John Hart

Principal John Hart will take 33 years of memories on the basketball court with him when he retires.
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From taking teams to provincial championships to helping students graduate, to having grown students remember him years later, Hart says he's had a rewarding - but most importantly, fun - 33 years in the Valley's schools. "As a teacher it was always important to me that education and sports should both be fun," says Hart, who's currently in his last days as principal of Lake Cowichan senior secondary school before retirement. "I've always said that I go to school, not to work.You have to let students see your sense of humour and let them know you enjoy what you're doing." Hart grew up in North Vancouver but quickly found himself adopted into the Valley in 1970 when he accepted a job at Cowichan secondary.He was hired for his basketball background to build a team at Cow High. Local families would invite his wife over to socialize while Hart was on the road with his first team, one he still remembers fondly. "They knew they weren't any good, but they tried hard and that set the tone for the teams that followed them." Twenty years later, he also remains proud of the girls' basketball team he took to provincial victory in 1983 -the culmination of a five-year domination of that sport by Cow High. "Even more important than winning was seeing how well those girls did afterwards," Hart said."Basketball took them places.Every one of those girls went on to success in their lives." Basketball's taken Hart places too.It was through his role as president of the B.C. Boys Basketball Association that he gained the administrative and organizational skills that helped him make the jump from Cow High's PE teacher, to vice-principal. He spent time as a vice-principal at Mount Prevost, Quamichan and Chemainus schools, before becoming principal first of Chemainus and then at Lake Cowichan.
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When Arthurs' daughter and several other students were struggling with a course, Hart sat in on the class and then came up with a slide show to make the material more interesting to the students.
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Although many in the Valley's schools will miss Hart, he says it was simply time to stop. "I'm still enjoying what I'm doing and I want to retire while I'm still enjoying it," he said.

Jon Hart, Wyomissing, 56-01/4; 2.
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Jon Hart, Wyomissing, 166-1; 4.