News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

Glendale Elementary School Principal Al Campsall is retiring from the education field, leaving behind a legacy of a jive-dancing, ukulele-playing sports enthusiast and an innovative educator, who had passion to help kids succeed far beyond the classroom. At a retirement party this week at the school, parents, students, staff, former colleagues, friends and family gathered to reminisce about the exploits and the vision of this remarkable man.

(Photo: Glendale Elementary School says good-bye to Principal Al Campsall, who is retiring after a 30-year career in education.)

“I started teaching in Lillooet 30 years ago. A half-hour after I accepted that job, the principal at Nesika Elementary School, John Fitterer offered me a job at his school. “Too late,” he laughed. “I quite enjoyed my year in Lillooet, with 17 kids in a straight Grade 6 class.”

The following year he went to Nesika and taught Grade 6 for six years, where he introduced ukulele playing, singing and jive dancing to the students. Next he moved to Anne Stevenson, where he also coached basketball and weightlifting---taking the school basketball team to championship level.  

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(Photos by Ryan Brink)

Next he was the principal of Anahim Lake Elementary School, before coming to Glendale school, where he continued jive dancing lessons for students. “It’s empowering for kids to know how to dance,” he said. “Most people, when they go to a wedding or a dance, are reticent to get up on the dance floor because they have no skills. When you can jive, you get asked to dance. The confidence is great: the kids don’t feel the least bit shy about getting up and dancing.” 

Another success for Glendale School with Al at the wheel has been in Intermediate Wrestling. “We have won 13 times in the past 14 years, and quite a number of our kids have gone on to become Provincial, Western and Canadian champions,” he pointed out. “It’s so great to see these kids flourishing, especially girls. Wrestling really levels the playing field for things like bullying: the girl with the best social power often isn’t the best wrestler.”

He said that one wrestling highlight for him over the years was watching two little Kindergarten wrestlers grappling fiercely on the mat face to face. “The boys paused for a moment, looked at each other and then started rubbing noses,” he said. “Those two graduated from Grade 7 this year.”

Another unique accomplishment at the school was the adoption of the year-round calendar, instituted in 1991 by Byron Kemp, principal at the time. “It was ‘do something or lose the school’, and Glendale became the first ‘balanced school’ in Canada. I thought it was fantastic then, and am even more sold on it now,” Al declared. “Now there are statistics to back it up: less burn-out for staff, students and parents, and less learning loss during the summer. It’s better for everybody.”

He said that the new principal for Glendale will be Matt Cullum. “I coached him in basketball at Anne Stevenson and took him to the Zone Championships, and then to the Provincials in Maple Ridge,” Al continued. “He was started guard and one of the star players: he’s a good fellow.”

Al Campsall said that he always has things to do and now that he’s retired, he’ll have more time to do them. “The difference between ‘focus’ and ‘obsession’ is a big discussion in our house,” he remarked. “I will have no trouble keeping busy.”

Looking ahead at his retirement years, he said that he has equally loved his time in and out of the classroom. “I had the best job in the world. If you’re having a lousy day, the kids will cheer you up. I got to be with kids all day, and with parents and co-workers who care. There was some stress, but it was usually good stuff,” he maintained. “As an administrator I didn’t like a lot of meetings. I’d rather chat things up with a few people on staff and talk about it---make decisions together.”

He said that teaching is a calling, not a job. “You know if it’s right for you. It’s not a job to make money. And if that’s why you get into it, it’s wrong for you: there are easier jobs to make that kind of money for a lot fewer hours,” he continued.

“I have made a difference in the lives of children, but what matters most is that I have had a positive impact on their lives,” he said. “That’s why I wanted to become a principal. I’m going away with joy in my heart.”

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