M ARK URBAN, PROGRAMS CHAIR introduced the nominator of our Teacher of the Year Award. She is, Gelika Harrison and has a 16 year career in education and now is Principal at Carmichael Elementary School. Gelika took to the podium (virtually) and extolled her choice, Ruth Probasco, who will receive Carmichael Rotary’s “Teacher of the Year Award”. Ruth has been a teacher for over 30 years with 26 years at Carmichael school. She said that Ruth was very welcoming when she started as Principal of Carmichael School some years ago and that is her hallmark as a human being and she is welcoming to everyone. Ruth has been a life-long learner, with a sense of humor which shows in her classroom. She has high expectations with her kids. She helps the students attain  high goals with the aid of singing and dancing. She integrates what she learns from her other professional studies and applies new techniques to her classroom. Gelika said that she was honored to able to present this award to Ruth.

Ruth thanked the Rotary Club of Carmichael for the honor. Then David asked for questions and many came forth with interesting answers. There are three Probasco’s at Carmichael school, son and daughter, Dan and Carrie who are also teachers! Each said a few nice words about their mom. Another son, Andrew Prosbasco said “she was a good teacher and a better mom”. He was also at the meeting virtually from Los Angeles. Ruth was asked what she thought of “virtual” teaching and then teaching the “in person” traditional way. She said that she enjoyed teaching math virtually because the lessons were easier to lay out on a screen in a graphic way but “in person” is better because she gets to see their faces and hug them. Ruth said that she now has 26 students and now 8 are “English learners” from Russia and Afghanistan – they learn quickly. We started talking about books and it was mentioned about the 1,000 books that our Club sent their school and how grateful Gelika and Ruth were to the Club for this donation. This subject made a Segway into our Happy Fines section (see further below).

President David was proud to say that both of our guests, Principal Gelika Harrison  and Teacher Ruth Probasco, will have one book each donated, in their honor, to the Carmichael Library (subsidiary of the Sacramento Public Library)