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Appreciating God’s Creations

Karen Fatizzi, 2nd grade teacher, grew up in a small town in Alabama.  “I’m the middle child of three sisters,” she says. “Growing up, we enjoyed fishing with my dad.”

Karen attended the University of Montevallo, located outside of Birmingham, and earned her BA in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. In 1997, she moved to the Mt. Dora area for her first job as a teacher, where she taught second grade.

“My first summer in Florida, I moved to Boca Raton to study the Montessori Method of Education at the Claremont Institute,” says Karen. “I earned my certification in the Montessori Method for ages 6-9 and taught in a multi-age classroom for about five years teaching first, second, and third graders.”

“I meet my husband, Peter, the second week I moved to Mt. Dora,” says Karen. “We meet on a blind date! We’ve been married 18 years and have a son, Cameron, a TCS 6th grade student.”

Karen continues, “We live on the banks of the Little Wekiva River and we enjoy seeing God’s creation right in our own backyard – bears, water birds, otters, butterflies, and more. I love spending my free time outdoors with my family. We love white water rafting, hiking, snorkeling, exploring different beaches, and relaxing in our backyard. I also love working in my butterfly garden. Even as a child, I enjoyed working in our family garden and yard. My grandparents were also gardeners. We always had a big garden in our backyard and enjoyed fresh veggies from the garden. I also enjoy decorating and when I have some extra time I would like to take some interior design classes for fun.”

“My favorite thing about teaching 2nd grade is having the opportunity to go deeper into reading with my students,” says Karen. “It’s a joy to see my students reading fluency soar. I also love to teach art to my students. I always look for ways to incorporate art into our activities. We serve a creative God and I like to encourage creativity in the classroom.”

“There are so many wonderful things about being a teacher and a parent at TCS,” she says. “Two things that drew me to this school as a parent and as a teacher are the daily chapel and the high standards for learning. I like that my son is surrounded by teachers who are dedicated to our profession and that they are helping guide my son to live a life that is pleasing to God. Cameron has been very excited about middle school this year and is enjoying being in his House – Shepherd Watch.”

Karen shares her favorite Bible verse:
“One of my favorite names for God is Immanuel which means ‘God with us.’ I cling to the words in Ephesians 3:20 that ‘(God) is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.’”