ROYALTON SCHOOL DISTRICT 120 Hawthorn Srest ‘epalton, MN $6373. 0005 520-386-4000 widen ical ‘Dr Jon P Elerbusch Mr. Jot Swenson Dr. Phi Gurboda Ed eer ence otal sunemmdncz2.anat ecm 2 stdin February 24,2016 ‘To Whom It May Concer: ‘Thomas Edison said, “Ife did all the things we ar capable of, we would literally astound ourselves" Amy Jind, the Piz middle schoo! English instructor, astounds me ona daily basis withthe confident manner in which she attends to her ‘caching roles. Because of her drive to creat success ina multitude of arenas, Amy is an ast for any employer. Flexibility with technology keeps Amy's students attentive and leaning, Her SMART board is used for daily essons in ‘grammar, literature, and writing. The interactive board is also wed fr creative learhing because Amy requires active ‘student participation using matching zames, Jeopardy, sentence diagraming, and deaftng for writing. In Amy"s classes, ‘students also use applications such as Petchakutcha, Schoology, of even selfs to create and present vaious project. ‘Amy's effort to help students set standards for themselves sa reflection ofthe high standard she sts fr herself, Her classroom is filled with ingenious materials for academic inspiration. The first ime I entered her room I wanted to check ‘out the unique displays: novel-based movie posers, a personal message for her students a5 well as apace to respond 19 the message, a book checkout area, crates filed with brain teasers, and a pre-school activity for ther enjoyment. The «dynamic aspect of her clasroom isa direct reflection of Amy's personality; she attends to every detail na way thats stimulating for her students In addition, this uplifting environment isa strong reflection of her positive personality The first years of teaching demand every ounce ofa person's bilities, yet Amy moves withthe skill fa veteran teacher. ‘She renovated the junior high English literature requirements by adding more novel, poetry, and short story options. Ay also played a key role in revamping the dister’s reading requirements, Previous tothe modifications, stodens were required to read two books ~ any two books - in ther reading exile. The shift took the focus from book quantity to ‘reading quality with an emphasis on reader choice. Once made, the change in student enthusiasm for thei reading choices improved, and better yet, their MCA test scores improved Jn writing, Amy completely reorganized the haphazard, one-shot assignments toa writing process; tis seven-step process reviews every stage of writing with a clear connection tothe next step while offering students the opportunity to revise, ‘The new system for junior high stents requires struglingstadents to discover the exae kil in which they ae lacking yetallows upper-level stadents to manipulate their writing fr effect, and both groups to hone their skills by allowing for Dedication to student success which is found in a wide variety of situations is Amy’s strength. She shines at facilitating activites catering to specifi circumstances and discovering unconventional educational opportunites which erate astounding resuls, Therefore, tis without reservation that I recommend Amy Sndra; se willbe an aset fr any ‘organization. For aditional information, please contact me. Sincerely, coed Dn ‘Sharon Menden | English Teacher and Speech Coach Cell phone: 320.584.4217: Email: smenden(@rovaltonk12.0,