Ken Wright has taught, coached 3 generations of some families
GORE BAY—Now that Ken Wright has retired for a second time, he is making it permanent, not for just a few days, he laughed.
Mr. Wright, who has retired after 54 years as a teacher, told The Expositor, “I had worked for 32-and-a-half years at Charles C. McLean Public School (Gore Bay) when I retired Friday, February 28, 2002. Then I started supply teaching at C.C. McLean on Monday March 3, 2002. So, I had my retirement party Friday and Saturday and survived that, and then went back into (supply) teaching two days later.”
Mr. Wright, who has now retired after 54 yeas as a teacher, “Taught phys-ed and gym for 25 years. Then I taught everything in Grades 7-8 and in Phys-ed from Kindergarten to Grade 8.”
“I was a supply teacher at C.C. McLean, at Assiginack Public School and Little Current Public School for about 10 years, and for the last 10 years only at C.C. McLean,” continued Mr. Wright. “I was officially retired at the end of this school year.”
Mr. Wright organized the annual Island (elementary school) track and field championships day for about 25 years, “and I will still probably volunteer to cook barbecue hotdogs at the Island track and field days which I have done ever since I retired in 2002. It’s great because I get to see people from all over the Island.”
“Oh yeah I’m going to miss it,” said Mr. Wright. “There are so many people in Gore Bay that I have taught, many of the students were part of three generations of students in their family that I taught. And I have gotten to know basically everyone in the community,” he said, noting some of the people he taught as kids, in fact quite a few, have already retired.
“There have been a lot of highlights over the years, because so many of the students were also such good athletes. In the 1980s and 1990s they won several championship trophies,” said Mr. Wright.
“The parents at C.C. McLean have been great and their kids have been wonderful, or I wouldn’t have been here that long,” continued Mr. Wright. “The teachers in Gore Bay and around the Island that I’ve worked with in Little Current and Manitowaning have been great to work with and still are.”
“I just figured I have put my time in,” said Mr. Wright. “I got a phone call last Friday from the Rainbow District School Board (RDSB) telling me my teaching licence with the College of Teachers had run out. I told them at the time that I have decided to retire.”
As for what he is going to do in retirement Mr. Wright said, “I have my garden to tend to, and I have a lot more fishing and hunting to do.”
