Camille Torres with her last third grade class . She retired after 30 years of teaching.

A collection of shared learning experiences over the school year, the covers of the Weekly Reader News shared stories on the census, allergies, water and ancient markings. The latter was the basis of one of Torres’ questions to students.

“So, you scratch things on the wall. What importance is that?” she asked.

Eagerly, third grade students raised their hands with explanations: It shows history; how a group of people lived; weapons; and tells stories and beliefs.

The recent review will be the last for Torres, who is retiring after 30 years at Mount Carmel School in Redwood City, 38 teaching overall. Her questions to students, and the topics posed, were not necessarily traditional topics of interests for third graders.

Why does the census matter? Should people worry about water? Who can tell me about the stimulus?

“They’re like little sponges,” she said, adding if she expects a lot from the children, they rise to the occasion.

Torres knew in third grade that she hoped to be a teacher. She grew up in San Francisco, Catholic educated through the years. Torres credited the nuns for instilling a love of school and teaching. Her first goal was to become a missionary, which didn’t happen. But teaching stuck.

Torres enrolled at San Francisco State University to train for her future educational plans. While in college, Torres met her future husband Ray. The pair married in ‘68 and have one daughter, Jackie.

Torres began working in South San Francisco, at Serra Vista and El Rancho elementary schools in the fourth and fifth grades.

When the Torreses decided to move to Redwood City, they fell in love with the neighborhood around Mount Carmel. Being a Catholic, Torres was also excited to be near the church and to have the possibility to teach in such a beautiful, historic building. Years have flown by for Torres since joining the staff.

“I never even think of it as 30 years. It can’t be 30, it must be 15,” she said joking about how surprising it was that her time at the school passed so quickly.

During her tenure, Torres had the opportunity to teacher her own daughter. Being a teacher, particularly an elementary school teacher, often means a person must know a little of everything. But Torres doesn’t see her skills as enriching the lives of the youngsters in the desks within her classroom. She sees the children as enriching her life.

“I just hope I’ve enriched their [lives],” she said.

Leaving was a difficult decision for Torres, who wondered if it was the right one. As she left the halls on a recent evening, she walked through the wonderful hallway and out the lobby, which contains beautiful tiles, and she teared up. The walk she has taken for 30 years comes to an end this week.

She isn’t sure what retirement will bring. Torres and her husband are entering it together. She’s keeping open her options for filling that time.

Heather Murtagh can be reached by e-mail: heather@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 105.