MOUNTAIN VIEW ELEMENTARY

Principal: Kenneth Limb

Assistant Principal: Chelsea Malouf
1380 S Navajo St.
Salt Lake City, Utah 84104
P. 801.974.8315
F. 801.974.8332

March 13, 2019

To Whom It May Concern:
I am excited to write to you in support of Yessenia Sontay. Yessi has worked all year long in my 5th grade
classroom at Mountain View Elementary as a student teacher. During this time, I have had the chance to see
many qualities that will make Yessenia an exceptional new teacher. Yessi is truly passionate about the teaching
profession. She builds meaningful relationships with students and uses them to motivate students academically.
In her class, student feel respected, safe and ready to learn. Every week she leads our class in a community
circle, building trust and discussing topics such as community, family and accountability.
Mountain View is a highly diverse school and our 5th graders cover a large range of academic and language
proficiencies, but Yessenia is always conscious to scaffold her lessons so that everyone feels included and can
be successful. She is thoughtful about incorporating models and student interest in her lessons to increase
engagement. Her history lessons include simulations, science is taught through experiments and she can
skillfully use manipulatives during math. Yessi also understands the importance of integration – she uses a wide
range of text formats to supplement her content area instruction, including picturebooks, articles, spoken words
poems and informational texts. Practicing holistic literacy instruction, she integrates writing across all content
areas and in a variety of styles.
Yessenia shows great aptitude at collaborating with our 5th grade team. She actively participates in PLCs every
week, plans lessons with coworkers and attends staff and committee meetings. Every day she comes thoroughly
prepared, having put a lot of thought and consideration into each of her lessons. She balances organization and
flexibility very well and always to the benefit of her students. Yessi is a reflective practitioner who analyzes
formative data to adjust instruction. She is capable of planning and running intervention groups to address
student needs.
I firmly believe that Yessenia is exactly the type of educator that Salt Lake City School District is looking for.
She has years of experience working within the district and excels in Title I schools. Yessi practices the district
vision of excellence and equity for every student in her class. She is an advocate for her students, their school
and their community. She will make an incredible teacher and any school would be lucky to have her.

Sincerely,

Selene Mansfield
M.Ed. Reading and Literacy
5th Grade Teacher at Mountain View Elementary