To the editor: On Sunday, June 7, the 2015 Barrington High School graduating class will be walking across the field to receive their diplomas. Our community should be so proud of what our young adults have accomplished and the grace and style in which they did so.

While it is important that our community honor our graduating seniors and have pride in their college acceptances or other post-high school choices, there are hundreds of silent partners in our town that tirelessly took the time to care for our children, make them feel special, and help them to grow academically and more importantly, as people. These individuals should also be honored!

It is the elementary school teacher in Sowams who teaches our children how to debate controversial issues during a mock trial; it is the Hampden Meadows teacher who leads a year-long science project about environmentalism and our local water supply; it is the BMS teacher who has children in her classroom every day before and after school so that the kids have a safe space to talk and hang out; and it is the band teacher or sports coach that helps the high schoolers to achieve a healthy balance between college applications, their regular school workload, and their other passions.

We each have our own unique list of special people who have helped to educate our children over the years that they have been students in the Barrington Public Schools. While we will honor our high school seniors over the next few days for what they have achieved and for where they are going next, let's also recognize that our children stand on the shoulders of many teachers, teaching assistants, coaches, and administrators.

It takes a community to educate and raise our children. And when we are faced with the annual questions about our school budgets and our taxes, our community should sufficiently fund our school system and appropriately compensate the men and women who have dedicated their lives to our children's and our town's future.

Perri and Jonathan Leviss

Barrington