As the academic year draws to a close, we're happy to share reflections from two of our long-term retiring teachers who have had an indelible impact on our school. Mr. Geddert and Mr. Seib have taught Southridge students for nearly 25 years with dedication, passion, and expertise. As they prepare to bid farewell, their legacies resonate far beyond the classroom walls, leaving an enduring mark on generations of Southridge alumni.
Mr. Cameron Seib Mr. Larry Geddert
When did you start at Southridge?
“I came in summer of 1999, I was hired by Alan Brown. Darren Jones was in my class when I started.”
- Larry Geddert
“I started in September of 1999, Larry Geddert and I came at the same time. I left for 2 years in 2018 and then I came back.”
- Cameron Seib
What are your favourite Southridge memories?
“One of the things I clearly remember are the early Christmas Feasts. The school was smaller, but they were really neat, because everything was done by the parents, including homemade pies – that was awesome. I remember Robin Hinnell playing a saw at the Christmas Feast. The early feasts were live acts and Christmas focused, I liked that. We did a So You Think You Can Dance themed Feast one year, so along with one of my students, we did a disco dance to “Staying Alive”. One year I dressed up as Santa and sang Holly Jolly Christmas accompanied by my advisory playing instruments. And of course I’ve told the story of Rindercella a number of times over the years at feasts: “The storal of the mory is this: If you mant to warry a prandsome hince, remember to slop your dripper!”. Another favourite memory is one year in the middle of Physics class, a student blurted out “PHYSICS IS SO COOL!” – that’s what makes the job feel good, because that’s what I’m trying to get across – it’s pretty cool to understand how things work. Highlights are when students come back and say, “I found my first year course easy, because you taught me well.”
Definite highlights were the school trips I took, the first one in 2005 was a trip to Europe, the second to Japan, and the three service trips, one to Ecuador building a school way high up in the Andes, Kenya – that one was a real highlight, the group I chaperoned was 12 girls, we had a really good experience building a high school for girls, and the third was to Guatemala and now my final hurrah at the end of this year, I get to go on the Battlefield Tour again. The trips have always been great, because you get to know the students in a very different way.”
- Larry Geddert
“The early years were probably my fondest memories everything was new, we were developing everything from scratch.
The feast in 2003 the math department and one of the administrators did a boy band performance in the Great Hall, we all dressed up and did the song “You + Me = Us,” which was a song based on Calculus. Of course, none of us really wanted to do it, but it was pretty fun. I remember being in the middle with the lights streaming down and students cheering, it felt like a real concert!
The other memory I have was Grad Pranks. One year they set up an enclosed area in the Great Hall and put 2 goats in there dressed up as Southridge students – it was hilarious!”
- Cameron Seib
What will you miss most about teaching at Southridge?
“I like seeing the light come on in student’s eyes when something makes sense. That’s part of why I like Physics, because there’s suddenly an understanding of why things in the world work the way they do and it’s seeing the “aha” moment in students, that’s fulfilling. I’ll miss the teachers that have been here as long as I’ve been the most, because we’ve done this together for the past 25 years.”
- Larry Geddert
“The people, I’ll miss the colleagues that I’ve had over the years, you see lots of great people come and go. I’ll miss the students, I see and hear about what alumni are doing, and it makes me proud, sometimes I go “wow, look at what that person is doing.” It reminds you, that we’re pretty blessed to work with the kids that are here, even if while they’re here you don’t realize what they’re capable of, they do go off and do some pretty mind-boggling things. Every year when a class moves on you miss their impact, but you know they’re going off to do other things. That’s the thing I will miss the most, interacting with the kids every day and the teachers.
One thing I really appreciate about Southridge is it’s allowed me to develop my other passions, in particular video production through producing Harkness videos, math lesson videos, and giving me time away from the classroom, and really nurturing my passions and keeping me interested in my job.
Southridge really is an amazing place, we have a mission and a vision, and lots of schools have that, but I feel like this is a place where they try to make it happen and focus in on it as opposed to putting it on the wall and saying it’s a statement. I really did miss the weekly assemblies and advisory, the little things that remind you of the importance of the mission and vision.”
- Cameron Seib
What part of retirement are you most looking forward to?
“Moving to where my grandkids live! They moved away last October, and we really miss them, because we were around them a lot. We’ll be moving to Saskatoon where they are. They are almost 7, 4.5, and almost 2, and a new one due in July. I’m also looking forward to no more marking, no more report cards, no more wearing ties - the actual classroom is what I enjoy, so not having to do all the other stuff will be nice. I’m also looking forward to finding a part time job that’s completely different than teaching.”
- Larry Geddert
“Travel plans, we want to go to lots of places like Europe, Australia, warm destinations in the winter – just not being tied down. I still like to be busy and work, so I’ll probably do some TOC’ing and tutoring, and who knows what! I have a passion for video.”
- Cameron Seib
Anything you’d like to say to Southridge alumni?
“I hope you remember me as someone who taught you well,
regardless of if you “liked” the way I taught.
I’ve always been more concerned about preparing them well,
than about being well liked.”
- Larry Geddert
“I say it to people that have left Southridge, especially kids –
you’re always a part of Southridge, even though you’re leaving
you’ll always be a part of Southridge through alumni events
or connections, you’ll always have that.”
- Cameron Seib