Smart’s Mill Middle School

850 North King Street

Leesburg, VA 20176

March 23, 2022

To Whom it May Concern:

I am writing to provide a reference on behalf of Mrs. Holly Deaner. I have been fortunate enough to know Holly
for the last 10 years. During that time, I have worked with her during her tenure as a school bus driver servicing
the school in which I was an Assistant Principal, as a mentor as she transitioned into the classroom, and now as
a friend.

During my time working with Holly, I found her to be patient, calm, caring, solutions-oriented, dedicated,
flexible, consistent, and a good role model to others.

When I first worked with Holly, she was an outstanding bus driver. She had a unique ability to allow students
time to be social on the bus while also reinforcing appropriate bus behavior. I also noticed early on that she
cared about her students and had developed positive relationships with her students and their parents. I recall
one student that rode her bus that had some challenging behaviors both in school and on the bus and Holly was
always willing to work with the student, the school, and the parents to keep the student on the bus so he could
attend school. She never became defensive or took anything personally with the student. I was confident that
Holly would be an asset in the classroom and was excited when she transitioned into the roll as a teacher
assistant at a nearby elementary school.

As we both have moved to different school districts and roles, I have remained in touch with Holly. I was
pleased to hear when she began her career as a teacher in Prince William County and I am confident that she
has been an effective teacher. I was even more pleased to hear that she is interested in becoming a school
administrator. Based on my experience with Holly and knowing what I do as a school administrator, I am
confident that she has the potential to be a great school administrator. She is unique in that she has experience
as a bus driver, teacher assistant, and classroom teacher which will help any school as administrators work to
support each of these employee groups in solving challenging situations. I also know Holly’s personality is
conducive to the role of a school administrator. From my work with her I have seen her patience with others,
dedication to students, ability to look for solutions in challenging situations with little personal frustration, and
her willingness to work hard. Personally, I also find Holly to have the ability to be a role model for others as I
know she has been a role model for me.

I know Holly is excited about continuing to serve students as a school administrator and I would recommend
her for any administrative position you may have. I would be happy to speak further by phone at (571) 252-
2040.

Sincerely,

Chris Johnston

Phone: (571)252 2030

www.lcps.org/smarts