Dear Editor,
The article, Langley coach repeatedly slapped Grade 8 students (April 14, Langley Advance) brought up memories of P.E. class, when I served my time at Langley High (Class of ’67).
We had a P.E. teacher who used to carry a bamboo swagger stick that he would frequently use on students he felt were slacking.
On one occasion while encouraging a student to run faster around the running track, he followed along, hitting the student on the back of the legs while running behind him.
The P.E. teacher also had a knowledge of judo which he would often demonstrate on students who weren’t paying attention.
On one memorable incident, he picked up a student in a judo hold and threw him through the air into the fire doors in the gym with such force that they nearly came off their tracks.
I’m pretty sure he never attended a “mandatory boundary course” while he was at LHS.
The Good Old Days, eh?
Brian Johnson, Willoughby