A simple email can change a day and sometimes take us back almost 75 years.
Just a few weeks ago we received a very special message from Gaztelueta. Ignacio Arroyo, a former pupil of the school, wrote to us to tell us that one of the photographs that presides over the central pavilion was, in fact, the image of his father, Jaime Arroyo, a pupil of class 3, who had started at the school in 1951. His wish was simple and deeply meaningful: to bring his father back so that he could see that image again so many years later.
From the very first moment we wanted to make this reunion possible. We eagerly organised a day designed so that Jaime and his son Ignacio could relive memories, tour the school and share its history with the new generations. In addition, thanks to the generosity of a family friend, who lent a dog very similar to the one in the original photograph, it was possible to recreate that historic image. The moment was particularly moving: past and present were united in the same gesture, reflecting the continuity of a community that grows without forgetting its roots.
During the visit, he calmly toured the different areas. He was enthusiastic to discover the changes, the new facilities and the current projects, but, above all, deeply moved as he recalled anecdotes in every corner: the first years, the friendship between classmates, the closeness of the teachers, the human and Christian formation and the family atmosphere that marked his life.
One of the most endearing moments was the meeting with the students of PEP 8. Our students had the opportunity to see first-hand what Gaztelueta was like back then. With curiosity and closeness, they asked him about classes, games, traditions and daily life in those early years. Jaime answered with simplicity, transmitting values that are still the essence of the school today: effort, responsibility, friendship and the importance of families in education. The atmosphere was particularly emotional when it was realised that among the students present were the grandchildren of former classmates, a visible sign of how the spirit of Gaztelueta continues to live on through the generations.
Almost 75 years after crossing Gaztelueta's doors for the first time, Jaime returned to share his experience and pass on his legacy to the new generations. After the visit, Ignacio wrote to us again to thank us for the welcome received and, with emotion, he summed up what he had experienced in a sentence that will remain forever in the memory of the school: “I am very grateful for the welcome I received.“one never leaves Gaztelueta”.
Their visit was a reminder that the school is not just a place of learning, but a family that accompanies each pupil throughout their lives. Generation after generation, Gaztelueta continues to form free, responsible and committed people, in close collaboration with families, keeping alive an educational style that remains, even as time moves on.
This reunion encourages us to continue educating with the same enthusiasm, convinced that every pupil who walks these corridors today will be part of this great story tomorrow.
