feels Like Home Celebrating Anne CameronHA

It Feels Like Home

CELEBRATING THE MANY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS OF ANNE CAMERONHA, CASTILLEJA'S HEAD OF MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR 25 YEARS

HOME ON THE CIRCLE “I decided to deliver my application in person,” Anne CameronHA explains about her first visit to Castilleja. As she reflects on those first steps onto the Circle, she says, “I remember looking around at the open space, taking a deep breath, feeling a sense of calm, and thinking to myself this feels like home.”

After 25 years as Head of Middle School, Mrs. Cameron will retire this spring, and it’s hard to overstate her legacy. An outstanding educator, she has shaped the lives of over 1,500 girls, inspired their teachers, and changed independent school culture for the better. Just before her arrival, 6th grade, which had been part of the program when the school was founded, had returned to campus. The school was seeking a leader in tune with Castilleja’s belief that these years were critical in establishing confidence, curiosity, resiliency, and self-esteem in girls. Because Mrs. Cameron understood this and could effectively communicate it to others, the Middle School quickly became a world of its own with a distinct approach to teaching and learning.

PUTTING THE GIRLS FIRST Joan LonerganHA, who led Castilleja from 1993 to 2010, remembers interviewing Mrs. Cameron and says, “Anne had the right experience and expertise as a middle school teacher and administrator; she expressed her determination to keep our girls at the center of every conversation and decision; and she had an almost palpable passion for encouraging curiosity and confidence in every young learner. I was convinced that she

ANNE WITH JILL LEEHA IN 2010 ANNE AND CHRISTINA COURTNEY ’02

would be just what Castilleja needed, a powerful and unflinching advocate for the needs and ambitions of her students and teachers.”

FOCUS ON MIDDLE SCHOOL Before Mrs. Cameron’s arrival, teachers spanned the Upper School and the Middle School without specializing in either. “I had already taught a lot of different ages by that point,” she explains, “and 6th grade was my sweet spot.” Over time, she established a dedicated Middle School faculty, recruiting teachers who delighted in this age group. “It was pragmatic and philosophical,” she admits. “The students needed to be able to see their teachers all day to feel known, and the teachers needed to see their students all day to understand them. We all had to live the concept together.”

Now, her teachers are organized into grade-level teams, supported by deans and advisors, all working together to help students thrive. Christina Courtney ’02, who was in 7th grade at Castilleja when Mrs. Cameron began and now teaches 7th grade science in that same space, describes the culture that Mrs. Cameron has nurtured. “Anne has driven pedagogy and community endeavors that value middle school learners for who they are. She has supported teachers in crafting an experience tailored to their unique needs. She brings a softness—like a warm hug—that embraces each student in a time in their lives where missteps happen but are essential to helping learners explore and think critically.”

FEELING THE DIFFERENCE Shanti Perkins ’90, who attended before Mrs. Cameron’s arrival, appreciates ways that her daughters’ experience at Castilleja has been similar to and different from her own. “Yes, they are learning to be strong students and be driven about who they want to become, just like we did in my time. But they are also learning to create balance in their lives and take care of themselves, while they are working hard. They see the importance of looking out for others—values that Castilleja has grown and developed over the years.” One of the most interesting distinctions between her memories and her daughters’ experiences relates to the way girls in the different divisions interact. “When I was there, we idolized the older girls. We knew them, but they didn’t know us at all.” In contrast, her daughters are confident enough

AP CLASSES

ANNE AT CASTILLEJA'S 1997 PROMOTION

to reach out and create meaningful bonds with older students through the Black Student Union and athletics, where Upper School students are assistant coaches of Middle School teams. In fact, Mrs. Cameron’s work to create an age-appropriate space for her students to call their own is a key reason that the younger students feel confident engaging with older girls, and this practice of finding and connecting with female mentors is one of the most valuable lessons of an all-girls education.

MAKING CONNECTIONS Anyone who knows Mrs. Cameron understands that she spends as much time making connections herself as she does fostering them for others. Her daughter, Caitlin Clendaniel ’04, explains. “I carpooled with Mom all the way through Castilleja, and her secret was that she always found another 20 minutes at the end of the day to stop by a volleyball game or meet with a student.” Caitlin, who is now a teacher herself, says that this generosity has inspired her to find hidden time to invest in building relationships. “Why do you think my mom meets with every 8th grader to work with them on their speeches?” Caitlin asks, then becomes so excited that she has to answer her own question, “Because she really loves getting to know every single one.”

By now, a generation of students who went through Mrs. Cameron’s Middle School can relate to the feeling she had when she stood on the Circle for the first time, that deep exhale accompanied by a sense of calm. What they may not realize is that the thought that crosses their minds next—the realization that the world around them feels like home—is due in large part to Mrs. Cameron and everything she did to understand who they really are. ANNE WITH HER DAUGHTER, CAITLIN (CAMERON) CLENDANIEL ’04