In typical Prout fashion, Ms. Lachapelle, Mr. Frappier, and Ms. Price filled many roles. Each of their presence was sown into the very tapestry of the Prout community. But looking back, the most brilliant connecting thread between the three was their dedication to service.
Ms. Lachapelle (pictured second from right in the top row) began teaching in the religion department in 2006. She was the class advisor for the Class of 2010, and the moderator for Yearbook. In 2013, she won the National Yearbook Program Excellence Award from Jostens Yearbook. While significant, her most powerful work went beyond moderating and advising.
“The experience that impacted me the most while at Prout,” says Ms. Lachapelle, “was the opportunity I had while teaching the social justice class over the years. When working with the students, they always challenged me in my need to continue to become aware of injustices and work to resolve them.”
The projects the students tackled within the social justice class included the environment, the needs of the poor and homeless, and the responsibility to vote. The lessons learned in Ms. Lachapelle’s social justice class are lessons her students will carry with them for life.
When Mr. Frappier joined the staff at Prout in 2001, the school still offered middle school courses along with high school. He originally taught religion classes to seventh and eighth graders. Soon after, Mr. Frappier became Coach Frappier as he started developing the girls’ high school cross country and track and field programs. He transformed both programs from a small number of dedicated athletes into teams strong enough to race at the annual state meet championships. He was named chairperson for the religion department, taught International Baccalaureate Religion classes, and organized the annual food drive during the Lenten season.
“The ultimate thing I did at Prout was ‘Bulking Up the Banks,’” says Mr. Frappier, “it was all about getting items for soup kitchens and food banks in Rhode Island, especially in South County. It was so successful because the school would go along with it and support Bulking Up the Banks every year.”
Thousands of pounds of food were collected and donated to local shelters, such as the Jonnycake Center in Wakefield, over the years. The endeavor took both humor and heart: the school community will likely never forget Mr. Frappier’s frequent impersonation of Arnold Schwarzenegger throughout the collection season. (He was quickly and affectionately dubbed “The Frappenater.”)
Before either Ms. Lachapelle or Mr. Frappier were on the scene, Mrs. Price was busy on stage. In 1996, Ms. Price began working at Prout as a music teacher for the middle school students. She slipped into countless other roles during her 24 years at The Prout School, from conducting the Bell Choir, to coordinating Freshmen Academic Orientation, to sitting on several faculty committees, to teaching English Language Learner (ELL) courses to international students. Most recently, she was a skilled guidance counselor.
For five years, she organized the annual production of Lazarus. The musical, thanks to Ms. Price’s organizational efforts, touched many beyond those in the audience.
“Lazarus,” says Ms. Price, “was a whole school effort to bring attention to and support organizations that provided food for the hungry in our neighborhoods, state, nation, and world.”
There is no doubt Ms. Lachapelle, Mr. Frappier, and Ms. Price will spend their retirement continuing to serve those around them. While the school community is already missing each of the retirees, Ms. Lachapelle, Mr. Frappier, and Ms. Price agreed they have been changed by their time at Prout. Most of all, they will sorely miss those who make The Prout School so special.
Ms. Price says it best: “My 24 years at Prout have been a wonderful cap to my 40 years in education. It was a time of learning from and sharing with outstanding teachers who both challenged me and made my job easier, working with young adults who kept me creative and looking for and applying best practices, and assisting the most caring, involved parents a school could ever hope to have.”