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Dear Principal Bowell:

"#$%&!'()!'*+,!

I am writing this letter on the behalf of Sara Lim, a fellow preschool teacher who is up for tenure this year. I would like to share with you the experience I had with Sara as a substitute teacher, and later as her mentor. When I met Sara in 2011, she joined me in the classroom as a substitute teacher when my team teacher was out on maternity leave. Immediately, Sara immersed herself in learning about preschool program in our school as well as demonstrating a keen interest in the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education that inspires and drives our educational philosophy. Sara a quick study, borrowing books about the school system in Reggio Emilia and suggesting ways we could incorporate the tenets of this approach in various learning centers in our classroom. She was of great assistance with the portfolios that reflect each students growth and development during their time in our preschool. She was curious and asked many questions in order to find the best way to write learning stories that capture each childs unique character. Most importantly, Sara showed a true love of young children as soon as she began working in our school. Her quiet, sensitive nature endeared her to children who are shy and struggle with expressing themselves. She was able to use her personal experience of growing up as a hearing child of two Deaf parents to relate to the children in our class are also CODAs (Children of Deaf Adults). Her ability to relate to them, as well as communicate in English as well as ASL was evident in the close bonds she built with the class. She also helped the entire class make the transition of having a teacher leave midyear so easy and almost seamless. Although they missed Cary, they easily fell in love with Sara, who brought her own set of gifts and gentle humor in a way that perfectly complimented my teaching style. I found Sara very easy to work with as a team teacher, which is so important in dual language classroom settings. Although I was sad when our time together came to an end, I was thrilled when she was hired to work in another classroom the following year. I also had the opportunity to work with her as her mentor, where I saw Sara strengthen her teaching skills and techniques. I found Sara so easy to work with; she is able to accept constructive criticism and take suggestions because she is so eager to improve and excel as a teacher. Sara has continued to meet the challenges of teaching with enthusiasm and diligence, constantly looking for ways to further her understanding and incorporate what she learned into the classroom in a meaningful way. Sara has learned so much about the project approach and child-centered learning that is the foundation of the Reggio philosophy. She has also found ways to balance that with the rigor of the Common Core Standards for Preschool. Furthermore, she has also begun to be involved in professional communities within the school, such as the Policy Consultation Committee and organizing Cook Shop, a health and food program for the preschool and elementary school. Overall, it has been a privilege to work with Sara, and to watch her grow as a professional in the field of early childhood education. I am inspired by her and look forward to seeing how she will grow as an educator. I ask that you please recommend her for tenure, as I see her bringing positive change to her students as well as to our school community. Saras work ethic and ability to forge relationships with children, parents and colleagues is laudable. If I can be of any more assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me at rwerner@47lowerschool.org. Very sincerely, Rose Werner Preschool Teacher/Mentor at P.S. 347