Georgetown County
School District
2018
Church Street Georgetown, SC 29440 (843)
436-7000
September 6, 2005
To Whom It May
Concern:
It is with great
pleasure that I recommend and applaud the work of Crystal Ball O'Connor, Ph.D.
and Valerie Bunch Hollinger, MSW of Monarch Publishers, regarding their book and
materials, Jake and the Migration of the Monarch. They led a staff
development workshop in August of this year for our elementary teachers in
Georgetown County School District. I was very impressed with their
presentation and information presented. The material is original and
creative. It also fits nicely into the science kit for this subject and
age level. Without exception, all participants gave the highest ratings
possible on their evaluation of the materials and session entitled "Making
Connections: The Arts, Literature, and Student Engagement."
The author and illustrator
modeled the use of arts in an informative skit about migration, gave each
participant the opportunity to practice creative expression as a means to engage
students in understanding content, and facilitated an interactive discussion of
curricular connections and relevant standards.
Recognizing the
importance of parental involvement in student success, Dr. O'Connor and Mrs.
Hollinger also provided resources for teachers to share with parents and
students to encourage shared learning activities for families and students at
home. These leaders understand that advanced student achievement is our
most important priority and their approach reaches a broad spectrum of learning
abilities.
Again I would
recommend the material because it is informative, engaging, and provides
opportunities for active learning. Most importantly, it makes the learning
of science fun.
Yours truly yours,
H.
Randall Dozier, Ph.D.
Superintendent
