Very active teacher and mom honored by Ohio State Lottery

CLEVELAND... Nice things to say about St. Mark’s teacher Karen Cocita are way too many to mention, according to St. Mark’s principal Dr. Marilyn Kurnath. But Kurnath gave it a good try when she wrote a letter about Cocita.

Cocita, who teaches 7th and 8th grade English at St. Mark’s, produces students whose national test scores are in the 99th-percentile. She’s very active in the St. Mark’s church community. She is an outreach volunteer who makes meals for those in need. She’s a junior-high summer camp volunteer.

Take a breath, there’s more.

Cocita chairs the local Professional Development Committee to accredit teachers. She’s the student council moderator. She chairs the faculty sunshine committee. She’s a member of the school accreditation team, and is a St. Edward High School Mother’s Club volunteer who helps chair the school’s auction.

Whew.

Says, Dr. Kurnath: “Karen goes beyond all the standards. Best of all, Karen cares.”

Cocita is being honored by the Ohio State Lottery as November’s Teacher of the Month for the Cleveland area. She will receive four tickets to an upcoming Cleveland Browns game and will be publicly recognized on the field before the game. She will also receive a prize pack of Browns’ merchandise and assorted Partners in Education merchandise from the Lottery.

The Ohio State Lottery will continue to recognize Academic All Stars and Teachers of the Month throughout the school year. For more information about the program and for nomination forms, go to www.Ohiolottery.com.