Education took center court at Sleep Train Arena before thousands of cheering and supportive fans as the District Teachers of the Year 2016 were honored February 19 during the Sacramento Kings/Denver Nuggets game.
The two reigning Sacramento County Teachers of the Year, Jennifer Ruby, who teaches 6th grade at Bell Avenue Elementary in the Robla School District, and Stephanie Smith, a 3rd and 4th grade (looping) teacher at Oak Ridge Elementary in the Sacramento City Unified School District, were among the fifteen honorees at center court.
The Teachers of the Year were featured during a halftime ceremony in front of the crowd at Sleep Train Arena. Sacramento Kings Team President Chris Granger, Golden 1 Credit Union President and CEO Donna A. Bland, and Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon greeted the Teachers of the Year on the court. Teachers carried hardbound books, presented by the Kings and Golden 1 Credit Union, with commemorative Teachers of the Year medallions affixed to the covers.
The Kings hosted honorees and their guests to a pre-game reception, also sponsored by Golden 1, and a question and answer session with Kings Assistant Coach Corliss Williamson.
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. This year, the program is presented by SCOE in partnership with the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry. Information is available online or by phoning SCOE at (916) 228-2417.