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Jenny Hartman moves on from BVCS

Former Bulkley Valley Christian School secretary takes a new post after elementary campus closes.
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Jenny Hartman stands at her desk at the elementary campus of the Bulkley Valley Christian School for one of the last times while the school was being packed up and moved to its new location with the secondary campus.

Things change.

Universally, this is true, but the phrase is bittersweet for Jenny Hartman who has been with the Bulkley Valley Christian elementary school campus for almost half of its life.

She first took the secretarial position, the first ever on the BVCS payroll, 23 years ago after expressing her frustration at the inability to find someone for the position. At the time, she was on the school board and part of the hiring committee and it was discouraging to see no applications coming through the door, she said.

It was her husband who suggested she put her own name in, and as their two children were in grade school already, she decided to give it a go and has been behind the welcome desk ever since.

“I started with an electric typewriter and a computer,” she recalls. “It [the computer] was probably new in its day.”

Looking back at the 1988 style operating system, she chuckled at the memory of what was “high-tech” at the time.

Technology wasn’t the only thing that has changed over the years, she said, who’s seen numerous additions and reconfigurations to the campus.

The additions over the years have been nice, she said, especially since most of the construction was done over the summer months. In the 27 years that she’s been there they’ve added a new library, one with more windows and a much larger size, a music room so they can have a band, choir and music classes, as well as move the office to the front, rather than down the corridor as it was before.

She really loved her job, she said. Every day was something new as kids are always offering something new. When pre-school was introduced, her job was that much more exciting as they always spoke their mind.

“I love coming to school every day, seeing the kids and interacting with the staff,” Hartman said.

Looking back at her time there, she’ll always have those memories of kids and their stories, or of that “special” show and tell pet they would bring in. The one that stands out in her mind is the full grown boa constrictor that someone brought. Hartman had the pleasure of holding the constrictor.

“It was one of those hold your breath moments,” Hartman said.

She enjoyed meeting all the children and their families.

It’s unfortunate to see the original BVCS campus closed, she said. A lot of students have gone through those doors who won’t associate their history with that of the 14th Avenue location.

“I’m sad to see the old building go because for me that’s where all my memories are,” she said.

Her job isn’t transferring with the elementary school, who will now be educated in the lower level of the 14th Avenue location.

Instead, she’s moving to the other end of the spectrum, working with The Meadows assisting senior citizens. That has helped with the change in her life, she said, knowing she had a place to go to challenge her in other ways. Plus she gets to stay in this community, so she can still connect with those families and kids.

“This job fits me perfectly … I’m looking forward to it a lot,” she said.

There she will be serving meals and helping them with their recreational activities. So far, with planning and celebrating Canada Day at The Meadows, the job has been going great.