• BA – Eckerd College
• Director’s Credential – SCTI
• CDA Certification – St Thomas University

Betty started her career with St. Marks in 1979! At that time classes were available for Twos to 5th grade. She taught the Twos and Threes during her teaching era.

In 2002, Betty stepped into administration as the Assistant Director for the school. In all facets of her career she has valued each child as an individual and respected their strengths, skills and abilities. The goal for all from both an administrative and teaching perspective is to create a safe caring community where children can blossom and grow.

Betty has two children, both are alumni of St. Mark’s and three grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys working out, gardening and crafts!

• High School Diploma – SCF Collegiate School
• A.A. – SCF

Lexi is our wonderful Toddler teacher here at St. Mark’s. She was born in Sarasota and has lived in Venice her whole life.

Lexi attended Venice High School for two years of high school then transferred to the State College of Florida Collegiate School. There she completed most of her Associates along with her high school diploma. She has two siblings; a brother and a sister.

Lexi comes from a long line of teachers! Her mother, Ms. Laura, has been at St. Mark’s for over 10 years & her grandmother was a preschool teacher and director for over 30 year. She is the oldest of two siblings, a sister and brother.

Lexi’s interest in teaching began when she began volunteering in the summer camp here at St. Mark’s throughout high school. She is so excited to be working with her favorite age group and helping them learn and explore the world around them!

• Graphic Design – Montessori Institute
• Childcare Development Specialist – SCTI
• Director’s Credential – Florida Childcare & Education Program

Erika joined the St. Mark’s staff in the summer of 2022. She is originally from Peru and has been living in Sarasota County with her husband and son since 2000. 

Erika was an Early Child Development Teacher in Sarasota for 23 years before joining the St. Mark’s staff. Working and enjoying every day with children in the classroom is her passion! As an educator she believes that every child is an individual with different needs and abilities and it is our job to help them meet these needs through hands-on activities in a warm nurturing atmosphere.

• National CDA Certified
• State of Florida VPK certified teacher

Sarah has worked in the Early childhood field since 1993 and joined St. Mark’s in 2006.

Sarah’s teaching philosophy is to help children learn through play in a supportive and nurturing environment where students know that they can look to her for guidance, trust and support. Sarah believes that the child’s greatest potential is reached when teacher and parent are in collaboration and how important it is to build these relationships.

Sarah has lived in Venice with her husband and daughter since 2005. In her spare time she enjoys paddle boarding, cooking, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

• A.S. in Psychology
• National CDA Certified
• State of Florida VPK certified teacher

Laura has been teaching at St. Mark’s since 2012 and over those years has worked in/taught all of the different ages here until she found her place in the Threes in 2016.

Having a mother as a lifelong educator sparked Laura’s love of teaching. She especially enjoys watching children grow and learn, they are so full of wonder and curiosity. In Laura’s classroom, you will find she teaches both social and emotional skills so that they can then focus and learn the academics that will soon follow.

Laura lives in North Port with her fiancé and two youngest children.

• CDA Certified – SCTI
• State of Florida VPK certified teacher

Jenn has been working in childhood development since 2004 and has been at St. Mark’s since 2009. Jenn says, “working with children is such a rewarding career, it excites me to watch the children learn and grow. Early childhood education is so important; we are the building foundation and giving them the stepping stones they will need for their future.”

Jenn was born in Connecticut and moved to Florida with her family when she was 5 years old. She lives in Venice with her husband, their two boys and their Golden Retriever. Jenn loves going to the beach, watching baseball and traveling with her family.

Keni has been working at St. Mark’s since 2021. Although she has never worked in a school, she has been a mother of three for 26 years. She spent a lot of her time volunteering in organizations at schools and church.

Her favorite thing about St. Mark’s is making the children smile. Every single one has given her a bit of happiness, every day.

• Early Childhood Development
• State of Florida VPK certified teacher

Helen has been a teacher at St. Mark’s Day School since 1992 with various roles throughout the years, before becoming an Enrichment Room teacher in 2023.

Helen’s has always had a passion for books and that passion flourished through her job at a local bookstore. The school is lucky as her love of books is evident in everything she does at St. Mark’s. This love of reading and exploration is what became the foundation for our Enrichment room, a Montessori based room that encourages free exploration and nurtures children’s creative minds.

Helen relishes discovering new authors and reading and especially enjoys sharing that love of literature with her students. She is the grandmother of 9 children, and looks forward to traveling with them and making memories together.