May 29, 2014 2 min read

A group of Canon-McMillan students didn’t want the school year to end without sending a message to retiring teacher Deborah Steinmiller. Students in Steinmiller’s advanced placement biology class surprised her with T-shirts bearing her picture and the slogan, “Do it for the Stein.”

Students had joked with her all year about getting the shirts, and eventually decided to do so. Enlisting the help of another science teacher, Ashley Fazio, and the help of a parent with an embroidery business, Jody Centore, the students made the idea a reality.

On the Friday before the AP exam, all students came into class wearing the shirts. It took a few minutes for Steinmiller to fully understand what she was seeing. And, on AP exam day, all students wore their shirts again.

Steinmiller, who also teaches honors biology, is retiring from education after 35½ years, 21 of which have been spent at Canon-McMillan. She views the act as another example of the special students at Canon-McMillan.

“The T-shirts are a tribute to the kindness and thoughtfulness toward others that is a hallmark of Canon-McMillan students,” she said.

Junior Mackenzie Klutch, one of the project leaders, said Steinmiller “is an amazing teacher and touched all of our lives. If we could do this simple thing to show her how much she means to us, it was definitely worth it. It will also be a great way to remember her. We may not see her in the halls next year, but we will see her smiling face on our T-shirts.”

Canon-McMillan High School Principal Dave Helinski was not surprised.

“We have great young adults here at Canon-McMillan and they are mature enough to recognize great teaching,” he said. “Mrs. Steinmiller is quite frankly one of the best educators that I have ever known and she will be greatly missed here at CMHS.”