Former Libby High principal retiring for good after 39 years

Rik Rewerts ended his 39-year teaching career by burning out.

With his son, Nik, riding shotgun, Rewerts on Friday drove his 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 out of the Noxon High School parking lot at the close of the annual car show he began five years ago.

The show traditionally ends with muscle cars pulling out onto Noxon Avenue to burn rubber, and this year Rewerts was given the honor of being first in line, following a surprise retirement ceremony held in his honor.

Rewerts is retiring after serving five years as principal of Noxon High School, a position that followed 20 years as principal of Libby High School.

When Rewerts retired as Libby principal in 2013, he said the part-time job in Noxon was on the table. He wanted to get away from the 60- to 80-hour workweeks and to “take a deep breath and slow it down,” he said.

Rewerts is retiring from teaching where his career began. From 1979 to 1981, he taught physical education at Noxon, along with his wife, Diane Rewerts — currently principal of W.F. Morrison Elementary School — who taught second grade. Both left to continue their careers in Libby.

Superintendent Thad Kaiser praised Rewerts for providing “the stability that is so important to this district” and for being “100 percent supportive in everything the kids do.”

In a school with no cheerleading squad, Rewerts “definitely was one of the lead cheerleaders for the kids,” Kaiser said.

George Krueger, who taught in the school district for 33 years, including when Rewerts taught there, said that Rewerts’ show of support for the kids was an effort to instill school spirit.

“He did an outstanding job,” Krueger said. “I’m sad to see him go.”

Rewerts started the car show both to involve the kids with a community event and to bring the community onto the campus, Rewerts said.

“There’s not much of a community in Noxon anymore,” Rewerts explained — the 2010 Census counted 218 residents — “so it’s really important that, (for) the people that are around, we get them here to see the school (to) see what kind of shape its in, (and to) get the parents involved.”

As Kaiser put it, the car show is a good opportunity for residents to see the cleanliness of the school and the friendliness of the students that their tax dollars are supporting.

The idea for the car show evolved from Rewerts’ membership in Libby’s Igniters Car Club and the days when members would occasionally show their cars at Libby High School while Rewerts was principal.

“I asked Igniters, ‘Would you drive down to Noxon?’, and they said ‘Sure,’” Rewerts said. “Then everybody else started, (and) now we have kids with entries.”

More than 60 vehicles were shown this year, Rewerts said. It was the show’s biggest turnout yet, and an “amazing” number, he said, for a show always scheduled on a Friday so the kids can easily attend.

After handing out prizes to entrants on Friday, Rewerts was surprised when Darren Short, Igniters Car Club member, presented him with going away prizes of his own, including a trophy made of discarded car parts.

A couple carts of German chocolate cake were rolled out as well, so everyone could celebrate.

Though he’s retiring, Rewerts said that if those taking over the car show’s reins want him to come back and help next year he will.

To hear Rewerts explain it, his second retirement will be his last.

“For the first time in my 39 year career, I started looking at the clock wanting to do something else or be somewhere else, so I decided it was time,” he said.

Rewerts said retirement plans include “enjoying my kids and grandkids,” including his oldest grandson in Billings, and participating more frequently in the outdoor activities he enjoys, including hunting, fishing, skiing and snowmobiling.