ROCKPORT — Once a month, the Knox County Association of Retired Teachers meets at the Offshore in Rockport for lunch with a guest speaker and business meeting following. The teachers met Oct. 10, and with 65 members in attendance, much was accomplished, including the collection of canned and dry goods to be donated to the Area Interfaith Organization.

Lucy Judecki, a retired teacher, was the guest speaker, and she told a wonderful story about watching her father battle a great white shark in the 1930s.

“To this day if I see a white rock under the surface of the water, or a shark on TV, I get an adrenaline rush,” said Lucy. “The movie Jaws just scares me to death. I can’t watch it.”

The association collectively was concerned about the upcoming elections. Changes in legislation could change their pensions and membes are sensitive to those issues. The association did feel that in the areas of math and science the school system was headed in the right direction, but felt that the early years of a child’s education should be concentrated on the fundamentals of learning; i.e., reading, writing, math.

On the subject of how bullying in the schools was being handled the association felt that it is something that was always there, but bringing it to the forefront means a lot more is being done about it.

Mary Marston, the association’s current president, taught Kindergarten and first grade in Rockland for 44 years before her retirement. She recalled her years in the educational system.

“I love to see the kids when they first learn to read," she said. "The look in their eyes when they see a word and recognize it for what it is precious and priceless.”

The association also provides volunteers from their organization to the school system when requested.

“It doesn’t have to be just a school,” said Marston. “We will read to seniors and also help with exercise.”