Cheryl B.

Sugerman
3507 Edgewood Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-223-6586 chersug@hotmail.com

November 2012

Dear Sir or Madam:

Please accept this letter as a recommendation for Mrs. Rachel Weiner. I have worked with Mrs. Weiner for five years at the Academy of Waterford where she is a classroom teacher, team leader and active participant on school improvement committees.

Rachel began her tenure at the school teaching eighth grade. She took over a classroom where, after taking a leave of absence and the students had a series of substitutes, the original teacher resigned. It was a difficult situation to walk into and Rachel did not hesitate to request assistance from other teachers and administrators, ultimately creating a classroom in which students felt secure and were able to learn. The following year Rachel started teaching fifth grade where she has again created a classroom environment that allows students to thrive.

As the Title I Facilitator, I have collaborated frequently with Mrs. Weiner. She is a grade level team leader and a member of the School Improvement Team. Rachel also spearheaded our pacing guide committee. She understands the importance of the classroom teacher being the first line of Response to Intervention and fashioned a system in her classroom in which she meets with each student weekly (or more as needed) to review students academic challenges.

Mrs. Weiner encompasses some of the finest qualities of a teacher: she is flexible, patient, and empathetic to her students academic and personal needs. She knows students need to be taught expectations before asking them to meet them and she is innovative in working to meet the needs of individual students regardless of the range of skills in the classroom. Rachel works in partnership with other teachers most notably, with the middle school teachers, to ensure students will leave her class with the skills they need to succeed in the higher grades. She also collaborates with the third and fourth grade teachers to make certain they understand what students need for fifth grade and to develop ways they can work together to make that happen.

In addition to the work she does in the classroom, Rachel works tirelessly to make the school better. She volunteers for committees and is asked by the administration to serve on others. She stays after school to support students involved in extracurricular activities and comes in early to support other teachers who look to

her for advice and feedback on ideas in the classroom.

Mrs. Weiner is also a student (literally as well as figuratively) and is currently working on her Masters in Special Education. I believe Rachel would be a wonderful asset to any organization. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or need further information.

Sincerely,