Henrico's Top Teachers – Donche Lewis, Starling International Child Care and Learning Complex

If there’s a typical day for Donche Lewis, it might involve caring for toddlers, helping second-graders with virtual schoolwork, tutoring sixth-graders, training other employees, honing her vocabulary in one or several of 20 or so different languages and – most importantly – having a bunch of fun.

Lewis is the lead teacher at Starling International Child Care and Learning Complex in Henrico’s West End, a facility that serves between 150 and 200 children at any given point in time.

Though the pandemic has produced some significant challenges for the company, it’s also provided opportunity and new forms of demand. When officials decided to expand to a second nearby location in order to host second- through sixth-grade students who would be learning virtually, Lewis was named to manage the location.

There’s no shortage of potential chaos at the new facility on Quioccasin Road, with students of varied ages and abilities, from a number of different home schools and different grade levels – all with different teachers and all trying to learn virtually at the same time. But Lewis quickly established an organized structure so that each child has the space and support he or she needs.

“She established ‘brain-break’ zones, where children can get off screen and decompress,” a nominator wrote. “It's a joy to watch her children thrive in academics as well as well as sports, board games, challenges and socialization activities.”

Lewis works with virtual learners during their classes as needed and then again after class ends, providing tutoring and mentorship.

“I’m definitely a jack of all trades,” Lewis said, with a laugh.

She arrived at Starling 12 years ago as a Henrico High School graduate who had designs about working in elementary education but who quickly found herself won over by child care – and Starling in particular. She’d taken child care courses at the Highland Springs High School ACE Center and put them to work right away.

The complex serves a number of students from the nearby Regency area, which is home to a melting pot of immigrants from all over the world. Lewis has taught and cared for students of all backgrounds and loves the diversity that the center experiences as a result of their presence. She can relate, too, having grown up in various spots around the world as part of a military family.

The center makes a point not only to celebrate (and explain the meaning of) traditional American holidays but also those from each of the countries where its students are from.

“We’re always celebrating something here,” Lewis said.

And the center’s staff celebrates Lewis’s role, too.

“Donche worked heroically and selflessly during a year of unknowns and frightening possibilities,” her nominator wrote. “Donche has trained new staff, set up protective cubby shields, established an enrichment curriculum and so much more to make the new school a place children love and thrive in.”

Lewis conceded that during the pandemic’s first few months, there was much uncertainty.

“It was scary at first,” she recalled, thinking “'Do I want to work around kids – or do I even want to be around people? Do you send [kids] home every time they cough? What do we do if they have symptoms or if they get sent home from their schools?'"

But the complex stayed open throughout, even despite limited hours initially, and has managed to avoid COVID’s wrath, Lewis said.

She praised operator Donna Goff for handling the situation effectively – and for serving as an inspiration to her and others.

“I see her business moves and the things that she’s taught me since I first came,” Lewis said. “I see her being so caring, reaching out to so many families, the things she does for our international families. Hopefully I can be like Ms. Donna.”

Lewis thinks of herself as a big kid, which might be why she feels so at home with dozens of smaller ones.

“If you don’t have your heart into working with kids, then it’s not the profession for you,” Lewis said. “I think I just have that good energy and just a bubbly energy and patience. I don’t have kids of my own, but I love all the kids here.”