Sample Reference Letter

Christopher Pierce, OCT

5775 Drummond Rd.

Niagara Falls, ON

L2G 4L2

November 15, 2011

Bob's Auto and Delicatessen

4044 Thoroldstone Rd.

Niagara on the Lake, ON

L1K 2R5

To Whom It May Concern:

It is my pleasure to act as a referee on behalf of Joe Smith. I have had the pleasure of teaching Joe Senior English this past semester and have been a teacher at his high school since well before he started at Stamford.

On a personal note, I can attest to what a fine role model Joe is for his peers. Joe is intelligent, conscientious, hardworking, interested and engaged. In relation to his classmates, Joe was always one of the first to complete his assigned activities. He has the ability to work independently but is also a very proactive problem solver and regularly consulted with me when it was appropriate to do so.

In instances when potential employers contact me they will often ask whether I would hire the student for whom I am acting as a reference. In Joe’s case, I would answer an unequivocal “yes.” I have a background of close to twenty years in restaurant management and know Joe would be an excellent hire in many industries. He learns quickly and would do extremely well working with the public or using technology.

Please do not hesitate to call if I can provide any more information about this outstanding young man.

Regards,

Christopher J Pierce

Journal #11 - Remembrance

Friday will be our annual Remembrance Day ceremony. How important is this day to you? How important do you think it is that as Canadians we set aside a day of Remembrance each year?

Do you have a sense of appreciation or gratitude for the many Canadians who have served or continue to serve in the armed forces in order to preserve and defend our way of life? Do you know anyone who has served, is serving or plans to serve in the armed forces? What stories have they shared? How closely have any of the recent conflicts in which Canada has been involved touched you? (e.g. has anyone in your family, circle of friends or community served over seas?) . Have you seen any films that you feel do a good job of portraying the difficulties that soldiers face? (e.g. The Hurt Locker). If you answered 'yes', to the last question, what did you learn from or think about the film(s) you saw?

Expository Framework

During the expository unit, you will be asked to complete 250 marks worth of assignments. I will make a point of going through the list with you in class, but I would like you to start listing the activities you think you might choose in order make up 250 marks. List these in a new post on your blog called "Expository Choices."

Types of Expository Writing

The following pieces of writing are worth a possible 25 marks each (one page):
Brochure
Letter of Recommendation
Testimony (An Affidavit)
Itinerary
Message
Directions (include map)
How-to paragraphs (2)
Recipe
Travel directions
Instructions
Letter of Complaint
Reference Letter
Cover letter
Invitation

The following pieces of writing are worth a possible 50 marks each (two pages):
Letters
Biography (Not an autobiography, we've done that)
Memoir
Experiment
Personal Opinion
Explanation
Coaching (help your intended audience develop a skill or set of skills

Policy
Drills (Create your own homework or writing exercises)
Tutoring
Survey and Survey results
Reviews (film, music, food or product)
Comparisons
Persuasion (this is a lighter attempt than the 'persuasive essay' below)
Debates
Summary of a Political Speech
Summary of a Discussion
Travel brochures
Mediation
Peacemaking
Critiquing
Self-Defense
An interview

The following pieces of writing are worth a possible 100 marks each (4 pages—this may include process notes etc.):

Informative speech, Research speech (We will negotiate a topic)
Project (We will negotiate a topic)
Essays: informal, persuasive, literary, compare/contrast, expository (We will negotiate a topic)
Reports:
Situational Report-- to describe one-time events, such as trips, conferences, and seminars.
Investigative Rep -- to examine problems and supply facts – with little analysis.
Justification/Recommendation-- to make recommendations to management and
become tools to solve problems and make decisions.
Feasibility --to analyze problems and predict whether alternatives will be practical or advisable.
Research Studies --to study problems scientifically by analyzing a problem, developing hypotheses, collecting data, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions.
Proposals --to offer to solve problems, investigate ideas, or sell products and services

Expository Writing

I have already suggested to you in class an idea that will allow you to choose the forms of writing you are interested in. Since there are so many different types, it makes sense to approach these in units. We will start with expository writing.

Here is a link that explains expository writing: Stanford University's Expository Writing Exposition

Read up on expository writing and then make a list of as many different types of expository writing as you can.

What are the top 5 types of exposition that you would most like to write?

Journal 10- The Environment

Today is one of the warmest November 7th's on record. It could be a result of global warming. How closely do you follow news related to the environment? What do you know about the causes of climate change and the ways that you can help slow it down? Do you think much about what shape the earth will be in when your children are your age?

Journal # 9 - Halloween

On October 31st, CBC radio reported that many school boards were banning children from coming to school in costume or imposing strict rules on what students can and cannot wear. One school in Alberta is asking students to honor Halloween by wearing black and orange instead of coming to school in costume. Many schools have instructed students not to wear scary or violent costumes and anything that resembles a weapon must be left at home. One other school has gone so far as to invite students to wear "caring" costumes.

What do you think, is Halloween an appropriate holiday for children? Is it necessary to change the way we celebrate it? What was your favourite Halloween as a child? What are the most important elements of Halloween to preserve in the future?