January 24, 2013 To Whom It May Concern: My name is Katie Knapp, and I am the English as a Second Language teacher

at Morgan Road Elementary School in the Liverpool Central School District. This is my fifth year teaching English Language Learners, and I have discovered that ESL teachers wear many hats, so to speak. He or she must possess a love for children, a desire to help all students achieve success, and he or she must also be willing to act as nurse, social worker, and real-world liaison for his or her students. In the five years I have been teaching, I have yet to meet someone who meets these requirements more than Mary Mitchell. Upon meeting Mary five years ago, it was quite evident that she is a truly dedicated educator. Mary and I taught together in the Syracuse City School District in the English as a Second Language Program. We worked closely together as colleagues from different buildings on different issues within the ESL program. We worked an ESL Textbook Committee, we were part of an ESL Progress Monitoring Tool Committee, and were part of an ESL round-table where we discussed challenges and possible solutions within the ESL program in Syracuse. Her experience with middle-school-aged ELLs helped each committee determine what would be most effective with that age group. While teaching over fifty students from grades six to eight, Mary was able to create a schedule that crossed grade levels, while ensuring the best learning environment for the students and mainstream classes. She was able to work closely with other staff to meet the needs of her students, despite language proficiency level by including the ELLs in hands-on activities and trips, and authentic reading and writing experiences. For the 2010-2011 school year, I was given the opportunity to work in the same building with Mary. I replaced her in the 6-8 grade level, while she took over the middle school Newcomer program. This was a self-contained program designed for students who had just arrived in the United States, with little to no educational background. These approximately 20 students not only possessed no English, they also had no skills in counting, writing, and social skills. I have to admit that Mary truly impressed me with her dedication and perseverance to this program. She had to create her own curriculum, find all of her own materials, teach all content areas, and make it accessible to students from all over the world, from different age groups. Anytime I would walk into her room, learning was evident. She had flexible learning groups working with a Teaching Assistant, groups working with technology, groups working on reading and writing skills, and small groups working one-on-one with her. She always had a gauge on where each student was in terms of progress. By the end of her school year, students who could not even hold a pencil at the beginning, were able to write about field trips and experiences they had had during the year. It was phenomenal to see how much her students had learned. Mary not only worked well with the students, she acted as a contact for other staff members when it came to the ELLs in the building. With an in-depth knowledge of the students and their families, she was able to help the staff connect more deeply with the ELLs in the mainstream.

Mary is one of the most inspiring and moving educators I have had the privilege of working with. There is no one I would recommend more. Any building and ESL program would be truly blessed to have her. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have regarding Mary Mitchell. Sincerely,

Katie Knapp Morgan Road Elementary ESL Teacher