Recipient:  Ruth Johnston

School: Woodland Park Public School

Number of Years Teaching: 25

Grade: Music to grades 2 through 8

Her students who she describes as “WONDERFUL” inspire Ruth Johnston!  The moments Ruth loves best are the “aha” moments.  She describes those “I get it moments” as both critical and delightful.

In her music program, Ruth works with many students who don’t think they can do it.  She helps them to see that they can and then helps them look back to see that they did it.  Ruth believes that music is personal and that is gives kids who aren’t succeeding academically a place to shine.  She doesn’t believe that her job can be topped - seeing little lives brighten and watching them perform and then respond to the affirmation of the audience is awesome for Ruth. 

Ruth believes it is important to form relationships with her students.  Leading a musical production every second year at Woodland Park allows for her past students to come back and share with younger students what they learned from the musicals.  Every year past students, some whose names are now “in lights”, come back to choreograph the show, run the lights and sound, help with make-up and reconnect with Ruth.  For them it is “like coming home”.

Marrissa, one of Mrs. Johnston’s students wrote this:

Mrs. J. has taught me many great things not only about music but also about my life.  She has always kept me determined and has always had confidence in me.  When I first met her I was one of the shyest girls in our whole school, but after I knew Mrs. J. for a while she had boosted my confidence so much I even had enough guts to try out for one of the main roles in a production. 

Even if we fail at something she is never disappointed in us and she always tries to help us get back on our feet and continue on with our lives.  She has brought great joy to our school. She is the type of person that can brighten up anyone’s day no matter how much bad luck they’ve been having.  Whenever I go to music class I KNOW something great is going to happen!!