Education took center court at Sleep Train Arena before thousands of cheering and supportive fans as Sacramento County's Teachers of the Year 2013 were honored Friday, March 8, during the Sacramento Kings/Phoenix Suns game.
The two reigning Sacramento County Teachers of the Year, Jennifer Ellerman, who teaches 7th Grade Language Arts at California Middle School, in the Sacramento City Unified School District, and Bob Crongeyer, who teaches 5th-6th grade GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) at Taylor Street School in the Robla School District, North Sacramento, were among the fourteen honored at center court.
All of the Teachers of the Year were featured during a special halftime ceremony witnessed by the crowd at Sleep Train Arena. Katie Peterson, Community Relations Manager for the Sacramento Kings, Joe Meneghetti, Sales Manager for Elk Grove Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep representing program sponsor Chrysler Group, and Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David W. Gordon greeted the Teachers of the Year on the basketball court and presented them with awards.
Prior to the ceremony, the Kings hosted honorees and their guests at a pre-game reception, during which the teachers received gift bags courtesy of Chrysler Group.
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 Maloof Sports and Entertainment, Chrysler Group, and the Sacramento Scottish Rite Bodies of Freemasonry.
Information about the Sacramento County Teachers of the Year Program is available online or by calling (916) 228-2417.