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KEARNS -- Bobby Robertson has been volunteering at Bacchus Elementary in Kearns for almost 15 years. When we showed up in the classroom to give him a KSL High 5, a bewildered Mr. Robertson turned from the board to find a news camera in the room.
As we explained our visit to honor him for making a difference, his smile widened.
His daughter, Sherri Weller, is a teacher. She nominated her 82-year-old father for the High 5.
"I don't know of anybody else who would do what he has done even with his age. It gets harder to get around every year, but he shows up every single week," she said.
Every Wednesday for the past 14 years, Mr. Robertson has been helping students in his daughter's class with reading, writing, and thinking skills. But the lessons go far beyond that.
Student Megan Terry, said, "I learned that you need to focus on what you're doing if you want to get it done."
She added, "I learned that you can't just look at something and say that you like it because it looks brand new, because I really like Mr. Robertson and he doesn't look too young."
Another student, Colby Young, said, "He's just really nice to all of the group. He's always really, really fun. He never really gets very mad at all."
Mr. Robertson loves children. He's a retired educator but still feels like he can make a positive impact in the lives of these third graders.
"Make sure that they're learning the things that they're supposed to learn. Also what can I do to get them to really think," he said.
Sherri told us, "He thinks about them all week long. Every time we're together he's talking about these kids saying, ‘What can we do with them better?'"
He clearly hasn't lost his teaching touch.
When asked why he logs all these volunteer hours, he said, "The pay is these good kids and how much fun I have with them."
He marvels at how the students take care of each other, specifically how they're speaking more kindly to one another. And, even after decades of experience, he's still learning from the kids.
He's a teacher at heart, showing no signs of slowing down.
"If you rock, you rock yourself to death, I think," he said. "I'd rather keep my mind busy and help the kids and help my own daughter."
You can nominate someone for a High 5 here.
E-mail:bwalker@ksl.com
