Carson Mark

Junior high science teacher Mr. Jeff Hartwick will leave BSM at the end of the quarter and move to Tampa, Florida with his family because of his wife’s job.

At the conclusion of this quarter, Mr. Jeff Hartwick will be moving to Tampa, Florida, leaving the junior high short one talented science teacher.

The reason for the move centers around his wife’s career as an attorney, as she will be taking up the position of general counsel for the company Diversify Maintenance. She used to work for one of the biggest law firms in Minnesota, Flynn-Gaskins & Bennet. “I think it will be good for all of us. It’s a fresh start and my wife can spend more time with the family, and less time traveling,” Mr. Hartwick said.

Mr. Hartwick looks to take the rest of this year off so he can help his kids adjust to the move. The Hartwicks have two kids: a second grader and a kindergartener, both attend Good Shepherd in Golden Valley. His second grader was originally very upset about the move because he will miss all of his friends here. “We went down over Labor Day weekend and took the kids to a beach and to an aquarium, and now they’re ready to go,” Mr. Hartwick said.

In his years working in the junior high, Mr. Hartwick has made plenty of friends in the area including many of his coworkers at BSM. “He is also a good friend of mine, so, selfishly, I am very sad to see him leave,” Junior High Principal Mr. Dave Platt said.

Mr. Hartwick’s absence will open up a position in the junior high teaching staff, but no replacement has been found yet. The administration, however, is looking for a permanent replacement. “Mr. Hartwick is an outstanding educator who has a passion for teaching, and he’s and a longtime member of the junior high faculty, so he will be very difficult to replace,” Mr. Platt said.

Although he does not have a job set up in Florida for the rest of the year, Mr. Hartwick does hope to be a science teacher down there. “Most schools don’t hire until the spring. I also have to do some things to get a Florida teaching license, but it’s mostly just paperwork,” Mr. Hartwick said.

Leaving BSM will be hard for the Hartwick family because of all the close personal friendships it has provided them. “I can say that wherever I end up, the bar has been set pretty high and this place will be pretty hard to top,” Mr. Hartwick said.