To Whom It May Concern, This letter is in regard to Nicolaas Mostert who has been employed at the Carol Morgan School since August 2013. The Carol Morgan School is a private, international day school with 1,100 students from Pre-K through grade 12. It is accredited by Middle States Association in the United States. I hired Nicolaas to be the Middle School Principal and it was one of the wisest decisions I have made. Nicolaas came on board and immediately built a level of trust and respect that won over the faculty. Having built that trust he was then able to introduce important changes in the culture of the Middle School. His division of CMS has led our Bring Your Own Device and the Project Based Learning initiatives. The success of both those has spread to the other divisions of CMS. As well, he has been able to concentrate on the CMS data driven school improvement plan, the role of advisories in a student's seven day cycle and the attention being paid to students in the lower scoring qualities to help their performance. Providing an academic vision, an environment where risk-taking was acceptable and encouraged, an atmosphere of trust, a concern for student development and a team work shared- decision making approach, Nicolaas' leadership for the Carol Morgan School is a tremendous asset. Professional training for the faculty became a monthly tradition, where school time was dedicated to more creative methodologies, a greater variety of student assessment, attention to learning styles, a growth in attention to learning disabilities and an emphasis on character development. Nicolaas' warm, gentle, yet firm way of working with his staff and his students has proven to be extremely effective. I have yet to see a student body respond so positively to their Principal as they have done with him and his relationships with parents is equally as strong. He has been able to develop a team and set a common vision for growth in the institution. He has taken on his responsibility as Principal as well as his role on the Administrative Team with the highest sense of professionalism. He is clearly a team player and contributes important input into the daily and long range functioning of the school. Nicolaas has his hands on the heartbeat of his school. As we continue to expand our standards based curricular model, Nicolaas' leadership with teachers in guiding and mentoring has been a joy to watch. School improvement plans based on measurable student progress was something new for many MS teachers and Nicolaas was able to have the teachers participate in goal setting by consensus in an effective way. Thus work has been done on the best practices in instructional strategies, differentiated instruction and ESL strategies in the mainstream classroom. Student growth has been demonstrated in our MAP results. For me it has been a pleasure to have someone with good moral character and a clear vision of where the school should go to be working as part of my team. Nicolaas is always there to help provide the necessary educational insight to make sound policy. He understands the sometimes political necessity to compromise and yet, when necessary, stands firmly behind his belief system. His relationship with other principals is collegial, warm and friendly. One will find Nicolaas somewhere between the classrooms, the athletic fields or the art studios. He supports with his time and his energy our vision of educating the well rounded individual. Nicolaas, his wife Analia and his two children have adjusted quickly to the cultural nuances of the Dominican Republic and its people. They are a happy family constantly contributing to our community events. I have no doubt that his dedication and belief in student success and well-being will shine wherever he chooses to go next. He has my highest recommendation. Sincerely, Jack Delman Headmaster |
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