Dean Zacharias, an English teacher from Gordon F. Kells High School, is planning on retiring this year after almost 30 years of teaching in Arcola and Carlyle. 聽
Zacharias spent about 15 years in Arcola and 12 years in Carlyle during his career. He has been very involved in the community since his career started and will be dearly missed by students and teachers. 聽
He is known for being a Saskatchewan Roughriders enthusiast, as well as the teacher who sings a song for graduates every year. However, he has also been involved with other things, such as cross-country running and writing the Cougar Corner article each week for the Observer the past 12 years.聽
One of the things that will be truly missed by the school is his passion for drama. Maurice Saltel, the principal of Gordon F. Kells, explained that Zacharias was the driving force of much of the drama and plays that would happen at the school. 聽
鈥淗e would work with kids to learn their lines and 鈥� helped organize dramas 鈥� We鈥檙e going to miss the drama part of his experience going forward.鈥澛�
In addition to this, he would get students to act out plays that were read in class and had a tradition each year of taking the senior class to Regina to see a drama production.聽
Zacharias had never originally planned to be a teacher in this area. In fact, at first he didn鈥檛 even think he鈥檇 be a teacher at all, but life has a way of surprising people. He ended up spending some time in Arcola teaching, but he had only planned to stay there a little while to gain some experience.
In the end, Zacharias explained he ended up staying in rural Saskatchewan because he loved it there.聽
鈥淲e moved out to Arcola, kind of fell in love with the people and the location 鈥� and we decided we just weren鈥檛 leaving. I鈥檓 glad it turned out that way. It鈥檚 been great.鈥澛�
Zacharias will miss a lot about being a teacher, but what he鈥檒l miss most is the energy of high school, and the fun that comes with it. 聽
鈥淵ou know there鈥檚 that saying about how people laugh a certain number of times a day, but as a teacher I think I laugh way more than average 鈥� I鈥檒l miss the laughter. There鈥檚 a lot of fun that goes on, even in a COVID year 鈥� a lot of fun in the classroom. There鈥檚 energy at the school 鈥� I鈥檒l miss the laughter and the energy.鈥澛�
Nevertheless, Zacharias is excited for his retirement and the things he鈥檒l be able to do during it.聽
鈥淚 want to do more fishing, and more golfing. And all of those projects that I always thought that I would get to and never did. I also want to spoil my wife more 鈥� I want to spend some more time spoiling her.鈥澛�
Zacharias will be dearly missed by the school. He has impacted the students in many ways over the years, and his presence has meant a lot to them.聽
Saltel explained: 鈥淗e brings a calmness to everything he does 鈥� He鈥檚 very kind 鈥� so that鈥檚 what he projects in a classroom 鈥� With that approach, with many kids, it鈥檚 a good way to get them going when they鈥檙e stuck. And he managed to work with a wide range of kids with different abilities and he鈥檚 managed to get them interested in literature.鈥澛�
