To Whom It May Concern:
r'
It is my pleasure to recommend Mrs. Lindsey Ann Bruno for North Stafford High School's Teacher of the Year. I graduated from North Stafford in June 2010, and Mrs. Bruno was my teacher for all four years I attended. Although I've moved on to Virginia Commonwealth University for a Business major, I've chosen to minor in Music to apply the skills Mrs. Bruno taught me in high school. In the classroom, Mrs. Bruno was a fantastic instructor and taught me the skills I needed to excel in my college career. She consistently emphasized the techniques of proper breathing, posture, diction, tone, balance, and blend; these were supplemented with clear examples and analogies that made the concepts much easier to understand. Almost every day during my four years, she provided exercises in sight singing, a skill required by most music departments of Virginia colleges. Her lesson plans in her Music Theory class included the concepts of composition, intervals, and chord structure, all of which I've encountered in my first semester at VCU. The goal of high school is to prepare students for the world ahead, be it college or the workforce; Mrs. Bruno achieved this goal with her dedication to learning in the classroom. Almost every day of the week, Mrs. Bruno stayed after school to host a plethora of extracurricular groups, musicals, and auditions. After-school groups like Jazzy Ladies, A Capella Fellas, and Varsity Singers allowed students to participate in the Music Department even if they could not fit a class into their schedule. The annual Spring Musicals were an educational experience that gave more chorus students, like me, the opportunity to dabble in the Drama Department. All of these groups allowed students to enhance their knowledge of music and performing, and yet none of them could have existed without leadership and effort from Mrs. Bruno. Mrs. Bruno even sacrificed her personal time to ensure that every student was completely prepared for upcoming auditions for events like the All District, All State, and Virginia Honors choirs, even if it meant giving up her lunch hour to do so. Her efforts were affirmed by the sheer number of students who made the events- often North Stafford had the most attendees to All District Chorus out of all the other high schools in the district. I'm happy to say that, thanks to Mrs. Bruno's one-on-one instruction, I attended every event I auditioned for in my high school career. It is no coincidence that, in the six years Mrs. Bruno has taught at North Stafford, the choir department has nearly doubled in size, and has received the Blue Ribbon Award for musical excellence. With her leadership skills, personal dedication, and outgoing personality, she taught my peers and me the skills we need to excel in college, as well as instilling in us a love for music that will stay with us for life. I recommend Mrs. Bruno without reservation for North Stafford's Teacher of the Year. Sincerel:VJ
'(Jll) Kellie Masters NSHS 2010 Graduate
-