The East Greenbush Central School District regrets to inform the school community of the untimely death on Friday of John Sawchuk, a dedicated teacher and former principal of Columbia High School.
After joining Columbia in 1999, Mr. Sawchuk served as principal from 2006 until his retirement in 2018. He was a pillar of the Columbia community and an advocate for every student.
In order to introduce new alternative programs such as Columbia's alternative program, JumpStart, the Center for Therapeutic Academic Excellence and Operation Graduation – a program for twelfth graders who are at risk of not meeting their graduation requirements – Mr. Sawchuk worked with staff, administrators and house council members During his time as principal, these programs still exist today and continue to support children who require a more supportive environment to succeed in high school.
In addition, through conferences and school events, Mr. Sawchuk provided students with opportunities for leadership and service. He has organized all-day leadership conferences featuring speakers from a variety of industries, including business, law enforcement and sports. He created the Columbia Archery Games, a sports competition for special education children that resembled the Special Olympics. In addition, he partnered with the NYS Mentoring Program to offer Goff and Columbia students peer-to-peer mentoring.
When he posted the tragic news about Mr. Sawchuk to the staff via e-mail Friday, Superintendent Jeff Simmons wrote, “I was fortunate to work with John my first two years.” “During our brief collaboration, I got the impression that John would stop at nothing to support a child's success.”
Mr. Sawchuk gained notoriety outside the neighborhood for stopping a school massacre in 2004 when he confronted a Columbia student brandishing a shotgun.
After 14 more years of working at the school, Mr. Sawchuk retired in 2018 to move to North Carolina with his wife Kathy.
“John did an excellent job at Columbia High School and the East Greenbush CSD,” said Terence Brewer, the previous superintendent. His emphasis in education was always on children. John led Columbia with distinction in extremely difficult circumstances. His ability to collaborate with the faculty, staff and community to elevate Columbia High School to a distinguished academic institution will live on in his memory.
Although Mr. Sawchuk may have been a formidable presence in the halls of Columbia, his genuine concern for children was always evident.
Mr. Sawchuk congratulated the students at the 2017 Graduation Commencement event, saying:
“It has been a pleasure working with you all. I am aware that our discussions have not always been the most pleasant. Many of you, I seem to remember, have asked, “Why don't you just back off?” I used to tell you that when someone just walks away from you, it's a sure indication that they've given up Here, we never give up on our students and we didn't give up on you either.
We sympathize with his friends, co-workers and family members. When details of the arrangements are published, we will inform the school community.
