MANSFIELD — The Mansfield City Schools board of education routinely recognizes teachers, staff and students who exceed expectations in the district.
Tuesday’s honorees were retired school psychologist John Yatko and sixth grade student Collin Kitzler.
Yatko was chosen this month’s Every Student, Every Day Champion. He served 31 years as the district’s school psychologist before retiring in 2004.
He also spent 30 years helping administer ACT tests at Mansfield Senior High School. Yatko started as a proctor and eventually became the test coordinator. He retired from that position in June 2021.
“Anyone who knows John knows that he crosses all of his Ts and dots all of I’s,” said Winston Green, the district’s new test coordinator. “It was because of John’s tutelage that I felt more comfortable with training our staff independently.
“And for that and for so many other reasons I want to say thank you, John.”
Yatko said he was honored and surprised to receive the award.
“I worked and had such great collaboration from the staff, the teachers, the secretaries and especially the head custodian at Senior High who always had the building open and available,” he said.
Yatko was also a founding member of the North Central Ohio School Psychologist’s Association in 1994.
The board also honored student champion Collin Kitzler, who received a perfect score on his fifth grade Ohio state test last school year.
Greene read comments about Kitzler from his current and former teachers at Mansfield Spanish Immersion school. Teachers described him as outgoing, friendly and hard-working.
“He can always make you laugh,” fifth grade science teacher Jennifer Osberg wrote. “He loves to learn and it is exciting to see his enthusiasm when the light bulb comes on and he learns something new.”
