To whom it may concern: My name is Tom Black, and I am writing to you on behalf of Mrs. Chelsey Thompson. I’ve been in education and coaching for 25 years now and am currently the principal at East Central High School in St. Leon, Indiana. I was first acquainted with Chelsey six years ago when we both began work at Jennings County High School in North Vernon, Indiana. I was leaving the classroom and coaching to take a job in administration. She was leaving the middle school band program to take over Marching Pride at the high school. I quickly learned of Mrs. Thompson’s passion and energy. Her commitment and dedication were unmatched by any sponsor or coach for any program at Jennings County in our five years there. She is certainly an expert in her field, but it was not her expertise that allowed Jennings County to excel in marching and pep band. Without a doubt it was her energy and enthusiasm. Accepting a job closer to home, I was immediately faced with a band director opening. Chelsey was the perfect person to revive what was once a state-caliber band at East Central. Thankfully, she was willing to make the move from what had become a thriving band program at Jennings County under her leadership. In only her first year at East Central, the multiple facets of our band program are once again flourishing. Again, I attribute the success to Mrs. Thompson’s tireless efforts and dedicated energy. Chesley is a quality classroom teacher, a meticulous and committed sponsor/director, and a loyal team player to the institutions for which she works. She puts kids first...always, and requires dedication and commitment from those in her charge. As much as I would hate to lose her as a band director, I know she will one day make a fine addition to an administrative team. Mrs. Thompson will be a worker, an enthusiast, and a dedicated member of any team of which she is a part. Of this, I have no doubt having witnessed it for six years now. If you have any further questions, please contact me at tblack@sunmandearborn.k12.in.us or call me at 812.576.4811. Thank you for your time, Tom Black

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Angie KleneJennings County Middle School 820 West Walnut StreetNorth Vernon, IN 47265January 2019

To Whom It May Concern:

“My mission in life is to not merely to survive, but to thrive: and to so do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou. This quote reminds me of Chelsey Thompson. Her passion she has for the world of education combined with her compassion for her students creates her to be a top notch educator. I have worked with Chelsey directly during her years at the middle school and for a short time at the high school while I was in a position there. I am delighted to say that she is a personal friend of mine as well.

I have had the pleasure of watching Chelsey grow as a professional and engaged in passionate conversations with her about special education, high ability, curriculum, and the performing arts. I have traveled with her on trips she designed for her students giving them opportunities of a lifetime. I have observed her foster creativity and engagement in her classroom and watched her instill a sense of excellence in her students during performances. I have been able to be a part of these occasions at the middle and high school levels. Chelsey has always thrived at everything she executes. She is truly the embodiment of everything it takes to be a leader and trailblazer in the world of education.

I would be more than happy to further discuss the passion and commitment of Chelsey Thompson or address any questions you may have. I can be reached via phone at (812) 767-2367 or by email at aklene@jcsc.org.

Sincerely,

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Angie Klene

Dean of Students

3 3 3 O a k r i d g e D r i v e , N o r t h V e r n o n I n d i a n a 4 7 2 6 5

w w w . t h e o a k r i d g e s t u d i o . c o m

RACHEL L. RODRIGUEZ

Piano & Voice Instructor

@gmail.com

.com

February 6, 2019

It is my privilege to write this letter of recommendation for Ms. Chelsey Thompson. I worked with Ms.

Thompson in her role as Director of Bands at Jennings County High School, as well as serving in the worship

team under her leadership position as Worship Director at First Christian Church in North Vernon, Indiana. Ms.

Thompson and I have also participated together in various musical performances throughout the community.

Over the course of these experiences, I have watched Chelsey as a teacher. She is patient, inventive and

energetic in her teaching methods, while also using those methods to navigate a clear course towards

learning objectives and future goals for her students. Her classes and programs attract an array of students -

some are musical and some are not - but all are drawn to her enthusiasm and compassion as a teacher.

Chelsey has a distinctive way of combining her extensive knowledge, musical skill and caring heart to guide

her students into new areas of growth, both academically and personally. Students value her as a

knowledgeable teacher and as a personal mentor.

I have also come to respect Chelsey as a valued colleague. She is highly sought after to join committees and

leadership programs. She is known for her ability to assess and plan programs while collaborating

productively with her peers. I have seen Chelsey handle difficult situations with great composure and insight.

She is direct and clear in her thoughts and philosophies, but also willing to listen and learn for the benefit of

herself and the others around her.

Not only is Chelsey a wonderful teacher and colleague, she is also one of my most valued collaborators. She is

proficient on a variety of instruments and as a vocalist. Her ease and competence in front of an audience

makes her a delightful performer. Chelsey works tirelessly to master her range of skills and her effectiveness as

a top-notch instructor, leader and individual. She is committed to excellence and achieving “big picture” goals

in all aspects of her career.

I have no reservations giving my highest recommendation for Ms. Thompson. I am confident she will become

an invaluable asset to any community she joins.

Sincerely,

Ms. Rachel L. Rodriguez

Jennings County School Corporation 34 Main Street

North Vernon, IN 47265 Phone: (812) 346-4483 Fax: (812) 346-4490

Jeanie Koelmel, Director of Curriculum & Instruction !!January 28, 2017

!To Whom It May Concern

I am writing on behalf of Chelsey Thompson regarding an administrative position. Mrs.

Thompson and I have had the pleasure of working together for the past five years. I also served

as Mrs. Thompson’s mentor while she obtained an administrative license. Throughout this time,

Mrs. Thompson has been actively involved in multiple facets of the community, corporation and

a mentor for many educators and students. Her willingness to assist teachers, administrators and

community leaders has been instrumental in our efforts to continually improve and to take our

corporation through a paradigm shirt. She has been a vital player as a member of the Jennings

County Strategic Team, the Jennings County Public Relations Task Force and the Jennings

County High School Principal Select Committee. Her leadership has provided our county the

avenue for continuous growth and a process to objectively monitor our progress.

As a teacher within our corporation, Mrs. Thompson serves as Director of Bands at

Jennings County High School. While under her leadership, the program has grown significantly

and the classes she currently teaches have developed into rigorous courses that complement the

fine arts program. Mrs. Thompson currently serves as AP College Board Advocate. Through

this role, she promotes AP courses that are continually assessed via supporting data and with

post-secondary curriculum crosswalks. Her involvement has also assisted in assuring students

understand the value of AP courses and to assist students in enrolling in such courses.

Along with Mrs. Thompson’s other leadership roles in our corporation; Mrs. Thompson

serves as a building level Google Classroom Trainer, School Improvement Committee member,

and is the coordinator for the High Ability Program.

!Mrs. Thompson’s expertise and knowledge of leadership and school improvement instructional

strategies have been instrumental in the improvements with the Jennings County School

Corporation. Her ability to provide vision and direction to advance the standings of our schools

is a skill difficult to find in any professional. Therefore, without reservation, I highly

recommend Mrs. Thompson for any position related to the leadership of a progressive school

district.

!Sincerely,

!

Jeanie Koelmel

Director of Curriculum and Instruction

JENN'NGs COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL800 West Walnut Street, North Vernon, Indiana 47265

(8121 346-ss88 Fax (812) 346-4232

" Co m m itte d to Exce I I e n ce.,. Expe cti n g Su ccess"

MIKE GREEN TOM BLACK JOHNNY BRIGHTAssistant Principal Principal Assistant Prlncipal

To whom it may concern:

Chelsey Thompson is currently a member of the teaching faculty of Jennings County High School inthe area of f ine arts, specif ical ly with the department of bands and serves as director of theMarchingPrideofJenningsCounty. Shetakesagreatdeal of pr ideinherresponsibi l i t iesandisdeeply committed to the success of them.

My posit ion at the high school comes with the annual responsibi l i ty of overseeing the masterschedule for our school and is where I have been able to work closely with Chelsey over the pastseveral years. She has been very innovative, creative and helpful with the expansion of thecurriculum offerings within her department to broaden the scope and courses available to studentsin the area of f ine arts.

In my opinion where Chelsey excels is her passion and enthusiasm she brings not only to herclassroom, but to our entire school and education as a whole. She is as dedicated as they come andgoes above and beyond any job descript ion or what is expected.

As her evaluator, her lessons and classroom environment are excellent, but the aspect of herclassroom that I appreciate the most is her abil i ty to build strong relationships with her students. l tis evident she cares for her students and her students recognize this and as a result there is a strongrapport present between them.

It is indeed a pleasure to write this letter of reference for Chelsey. I can recommend her withcomplete confidence for an administrative posit ion within your school. l f you have any questions orif I could be of any further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact me at ibright@icsc.org or812-346-5588 ext. 3307.

Sincerely,

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91rB;4Johnny Br ight

To Whom It May Concern,

I had Chelsey Thompson as a teacher for the first time in eighth grade when I took an elective course about the evolution of music at Jennings County Middle School. She captured my attention then as an inspiring, positive, and engaging teacher and role model. From that year on, Mrs. Thompson played a huge role in my development and growth as a student, community member, and musician. During my first three years of high school she served as an assistant director with the marching band where she taught marching fundamentals, drill, and music. She was always a fantastic motivator for me in that capacity. No matter the task, whether it was teaching an eight-to-five step size or running section of music for the fifteenth time, she approached it with an enthusiasm and intensity that was contagious. The kind of character she modeled made a profound impact during those developmental years of my high school career. Then, during my senior year of high school Mrs. Thompson became the head band director at Jennings County High School.

Her stepping into this role marked a turning point in my life. As my band director that year, she encouraged me to shoot for the stars musically and academically. She helped me talk to my parents about pursuing music education in college. She walked me through the application and audition processes and gave me guidance every step of the way. The fact that Mrs. Thompson took that time to work one-on-one with me when she had so many other students to worry about shows what an outstanding leader, teacher, and mentor she truly is. Her investment in my development and commitment to my future made a massive impact on my life, my education, and my career. Mrs. Thompson takes the time to get to know each student and makes connections with each one so they know they can go to her for help. She builds trust, creates a support system, and fosters a sense of community in her classroom. She is a master teacher who is dedicated to ensuring her students all have a bright future.

I have also had the distinct privilege of getting to work for Mrs. Thompson since 2014 as a percussion instructor for the Marching Pride of Jennings County. In this capacity, I have witnessed her outstanding commitment to taking that group to the next level as a competitive ensemble. Going competitive was a massive challenge to take on and one that required countless hours of planning and restructuring of the group. Her dedication to this process and her vision for the group has been inspiring to see come to life and to take part in. Additionally, her commitment to bettering herself and being a lifelong learner is inspiring and something I want to emulate, having attained her Masters in Educational Leadership and her Administrator’s Licensure while still teaching full time. As an aspiring teacher, continuing to learn from her as an employer and mentor the past four years has been fantastic.

As a teacher, mentor, employer, and friend, Mrs. Thompson has been and continues to be a positive role model for me and someone that I know is a professional in every sense of the word. She is a skilled and seasoned leader who is more than ready to take on an administrative position. Any school would be lucky to have her as an administrator and I cannot recommend her highly enough.

Sincerely,

Anna Gullion

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing this letter of recommendation for Mrs. Chelsey Thompson. Mrs. Thompson has been my teacher and band director at Jennings County High School for almost four years, and I am extremely grateful for my opportunity to spend this time with her. She manages to make each day better for me by listening to and supporting me through whatever problem I may face, and while it may not always be what I want to hear, she manages to know exactly what to tell me to mitigate the stress and pressure I experience as a student.

Through my high school career, I have been able to see how Mrs. Thompson influences each of her students’ lives. She connects with each one of her students, no matter their personality. She understands her students in a different way than other teachers do and goes above and beyond to try to help their families in any way possible. During band events, she always told us when to call our parents and tell them we were twenty minutes away for pickup, and she speaks to band parents directly every day to answer any questions they have in a personable manner.

Other than the band classes I have had with Mrs. Thompson, she has also been my teacher for AP Music Theory. This class has shown me how many talents this remarkable woman truly has. Other than being able to direct and guide both the marching, symphonic and jazz bands, three completely different ensembles, she can also teach music in a much more comprehensive and knowledgeable way than what is typically seen in the bands. Mrs. Thompson exceeds my expectations as a teacher, for each time I ask her a question in our difficult theory class, she makes sure the answer she gives me is the correct one. She researches my question and finds each possible nuanced answer. She truly cares about her students and their education, and she ensures that when we leave her room, we are improved and more experienced musicians and students.

Other than being my teacher and director, Mrs. Thompson has also served as my high

school and college mentor. Whether I am trying to find out what classes to take the next year, which AP credits transfer, or the benefits of each college I am looking in to, she always guides my thoughts and concerns along the way. She works to provide the most comprehensive answer possible, and I completely trust her with each question I ask and each conversation I have with her.

Mrs. Thompson also manages to plug into her school and community in any way possible. As a teacher and director of bands, I have also seen her serve as a high ability coordinator, National Honor Society sponsor, Academy of Fine Arts board member, AP Advocate for the state of Indiana, and Director of Worship at our local church. In each area, she

brings professionalism and enthusiasm to every meeting we have together and remains purposeful and deliberate through each task set before her.

There is a reason Mrs. Thompson has been awarded six “Most Influential Educator” awards- she truly is one of the most influential and significant people I know. She clearly has touched the lives of those around her and still manages to impact us every day. As a student, Mrs. Thompson is exactly the type of person I would love to have as an administrator. She is always cheerful and enthusiastic while maintaining her professional and skillful character each day. I hope I can one day become a woman of such grace, respectability, charm, understanding, and professionalism as I have seen Mrs. Thompson achieve through my high school career. She truly is a remarkable educator, mentor, and associate, and I hope to develop our relationship beyond my graduation, for she is a woman I know I can trust and look up to throughout my life. Respectfully, Evelyn McGuire JCHS Student

To Whom It May Concern: 

 

Chelsey Thompson is one of the strongest and most influential teachers I have 

had the privilege to learn from. With absolute grace, she balances being a wife, 

mother of two, and the Director of Bands at Jennings County High School. She not 

only cares about her students academically, but she also gets to know them on a more 

personal level. I got to meet Mrs. Thompson in eighth grade. This also happened to 

be her last year out of six as the Choral Director and High Ability Coordinator at 

Jennings County Middle School. Even though I only saw Mrs. Thompson during 

homeroom, she still made it a point to get to know me, and be sure that I was doing 

well in all of my classes, which is something that not a lot of teachers do. 

My freshman year of high school, Chelsey Thompson received the job as 

Director of Bands at Jennings County High School. This was one of the best things 

that could have happened to that program. Before Mrs. Thompson took over, the 

music program at JCHS had been severely driven into the ground. This job is very 

intricate, and only incredibly organized people, like Mrs. Thompson, would be able to 

handle something as intense. Chelsey Thompson took the challenge of Director of 

Bands in stride, and since then, has brought the program to a new level. The 

Marching Pride of Jennings County began competing in high caliber competitions in 

2014 and has been ever since. They have won multiple awards and keep improving 

with each competition. The Jennings County Pep Band also began competing in 

competitions in the last two years. Jennings County Pep Band has placed in all of the 

competitions they have been involved in. Both of these accomplished ensembles are 

directed by Mrs. Thompson, and I can say with complete confidence, all of their 

success is because of her. 

Overall, Chelsey Thompson has been one of the most influential people in my 

life. She has not only been a great mentor for me, but she has also become a friend. 

Mrs. Thompson helped me figure out what I wanted to do with my life, and where I 

wanted to go to college. She helped me learn to balance my music schedule with my 

athletic schedule, and never stopped telling me to keep chasing after what I wanted. 

Because of her, I am now a student at Indiana Wesleyan University, following my 

dreams and pursuing a degree in music therapy. I am so lucky to have met Chelsey 

Thompson, and I could not give her a higher recommendation. 

 

Tesla Kopitzke