Welcome to the South Central Interior Distance Education School. My name is Steve Soames, and I am your child’s distance education teacher. I wish you well in your program of studies during this academic year, and I look forward to sharing in the rewarding experience of educating your child. Below is a brief autobiography.  Hopefully this will help you get to know me better, as we will be working closely together during this school year.

Education:
I started my teaching career 13 years ago in a split Grade 6/7 class. Three years later the school district created a middle school (Grades 7 & 8), where I taught for an additional 2 years before transferring to SCIDES. Over the next several years I have taught literally from K to 12, exposing me to a wide range of curricular material and learning outcomes.

Learning should be life long.  Just as exercising gives the body a sense of power that energizes you, so does exercising the brain. And like any muscle in your body, you either use it or lose it.  That's why I've gone on to earn my Master's degree in Education at the University of Victoria and hope to start a doctorate degree in the future ~ although my wife isn't so keen about this idea because she would like to see more of me at home - imagine that!

Interests:
I have a lot of interests.  One, of course is my family.  My wife (Carol) and I have two children (Adam and Shalyn). I just love being with them, watching them grow, gaining independence, becoming their own person (Of course they're still young... what will I do when they want to borrow the keys to the car!?).

Aside from my family,  I LOVE  to hunt, fish,and camp out.  Fortunately my family does too (as long as I do all the work). In the spring and summer we fish the many lakes within the Merritt region, as well as many rivers throughout the province for salmon and steelhead. As for the fall, you'll catch me most weekends out in the bush hunting deer or moose.  Merritt is a perfect location for all the above activities and I feel fortunate to be teaching here.

Personal:
I have not always lived or worked in Merritt.  I was born in Vancouver and lived there until I was 17.  In seeking my fortune, I went to northern Alberta to work in the coal fields. I had itchy feet in my youth and didn't stay longer than a year before moving on to northern B.C. to work in logging for a few years.  One thing led to another and soon I was soon pulling lumber over a 12 year period in various sawmills throughout B.C. It wasn't until I was 30 that I met my future wife and she put my wandering, often directionless life, to an end.  With her support, I returned to school and became a teacher.  And here I am...