June 10, 1999

To Whom it may concern,

This school year Ala Wai School has had the privilege of working with artist Thomas Deir on a ceramic tile mural, "Building A Community of Learners". With his guidance and expertise he was able to transform the concepts important to our students and staff into a visual representation. The quality of his work, understanding of what needed to be accomplished, and commitment to seeing the process through to completion were all commendable.

What made Mr. Deir especially effective was his ability to work with all our students, preschool through fifth grade, at their level. He used music to emphasize different themes visible in the mural, and explain techniques, color schemes, and skills in a way students could understand. Mr. Deir was very flexible in arranging his schedule for the project, yet very reliable in keeping to our timelines.

It is my extreme pleasure to have the opportunity to work with Tom Deir. This positive experience has helped our staff to see more clearly the importance of integrating fine arts across our curriculum, and provided our students with a project in which they can be truly proud of.

Sincerely,