Category: Retirement

Ms. Rhesa Olsen Retires After Decade At Pueblo

By Arnold Ochoa

After 10 years of passionate teaching at Pueblo High School, Ms. Rhesa Olsen said: “It’s time to retire.”

For the past decade at PHS, Olsen taught various levels of algebra and financial math to more than a thousand Warriors.

“It’s gone by so fast, and I can’t believe 10 years have come and gone!” Olsen said. “It’s been a pleasure.”

Despite missing all her great students—past and present—she said that she won’t miss the alarm clock going off at 5:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Olsen’s early life was about living in many wonderful places in the country. Olsen’s father was an officer in the U.S. Air Force, so she and her family moved frequently. Her favorite places to live were Oahu, HI (grades three through five), and Alexandria, VA, where she graduated from high school.

Olsen then moved to Tallahassee, FL, to begin her teaching career in the late 1970’s at Godby High School. She then taught calculus and algebra at Tallahassee Community College and various algebra classes at Ivy Tech State College in Indianapolis.

“When I first started teaching, educators used chalkboards and mimeograph machines,” Olsen said. “I’d go home each evening with different colored chalk on my clothes, hair, and face—as well as purple ink on my hands from the stencils. Promethean Boards have certainly made teaching easier and less messy!”

After retirement, Olsen has a lot on her “To Do” list. She is looking forward to volunteering her time at a few animal shelters as well as tutoring math and reading at a local elementary school.

“I’m also excited about visiting friends and family [during retirement],” she said. “I look forward to traveling—especially to places I haven’t yet visited, including Alaska and Costa Rica.”

With so much on Olsen’s “plate” after this semester, she said that she will still miss her love of teaching and many of her students.

“I think what I’ll miss most are the times when I observed students beginning to enjoy math in my classes,” she said. “I loved seeing students ‘get it’—and when they realized that math isn’t so scary after all. I will also miss former students coming back to visit to tell me what they’re doing with their lives since high school.”

Although 10 years of teaching at Pueblo has been just a fraction of Olsen’s total educational career, she said that she will miss the camaraderie between other teachers both while at Pueblo and after hours.

“There is a lot to say before retirement,” Olsen said, “but I think what I want to say foremost is that I hope that I have encouraged students to be amazed at the beauty, fun and magic of math. I also want kids to know that one learns from making mistakes, and that they should always try. If they don’t try, they won’t know.”

Olsen would like to end her teaching career by quoting poet/writer George Eliot: “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

She hopes students will heed the message in Eliot’s words.

Ms. Vickie Bellay: Thank You For ‘Getting Stuff Done’

By Jonathan Redondo & Emely Villanueva

Vickie Bellay

At the end of August, Pueblo security monitor Ms. Vickie Bellay, who was committed to keeping PHS safer for the past 23 years, decided to retire and start the next chapter of her life.

Bellay’s time over the years—one of the longest campus security tenures in Pueblo High School history—has taught her a lot about Pueblo’s “awesome” students. She added that every year during her years at PHS was different because every year brought new kids and experiences.

Undoubtedly, Bellay’s legacy will continue to grow as the years pass. Her campus security colleagues echoed the same sentiment regarding Bellay: “When Vickie was around, stuff would get done.”

Ms. Nora Monge, campus monitor, said, “She [Vickie] is number one, and she has no idea how much she is going to be missed.”

Another monitor, Ms. Nellie Rivera, said, “We’ll miss Vickie a lot, but hopefully we’ll see each other throughout the years.”

Bellay said upon leaving Pueblo, “I hope students will understand why I was so strict. I was doing my job to uphold the rules and policies, and I treated everybody equally. I was always objective—with everyone.”

She added that being with students and seeing their success and their academic pursuits was one of the most rewarding parts of her job.

Bellay said, “Going to work at Pueblo was my job, but it was always a joy, and I always took my role very seriously. All I wanted for students was to see them become successful. I treated y’all [students] how I treat my own kids because I wanted them all to be their best.”

With all the thousands of connections with students, faculty, and staff that Bellay has made over the past 20+ years, the positive impressions she has created are everlasting.

So Long, Rosalie—Enjoy Those Vacations!

By Ron Savagé

Retirements at Pueblo High School are always sad occasions for the staff and students who have to bear the agony of missing these employees, but retirements are especially sad in December because part of our beloved Pueblo community will not be with us in the new year.

But, Ms. Rosalie Sinteral, Pueblo’s registration attendance clerk for the past six years, has made up her mind. After juggling with the idea of staying another semester or even another full school year, she announced several weeks ago that she would, indeed, retire after more than 31 years in Tucson Unified School District.

“Despite knowing how much I’m going to hate leaving my Pueblo family, it’s time I retire,” Sinteral said. “I just feel that it’s the right time for me at this point in my life.”

Sinteral began her years in the district at several elementary schools—three years at Manzo, 17 years at Ochoa and five years at Grijalva. After her husband passed away, she decided to devote more time at work, which is what motivated her to come to Pueblo, where she works virtually year-round.

“I wanted to be at a school where I could work full-time,” Sinteral said. “When I first came to Pueblo, I needed to work more hours because it was good for my soul.”

Despite being a Tucson High School graduate (1976), Sinteral said that part of her heart is here at Pueblo.

“I’ve always felt at home here,” Sinteral said. “Truly, over the past six years, Pueblo’s staff is like a giant welcoming family who has always made me feel loved.”

Students, too, have expressed their love for Sinteral.

“Some of the students I knew from Grijalva Elementary School are here at Pueblo,” she added. “And there’s no way that I’m going to miss their graduation ceremonies in the next two or three years.”

She added that she felt especially close to students when they called her “Nana”, “Tia” or just simply, “Rosalie”.

“I never thought of students calling me by my first name was disrespectful,” Sinteral said, “because to me it just meant they felt they could trust me or they felt closer to me, like a friend.”

Sinteral said that she will also be returning for sporting events—as well as occasionally popping in to have lunch with her “lunch pals”, Ms. Susie Ugalde, administrative secretary, and Ms. Amalia Salazar, Native American student services counselor.

“These two ladies have been a lot of fun to know and have made my job a whole lot easier,” Sinteral said.

The feeling is definitely mutual…

Salazar said, “Rosalie has been a very good friend to me. She has exceptional qualities, including a willingness to always help make our lives easier here at Pueblo. She will be greatly missed. I’d like to personally say to Rosalie: ‘Enjoy your retirement to the fullest, and thank you for your gift of friendship.’”

Ugalde said, “For the thousands of people who came through those main doors, Rosalie was always welcoming and respectful. Personally, she has been a great friend to me in the six years. She also always remembered everybody’s birthdays! I will so very much miss having lunch with her.”

Sinteral said that she’s not the “rocking chair” type. She plans to spend time with her mother, as well as her nine grandchildren—who vary in age from 20 years old to 11 months old.

“Maybe I’ll have the time to finally travel like I’ve always wanted to,” Sinteral said. “I’ve always wanted to go to Hawai’i, so that is high on my list. Also, I would love to visit an old friend in San Antonio [Tex.] and, of course, go see Graceland in Memphis [the home of Elvis Presley].”

Sinteral especially wants to thank everybody at Pueblo for being the “special community” it has been for her—and always will be.

“There’s a magic here at Pueblo that I have seldom felt anywhere else,” she added. “I never want to hear that magic disappearing. What a wonderful, magical place this has been for me!”

Upon retirement, Sinteral said that she just wants to take life one day at a time.

“I don’t want to stress about my future,” Sinteral said. “I don’t want to miss the whole point of retirement.”

Uomoto ReTIRES from Pueblo, Expands Bike Business

By Julio Moreno

After a dozen years as a science teacher at Pueblo Magnet High School, Mr. James Uomoto decided to retire last month at the end of the first semester —or, as he would prefer to call it: “to switch his focus.”

Since ’02, Uomoto taught freshman integrated science and physics. He occasionally interjected to his students not only his enthusiasm for his subject matter, but his passion for his other job—owning and maintaining a motorized bicycle shop, which he affectionately calls “U-MOTO Motorized Bicycles”.

“I am not actually retiring,” Uomoto asserted. “I’m just transitioning to my business full-time.”

Although excited for the success of his bike business, Uomoto said that he could not deny his sadness about leaving Pueblo, his home, after 12 years.

“I will definitely miss helping students grow and achieve, being part of the process of helping student better themselves,” he said. “I’m also going to miss the faculty and staff here at Pueblo because they are truly the standard of excellent education.”

Uomoto said that he was inspired by his father, an Amphi Middle School teacher, to become an educator after witnessing the joy that his students brought to him.

He added that education is not a particularly easy field to dive into, but wants future educators to know some of the most valuable lessons he has learned while at Pueblo.

“You [new teachers] definitely need to develop a sense of humor early on,” Uomoto said, “and don’t take things to seriously or you’ll go crazy!”

“Teaching always comes with its share of challenges,” he said. Uomoto’s biggest challenge, he said,” was finding new ways to inspire students and to engage them intellectually.”

“The challenge is to motivate students to find the answers as to why they need to pursue education in life,” he said. “It’s a good challenge, though, don’t get me wrong. Anything in life worth doing is a challenge, and I appreciate it because it has helped me become better at my craft.

With a heavy heart, Pueblo Magnet High School says its goodbyes to Mr. James Uomoto and wishes him luck in all of his future endeavors.

If you would like to learn more about U-MOTO Bicycles, visit umotobikes.com.

Coach Gary Crane Retires From Warrior Basketball

Pueblo’s athletic department is sad to announce the retirement of  Gary Crane as head basketball coach.  After 35 years of loyal service to his alma mater, Coach Crane has decided to move on to another chapter in his life.

In his own words:

Friends & Family:

This past Monday (Feb. 28), after much deliberation I decided to resign my position as varsity boy’s basketball coach, thus, severing the last string that attached me to Pueblo High School. For thirty-five years, Pueblo High School was the center of my entire professional life. While the decision was and still remains very difficult, I believe it was simply time for me to take the next step in my life. I would like to be available to help shapes the lives of some other children, my grandchildren. First and foremost, I want to spend more time with my loving wife who has without reservation given up her summers and holidays to support me throughout this endeavor.

Sincerely,
Gary Crane

Gary & Kelly Crane at last home game this season.

Coach Crane has touched many young athletes here at Pueblo and his presence will be missed!

On behalf of the entire Pueblo family, enjoy your retirement Coach.

Coach Crane (Far Left) in 1977.