Recently three notable teachers announced their plans to retire: Lisa Dimento, Kali Zohar, and Tana Rinaldi. All three women have made a significant impact on their student’s lives through a combined total of 86 years of teaching in the Aspen School District.
Lisa DiMento has been teaching at AES since 1997, mainly as a Kindergarten teacher, and will be retiring next year. She started as a substitute teacher before teaching second and fourth-grade classes. DiMento has always loved children and was inspired by her father, also a teacher, for 42 years.
When asked what she would miss most about teaching, DiMento said, “I will miss the daily interactions with my sweet, smiling, darling students.” DiMento plans to travel to California and the east coast to visit family and warm weather after living in Aspen for 45 years. She intends to substitute at AES as well. If she could leave one piece of advice for her students, it would be, “you already have inside what you need,” DiMento said.
Kali Zohar is currently finishing her 28th and final year teaching in the Aspen School District. Zohar has taught health, sciences, and more at AHS. She plans on leaving Colorado in June, hopefully heading towards the ocean.
“Without question, what I will miss most about working here are the people… students, colleagues, administrators, support staff… everyone, really,” Zohar said.
Her most prominent memory at AHS was setting her hand on fire during Chemistry class, which is an excellent summary of the crazy times she had teaching at AHS. When asked what piece of advice she would give students, Zohar said, “That thing you think you can’t do right now, there is a 95% chance you will be able to do it (and do it well) in 5-10 years. Life is about growth and change. Don’t ever underestimate the ability to create a meaningful life for yourself.”
Tana Rinaldi is finishing up her 35th and final year teaching at AES, and has lived in Aspen since 1983. Rinaldi loves to ski, especially cross country skiing with the kindergartners. When asked what she will miss the most about teaching, Rinaldi said, “The kids, of course. I love kindergartners. They make me laugh and smile even if they are a little naughty at times.” After retirement, Rinaldi plans to travel to Sicily to connect with her Sicilian roots. She also plans to buy a beach house on the east coast to spend Winters in Aspen and Summers by the ocean. Rinaldi said if she could sum up her time teaching at AES in a few words, they would be, “It takes a village.”