County Central High School Box 390, 504 — 4" Avenue South Vulcan, Alberta TOL 2B0 Phone: (403) 485-2223 Fax: (403) 485-2959 Exceptional Education — Principal: Ms. Leanne Hellman, B.Sc., B.Ed., M.A., M.Sc. Vice-principal: Mrs. Lucy Thompson, B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed. November 20", 2018 ‘To Whom It May Coneem: 1 am writing to you on behalf of Mr. Dakota Mattson, a teacher at County Central High School in Vulcan, Alberta. I have worked with Mr. Mattson since he joined our staff in August. In my capacity as principal, | have had the opportunity to observe Mr. Mattson in his classroom and t0 talk with him about his teaching practice. I find Mr. Mattson to be a diligent and dedicated educator who develops strong bonds with his students, Mr. Mattson’s area of specialization is teaching Grade 9 & 10 Science, as well as Senior Foods. His tasks include: creating long- and short-range plans, as well as daily lesson plans for each class; providing engaging and effective learning activities for his students; assessing student progress (formative assessment) and student achievement (summative assessment); communicating with parents; liaising with administration; maintaining the science lab in terms of safety; and participating in school events. He consistently carries out all of his tasks with diligence and in a timely manner, demonstrating meticulous planning and a high degree of organization Mr. Mattson’s students benefit from his subject-area expertise and his outstanding lessons. Mr. Mattson uses engaging instructional strategies to involve his students in their leaming, and he encourages active participation through group work, inquiry-based learning, and labs. He is a well-organized, thoughtful practitioner; his unit and long-range plans are of the highest quality, and his lessons connect directly to the Program of Studies. Mr. Mattson’s greatest strength is his ability to connect with his students and make them excited about science. He employs effective classroom management strategies that create an atmosphere conducive to leaming. Mr. Mattson pairs high ~ yet attainable — expectations with a nurturing environment, allowing his students to thrive and to succeed. His students know that they cancome to him for help at any time, and that he will go above and beyond to ensure that they understand the materials and are successful in his classes. One of the ways Mr. Mattson connects with his students was through participation in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. He has coached our cross-country team and he can always be counted on to participate in school spirit days and to help out with school functions such as our awards ceremony. Mr. Mattson has also worked very hard this year to provide supports for our at-risk students, He works closely with a number of struggling students and creates an atmosphere of support and encouragement, He has become someone whom the students could rely upon; they seek help from him knowing that they will not be judged and that he will work through the materials with them as many times as it takes. He is also striving to provide opportunities for differentiation of instruction in his classroom, seeking ways to support our struggling learners as well as to enrich and extend learning for our strongest students, Mr. Mattson has demonstrated himself to be a dependable, hard-working professional. He can often be found in his classroom well after other staff members have left, ensuring that everything is prepared for the days and weeks ahead. He puts in the necessary time and effort to create positive learning experiences for his students; he makes sure that they are getting the best from him, and in return, he expects the best from them. Mr. Mattson is rarely absent from school and can be relied upon to be punctual and prepared for meetings and supervisory duties. He can be depended upon to keep the confidences of staff and students, and consistently demonstrates good judgement. T have thoroughly enjoyed working with Mr. Mattson over the past few months, and I highly recommend him for any position that he secks. If you require any further information about Mr. Dakota Mattson, please do not hesitate to contact me Warm regards, a Leanne Hellman Principal