Friday, February 20, 2009

Letters of Recommendation-Please Follow Comments

To Whom It May Concern:

When it comes time for a first-born child to go to school for the first time, every parent has more than a few moments of trepidation as they hand their child over to a school they might not be familiar and a teacher they do not know.

My wife and I experienced these feelings of concern when we were told that our neighborhood kindergarten would be full day and that our oldest daughter would be leaving the nest for six hours a day and not the four we had planned on.

We knew that our daughter would eventually adapt to the change, but what we were not prepared for was how smoothly it would happen. Her teacher, Sara Duncan, welcomed our daughter, and the rest of the class, to the school with open arms that let the children know from the start that her classroom would be a magical place where they would learn, laugh, grow and flourish.

Our daughter fell in love with Ms. Duncan the first week of the class.

And we, as parents, are so thankful to have her as our daughters’ first teacher. Not only did we get the sense that her classroom would be a safe and caring environment, but Ms. Duncan’s passion for education gave us the confidence that her classroom would be a great place of learning. She is confident and professional. Poised, fun and in control of her classroom. I believe that the really great educators are the ones who have a true love for the profession and I believe Sara Duncan has a true love for teaching.

Ms. Duncan has filled our daughter with a passion for learning, confidence that she can accomplish anything that she puts her mind to and, we believe, has started our little girl on a great path that can lead her to great places.

We were disappointed to hear that the school would be closing, not because of the building or location, but because of the people, and because we might not be able to hand our youngest daughter over to the capable hands of Sara Duncan. We can only hope and pray that we are lucky enough to find another educator like Sara Duncan.

Sincerely

Bill and Jaymie Gleason
303-713-9470
7131 So. Albion St.
Centennial, CO 80122

7 comments:

Clare Ambrose said...

Clare C. Ambrose
5596 East Hinsdale Circle
Centennial, CO 80122
(303) 471-6090



February 20, 2009

RE: Letter of Recommendation for Ms. Sara Duncan

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to highly recommend hiring Ms. Sara Duncan for a teaching position.

I have been fortunate enough to have Sara teach my twin boys, Matthew and Jack, at Ames Elementary this year for kindergarten. My children adore Ms Duncan and have developed a love of learning and school because of her positive influence. Sara Duncan is passionate about learning and has fostered that great quality in my children. Sara is also an extremely patient and kind person which creates a welcoming environment for the children to learn in her classroom. One of my sons told me he loved Ms. Duncan because “she’s smart and she’s nice.” What more could a child or a parent of a child ask for in an educator?

Ms. Duncan is an asset to education and children. If you have any questions or would like further information, feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,


Clare C. Ambrose


cc: Ms. Nancy Klinedinst, Ames Elementary Principal

Anonymous said...

Matt and Susan Canetto
Centennial, CO 80112
(303) 789-3211

February 26, 2009

To Whom It May Concern:

We would like to recommend Miss Sara Duncan for a teaching position. She teaches our daughter Paige’s kindergarten class at Ames Elementary. Paige absolutely adores Miss Duncan and truly enjoys the time she spends at school. Paige has a love of learning for which we have Miss Duncan to thank. Sara’s dedication and love for her job shine through in everything she does. She is creative, encouraging, caring and smart. All these qualities lead to a command of the classroom that is earned through the respect of her students.

Sara strives to make the individual students responsible for their learning. Yes, even at the kindergarten level! She does this in two unique ways. First, students are encouraged to rate their level of effort in the various tasks and assignments throughout the day. The idea of the different levels of effort were taught early in the school year with a Snoopy poster that shows various illustrations of the dog, from lying on his doghouse (depicting a Level 1 effort) to dancing feverishly (depicting a Level 4 effort). It didn’t take long for Paige to embrace this concept and start applying it at home as well. “Daddy, I think you put a number 2 effort into that dusting.” The students can then see that the level of effort they put forth is directly related to how much they’re progressing toward their learning goals. The second way the student is made responsible for their learning is by setting individual learning goals. For example, in writing workshop, Paige set the goal of adding more detail to her stories. Once she met this goal three times (awarded with a stamp), she was ready to set a new goal. Teaching these types of intangibles is invaluable and has given Paige the tools to take responsibility for her learning in the years to come.

It is for these reasons that we strongly believe Miss Sara Duncan would be a tremendous asset to the learning community that hires her.

Sincerely,

Matt and Susan Canetto

Anonymous said...

February 26, 2009

RE: Letter of Recommendation for Ms. Sara Duncan

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter in support of Ms. Sara Duncan and the tremendous talent she brings to the classroom.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know Ms. Duncan over the past year as she has guided my daughter through her first year of grade-school. I use the term “guide”
because Ms. Duncan provides much more than just classroom instruction to her students. Ms. Duncan’s approach is both insightful and supportive…it’s not uncommon for me to receive an e-mail during the week, if Darby is not acting like herself. Ms. Duncan also serves as a mentor to our students and inspires them to “love” learning as much as she does. . She engages with her students in a deep and meaningful way, while providing a structured classroom environment.
Above all, Ms. Duncan exemplifies a passion for teaching and a sincere commitment to our child’s success both in and out of the classroom.

Sincerely,


Cody Sherrod

Anonymous said...

February 26, 2009

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write a letter of recommendation for Sara Duncan, my daughter’s kindergarten teacher. I write this letter as a parent and a fellow teacher in the Littleton Public School District. Sara is a fantastic teacher and role model. She has excellent content knowledge and skills paired with incredible compassion and kindness. She has the perfect mix of mind and heart.

My daughter is my oldest, so this was my first experience being on the other side of the desk. The kindergarten year sets the tone for a student’s entire school experience. Sara has done a fantastic job of establishing routines and creating a community of learners. Every day my daughter says she loves going to school—that’s the proof that Sara has set a wonderful tone!

Next, I have been impressed with Sara’s ability to communicate with me and the other parents. Every month she sends out an informative newsletter. In the newsletter she shares a little bit about herself and relates it to a learning objective the class is working on. She also recommends good literature for parents and students; and she shares tips and suggestions for working with our kids at home. Another example of her communication skills was evident at our first conference. Sara had collected data about my daughter’s learning and presented it in a clear and concise manner. She knew exactly what my daughter’s strengths and weaknesses were and could back it up with data. She has demonstrated that she uses the data to drive her instructional goals because my daughter’s skills have improved tremendously.

The best aspect of Sara’s teaching is her ability to make every child feel welcomed and appreciated. There have been several examples throughout the year including sending every student a postcard over Christmas break, celebrating their cultural heritage through a celebration feast, and hosting several author days to celebrate the students’ writing progress. My daughter was ecstatic when Sara went to a reading conference and bought a book specifically for her. These are just the few of the ways Sara has made this year special for my daughter. She is so good at finding something positive about every student and using it to encourage them to keep on learning.

I am so thrilled that my daughter was a part of Sara Duncan’s kindergarten class. It breaks my heart that she finds herself in the position of having to look for work. Please seriously consider her for this position. She will make an invaluable member of your staff and will positively impact the students and set the tone for a lifetime of learning.
Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Jaime Edwards

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