Boothbay Region Elementary School art teacher Carol Deetjen received a standing ovation last Thursday evening at the school's eighth-grade graduation ceremonies when Principal Mark Tess reminded the capacity crowd that she would be retiring after more than 30 years in the art department. She's spent countless hours encouraging student artists of all ability levels from kindergarten to eighth grade, and she'll probably never know just how many young people she's influenced.

As we listened to Tess' message to the young men and women headed for high school in the fall, we couldn't help but think about those of Carol Deetjen's caliber in school systems everywhere, the dedicated teachers who love their jobs, truly care about their students and anxiously share their love of their favorite subjects with eager young minds.

We can all look back on our school years and fondly remember the very special teachers who influenced us, not only while we were in their particular classroom, but long after we left school. Their impact lasted a lifetime.

We're very lucky here in Maine to be able to boast that we have more than our fair share of teachers who can justifiably be considered the cream of the crop.

We like to think that a community's involvement in its schools has something to do with the quality of its teachers, because the parents, the school boards and others who oversee the staffing recognize the best teachers and do their best to keep them in their school system. Likewise, those who don't quite make the grade are weeded out.

We're all guilty of complacence to some degree when it comes to staying on top of what's going on in our schools, but we think small towns are much better at it than those in larger school systems. Our schools constantly schedule events to keep the townspeople aware of student activities, be it one-act plays, a band concert, a class supper or an athletic competition.

As the school year comes to an end in many Maine towns, let's all reflect on the tremendous influence our teachers have on our young people, and take the time to tell them we appreciate them.