Principal John Sawchuk speaking at the Columbia High School Class of 2017 graduation ceremony.
The East Greenbush Central School District is saddened to inform our school community that John Sawchuk, former principal of Columbia High School and a dedicated educator, died on Friday unexpectedly.
Mr. Sawchuk joined Columbia in 1999 and served as principal from 2006 to 2018 when he retired. He was a strong presence at Columbia and an advocate for all students.
John Sawchuk with the Principal’s Leadership Team volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House in Albany in 2017.
During his tenure as principal, Mr. Sawchuk collaborated with staff, administrators and school board members to launch new alternative programs such as the Columbia Alternate Program, JumpStart, the Center for Therapeutic Academic Excellence Program, and Operation Graduation, which is a program for 12th graders who are at risk of not meeting their graduation requirements. All of these programs are still in existence today and helping students who need more supportive environments to be successful in high school.
Mr. Sawchuk also provided leadership and service opportunities for students through school events and conferences. He organized full-day leadership conferences with guest speakers from various fields such as business, sports and law enforcement. He developed the Rainbow Games as a kind of Special Olympics at Columbia for special education students to compete athletically. And he partnered with the NYS Mentoring Program to provide peer-to-peer mentoring for Columbia and Goff students.
“I had the good fortune to work with John in my first two years,” Superintendent Jeff Simons said in an email to staff on Friday, announcing the sad news about Mr. Sawchuk. “My initial impression of John, in our brief time working together, was that he would do anything to help a kid succeed.”
To the outside community, Mr. Sawchuk was most well known for stopping a school shooting in 2004 when he tackled a student firing a shotgun inside Columbia, ending the threat.
Mr. Sawchuk would spend 14 more years working at the school until he retired in 2018 to move with his wife Cathi to North Carolina.
“John’s work at Columbia High School and the East Greenbush CSD was exemplary,” said former Superintendent Terrance Brewer. “His educational focus was always on kids. John provided distinguished leadership at Columbia through very challenging times. He will be remembered for his ability to work with staff and the community in making Columbia High School a leading educational institution.”
Mr. Sawchuk could be an imposing figure in the hallways of Columbia, but there was never a doubt about how much he cared for children.
During the Operation Graduation commencement ceremony in 2017, Mr. Sawchuk congratulated the students, saying:
“It’s been my honor to work with you guys. I know our conversations haven’t always been the most pleasant. I remember many of you saying ‘Why don’t you just back off?’ And I always said to you ‘When someone just leaves you alone, it’s a sure sign they gave up on you.’ We never give up on our students here. And we never gave up on you.”
We extend our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. Calling hours are scheduled for Tuesday, October 8 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Glenville Funeral Home.