April 21, 2016

To Whom It May Concern:

I am so glad to write this letter of recommendation for my friend and colleague, Mrs. Julie Weller. I am one of the choir directors at South Medford High School, and have worked with Julie very closely for seven years.  She and I have shared in countless choral activities, worked together to chair festivals, and supported each other musically, professionally and personally.  I feel that I have a great understanding of Julie’s character, her talents, and her incredible ability as an educator.  

Julie is the type of teacher that inspires her students AND her colleagues.  In our last PLC, I encouraged her to go into teacher education at a higher education institution because she has so much insight to share.  She comes to every meeting ready to collaborate with her colleagues, to absorb new ideas, and to share her latest rubric or common assessment idea.  She helped us all to jump into Proficiency Standards-Based Grading, and led the charge in the music community, and at the district level. She prepared and gave a presentation on proficiency grading in the music classroom to all of the Southern Oregon Music Educators.  It was so helpful and informative that the Oregon Music Educators Association asked her to share it with the entire state on their website.  Julie’s professionalism and ability to manage details, stay organized and guide others in the right direction is outstanding.

When you hear Julie’s choir perform, it is obvious that she has a beautiful heart.  Her students sing with great connection and emotion, and they are completely bought into the music that they are making.  She gives her students the incredible gift of ownership.  Through her continual encouragement and demand for excellence, she gradually gives them more and more control over the outcome of the music.  Music literacy and folk dance are two of the cornerstones of her program.  Her students sight-read at the most advanced level in our district contest, and they gain the innate rhythmic sense that comes from dancing and moving together regularly.  This is not a director/ego-centered program.  It is a student-centered program.  This ultimately leads to the desired outcome of life-long musicians.   

Julie is such a warm and witty person.  I absolutely look forward to the weekly meetings of our Professional Learning Community (PLC).  We  laugh, share ideas,  sympathize and encourage. We often co-chair festivals and events, and she takes care of every detail with great care.  She is gracious, communicative, reliable, warm, and collaborative.  Her students absolutely love her, and they will be very sad to see her leave North Medford HS. In short, she is a lovely and wonderful person.  

I give my highest recommendation to Julie Weller for a teaching position in your district.  She is one of the finest music teachers I have ever encountered.  She will bring with her a sense of joy in music-making, professionalism in teaching, and a spirit of growth and collaboration that will make things better wherever she is. Please call me if you wish to further discuss her qualification.


Sincerely,

Andrea Brock

March 17, 2014

It is with unqualified enthusiasm that we recommend Julie Weller as a secondary vocal music teacher. 

We have had two daughters graduate from Mrs. Weller’s choir program at North Medford High School (one in 2009 and one in 2013). Both have gone on to perform at the highest level in their college music programs and they continue to seek opportunities to participate in music in their communities outside of school. Most importantly, they are choral singers for life.

There are two primary reasons Mrs. Weller is successful—she is a gifted musician/teacher and she embodies passionate music-making in a contagious manner.

Julie Weller’s impact on her students is significant. She empowers students as musicians and is dedicated to building their sight reading skills and independence on their musical parts. Her choirs consistently receive the highest scores in sight reading at festivals and competitions, and her students are selected each year for All-State Choir, All-Northwest Choir and the Youth Choral Academy at the Oregon Bach Festival.

The repertoire her choirs study is carefully selected to be challenging, interesting and fun for students and audiences alike. Her programs often include choreography and student instrumentalists providing great variety. Mrs. Weller’s students are exposed to languages and cultures that build their global citizenship and broaden their world.

The trait that stands out most in Mrs. Weller’s teaching is her joyful commitment to excellence. She has a way of drawing the very best work from each student in a caring, pleasant atmosphere that is respectful of the student’s individuality and cognizant of the contribution of each child to the good of the group. The students know that she cares about them as musicians and as human beings. Consequently, kids love her classes and are intensely committed to their part in them. 

After the district festival last spring, the very first thing one of the students exclaimed to us was, “We placed first in sight reading!”  They also placed first in their performance categories, but her excitement over doing well in sight reading speaks volumes about Mrs. Weller’s ability to instill a pride for musicianship in her students.

We have been thrilled that our daughters had the opportunity to study vocal music with such a gifted and loving teacher.  Julie Weller is, quite simply, the best.  We recommend her to you with pleasure and would be happy to answer any questions you might have about our experience with this wonderful teacher.  We can be reached at 541-840-9984.


Sincerely,
Sean and Angela Warren

March 3, 2014

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to write this reference letter for Mrs. Julie Weller.  As the band director at North Medford High School, I’ve had the opportunity of working with Julie for the past six years.  She is an outstanding teacher, human being, and friend, and she’d be an asset to your school.

As a teacher, Julie works hard to instill not only a strong foundation of fundamental vocal performance techniques, but also a love for music in her students.  Julie’s ensembles have improved tremendously over the past several years.  Her groups have received high marks at festivals throughout the west coast, and her Concert Choir has qualified for the state choral competition several years.  In addition, Mrs. Weller has fostered a culture of pride and self-worth in her students.

Julie’s program has grown in size the past several years because she is successful in inspiring and motivating students of all ages and ability levels.  In addition, she has several high achieving students who’ve been selected for All-State Choir, All-Northwest, and the state solo festival.  Julie’s students truly love her, and that love is evident in their performance and dedication.

In addition to being a highly qualified teacher, Mrs. Weller is an excellent role model for her students by performing in several community vocal ensembles.  She also hones her performance and teaching skills by participating in state and national music workshops including our state Oregon Music Education Association conference.

Outside the classroom, Julie has spent countless hours as a part of our school district’s Proficiency Grading committee.  She has been a leader in our school by helping to formulate our grading procedures and helping to design the new grade book software that is used district wide at the secondary level.  She has also led several proficiency grading training sessions for teachers throughout southern Oregon.

While I would sincerely miss Julie Weller if she is selected to be your next choir director, I know that she will be a very welcome and valuable addition to your teaching staff!  Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.


Sincerely,
Steve Kessler, Director of Bands

North Medford High School

February 15, 2014

To Whom It May Concern:

 
During my years of service at North Medford High School, I have had the pleasure of working with a number of outstanding educators. One of these teachers, Julie Weller, is an outstanding teacher in our Fine Arts department. I first met Julie in 2007 when she joined our staff as the Choir Director. Since that time, I have witnessed significant growth in our choir programs. I have been impressed with her ability to connect with our students, inspire them and support their work.


Julie has been responsible for the addition and growth of a number of choirs at North Medford High School. Prior to Julie’s arrival, North Medford did not have a separate choir for male students. Under her guidance, we now have a strong Men’s Choir program which has had a beneficial impact on our overall choir programs along with our Theatre performances. The growth and success of our top-level choirs has also been exemplary. As I watch Julie work with her students it is clear that she has an excellent understanding of progressive teaching, problem solving, and I see that her students respond to her guidance.

 
During her tenure here, Julie has served in a variety of leadership roles. She has been the Lead Teacher for the Fine Arts Department and was always well prepared to support her colleagues. She most recently served on our District’s Proficiency Learning Committee, which was focused on supporting our secondary schools through a transition to proficiency grading. Julie is a strong leader with great organizational skills. Her impact on our school has been significant.


Throughout her time here, I have witnessed her outstanding connection with our students. As the principal here, I have observed a significant number of class meetings and performances. Julie is well prepared, always professional, and has an outstanding understanding of training techniques for her curriculum area. She demonstrates strong classroom control while providing positive support for all of her students. I am impressed with her ability to adjust lesson design and performance opportunities so it provides an appropriate challenge for each student. Her students appreciate her support and know that they have improved significantly due to her coaching.


Given her background and abilities, I am pleased to offer this letter of support for Julie. She is an outstanding educator who understands how to help students achieve great results and dedicates herself to helping every student succeed. She has made a substantial impact on our choirs and our school. If there are any further questions, please feel free to contact me.

 
Sincerely,

Ron F. Beick

Principal

North Medford High School

Julie Weller