Jennifer Chadwick, Academy Coordinator 
 
To Whom It May Concern:

There are not enough good things that I can say about Janis Bellon. She is leaving Texas to move to Ohio and is
looking for a job in education, and in my opinion, you do not need to look any further. I have known Janis since I
hired her in August of 2011 for a spot as an English I Pre-AP and regular teacher just one week before school
started. She is by far one of the best hiring decisions I have ever made.

I served as her Department Head from 2011 to June of 2017 and Janis’ devotion to her teaching craft has been
evident from day one. She came into the position so quickly, and immediately made a positive impact on both the
students and staff at Stephen F. Austin High School in Fort Bend ISD. Stephen F. Austin is one of the most diverse
schools in Sugar Land, Texas with students representing over 45 different countries from around the world. She
always made sure that each student’s culture and beliefs were respected and worked them into her curriculum to
help students connect to the material. Her devotion to her students did not stop there. Besides being extremely
diverse in cultures and religions, Austin High School is also diverse in its population. There is a large English
Language Learner, At-Risk, and SPED population within the school and in each classroom. She is able to create
differentiated lesson plans for each class depending on it’s make up of students. Because of the diverse learners she
also tailored tutorial sessions to help each student, often times staying late into the afternoon to help them.

Janis didn’t just stop at her students. She helped create and implement numerous interventions for students
struggling with skills required for the state tests each and every year. She would give up her conference period for
days at a time, after school and before school, and a Saturday before the STAAR test to meet with students to help
them master skills and succeed on the state tests. She recognized a need amongst our students for a Gay-Straight
Alliance organization and has since helped other campus around the district establish similar programs. The
organization of this club also led her to be a part of the Diversity Committee on campus helping establish and grow
the “No Place For Hate” campaign.

Janis’ quest to improve her craft also led her to become involved at the school and district level as well. She served
as an amazing team lead, mentoring three new teachers, helping them adjust and create a English I team that serves
as one of the best in the district. She led and took part in numerous data team meetings to discuss strengths and
weakness of the 9th grade students and how best to help them. She represented the English department as part of the
Campus-Based Leadership Team, where she not only advocated for students, but also teachers. Because of her
strong grasp of the curriculum and her differentiation skills, I recommended her to the district to help write the
district English curriculum for both on level and Pre-AP classrooms.

I am very sad that Fort Bend will be losing the four time Teacher of the Year nominee and Teacher of the Year
winner for the 2017-2018 school year. I am also happy that a new group of students, teachers, and staff will get to
benefit from her love of teaching and the knowledge and skill she brings to the job. I’ve told her numerous times
that if she is ever back in Texas, she has a job waiting for her.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Chadwick
Advanced and Enrichment Learning Opportunities
Fort Bend ISD
Global Studies Academy Coordinator
International Business and Marketing Academy Coordinator
Jennifer.Chadwick@fortbendisd.com
(281) 634-2230