In the annals of great teachers — Einstein, Aristotle, Euclid — we all have a name we would add.

For Jocelyn Fujii, the name would be Mrs. Bishop (Anna Sloggett these days).

Fujii once read a quote by Henry Adams and thought of that third-grade teacher, now edging her way toward the century mark on this earth. Fujii, a Honolulu freelance writer, picked up a pen and jotted Sloggett a note, expressing her "eternal gratitude for all she taught us."

That quote has become the theme of a fundraiser to be held in Sloggett's honor: "A teacher affects eternity, he can never tell where his influence stops."

When Sloggett turns 100 in September, a celebratory lu'au at Gaylord's on Kaua'i is expected to draw hundreds from her hometown, other islands and even the Mainland.

Today is your official chance to take a moment to show your gratitude for those who taught us those unwavering lessons that sustain us through adulthood.

Every year on Teacher Appreciation Day, students past and present think fondly of teachers, here and gone. And while not all of us can be Tom Hanks, thanking his high school drama teacher during his "Philadelphia" Oscar acceptance speech, schoolchildren can take time to make crayon cards and grownups can ink notes to those who helped us navigate our way through the perils of the grade-school years.

Small gestures can mean a great deal.

Take Ryan Towata, now a third-grade teacher at Liholiho Elementary in Kaimuki. Last year, his first year teaching, he had a sixth-grade class.

This year, Liholiho put out its annual call for school-supply donations. Early one morning, before school started, who should come by to drop off supplies for her younger sister's school but one of his former students?

She was bringing by a box of plastic sandwich bags. Nothing special. But taped to it was a note for Towata, who had been known for trying out all sorts of new and interesting teaching techniques, with more emphasis on real-life application of concepts and less on books.

"Thanks for all the crazy things you taught us last year. I finally understand why," the note read.

Best of all, stapled to the note was her seventh-grade report card from Kaimuki Middle School.

It was filled with straight A's. She had made the honor roll.

"It blew me away," Towata said. "I didn't think I could have that kind of impact on students so quickly."

His mother, an educator, had told him tales of grateful students who tell her later of the impact she made in their lives, but he didn't expect any show of appreciation so soon.

"To get one right away made me smile," he said. "I keep her report card in my grade book, so every once in a while, when I get frustrated, when things seem bleak, it cheers me up."

What can you do for your special teacher? Send her an e-card; drop him a line; give them a call. If you need some ideas, check out the Teacher Appreciation Web site.