St. Hubert students arrive safely at home
Worried parents could breathe a sigh of relief Tuesday, as all 33 students from St. Hubert Catholic School that were stranded in Washington, D.C., have arrived safely at home.
The second group of eighth-graders arrived around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday at O'Hare International Airport, said Bea Candre, whose daughter was in the first group that flew home on Monday from the nation's capital.
Students from the Hoffman Estates school planned to fly home on Saturday from their class trip, but their flight was canceled as snow pelted the District. Another flight was canceled on Sunday.
Candre said she saw some of the students in tears as the first group collected baggage late Monday night from Midway Airport with Assistant Principal Alison O'Connor. The kids found the trip a bonding experience. The group was split in half over the weekend for the return trip for safety reasons and to make it easier to find a flight.
"I really think they grew up a bit," Candre said. "it was like we sent them off to college for a little bit."
Parents handed out T-shirts to the students reading "I survived the blizzard of 2010, Washington, D.C." The 33 traveling students and faculty were given the day off from school Tuesday to recover. The students who arrived Monday night didn't get to the school in Hoffman Estates until 10:30 p.m.
O'Connor spent her off day with her 5-year-old daughter away from school. She might get another day off today if snow forces a school closure.
"I'm actually OK with that because I can use some rest," she said.
One of the lessons O'Connor said she learned was to pack an extra outfit when traveling. She also cast questions about how well Washingtonians deal with snow.
"I don't think they're as hearty as us," she said. "They're not used to the snow - it literally paralyzes the whole region."
The biggest concern for O'Connor was helping students who grew homesick. News that a heavy snowstorm was expected back home in the Chicago area worried students who were afraid returning home would be further delayed, she said.