Soldotna High School 425 W. Marydale Avenue Todd Syverson - Principal

Soldotna, AK 99669 Tony Graham – Assistant Principal

(907) 260-7000 Galen Brantley – Athletic Director

Fax (907) 262-4288 Meggean Bos – Activities Director

Email: www.kpbsd.k12.ak.us/sohi/

Kenai Peninsula Borough School District

May 6, 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

I have had the opportunity to work closely with Mr. Sohail Marey at Soldotna High

School as his Building Principal for the past six years. During this time I have come

to know Mr. Marey as an excellent teacher, outstanding swim coach and truly a

leader in our school. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District has had the

pleasure of working with Mr. Marey for the past 20 years as a Physical Education

teacher in our District.

Mr. Marey consistently demonstrates the attributes of an effective instructor:

openness, sensitivity, strong academic ability, effective communication skills, good

decision making process and organization. Because of these qualities he is

respected by the faculty and sought out by his students. Mr. Marey is also one of the

most respected swim coaches in the State of Alaska. He has led his team to many

region swimming championships along with winning a state championship in both

boys and girls swimming during his tenure at Soldotna High School.

Mr. Marey brings a much needed approach to education instruction. He believes

and implements his philosophy of making decisions upon the basis of research

findings rather that upon tradition or expediency.

Mr. Marey’s personal and communication skills are also an asset. He relates well to

other people/students, listens and articulates his view, but does it in a way that leads

a group to consensus and affords ownership of all members.

I give Mr. Sohail Marey my highest recommendation.

Sincerely,

Todd Syverson, Principal

May 8, 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

Everyday at the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District dozens of adults set about the

business of educating our students with dedication, enthusiasm and professionalism. There is

one staff member at Soldotna High School who continually stands out. That staff member is

Sohail Marey. Mr. Marey is an exemplary educator, positive coach, and an inspiring

professional.

Sohail Marey is currently employed as the Department Chair of Physical Education, but he is

much more than that. Sohail Marey impacts the lives of students in ways that few educators

do. In his role, he is actively involved in district and school leadership, promoting wellness,

and assisting colleagues on how to implement best practices. It is not uncommon for students

as well as teachers to contact him as they recognize the positive, welcoming environment he

creates.

A look at Mr. Marey’s vita indicates the success he has had in many of the areas of physical

education. As such, he will bring to the table expertise to look at the big picture of education.

His work ethic goes without question. Whatever you challenge Sohail Marey with, he will

excel.

When it comes to the demands of the job, best practices and the resulting paperwork and

meetings, Sohail Marey sets a standard few can match. Sohail is organized to a fault, precise

and meticulous in every aspect and detail. He rises to every demand and challenge with

ultimate professionalism coaching his peers and fellow educators along the way. He is a

critical resource, patiently sharing his expertise with all who ask, setting aside all other

demands to support, clarify information and educate staff and parents.

One of Mr. Marey’s most appealing qualities is his positive, supportive, and upbeat attitude.

He meets even the most daunting situations with a smile and encouraging outlook. His

ability to communicate difficult information in a positive way has supported many families in

times of trial.

I became acquainted with Sohail Marey first as a parent of a child in one of his classes and

later as his building administrator. Both Mr. Marey and I have backgrounds in physical

education, and an educator of his caliber is rare. It is an honor to recommend Sohail Marey

for a recommendation in the area of physical education. In a field of talented, capable

educators and administrators, he shines.

Yours in education,

Sylvia Reynolds

48580 Prairie Ave.

Soldotna, AK 99669

907-262-1660 (H)

907-394-0875 (C)

Samuel Bushon P.O. Box 4142 Soldotna, AK 99669 Phone/Fax 907-262-1948 sbushon@acsalaska.net

May 20, 2011

To Whom It May Concern:

This letter is my personal recommendation for Sohail Marey. Several years ago, as principal of Sterling

Elementary School, I was Mr. Marey’s immediate supervisor. I worked closely with Mr. Marey as he

developed a state-of-the-art intramural and physical education program. I found Mr. Marey to be consistently pleasant as he tackled his duties with dedication and a smile.

Besides being a joy to work with, Sohail is a take-charge person who is able to present creative ideas and communicate the benefits to a sometimes skeptical staff. He always had a wonderful rapport with

colleagues, parents, and most importantly, the children. His ability to connect with his students, whether

presenting simple skills or more advanced topics is a talent that I considered innate. Mr. Marey can work

independently and is able to follow through to ensure that the job gets done. He is able to accomplish tasks with great initiative and with a very positive attitude, which influenced other colleagues as well.

On a practical level, Mr. Marey’s curriculum included all of the activities necessary to meet Alaska state standards and benchmarks. At the elementary level, those activities were age-appropriate and developmental

in nature. He promoted a healthy lifestyle in and out of class, which again, rubbed off on students and staff

alike.

Mr. Marey is a problem-solver. I will illustrate one case in point. We were struggling with our intermediate

level competitive intramural program because most of our students were bus riders, and we lost about 90% of

them at the end of the day. We brainstormed for days how to include more participants, and eventually came up with an in-school program conducted during lunch and lunch recess. It took some selling to other staff

members, schedules and prep times were altered, teams in different sports were drafted by the two of us

based on high skill to low, and two games a day, ten per week, were scheduled with parents invited to attend. Throughout the four years of my tenure, we had about 95% participation and served as a model to every

other school in the district of what could be done by “thinking outside the box.”

Sohail’s classroom management style is that of a veteran teacher. His maturity in dealing with students is always evident, and, as a result, commands real respect from students.

If I were in a position to hire Sohail again, I would do so in a heartbeat. Wherever he decides to accept a teaching position, I can guarantee with all confidence that he will do an outstanding job and become an

immediate asset to the school, just as he did at Sterling Elementary. In addition, I can assure you that in his

present position, Mr. Marey is viewed as an exceptional educator.

Respectfully submitted,

Samuel Bushon

Former Principal

Sterling Elementary School Sterling, Alaska