April 2014 To whom it may concern, I have had the pleasure of working with Andrea MacMurray this past

year in her role as early childhood educator in a special education classroom and my role as District preschool special education coordinator. I could write paragraphs acknowledging her knowledge, talent, and compassion but Ill give you some brief descriptors. She has a strong work ethic and a positive attitude. She is dependable and self-motivated. She is an effective communicator who works well on a team. She is flexible and organized. In her classroom, children feel valued and supported. They are respected and motivated in their learning. Her classroom encourages creative play and work. Her classroom is truly inclusive where childrens individual differences are honored and they are encouraged to be active participants in their learning. As an example, there is a little boy who has a hearing impairment and uses sign language to communicate. Andrea put in extra time to learn sign language to truly include him in all aspects of the classroom routine from greeting, to circle time, to story time and centers as well as free play time. Now with her support and modeling many of the other children are signing in the classroom and showing their families how to sign. Her special education background adds another dimension to her understanding of how children learn and how to differentiate her instruction to support that learning. She is comfortable with technology as a communication and teaching tool. Andrea is efficient in collecting data for progress monitoring and using that data to guide instruction. I regret that due to budget cuts, we are losing her gifts and commitment and love of teaching. But she will be a welcome asset to any school that has the opportunity to hire her. Jim Fallon 90 Monadnock St. Troy, NH 03465 603 242 3880 jfallon@mrsd.org