VERNON TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL

P.O. Box 800/1832 Route 565, Vernon, NJ 07462

Phone: 973-764-2960 Fax: 973-764-2961 Web:
www.vtsd.com
Drew D. Krause Nancy LoPresti James Trusa William Foley
Principal Assistant Assistant Athl;/etic Director
dkrause@vtsd. Principal Principal wfoley@vtsd.com
com nlopresti@vtsd. jtrusa@vtsd.co
com m

Dear Colleague:

Famed journalist Dan Rather stated, The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs
and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth'. I have
now known Kaitlin Stellingwerf for eight years as her classroom teacher and now as her cooperating teacher
and I know one thing; she is meant to be in front of a class. Over the eight years that I have known Kaitlin as
she has grown from student to teacher, she has displayed a level of intellect, insight and compassion that
befits the best of our profession.

Over the few months that I have worked with Kaitlin in the classroom I have witnessed a teacher who
is determined to tug, push and lead her students to achieve. Great classroom presences starts with lofty
goals and meticulous planning. It is a marvel to watch Kaits face light up when we sit together and talk
about goals and future planning. She fully embraces every opportunity to push our students beyond
themselves and to the next level. I have heard numerous times her respond to students who say, This is too
hard with a strong yet compassionate, I know you can do this. In the future youll encounter lots of things
that are hard and those are the things that will forge who you really are.

What is even more impressive about Kaitlin Stellingwerf is the deft with which she handles a student
crisis. High school students are often riddled with drama and Kait manages to listen, care and turn a students
crisis into purpose. Numerous times, I have watched her handle situations flawlessly. A recent case involved
a student who broke down while presenting evidence for a trial in class. Ms. Stellingwerf handled the
situation like a consummate professional; calming the student and redirecting the focus back to the task.

In the time that she has taken charge in my class she has garnered the respect and admiration of the
students. This transcends grade level and academic level. In our sophomore class she has often wielded the
sharp stick of truth to elicit a higher level of achievement. The phrase, I expect better from you and you
should expect better from yourself struck me as a genuine statement of Ms. Stellingwerfs character as an
educator. In our senior class, she never shies away from the truth that college is going to break you if you
dont step up and work hard.

As Dan Rather said, The dream begins with a teacher. For Kaitlin Stellingwerf that dream began
with me nearly eight years ago, and now she is poised to take the reins and inspire other students to dream
for themselves. I have been teaching for nearly 20 years; I have seen teachers and students come and go, and
Kaitlin Stellingwerf has proven she is the best of the best in the class and teaching the class. She will be a
tremendous asset to any school and more importantly, she will be an inspiration to her students.

Sincerely,
Marc D. Bray English Teacher, Vernon Township High School