Heidi Roedel

411 Newland Road

Mabton, WA 98935

Dr. Kyle-Area Director of Education Dept. of Teaching and Learning

W.S.U.-Tri-Cities

2710 Richland Drive

Richland, WA 99354-1671

June 22,2007

Dear Dr. Kyle,

I am writing you a letter of recommendation for one of your potential MIT students,

Jamie Harris. I have had the opportunity to know Jamie for many years and have had the pleasure to have

her work for me on both personal and professional levels. Personally, she has been a childcare provider for

my family with both of my children, for the past eight years, and has done a tremendous job.

Professionally, she has served as a substitute teacher for me in our library/media center at Outlook

Elementary in the Sunnyside School District, and did a great job in that role. She has subbed for me

occasionally during the past 06-07 school year and was able to cover my position for two weeks while I

was recovering from an unexpected illness.

Jamie has a sincere and true love for children and is a very nurturing individual. My elementary students

thought very fondly of her. She covered all subject matter that was expected and put forth extra effort to

see that all tasks were completed. She has stamina and patience, which is also a necessity when working

with young children. I have hosted several student teachers in my elementary classroom in the past, and

feel that she has the potential to succeed in that role.

In addition to having compassion and respect for children, Jamie also possesses technological skills and

communication skills that make her an exceptional candidate. She was able to pick up our library’s

computer driven systems very quickly. She also could understand and communicate with some of our

monolingual Spanish-speaking students, which was also greatly appreciated. I feel that she would benefit

greatly from your program and that she is an excellent candidate to consider!

Sincerely,

Heidi Roedel

To Whom It May Concern:

It is a pleasure to write a recommendation for Jamie Noelle Harris. Jamie has served as a

volunteer mentor (2003-04) as well as an assistant to the School Alliance Hugo House

club site (spring, 2005). The School Alliance Program is an after school creative writing

club for children ages 7-14, drawing from a diverse student body from a variety of Seattle

schools.

As a volunteer mentor, she worked with small groups of writers (ages 7-9). Being a

mentor with School Alliance requires a three-hour orientation and a commitment to

working with a group of young writers for ten consecutive, two-hour sessions which

included not only time with her writers, but a debriefing afterwards with other Hugo

House mentors. Jamie showed up every week, glad to lead her group, offering gentle

prompts and encouragement. Jamie knew how to implement our focus lesson, allowing

each writer to take off where needed to go. When I observed her creative writing group,

they were always busy writing, talking and/or reading their work to each other. She had

a lively group of girls, and the ability to steer them back on “course” if their spirits took a

turn in a different direction.

As the Hugo House assistant, she did our shopping, preparation and serving of healthy

snacks. When any of the other mentors arrived early, they would flock to the café to help

Jamie set out food. She kept inventory on purchases, submitted receipts and cleaned up

the kitchen space/café after each club session.

Jamie has many qualities that a teacher of young children needs to have to succeed:

empathy, humor, organizational skills and empathy to each child’s needs. Jamie is

thoughtful and compassionate. Children and adults, alike, are drawn to her enthusiasm

and generosity. I can not recommend her highly enough. Feel free to call me if you have

any additional questions.

Ann Batchelor Hursey, director

School Alliance Program

Richard Hugo House, 1634 Eleventh Ave, Seattle WA 98122

206-322-7030 (wk) or 206-789-9319 (hm)