Daniel Gordon's Recommendation - Matt

[Signed hard-copy on Dhahran Middle School letterhead.]

September 2018

It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Mr. Matthew Kaun. As the principal of Dhahran School, I have been his direct supervisor for five years during which he has taught Algebra I, coached sports, advised activities, and contributed to committees. 

Mr. Kaun is as effective an educator and as professional a colleague as you will ever find! He has the skills, dispositions, and experience to be an immediate contributor to your school and community.  Mr. Kaun is an extraordinary teacher who gets results. He meets students where they are and gets them to where they need to be. He does this by creating a classroom atmosphere that is inspiring and confidence building. His relationships with students are positive without exception. He is a cheerleader with an extensive toolbox of strategies from both the 20th and 21st centuries. He pushes his team’s use of technology tools, but is not afraid to employ traditional methods if it helps maximize learning. Mr. Kaun goes to the wall for students. He makes himself available an additional nine times each week (five lunches and four after schools) to help students.

Mr. Kaun is an extraordinary colleague. He loves to collaborate and work with teammates to improve his lessons and his program. He is a member of the 8th grade team, the math department team, the NJHS advisor team (7 of them), and the Sunshine Committee team. Across them all, he is enjoyed, appreciated, and respected. He is humble and soft-spoken, yet he leads by example and has a contagious energy. He is a “do-er” who follows through on his commitments. Matt Kaun’s value added as a team member cannot be overstated.

Mr. Kaun is a life-long learner who is reflective. He has embraced the lesson structure and methodology of the Connected Math Program and Common Core Math. He consistently works to demonstrate the eight mathematical practices in his lessons. He successfully incorporates the use of laptops within our 1 to 1 program. He is an eager participant in our school-wide PD program. He is a walking example of a growth mindset, spurred on by his own desire to keep growing and improving when others would rest on their laurels.

Mr. Kaun is held in high esteem by his colleagues and the parents of our community. He also receives my highest recommendation and will be a great asset to the school lucky enough to hire him. 

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any additional information.

Sincerely,

Daniel P. Gordon

Principal, Dhahran School

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Riyaz Ismail's Recommendation - Matt

[Signed hard-copy on Dhahran Middle School letterhead.]

August 6, 2018

To whom it may concern,

Re: recommendation letter for Matt Kaun

The purpose of this letter is to highlight Matt’s qualities as a Mathematics educator and as a member of our Dhahran School Math team.  I have known Matt for five years in my capacity as Instructional Coach for Mathematics at the Dhahran School. During this time, Matt has taught our Algebra course to grade 8 students. We have had numerous opportunities to co-plan, co-teach, discuss best practices, co-engage in/ co-lead professional development and observe/ discuss individual aspects of instruction and learning.

Matt is an excellent mathematics educator; he facilitates best practices in his instruction and planning, he engages students in the Mathematical Practices (processes) and plans well to address different abilities, learning styles and to increase engagement among students. He facilitates rich tasks, asks questions that promote connection-making and meaningful discourse and creates a safe and comfortable environment for productive struggle. In particular, Matt promotes a growth mindset for all his students (and for himself as an educator) and encourages them to take on challenges; in this regard, Matt has been a driving force in facilitating math contests and challenges for all our students.

While he will admit he is not perfect, he is dedicated to improving as an educator, he solicits feedback, he shares ideas with colleagues, invites me regularly to work with him, and reflects continuously; all the attributes of an exceptional educator. More recently, he continues to work me with me on co-sponsoring a district-wide mathematics tournament, he shared strategies for increasing engagement with colleagues, he facilitated co-teaching/ peer feedback with others in his team, and implemented new classroom strategies to ensure his instruction was differentiated to meet the needs of all learners; I love walking into Matt’s classroom.

Above all else, Matt is a wonderful man. He is mild-mannered, approachable and compassionate with his students and colleagues. He actively seeks opportunities to help others in the Math department and throughout the school. On numerous occasions, I have leaned on him to support me with math projects, service-learning activities, and other tasks.  With Matt, you know he will do his best and immerse himself in the task whole heartedly. As a result of his personal character, he is very well liked and respected by students, staff and parents.

As a Mathematics Instructional Coach, I have appreciated Matt’s active role in collaborating with peers, in following through on department goals and in striving to improve mathematics instruction and learning not only for his own students but for all students at our school. I am certain Matt would add great value to any Mathematics department he becomes a part of. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.

Sincerely,

Riyaz Ismail

Instructional Coach for Mathematics

Dhahran School, Saudi Aramco Expatriate Schools

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Andy Valadka's Recommendation - Matt

[Signed hard-copy on Yangon International School letterhead]


June 4, 2014


To Whom It May Concern,

As Secondary Principal of Yangon International School I have had the profound pleasure of working with Matt Kaun since August 2012.  This is his second year with YIS.  Matt's primary responsibility has been as a High School mathematics teacher.  Much to my chagrin, he has completed his initial contract with YIS and is moving further afield along with his wife.

First and foremost, it should be noted that I have found Matt to be a thoroughly dedicated and knowledgeable teacher with tremendous skills at bringing mathematics to life for our students.  He is a digital native and works hard to integrate IT, inquiry and project based learning and teamwork into his courses.  He has also been a member ot Technology Committee for the past two years and piloted our Mimio Interactive Whiteboard and our Engrade programs.

Outside the classroom, Matt is a tireless extra-curricular contributor.  He has coached Middle School badminton and table tennis for both years, and has run an SAT Club after school.  Matt has also been highly engaged in a variety of off-campus activities (we run a Week Without Walls 6-12 at YIS).  He has strengthened these learning opportunities for our students and has been the spearhead for the Grade 9 trip to Chiang Mai.  He's been a member of our WASC Math Home Group as well as on our WASC Steering Committee this year.  He has been a driving force in the social lives of many of our faculty and is praised by his peers and colleagues.

Matt's energy, understanding, compassion and straight out love for his subject and students will be sorely missed.  His decision to pursue his career in another environment will truly diminish our faculty, along with the potential for our mathematics program to grow.  He has also been the driving force in starting up a Statistics program here, which will become an AP Statistics course next year.

I trust that you will consider his candidacy favorably.  I know that wherever he accepts a new posting, he will become an integral part of the institution's faculty and will help it move forward.  As indicated earlier given the opportunity, I would have absolutely no hesitation to hire him again.

Sincerely,

Andy Valadka
Principal
Yangon International School

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Jared Harris's Recommendation - Matt

[Signed hard-copy on International School Nido de Aguilas letterhead.]

October 3, 2011

This letter serves as a professional and personal recommendation for Matt Kaun.  I had the pleasure of working closely with Matt during the last three years, at which time he taught Algebra, Geometry, IB Math Studies, and IB Math SL 1.  I supervised Matt as both the assistant principal and then as the principal.  Immediately upon meeting Matt, you will be touched by his warm personality and approachability.  Over the last ten years, he is one of the most outstanding educators I have had the pleasure to work beside.

I observed Matt in several contexts:  classroom teaching, professional responsibilities, and as a student advisor (grade 11 class advisor, math team sponsor, and I co-taught SAT Prep with Matt for three years).  In all three areas, Matt is a teacher who gives his heart and soul to his craft; a talented educator who touches students both academically and personally.  His talents, enthusiasm, and positive attitude were contagious to both students and faculty.  His courses were academically challenging, engaging, creative, and original.  He presented learning activities that grounded students in math principles, in addition to practical application skills.  Matt's students were well prepared to sit the IB Math Studies exam and I am confident the Math SL exam if he would have been here for the second year of this series.  Matt could differentiate instruction in order to serve a wide range of abilities in all his classes.  He could apply the rigor needed for his top quartile students, while also providing the support and building the foundation for the lower quartile.

Matt was an advocate for technology, regularly using his Smart Board and the associated technologies.  He was one of the my key allies when I launched a pilot project with Personal Response Devices (clickers).  His collaboration within his department was outstanding, utilizing the common prep time to assure vertical and horizontal curriculum alignment and common assessments.  He maintained a model classroom, the first stop whenever I had visitors to campus wanting to see our facilities or to observe a Nido teacher in action.  Matt was always open to suggestions, new ideas, and was always looking for ways to improve his practice and student learning.  As stated earlier, he was quick to pilot clickers, and again quick to jump on-board when I arranged professional development applying the Harkness method to maths.  Matt quickly looked further into the method honed at Philips Exeter Academy, and was an active participant in the training offered at Nido with Exeter faculty.

In closing, Matt is the consummate professional and an outstanding maths teacher.  He will excel in teaching a wide-range of math courses from Algebra I to IB Math.  I would hire Matt in a second if give the opportunity again.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Dr. Jared Harris
High School Principal
The International School Nido de Aguilas

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Dr. Lois Bishop's Recommendation Letter - Matt

[Signed hardcopy on Rabat American School letterhead.]

October 18, 2007
Letter of Recommendation for Matt Kaun

I am delighted to recommend Matt Kaun as a teacher in your school. I have worked with Mr. Kaun for two years, as secondary principal at the Rabat American School. Our school has 350 students pre-K through grade twelve. We are a diverse school. Nearly half of the students are Moroccan, about 20% are from the United States, and the remaining students represent forty countries. English is the language of instruction. Due to the number of second language students, our school has a substantial English support program. We are an IB school with most of our upper-level classes taught with the IB curriculum.

Mr. Kaun currently teaches Geometry, Algebra 2, and IB SL Math Studies. He is one of the finest mathematics teachers I have observed in my long career as a school administrator. Whether a student is performing at the lowest level or the highest level of mathematics, Mr. Kaun ensures that each student can be successful. Mr. Kaun has high expectations for students, which motivates them to do their very best work. He encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning. Students enjoy coming to his classroom and have told me that in Mr. Kaun’s class, they feel welcomed and valued by the teacher and that they can really learn math from him.

In addition, Mr. Kaun is chairman of our mathematics department. Under his leadership, he has created wide interest and participation in our student math teams and has taken them to European competition. He is an advisor for the ninth grade, has organized leadership retreats for the students, and supported them in their activities. He has played a key leadership role in our accreditation process, chaired academic and strategic plan committees, and supported our student activity program.

Matt is not only a great math teacher, but a valuable asset in all aspects of the school. He is intelligent, visionary, responsible, creative, a true team member, and has a great sense of humor. I appreciate his positive attitude, his commitment to students, his work ethic, and his willingness to always help out when needed. You will not find a better person to have on your faculty than Matt Kaun.

Sincerely,

Lois V. T. Bishop, Ed. D.,
Secondary Principal Rabat American School
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Dr. Paul Johnson's recommendation - Matt

[Signed hard-copy on Rabat American School letterhead.]

November 12, 2007

To Whom It May Concern
Re: Matt Kaun

I have worked with Matt Kaun, and his spouse Catherine Calcutt-Kaun for two school years (06-07 and 07-08). Matt and Catherine had taught at RAS for four years through the 04-05 year, and agreed to return when the school had a late and unexpected vacancy late in the 05-06 year. I had not hired them originally, and did not know them, but they came highly recommended. Shortly after they returned to the school, I realized that asking them back was one of the best hiring decisions I’d made in my career. Simply put, they are a class act.

Matt teaches a range of math classes, including IB Math Studies. His lessons are well prepared, and he is competent at helping students with a wide range of abilities in each class. His nature is positive, approachable and encouraging. Students relate well to him and feel comfortable asking for additional assistance when needed during class or outside of class time.

Not only does Matt put forth his best effort within the class, he carries that over to “the entire life of the school”. He took on the role of Chair of the Math Department, works with the Board Finance and Salaries and Benefits Committees as a faculty representative, and is ever present at school activities. When RAS recently hosted the regional volleyball tournament, Matt willing took on the difficult task of arranging home-stays for almost 100 athletes, helped with scoring, and was around during the entire tournament to lend a hand where needed. No less involved or visible is his wife, Catherine.

Overall, I am extremely impressed with the professionalism of the Kauns, coupled with a very positive, caring and rational outlook and demeanor. I cannot speak highly enough of them, and feel they will leave a rather large void in our community should they go elsewhere. We are fortunate to have had them as community members for six years, and know they will be an outstanding additional to their next school community. They are among a small handful of educators for whom I give my unqualified recommendation.

Dr. Paul Johnson
Director, Rabat American School
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David Randall's Recommendation Letter - Matt

[Signed hard-copy on Rabat American School letterhead]

June 6, 2005
Letter of Reference for Matt Kaun

Since August 2002, I have served as the Director of the Rabat American School (RAS). During that time, Matt Kaun has served as a secondary math teacher in our school. I am honored to write a letter of recommendation for him.

As Director of the school, I do not spend as much time in classrooms as I should. Principals are much more qualified to address the pedagogical strengths of each of our teachers. In the case of Mr. Kaun, however, I can attest to the fact that he is much admired by students, parents, and staff. He is generally recognized as one of our superior teachers. Matt is one of those stellar performers that every school wants to have on its staff. One of his colleagues recently made the statement that Matt truly exemplifies the values of the National Honor Society for which he has capably served as an advisor. Matt is, in every sense of the word, a very highly qualified individual and an excellent teacher.

In his four years at RAS, Matt has provided outstanding leadership for NHS and for a number of other activities in our school. He has introduced the junior and senior math competitions for our “mathletes” and was the driving force that lead to our school hosting the senior math competition in Rabat in 2004. Among his many activities at RAS, one can include:

National Honor Society Advisor 2002-2005
Math Department Coordinator 2002-2005
School Measurement Committee 2003-2004
ISMTF Senior Math Competition 2004 Coordinator
Volunteer at swim meets, basketball tournaments, dances, concerts, etc.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Matt has been the trip leader for our annual grade 9 ascent of Mount Toubkal. This is done early in the school year as an activity to bring the new high school students together as a group. It is a four day hike culminating in the ascent to the top of Mount Toubkal - at a height of over 4,000 meters. Matt has lead this trip since 2002. Those who have accompanied him on this trip, speak glowingly of his calm and confident manner, his knowledge of what to do in given situations, his ability to cajole students to do something they would normally not do, and to feel okay if they are not able to make the complete ascent. Matt’s abilities have made this trip one of the highlights of the school year.

It is obvious that Mr. Kaun has been an active and committed member of our RAS faculty. In addition, Matt is an integral member of our community. He is the type of person who is popular with colleagues and helps to make our school have a genuine sense of camaraderie. He and his wife, Catherine, frequently open their home to the entire staff for a Thanksgiving celebration or a sundowner to celebrate key dates in a school year. Even on the eve of their final departure from Rabat, they have invited all the staff to their home to celebrate the last work day of the 2004-2005 school year. They have also helped to organize bicycle trips and golf weekends.

Matt Kaun has my highest possible recommendation. Not only is he a superb teacher in a subject for which it is hard to find qualified teachers, he is also an integral part of the school community. He contributes positively in numerous ways. In fact, he contributes much more than his fair share. Any school will be most fortunate to have him as a member of its staff. I would relish the opportunity to be able to work with him again. If you have the opportunity to hire Matt Kaun, do not hesitate to do so. You will be adding an exemplary teacher and and exemplary individual to your staff.

David A. Randall
Director Rabat American School
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