Lynn principal set to retire

LYNN – Longtime Drewicz Elementary School Principal James Cole has informed the School Department that he plans to retire at the end of the summer, putting an end to a teaching career that spanned three decades in Lynn.Beginning in 1974, Cole spent 10 years teaching at the O’Keefe School before moving on to spend a decade at the Connery Elementary. In 1994 he took over the head post at the Drewicz, where he has spent the past 16 years.A Lynn native and lifelong resident, Cole says sometimes people just know when the time is right to step away.”I have heard a lot of people say in the past, ‘When it is the right time, you know it,'” he said. “To me, it feels like the right time.”Cole will finish out this school year and work through the summer, officially retiring Aug. 31.While spending a September outside of the classroom will be a strange feeling for Cole, he says he is looking forward to enjoying his time and traveling with his wife.”I haven’t made any retirement plans yet. I am not sure, I will probably do a little bit of traveling with my wife,” he said. “I will do something.”Presiding over a diverse school such as the Drewicz, with 75 percent of its students from minority backgrounds, Cole says he hopes he was able to act as a positive influence in the lives of the children who passed through his hallways on their way to middle and high school.”I like to think that over the years I was able to make a difference in the lives of some kids that may have really needed it,” he said. “I have worked with a lot of great people over the years, I am really going to miss the kids. (Retirement) is going to be a big adjustment. I am going to miss everyone.”Cole is the second elementary principal in the city to announce his retirement this year. Sisson Principal John Morris stepped aside after 11 years on Jan. 19, choosing not to wait out the school year. Acting Principal Inez Accursio is filling in for Morris until June, at which point the district will hold interviews for both open principal positions.