St. Jane de Chantal honors retired principal, Betsy Hamilton, for sharing faith, fun and kindness with generations of students

During her longtime service as the principal at St. Jane de Chantal School in Bethesda, Betsy Hamilton liked to say, “The fun never stops at De Chantal.”

That motto could be seen on June 4, 2025 – two days before the last day of the school year – as Hamilton greeted students arriving at the school, including fourth graders dressed up as characters from Greek mythology as part of a class project.

Hamilton posed for a photo with a girl portraying Medusa who wore a headpiece adorned with plastic snakes. The principal signed a yearbook for a boy wearing a winged helmet who was dressed as Mercury, the messenger of the gods.

Another boy portraying Odysseus, the wandering hero of the Trojan War, walked in school wearing a helmet and armor. The students wearing makeshift togas and other costumes and accessories portrayed Hercules, Pandora with a box, and Athena, the goddess of wisdom. A boy portraying Dionysus, the god of wine, carried a bottle, and another boy dressed as Poseidon, the god of the sea, had a fake beard and held a trident.

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