Maureen Lachapelle, 63, has retired after 24 years as principal at the Lewiston Middle School, and 40 years working in education.

What she liked about being principal, she said, was that every day was a challenge, every day was something new. “Middle school students have a lot of energy. You never know what they’re going to say. They look at things from a different perspective,” she said.

In the 1980s and 1990s middle school students were influenced by peers and friends. “Now it’s a lot to do with technology, Facebook, cellphone texting all the time. Everything’s instant now,” Lachapelle said. Technology can make bullying easier, but technology is also a boost to how students learn today, she said. “You never want to go back.”

Working with seventh- and eighth-graders for the past 24 years she’s learned “you have to be flexible. You have to be able to change and accept change. Treat them with respect. They’ll treat you with respect.”

Lachapelle grew up in Chicago and began her career as a physical education and health teacher in Illinois.

In 1969 she was working at a Maine summer camp, Camp Vega, when she met her husband, Roger Lachapelle, a former Lewiston educator and coach. After two years of long-distance dating, they married. She moved to Maine.

Lachapelle first worked at Bates College as a physical education instructor and a tennis, volleyball and basketball coach. She took two years off to have her daughters, Jennifer and Katie.

She returned to education at Edward Little High School in Auburn, where she was a health and physical education teacher, coached field hockey and track and became a physical education department head. “As a department head, I got involved with the whole school and could see the big picture. I was ready for the next step.”

Lachapelle got her master’s degree in educational administration, and in 1987 was hired as Lewiston Middle School principal. A big part of her retirement plans, Lachapelle said, will be spending time with her two young grandsons.