Jean Caffes: Born to Serve
By: Jennifer Whalen
Jean Caffes
Even if your children aren’t ‘walkers’, you’ve probably noticed Jean Caffes’ smiling face. Mrs. Caffes is our morning crossing guard, and she greets passing cars and walkers alike with a smile and a wave.
After a yearlong application process, Mrs. Caffes began working as crossing guard in June 2007. She spent the summer training with more experienced guards, and she now works each morning at St John’s school. Once morning classes begin, she travels to East Silver Spring Elementary School where she also performs her duties.
“I love the kids,” Caffes said. “They are always in a good mood, always happy. It’s a great way to start your day when you see their smiling faces in the morning.”
She also enjoys working outside, even in bad weather, although she admitted that this winter’s snow was daunting. “I was a little concerned when I saw how high the snow drifts were. I couldn’t believe that we were heading back,” she said, adding that she appreciated how patient the drivers were. “The drivers understood what was going on. No one was in a hurry, and everyone was taking turns.”
Mrs. Caffes advised walkers to, “Be alert to your surroundings,” she said. “The people in cars may not be able to see you because of your height, or hear you. But you can see and hear them.” She suggested that walkers:
- Look both ways for cars
- Listen for cars
- Always cross at the corner and at the cross walk.
She also advised drivers to let their children out on the sidewalk side of the street. If that’s not possible, she suggested that parents get out on the street side to make sure their children get to the sidewalk safely. “With younger children, parents should hold their hands while crossing,” she advised. “They are unpredictable and can just shoot out.”
Serving Seniors
In addition to her crossing guard duties, Mrs. Caffes also works as a recreation assistant for two area senior centers: the Margaret Schweinhaut Senior Center in Silver Spring and the Holiday Park Senior Center in Wheaton. “I’m a service-oriented person,” she said.
She organizes programs, helps with scheduling, performs office work, and does whatever is needed. “It’s wonderful work. You can learn so much from seniors. They all have their own history,” she said, recalling a story about Seymour Greene, a trombone player in the big bands of the ’30s and ’40s. During World War II, he traveled around the world with Irving Berlin performing in his "This is the Army" show. After the performance in Washington, D.C., the cast was invited to the White House for a midnight dinner with Franklin D. Roosevelt. Mr. Greene has also played at every inaugural ball since 1953. “He is quite an inspiration to never stop living,” Caffes said.
Mrs. Caffes is no stranger to St. John’s School. Her two daughters have been attending school here since 1993 — starting in pre-K. Christine, her oldest, is now studying to be a nurse at Towson State University, while Rosemary, in grade 8, will graduate this year and attend the Academy of Holy Cross in the fall. Her husband Pete runs his own heating and air-conditioning business, Pete’s HVAC, in Silver Spring.
She appreciates the nurturing environment at St. John’s the Evangelist
School. “The school treats each child as an individual and meets their
individual needs,” Caffes said. “That’s special, and it starts with Sister Mary
Mercy, as receptionist, and runs all the way up to Sister Kathleen.”
