Sacramento County's 18 district Teachers of the Year 2009 were honored on the court at ARCO Arena on Friday, February 6, during the Sacramento Kings/Utah Jazz game.
The reigning Sacramento County Teachers of the Year, Janet Anderson, from Elliott Ranch Elementary School in the Elk Grove Unified School District, and Sylvia Rodriguez, from Phoebe Hearst Elementary School in the Sacramento City Unified School District, were among the honorees.
The Teachers of the Year were featured in special ceremonies throughout the game witnessed by the capacity crowd at Arco Arena. Ivette Gonzalez, Director of Community Service for Maloof Sports and Entertainment, and Intel External Affairs Manager Leroy Tripette joined Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon and State Superintendent of Schools Jack O'Connell in greeting Teachers of the Year on the basketball court. Former Sacramento King Chris Webber, who was honored during a special halftime ceremony in which his jersey and number were retired, also greeted each teacher and presented them with their awards.
Prior to the ceremony, the Kings hosted honorees and their guests at a pre-game reception and dinner. During the reception, Assistant Coach Jason Hamm discussed basketball strategy and shared with the gathering that his father was a retired teacher and superintendent and that he had great admiration for teachers.
"I really appreciate you for what you do and for shaping our children's futures," Hamm said.
Intel's LeRoy Tripette also addressed the group and presented each teacher with a gift bag, which contained a $100 Wells Fargo gift card.
"I am really proud to be here to say thank you for all that you do," Tripette told the teachers and their guests.
Kings guard Bobby Jackson also greeted the teachers during the pre-game event and posed for pictures with attendees.
"I think your jobs are extremely hard," Jackson told the teachers. "I want to thank you all for the wonderful job you've done and continue to do with our children."
For fifteen years, the Sacramento Kings organization has supported recognition of the area's top teachers.
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, Intel-Folsom and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.
Information about the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is available online or by calling SCOE at (916) 228-2417.