Belgrade School District Y corm Saddle Peak Elementary School 400 Jackrabbit Road Belgrade, MT 59714 March 31, 2015 ‘To Whom It May Concern, Itis my absolute pleasure to write this leter of recommendation for Courtney Zundel. Ms. ‘Zundel completed a 90 hour practicum internship in my classroom in the fall of 2014, where she quickly integrated with my students and our classroom routines. She was eager to become part of our school community, and asked pertinent and insightful questions in order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the practices in place. She also completed a 45 hour reading internship during this time, where she worked one-on-one with a student who was reading well below grade level. She used progress monitoring data as well as phonetic screeners to assess the student's instructional needs before starting, and continuously collected formative data to alter her content and methods to help this student reach grade level. By the end of Ms. Zundel’s time in this placement, this student’s confidence was visibly boosted and he was able to read beginning grade level texts with accuracy and comprehension. ‘Ms, Zundel impressed not only me but also my grade level team during her practicum, placements, so I requested her to be placed in our classroom as a student teacher in the spring of 2015. She came in right after the New Year, already knowledgeable about our school, my classroom, and my students, and began assuming several teaching duties right away. Our school uses the Response to Instruction/Intervention (RtI) model of a “walk” for both reading and math, and therefore Ms, Zundel has had the unique experience of learning to target instruction for homogenous homeroom groups of students, intensive groups (math), and advanced groups (reading). Throughout her placement, she has exhibited characteristics of a seasoned teacher by ‘examining the standards and materials, analyzing student learning data to create essential Jearning opportunities, and experimenting, with new methods of instructional delivery. For instance, in a workshop model for reading, Ms. Zundel was dynamic and deliberate to ensure students had the engagement, accountability, and the time to master the content. After seeing the success of this model in reading and writing, Ms. Zundel used these concepts to create a similar effective workshop for mathematics instruction, Throughout all of these content areas, Ms. Zundel used pre-and post-assessment feedback, data analysis, and staff collaboration to develop instruction that challenged students while meeting each student's needs. She eagerly seeks feedback and asks critical questions about both the delivery and content of her lessons. She well-prepared to teach in any elementary setting that values a close look and a creative response to student achievement data. Ms. Zundel has a calming and encouraging personality, and has been able to lead a class of very diverse students to be extremely successful in both behavior as well as confidence in learning. IBelgrade School District | Saddlé Peak Elementary School 400 Jackrabbit Road Belgrade, MT 59714 have several students who require speech therapy, one student who has limited English proficiency, and one who has significant emotional-behavioral challenges that affect not only the student's learning but that of his classmates. She has earned the trust of each of my students, and because students have felt a sense of belonging and safety with Ms. Zundel, they have been thriving and eager to learn, Students are consistently clear on her expectations for respect and classroom procedures, resulting in minimal wasted learning time and maximum effectiveness. In addition to being a truly outstanding teaching intern, she has seamlessly integrated as a contributing member of our grade-level team and building staff, and has developed relationships with the parents and families in our classroom. She has helped to plan and execute several Family Nights at our school, including a pumpkin carving night, a Polar Express night, and a Bingo/Pizza night. Having seen the growth in my students from the beginning of the year, Ms. ‘Zandel contributed meaningful insights at our Spring Parent-Teacher Conferences. She has been, involved with our ReI team, which meets twice a month, helping to organize and reflect on school data as well as plan assessment schedules. She has attended all training and professional development opportunities offered in our district during her time here, showing her desire to continue (o grow and master her craft. Ms, Zundel has gone above and beyond her university expectations as a member of our school community this school year. She is an extremely qualified, motivated, and intelligent professional, and has my strongest possible recommendation. The work she has done in our school this year has been extremely impressive, and I have no doubt that she will be an asset to any school team that is fortunate to have the chance to hire her. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any further questions about Courtney Zundel. Couch WK E. Sv Caitlin Suit Kindergarten Teacher suit @belgradeschools.com Home: 406-579-1145 Classroom: 406-924-2726