Seventeen years at St. John’s College a ‘privilege’ for departing Head of PE
Being able to play an active role in the lives of the boys at St. John’s College has been a “privilege” for departing Head of Physical Education Jason Pearson.
Mr Pearson first started working at the College in Hastings, seventeen years ago, in 2007.
Now, his time at the College has come to an end, as he moves to Wanaka to be with his wife Jo, who was appointed to a CEO role earlier this year.
“It's been a privilege really to be part of the school for this length of time and to have had some impact on some people's life.”
Mr Pearson says he will miss St. John’s College but is looking forward to what the next chapter holds.
“It's a bit strange really,” he says about leaving. “I’ve really enjoyed it here. It’s probably the reason why I’ve been here so long.
“But I’m certainly excited about the move – the challenges and where I'm moving to. It's a very special corner of the country, so I get to do lots of things that I enjoy doing personally, right on my doorstep.”
Mr Pearson, originally from Dunedin, has been a teacher for more than three decades and taught both at co-educational and single-sex schools.
“Teaching just boys is nice in that they're pretty receptive and it's easy to set challenges. The success of boys education is the fact that they're surrounded by other boys, not distracted. They can be themselves.”
Both his sons attended the college. His first was already a student when he started.
In his role as Head of PE, he has been heavily involved in the life of the school, both on and off the field.
“I've always been engaged in physical activities; be it sport or PE. It's about creating lifelong habits and to be active members of society, Certainly my perspective is, and what I've tried to do is to create good habits in the boys.”
He has coached a number of different codes, most notably Canoe Polo, which they have had great success in.
“Whether we've won medals or not, my view was that they were always winning and succeeding when they were prepared to work in the game, train and work hard. Their achievements at a regional and a national level are a result of their hard work and their commitment to what they do. And I just facilitated the process that enabled them to do what they could.”
To him success, isn’t just about medals and podiums.
“I’ve had lots to do with the top athletes, but also had lots to do with other students. And to a large degree you get as much joy out of seeing a top athlete succeed at a national level, as I do in seeing a student working hard and changing their lifestyle by being physically active. So, success is at both ends.”
St. John’s College Principal George Rogers says: “Jason has made a significant contribution to the St John’s College community and has had a significant impact on the lives of the students he has coached and taught”.
“Jason leaves some very big shoes to fill, and he will be sorely missed. We wish Jason and his family all the very best in the deep South.”
