By Nathan Albrinck ’16, Sports Section Editor
A 2005 graduate of Cincinnati Country Day School, Mr. James M. Gardner returned in spring of 2011 to teach in the Math Department and coach the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In addition, he has been an advisor to a group of junior boys over the last three years. Active in the community, he is an outspoken leader of the faculty team during House Cup events, despite a devastating ACL injury in his local flag football league. His day-to-day presence is perhaps unmatched by anyone. Following the 2015 school year, he will be leaving Country Day for a second time, to pursue other career options.
When asked what he would miss most about Country Day, Mr. Gardner said, “I’m going to miss relationships, working with kids every day, and feeling that every day you can make a positive influence on somebody.” Though he studied physics in college, he has taught various math disciplines including geometry and pre-calculus in his tenure at Country Day. His class contains frequent joking but is focused nonetheless, yielding a healthy balance of entertainment and productivity. As a teacher, he has had a significant impact on countless students and their math careers.
Mr. Gardner is a great promoter of the Country Day community. He is a frequent supporter of Country Day athletics, attending many sporting events in addition to those he coaches. With his advisory, he competes weekly against other advisories in football, wiffleball, and kickball. The past two years, the Gardner and Carr advisories have shared in an event called Man Feast, in which the advisories grill out and hang out. In his free bells, Mr. Gardner prefers hanging in the hallways, talking and laughing with students and teachers, as opposed to grading tests at a reasonable pace. All of these show his inclination for having fun and admiration for the school.
Loved by students, faculty, and staff alike, Mr. Gardner will be heavily missed by the Country Day community. Of Mr. Gardner’s leaving, a very emotional Chuck McGivern said, “There will be a void in this building for decades. He is irreplaceable.” Mr. Gardner will be moving to Texas in the coming August. He is not sure exactly what he will be doing there yet, but he has jobs lined up at a marketing company and a welding company. He plans to continue his under-the-radar racing career in the Lone Star State.
Thank you Mr. Gardner for everything you have done for the school and its students and for all the time you have put in on the athletic fields and in the classroom.
“It’s been a pleasure, it’s been a privilege. I’m very blessed to have been able to come back here and give back to Country Day for everything it has given to me.” – Mr. Jimmy Gardner