David Hunt, Principal, Pine River Institute
Staff, Principal, Pine River institute
Brenda Caron Yates, Cultural Attachee, Canadian Embassy
Paula Bossa, Art Writer
Peter Field, Chief Executive, Risk Waters Group
Keith Muller, Muller Design Group
Greg Murphy, Dean of Visual Arts, Ontario College of Art


It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation for Sarah Merry as she looks to further her experience in the classrooms of Ontario.

I have known Sarah for 20 years, and have watched her grow into a well-rounded and sympathetic instructor to students of all ages. From her days as a camp counselor, to her current initiative as art teacher, she has grown tremendously in her ability to get children to open up to art.

I have worked with Sarah specifically in two educational settings: firstly as a guest art teacher to a grade 3 class at the Toronto French School, and secondly, as the current art teacher to the secondary school students at the Pine River Institute. This second assignment has been a challenging setting for her, as our students are adolescents in crisis, and have addictive and often anti-social behaviours. Recognizing Sarah’s abilities as an artist, and also her great potential as a teacher, I was confident that she would do a very good job. Sarah’s performance has been exceptional; she has engaged difficult students, listened in a way that has made them feel comfortable and as though they have an artistic voice, and has even written up notes of her observations for our staff. All in all, she has proven herself to be a most valuable member of our team.

I am delighted to recommend her for your institution, and would gladly welcome your call if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

David Hunt

Principal
Pine River Institute
A division of Toronto Adolescent Recovery Centre