Teachers Invite Former Students to Retirement Celebration

Two teachers are inviting former students and their families to join them for a trip down memory lane as they wrap up the final year of their careers.

Roberta Goldsmith, who has taught preschoolers and kindergartners since 1987, and Ronni Goldberg, whose roles have included second-grade, third-grade and special education teacher since she joined District 102 in 1989, hope to reconnect with some of the people who have touched their lives over the years.

Former students and their families are invited to join Goldsmith and Goldberg at  a reception from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 29 in the Tripp School library. Those who are unable to attend are invited to email their favorite memories to Goldsmith at rgoldsmith@d102.org or Goldberg at rgoldberg@d102.org; the teachers will share them at the reception.

Goldberg, who grew up and still lives in the community, said it’s common for her to run into former students around town.

“I love to see prior families and students and see how they are doing with their lives,” she said. “I am touched when parents remember me and thank me for helping to guide their students and them throughout the years.”

She couldn’t pinpoint a favorite memory from her time at Tripp, saying, “There are too many to mention.” But she said she continues to enjoy discovering her students’ connections to her past.

“I always enjoy when a parent of a current Tripp student turns out to be a childhood friend of either of my children, or a grandparent of a student here now comes to see a concert or show and we have a connection that goes back to our younger days. Working in the community you grew up in and still live in has been a delightful experience,” she said.

Goldberg, who is ending her career as a reading intervention specialist, noted last week that there were only 31 days left in the school year. “That’s just incredibly hard to believe,” she said.

“It’s a nice, good feeling to be here. It’s going to be hard to leave. We keep saying we’re going to come back for lunch,” she said.

Even without lunch gatherings, Goldberg’s ties to the district will remain strong. Her daughter, Frannie Goldwin, is a social worker at , which her son’s children attend.