OXFORD HIGH SCHOOL

Dacia Beazley, Principal

Kurt Nuss, Assistant Principal
Kristy Gibson-Marshall, Assistant Principal
Kevin Nelms, Assistant Principal
Mitchell Brooks, Dean of Students

To To Whom It May Concern:

It is with considerable enthusiasm that I write this letter of recommendation for Elizabeth Manning. Not only
did she excel as an intern/student teacher, she has also earned the respect of the English Language Arts
department, administration, and the students she has worked with.
Over the last few years, I have been our high school liaison and worked with Oakland University to place many
interns in various departments within our building. Elizabeth impressed me the minute I met her at her
interview. As a result, I agreed to become her mentor. Her journey at Oxford High School began in my
classroom in the fall of 2023. While there, she observed and taught lessons in both ELA 9 and Sociology. During
the end of the first semester, I had to take a few FMLA days off due to an unexpected circumstance. By this
time, Elizabeth had proven herself so well that the administration, her university supervisor, and I had no
qualms with her jumping in and covering the days I missed. Subsequently, the first day of the second semester
Elizabeth took over all six of my classes where she implemented our curriculum, provided suggestions and ways
to make them “her own'', and managed all facets of the classroom including: taking attendance, planning
lessons, entering grades, collecting and tracking data, responding to emails, participating in parent-teacher
conferences, and maintaining our classroom pages. It became evident to me very quickly that Elizabeth has an
innate sense of what it means to be a teacher. I cannot even begin to express how impressed I was with her
ability to “know” exactly how to handle classroom management situations without even being told what to do.
Elizabeth exudes professionalism at all times, arrives early, stays late, willingly accepts suggestions, and
consistently contributes to our department/building by attending all professional development days and staff
meetings. She has been afforded the opportunity to teach one section of Sociology with upperclassmen, three
freshmen ELA 9 general education classes, and two ELA 9 co-taught classes where many of the students have
emotional as well as academic challenges. As a result, she has learned the ins and outs of following and
documenting accommodations for IEPs and 504 plans. Elizabeth is very approachable, excellent at building
rapport, and works diligently to provide timely/relevant feedback in order to help her students achieve success.
Additionally, Ms. Manning has made it a point to show her support for the student body by attending sporting
events, chaperoning the Homecoming dance, and watching students perform in the spring musical. She has
truly invested herself at Oxford High School and receives the full benefit of what being an educator is all about.
I whole-heartedly recommend Elizabeth Manning for any position in education; she is a gifted and
compassionate young woman who impacts young lives. Please feel free to contact me if you have any
additional questions.
Sincerely,

Rene DeRyckere
English Language Arts Teacher-Oxford High School
Liaison- Oakland University
rene.deryckere@oxfordschools.org

745 N. Oxford Rd., Oxford, MI 48371 / Ph. 248.969.5100 / Fax 248.969.5145 / www.oxfordschools.org
Non-Discrimination Clause: Oxford Community Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex (sexual orientation or gender), disability, age, height, weight, marital status or any other legally protected
characteristic, in its programs, services or activities, including employment opportunities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies:
Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, 10 North Washington Street, Oxford, MI 48371, (248) 969-5004.
 2

10 N. Washington St. Oxford, MI / Ph. 248.969.5000 / Fax 248.969.5013 / www.oxfordschools.org