I’ll never forget the first time I met Jack Boersma. I was interviewing for the Principal position at ACS and he was giving me a tour of the facility. He knew every nook and cranny of the facility and a story behind each section of the building. “Oh, I remember crawling up here on these very rafters to put buckets up here to contain the water leaking in a rain storm so we could play a basketball game in the gym without having water on the floor…” he explained as we walked through the upper hallways of the school.

“Oh, those trees on the edge of the field? I remember a warm spring Saturday afternoon planting all those trees out there,” he told me as we looked out the staff room windows. Rats, renovations, fixing things, students, accomplishments, and so many more stories.

Jack is what we refer to as a “lifer” at ACS. He spent nearly his whole career here, selflessly serving the community and living out the mission of ACS in every way!

One in a Billion

Jack is leaving an incredible legacy as a faithful servant-hearted employee at ACS. He built a very effective Physical Education program, coached every team in every sport, built the athletic program at ACS for decades, won BC Coach of the Year in 2016, and has just led our Track team to their best season ever (overall champions in the Fraser Valley). I could give you a long list of accomplishments he has had as a Vice Principal as well and the wisdom he has afforded several principals over the years. 

He has a sense of humour too. He once, shot a starting pistol off in a dark gym to scare the principal at the time to a near heart attack. His stories of golfing at Mr. Verbeek’s cabin have become legendary in our staff room. I have to say that Jack is truly a one in a billion kind of guy. Some have said that if Jack gets a cut, he bleeds ACS.

Jack loves traditions. When you walk into the gym, look above the doors at the up-to-date recognition board which tracks every Track and Field school record from the history of the program. The contributions and traditions he brought to ACS have been varied and remarkable. We are going to miss him immensely.

Trips, Roofing, and Provincials

I asked Jack for some milestone memories of his years at ACS.  Here are a just a few:

  • Two grad trips to Lake Louise, Prince Rupert, the Inside Passage
  • An incredible stay with the grads at New Aiyansh in Northern BC
  • Working through tragedy at ACS and seeing a caring community in action by carrying each other’s burdens
  • Grade 10 Skiing classes at Hemlock (including the accidents)
  • Watching the three phase construction become reality and a new gymnasium that has been used for celebrations, PE, Athletics, CTABC Conventions, All School Chapels
  • Listening to student stories while driving the bus on school runs and trips
  • Staff retreats, staff dinners, moving staff, re-roofing homes of staff members
  • Working with six different principals at ACS and learning from their leadership
  • Watching students in plays, matches, music nights, provincial championships
  • Catching a car thief in my van behind the gym
  • Teaching and coaching my own children
  • Kindergarten day with the Senior Physical Education classes

We thank you Jack, for your beautiful career at ACS and wish you many wonderful years as you explore the world and serve God in new ways during retirement.

Please wish Jack well as he retires this year. If you would like to have a note included in the “Scrapbook” we’re creating for his retirement party, send an email to .

Video by Keith Stewart