Debbie Gray is still adjusting to retirement.

She still associates certain times of day with what her students would be doing then, like having lunch or getting ready to leave at the end of the school day.

Thirty-five years of teaching will do that.

Gray, of Phippsburg, taught fifth graders her entire career, and all of it in Wiscasset schools.

She finished that three and a half decade run in June, but so far hasn't managed to stay away. At the start of the school year at Wiscasset Middle School, she was helping with bulletin boards; at the recent open house, she was there, serving up ice cream.

Gray knew something was up on September 30, not so much because Principal Linda Bleile had invited her to an after-school meeting, but because Bleile had also invited Gray's family.

Gray didn't know exactly what to expect. She had already received a farewell party last spring. “I thought that was it,” she said of the recognition.

It turned out Monday's gathering in the school library was for Gray to be honored with a Legislative sentiment for her longtime service. The staff she still misses working with looked on as Sen. Chris Johnson, D-Lincoln County, presented it to her.

“I'm just amazed,” Gray said in an interview afterward.

The August 26 document states Gray showed her dedication to her students by supporting their after-school sports, art shows and musical performances; past students were always coming back to visit her, it states.

Both the children and her co-workers made her enjoy coming to work.

“It was the best place to work, with the best people. I was always very happy,” she said.

The feeling was mutual. “It was a pleasure and a privilege to work with someone so dedicated and professional. She was a natural teacher,” said Bleile, who worked with Gray through the decades. “Every morning, there was a smile on her face.”

If someone doesn't like coming to work in a school every day, they're probably in the wrong line of work, Gray said.

She already intends to visit again, for the school's holiday auction.

However, Gray got laughs Monday when she told her colleagues she would not be joining them upstairs for training on upcoming tests.

“I've been coming back for the fun things,” she said.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or susanjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com