"I am so blown away by what Marie has accomplished I am at a loss for words. She has created what to me would be a dream school, and her writing pedagogy is cutting edge. The student writing, like little Katie McDaniel's, is superb, especially for their ages. Your children are EXTREMELY fortunate to have this gem of an opportunity. Absolutely stupendous."
Pam Horner, former McCall resident; part of a UCLA Fellowship grant to introduce Best Practices in teaching writing to students in the LA public schools.
"I want to tell you how much I have appreciated your teaching and benefited from your instruction at the North Fork School. In one year, you taught me how to write persuasivelly, read analytically, and edit endlessly. I learned that writing well isn't necessarily an innate skill -- it takes lots of hard work. But in your class, I never dreaded the heavy work load or intensive class sessions. Each time we met, I became engrossed in the material or discussion. This is what learning should be all about.
After taking English at the North Fork School my sophomore year, I went back to the high school to take College Writing, Journalism, and Advanced
Placement English, a college-level course. In each of these three classes, I
used information I learned from you at the North Fork School. I received a 95% on my AP English final, which was two essays (one I got a 100% on). I am just proud of that, and owe some of the credit to you. At the end of the year, I was selected to be co-salutatorian with Sean Gould, and we wrote our speech together.
I also used my writing knowledge when applying for college. From college essays to scholarship essays, I felt comfortable writing about myself. I truly feel my North Fork School experience played a large role in my acceptance to all four colleges to which I applied.
Thank you for showing me what passion is."
Laura Bechdel, Class of 2001
"The benefits of participating in the North Fork School are numerous.
However, I feel two of the skills learned are invaluable: time management
and the ability to write clearly.
While attending the North Fork School, I was also juggling Nordic skiing and advanced math and science courses. I faced a shortened time in which to accomplish more work than before, and therefore developed a very specific schedule to follow.
The most important skill I learned at the NFS was how to express my thoughts in a clear and concise fashion. Marie's high expectations of each student requires him to analyze his own work, and to look at it objectively. At first this is quite difficult, but with time it becomes less of a chore and more of a tool.
Both of these skills have helped me through my school
career. I have been well-prepared, and extremely capable of any and all
school work I've faced in the past two years. I will graduate in the top
ten percent of my class, and then continue my education while attending
Dartmouth College. Without Marie and the North Fork School, I am quite sure
neither of these realities would have come true."
Spencer Lawley, Class of 2001
"It is uncommon for me to write letters of appreciation to my children's respective schools. However, I was so impressed and genuinely excited by the writing Katie produced last quarter at the North Fork School, even I was inspired to write.
The maturity of her poems and narratives surprised me. While pealing back the layers of revisions she had compiled, I discovered your creative and constructive critiques that encouraged Katie to clarify and refine her piece. Although you gave suggestions and helpful comments, the writing was clearly Katie's own.
When I commented on the process, Katie responded that the students also assist in and critique each other's work. She obviously enjoys and appreciates the process, and I am grateful for the strong foundation it provides for a lifetime of reading and writing.
I am always proud of Katie and her work, but this time I am hungry for more. Thank you."
Margi McDaniel, NFS parent, 2000-2009
The following is an excerpt from an August, 2001 letter to the Idaho Department of Education:
"The writing process is at the heart of the challenging integrated curriculum Marie has designed. Drawing from classic works of literature, students are immersed in reading, discussing, writing and editing. Marie has developed a highly individualized method of teaching writing to students of all ability levels. She teaches basic academic skills and content simultaneously rather than as isolated subjects. Essential skills are learned in context.
Marie is skilled at asking questions that lead to wonderful discussions and which help her students develop higher-order thinking skills. With her guidance, they learn how to listen to and respect each others' views, and to examine their reading and writing in new ways for greater depth of understanding. Learning makes sense to her students, as they build connections within their own personal experiences.
To make the learning even more meaningful, Marie meets and discusses her language arts curriculum with the history, art, drama and foreign language teachers, so they can plan lessons together which will provide more learning connections for students. Through the wonderful integrated curriculum she has developed, taught, and supervised, Marie's students gain a rich, in-depth, whole and complete understanding of their studies.
To inform students and parents of curriculum studies, offerings, and news, Marie has created innovative ways of communication. She has developed individual student skills checklists, sent home narrative evaluations three times a year, and published school newsletters and a literary magazine by and for children in our community. She has designed and set up a web page for The North Fork School and placed assignments on it so students and parents have daily knowledge of what is expected. Students can plan accordingly to complete assignments by the due date. There are also additional educational links set up for further learning for each academic subject. From the website, peers, parents and alumni continually edit student work.
In addition to all of her teaching and administrative responsibilities, Marie takes time to individually conference with each student, edit all papers, and phone both students and parents. She is always available, accommodating and approachable day or night for communicating with the whole family. Her willingness to discuss school performance and to work out a plan to help students reach their goals is remarkable. Marie has high expectations for herself and her students rise to meet the same expectations that she has for them.
Always striving for excellence in education, Marie has utilized her solid and extensive background in English to provide a strong integrated curriculum for students in McCall, Idaho. With superb communication and a commitment to her students, she has worked wonders. She has made extraordinary contributions to not only The North Fork School, but also to public education in our community."
Connie Johnson, NFS Curriculum Consultant
