This is the seventh and final post in a series of guest posts by Sandra Moscoso, featuring a few of Capitol Hill’s sheroes — remarkable women — in honor of Women’s History Month. Today’s post features Frances Slaughter. Previous posts featured Heather Schoell, Laurie Siegel, Barbara Percival, Julia Christian, Barbara Rielhe, and Sherry Trafford.
Frances Slaughter, aka “Ms. Frances” — caregiver, role model, super hugger. Ms. Frances, the face of the Capitol Hills Cooperative Nursery School (CHCNS), has been caring for, and hugging, our children and our children’s children for over 30 years. In addition to leading CHCNS, Ms. Frances hosts an aftercare program at Watkins Elementary, and in the summer, offers a summer camp that employs several high school and college students, all of whom are alumni of her programs. Ms. Frances’ nurturing touch makes a lifelong impact — those kids she once hugged have sent her engagement announcements and invited her to their weddings. She has even found herself caring for the children of the now adults she once hugged. When asked why she does it, Ms. Frances’ answer is simple, “It fills my heart with joy.” Who is Ms. Frances’ shero? “My mother”…
Ms. Frances and the cast of sheroes in the spotlight over the past few weeks are remarkable, yet they represent only a handful of the many many others I have come across in Capitol Hill. While I chose to focus on women I have admired from a distance, there is a lot to be said about the sheroes I know well. Among those that inspire me every day are the women in the Watkins Montessori community — the incredible teachers and the dedicated mothers who work every day to make our school such a success. I think about my neighborhood friends, especially Linda Gillespie, who has mentored me on the merits of decorating holiday cookies, dyeing Easter eggs, and reaching out to those around us. I imagine we all have Capitol Hill women we admire from a distance and up close. So I ask you, who are your sheroes?
Ms. Frances has hundreds of little shugah wuggahs across the Hill and now scattered across the country. She’s my shero!
Thanks for introducing me to superstar Sherry via this column–wow, I feel like such a slacker! She is the only one I haven’t known/known of. Thanks for doing this great series.