A special place

For forty years, Bonnefanten was the workplace of Ancel Quick-Swinkels. From 1973 until her retirement in 2013, she taught gym classes here. She has fond memories of the building.

‘What I most strongly recall from the early days is the commitment of the brothers. They really did devote all their energy to the school. Nothing escaped their notice, and they knew every single student by name. Throughout my career, I tried to emulate that way of “acknowledging” the children. Children should never feel like numbers. I attended the masses in the chapel, back in the day. Later on, this became the gymnasium. It was an amazing space, of course, but acoustically it was a disaster. I can still remember the school’s outdoor swimming pool as well. It was fantastic!

A lot of changes happened over those forty years. The school grew. I went through two mergers and saw various management teams come and go. Working with the children meant that my work never felt like a chore. I would gladly do it all over again. I really would! The building has always held a special place in my heart. I live nearby and regularly come and check up on it. It pained me to see it standing empty. That’s why I’m happy that it now has a new purpose, and the residents can enjoy it again, just as I always did.’

‘The building has always held a special place in my heart.’

Ancel Quick-Swinkels, teacher