Gordon F. Kells (GFK) high school has a new teacher added to its staff and she's excited about the upcoming school year and plans to stay. Rae Nicoll joined the GFK team on Tuesday, Sept. 3 and will be teaching science to grade 7 students all the way up to grade 12. Nicoll was born and raised in Regina and holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry, with a minor in English. She also has a certificate in teaching English as a second language and a bachelor's degree with a distinction ineducation. The Regina native said she spent several years at home with her children before returning to university full timeto complete her education degree. Nicoll believes that the move to Carlyle is beneficial not only to her career but also to her family. "I think Carlyle is a great place to raise a family andwehave been enjoying our time here.My husband and I and our two kids, Zacchaeus, 7 and Amos, 3,enjoyed the pool all summer. We bought a house in town and plan to stay," she said. Her decision to stay in Carlyle will come as relief to the town as the south east has always suffered from the lack of teachers and to a larger extent Saskatchewan's history of the problem dates back the early 1900s. There has however been a drastic improvement in recent years. According to the Saskatchewan School Board Association, "almost 40 percent of graduates from education degree programs in Saskatchewan who are available for employment have not been able to find jobs within our publicly funded education system within two years after graduation." This simply means teachers are filling up classrooms in the province and now the southeast is benefitting from this improvement. With approximately 175 students Nicoll said GFK is a fantastic school and highlighted the fact that the students have already made an impact on her. "The students here are incredible and many of them have already impressed me with their intelligence, kindness and character. I honestly could not say enough good things about the school and I love working here," she said.
She commended the school's staff in helping her getting settled and praised GFK's approach to education.
"Like all new teachers I was very nervous about the first few days but I have beenblessed by the staff, the students and the communitywho have welcomedandencouraged me," she said.
"The school spirit isabundant and I know that despite the challenges that arise, it will be a great year and I look forward to seeing the growthand learning that willhappen here."
