Box 430 Black Diamond, AB T0L 0H0 Ph: 938-4973 Fax: 933-4988

April 14, 2014 Letter of Reference Kelly Smith To Whom It May Concern, It gives me great pleasure to write this letter of reference for Kelly Smith. Kelly completed her final practicum at Oilfields High School from January to April 2014. Over the course of her practicum, Kelly has quickly assimilated herself as an effective and productive member of the Oilfields staff. In a short period of time, Ms. Smith has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and attributes of a successful teacher. Overall her contributions have been more representative of a practicing professional than a pre-service teacher. Ms. Smith is a friendly and outgoing young teacher that is already demonstrating maturity beyond her experience. At Oilfields she has readily built effective relationships with staff and students alike. Kelly is collegial with other staff members and effectively collaborates with department members and effectively contributes during PD opportunities. With her students, Ms. Smith has successfully created a great balance between being friendly and keeping clear behavioural expectations with her students. In a Physical Education context, Ms. Smith clearly has a passion for her subject area. She has incredible knowledge and skills in the content area. Kelly effectively plans collaboratively with other members of the Physical Education department. In terms of instruction, Ms. Smith is equally comfortable team teaching large classes as well as taking individual classes on her own. Her classes are well managed with clear expectations and Kelly effectively monitors student behaviour in the gymnasium using her voice and proximity. As part of her practicum, Ms. Smith agreed to teach a Math 10-3 class. Teaching math put Kelly a bit out of her comfort zone, as it is not her specialization. She was up for the challenge of teaching in a new content area, consulting and collaborating with her cooperating teacher to ensure she was effectively prepared to teach in mathematics. Ms. Smith demonstrated her self very well in the new environment providing engaging learning opportunities for her students. Kelly effectively used her Physical Education background to incorporate kinesthetic learning to help students engage in mathematics. Throughout her practicum, Ms. Smith has demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and attributes of a successful classroom teacher. She repeatedly demonstrated herself with confidence and poise, earning the trust of students and her colleagues. Kelly has been a great addition to our staff through this practicum and I am confident that she will continue to effectively lead a classroom as she starts her professional career. If you would like to discuss Kellys attributes further, do not hesitate to contact me by phone (403-938-4973) or email (careys@fsd38.ab.ca). Sincerely,

Scott Carey Principal