The Rotary Club of Sedona Red Rocks bestowed its annual Teachers of the Year awards, which came with a $500 honorarium, at its annual luncheon on May 17.

This year’s winners were kindergarten teacher Mindy Zarlingo of West Sedona School, middle school language arts teacher Claire Amistoso of Sedona Red Rock High School and upper elementary teacher Jessica Sweeney of Sedona Charter School.

Mindy Zarlingo

“Zarlingo is a passionate and energetic kindergarten teacher,” Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District Superintendent Dennis Dearden said. “Each year she is determined to help her students grow and goes above and beyond to ensure that they are learning. Mrs. Zarlingo is well-liked and respected by her colleagues and the Wildcat community. She serves on various school committees, cosponsors the hiking club and mentors new teachers. She is an amazing educator and we’re proud to have her at West Sedona School.”

Zarlingo has been at West Sedona since 2011 and has been teaching for 14 years. She first earned a degree in psychology and put it to use working at a psychiatric treatment center for teens. After accepting an emergency teaching position at the center and falling in love with the field, she was inspired to return to school to receive a teaching certificate.

The hiking club has been running for several years and is available for third through fifth graders at SOCSD. It is led by Zarlingo and third-grade teacher Michelle Johnson and is sponsored by Sedona Tax Credits.

“I love to reconnect with students that I taught in kindergarten,” Zarlingo said. “They are very proud of themselves when they hike further or longer than they did when they began with the club.”

Her satisfaction from watching people grow also extends to her colleagues.

“I am eternally grateful that I was given excellent advice and I gained my most valuable teaching experience from other teachers,” Zarlingo said. “I am happy to share the knowledge I have acquired with others … I am fortunate to gain new strategies and ideas from the teachers I mentor. We [teachers] are our most valuable resources.”

Claire Amistoso

“We are very grateful for the Rotary Club honoring and appreciating our outstanding Wildcat and Scorpion teachers,” Sedona-Oak Creek School District superintendent Dennis Dearden said. “Claire Amistoso [was] nominated by her colleagues in appreciation of her dedication throughout her first year on our faculty.”

Prior to moving to Sedona, Amistoso taught in Colorado and her native Philippines.

“In the Philippines, when I was in high school, there was a big shortage of teachers,” Amistoso said. “It was my English teacher during high school who inspired me to become a teacher through her relationships with her students and classroom management. It was inspiring. I told myself if I become a teacher, I wanted to be like her.”

This year, Amistoso has taken on sponsoring the Interact Club at the middle school. She has guided the club in various community service endeavors such as participating in the Rotary Chili Cook-Off fundraiser and organizing a field trip to the Sedona Humane Society. During their visit, the club donated $350 worth of cat and dog food to the shelter.

The Interact Club is the youth group for Rotary of Sedona, which allows the students to perform community service to teach them responsibility.

“That club opened a lot of opportunities for me to get to know the kids and also to serve the school and community,” Amistoso said. She plans to use the $500 award to print Interact Club shirts for the students. “It’s time for them to be recognized and also to use the brand of the school and of Rotary in case we have community service.”

Jessica Sweeney

“Sweeney is amazing at getting to know her students and connecting with each one,” said Amy Fultz, executive director of Sedona Charter School. “She creates a wonderful learning environment where her students enjoy learning and are very engaged. Jess herself is always studying and gaining knowledge. She is a lifelong learner. When I hear of her upcoming projects, I want to participate in her class.”

Originally from Massachusetts, Sweeny has lived in Arizona for the past decade, the last four years with her husband and boxer dog. Sweeney became a teacher after working in physical therapy and interior design when participating in an afterschool program changed the course of her life.

“I love the Montessori method because it promotes independence and a peace-based curriculum,” Sweeny said, adding that she originally came to Arizona to develop a Montessori program for an existing school. “I’m grateful for the award — it’s nice to be validated by one’s peers.”