Kingswood Elementary School, in the San Juan Unified School District, welcomed a very special guest to the campus on March 5, 2007, when students were treated to a visit by Sacramento Kings forward/center Shareef Abdur-Rahim.
Abdur-Rahim visited the third grade students of teacher Cheryl Fox Dultz, who represents San Juan Unified School District as one of its two Teachers of the Year for 2007. Ms. Dultz was also selected as one of the two Sacramento County Teachers of the Year 2007.
The Kings veteran posed for pictures with the students, passed out books, played games, provided each student a chance to win a prize by spinning a prize wheel, and also brought enough of his own size 17-and-a-half basketball sneakers to present each student with an autographed shoe. He also talked to the students about the importance of reading and education, about reading to his children, and how reading relates to his job.
"My students will treasure their day with Shareef always," Ms. Dultz said. "The prizes, the pictures, and the shoes.... It was over the top or as one of my students said, 'It was off the hook!'"
Abdur-Rahim's visit to Kingswood Elementary was made possible by the Maloof Sports and Entertainment and was sponsored by the Maloofs and You! Foundation. The visit was in conjunction with the NBA/Kings "Read to Achieve" Program. Thanks to the program, the class also received $500 worth of books for the classroom library.
The Sacramento Kings have honored local Teachers of the Year for almost fifteen years. The 2007 Teachers of the Year were honored with a pre-game reception and a special half-time ceremony during the Kings-New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on February 5th, 2007.
The Sacramento County Teachers of the Year program is coordinated annually by the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) to recognize the achievements of local educators and to raise awareness of the valuable role that teachers play in the lives of their students and in the community. The program is presented by SCOE in partnership with Maloof Sports and Entertainment and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.