Subject: Letter of Professional Reference 3 November 2010 Dear Colleague, It is with pleasure that I write this letter of reference

for Rhonda Lesperance, who has been employed in the Library Media Center at the Rabat American School for four years this January, working under my supervision. As the Library Teacher in the Secondary school for the past fourteen years, I feel confident in being able to recommend Rhonda highly for a position as a Library Teacher. During her time here, she completed her Masters in Library Science through distance learning while gaining practical library management through experience. Our school has been very fortunate in having, effectively, two librarians to serve our secondary students and staff. Rhonda has an excellent command of knowledge of the essentials in operating a library, serving students effectively, and collaborating with teaching staff. She has successfully managed the circulation desk, having mastered the Follett Destiny software we use; she adds to our library Moodle by creating Pathfinders and adding online reference sources; she has carried out inventory of our collection, cataloged and processed new materials, reorganized library sections, and aided in the de-selection of materials. At the instructional level, Rhonda has worked with teachers and their classes on reading promotion activities, especially Literature Circles with the seventh grade, two consecutive years. She co-taught, with the physical education teacher, a unit on bullying and harassment and with two different technology teachers. Her prior teaching experience at the university level has served her well and will continue to do so as she pursues a post in a Library Media Center. Rhonda has also initiated a number of projects in the LMC aimed at engaging students in literature and Web 2.0. She designed a Book Trivia contest for our students and has collaborated with the technology teachers to integrate student-driven wikis on topics of their choosing and this year a Skype interview and exchange with an 8th grade class in Ohio, USA. Rhonda supervises and chaperones our students for extra-curricular programs and has developed an excellent rapport with students, teachers and staff. Always striving to keep learning and developing her skills, Rhonda has co-designed and presented a presentation at the European Council of International Schools annual conference and has taken two American Library Association online courses, outside of her MLS degree, Booktalking and Collection Development. She has completed initial training on Smart Boards given by our Tech Coordinator, and has attended curriculum workshop on Backwards Design. Last summer Rhonda was selected for and attended a workshop in Washington, D.C.. Professional in attitude, personable and gracious with staff and students, Rhonda is always eager to involve herself with improving service to the community. She has given of her time to not only chaperone events such as dances, and film nights, but also has accompanied middle school classes as a chaperone in the yearly Week Without Walls off-campus trips. As well, she has assisted in coaching the swim team, is a guest reader in our elementary school classes, a regular reader for the elementary school evening Candlelight Read Aloud, and co-organizes a school and community-wide triathlon at RAS. It has been my privilege to work with such a competent, qualified, and outgoing person that Rhonda is. She clearly enjoys her chosen profession and working with students and

teachers in a school setting. I have appreciated her as an invaluable colleague and have every confidence that she will contribute and lead in her next school. Sincerely, Lora Wagner Secondary Library Teacher Rabat American School Rabat, Morocco