March 31, 2013 Dear Principal Bowell, I am writing this letter with regards to Rita Fattorusso, who is a colleague

of mine in the Integrated Preschool Program at P347. I have had the pleasure to work closely with Rita and offer her assistance as she develops her skills as an early childhood educator. I am deeply impressed by her work and wanted to relate to you how I feel she has blossomed as a teacher. When Rita first came to work at our school, I noticed immediately that she was a motivated, passionate person who wanted to make a difference, particularly in the field of Deaf Education. As a Deaf student, Rita had to struggle with certain deficiencies in the school system and the consequent obstacles that were presented to her throughout her school years. Rita works hard to create the type of learning environment that she knows she would have benefitted from. She uses her experience and perspective to create an atmosphere full of wonder, allowing students to use a multitude of avenues to express themselves in order to succeed in their first school experience. Rita has certainly embraced the Reggio philosophy that inspires and guides our program. She respects each child as a unique and important citizen within our school community. She is eager to present the students in her class many opportunities to communicate in the "languages" that are most accessible to them. She has worked hard to incorporate many components and values of the Reggio system in her own classroom, especially the use of natural materials and creating a learning environment that becomes "the third teacher". I have assisted Rita in documenting the students' language when they were working on certain projects, such as this year's Habitat project. As the children talked to me about their animals and the habitats they created, it was evident that Rita's enthusiasm had been passed on to her students. I was struck by the depth of their knowledge and the sense of ownership and pride each child conveyed about their work. It has been a pleasure to be able to work with Rita as she develops and grows as a teacher. She is always asking for advice and is open to different perspectives. Her main goal is to improve her practice and be the best teacher she can be. Rita's enthusiasm is contagious and I feel that her presence in our preschool program has energized her fellow teachers as well as her students. Rita's dedication and joyful hard work has made her a real asset to our school. I am proud to call her a colleague. Sincerely, Rose Werner Preschool Teacher