1. August 20, 2013
To Whom it May Concern:
It is a pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Lowrie Robertson. Lowrie was
employed as the lead music teacher at Portsmouth Christian Academy from 2004-2009.
During most of that time, I, as principal, was Lowrie’s supervisor and had several opportunities
to observe and evaluate his teaching.
Lowrie was an excellent teacher, who moved forward our music program during his
tenure. His strengths were his rapport with his students, his commitment to improving his
craft, and his administrative skills. During my observations of his class, I was impressed with the
demeanor of his students: they saw themselves as part of a team, they respected Lowrie as a
musician and a teacher, and they demonstrated a joy of learning. His classroom was
comfortable yet energetic and challenging. When I met with Lowrie to review the results of
my observations, he consistently demonstrated a desire to grow as a professional, taking
constructive criticism well, asking insightful questions, and seeking to always improve student
learning. Unlike other teaching positions, music teachers also have their work observed and
evaluated by the wider school community during performances. For our school, these
performances occurred during Christmas and the spring. As with any school, these concerts
were high profile events that required weeks of preparation and planning. Lowrie oversaw
every detail, preparing his students extraordinarily well to do their best. As he became
increasingly familiar with our students’ potential and our school culture, Lowrie moved these
performances forward, with each becoming better than the last.
In closing, Lowrie Robertson was the consummate professional, and any music
department would be fortunate to have him. I was blessed to be his colleague and am pleased
to know that soon students will be once again under his tutelage. I would hire him without
reservation.
Sincerely,
Stephen M. Foley
Dean of Men
Portsmouth Christian Academy, Upper School