School stalwart to retire after 50 years in education

When John Wyatt walks out of Lynmore School tomorrow, he admits it will be an emotional goodbye to his education career.

It will end a 50-year career in the education sector, with the past 30 years spent at Lynmore School as a teacher and then the school's librarian.

"I think it's with nostalgia, thinking about what I have achieved over the period.

"I was determined to have the library re-established after the rebuild before I retired."

He said the school community assembly tomorrow would be devoted to him and the main farewell was after school in the hall to which outside people were invited.

He has been the school's librarian since 1994, previously teaching there since 1986 and making it 30 years at Lynmore School this year.

Mr Wyatt said over the years he had seen library computerisation begin and the removal of the Card Catalogue System.

Over these years he has also seen the same families over generations, he said.

He started off teaching at Sunset Primary School, moving on through Westbrook Primary School, Waikite Valley School, Glenholme Primary School, Rotorua Primary School and then Lynmore School.

He said he has enjoyed working with children and helping them select books, as well as helping them to undertake research.

Mr Wyatt said there was still a place for books and printed material.

"It's far more personal and doesn't strain the children's eyes in the same way looking at a screen might."

Mr Wyatt said he made the career change from being a teacher to a fulltime librarian at Lynmore School due to health related problems after a scouting accident in 1974 caused a lower spine injury.

Once retired, he will be travelling to North America in late October.

He said he would also carry on doing the gardens at the Rotorua Methodist Church and the secretary work he currently does for three organisations.

These are the Regional Management and Children's Activities Committee, the Rotorua East Lions Club and the Rotorua Methodist Church.

Mr Wyatt has also had wide community involvement, spending 18 years as a secretary for the New Zealand Educational Institute for the Rotorua branch and 21 years as the treasurer.

He was awarded the community award by the Rotorua District Council in 2003, has been a member of the Lions in Rotorua for over 20 years and been involved with Camp Quality for children living with cancer.

John Wyatt library favourites:
-Children's picture book, Bamboozled by David Legge
-Children's chapter book, The BFG by Roald Dahl.