For the 2020-21 academic year, Gonzaga welcomed many new teachers, one of whom is Ms. Kate Griffith. Teaching math and theater, Ms. Griffith moved to Gonzaga from The Academy of the Holy Cross in Rockville, Maryland.
Ms. Griffith knew she wanted to be a teacher from a very young age.
“When I was really little I used to teach my stuffed animals with old textbooks,” Ms. Griffith said. “And I’ve always related better to older kids.”
Despite having to teach virtually for the majority of her Gonzaga career so far, Ms. Griffith has enjoyed her time at Gonzaga and looks forward to campus getting back to normal.
“Overall, I feel very welcomed—students are great, teachers are great, but I’m kind of like waiting for the moment where I’m like, oh, this is good; I get it now,” she said.
As well as teaching math, Ms. Griffith has been working with Mr. Buckley in the Gonzaga Dramatic Association (GDA). Despite not working on the fall show, she looks forward to helping with the spring musical, Spongebob Squarepants: The Broadway Musical. Gonzaga will be among the first high schools in the country to perform the show and will do so live over Zoom.
Griffith began her theatrical career in the second grade, playing the part of the lead mouse in a production of The Pied Piper, but she started to take it seriously after joining an improvisation club at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. She attended the improv club religiously, claiming to have only missed one practice throughout her four years and began to make friends in the theater community. Eventually, she began directing plays of her own and took on a minor in theater studies.
Since graduating from college, Ms. Griffith has worked with the drama departments of several schools, including the Academy of the Holy Cross, citing productions of Matilda and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as some of her favorite shows she has worked on.
With the GDA, Ms. Griffith will be serving as assistant producer, helping to run the show alongside Mr. Buckley and Georgetown Visitation’s Mrs. Goldsmith, and she looks forward to working on the show despite various health restrictions.
As an assistant producer, Ms. Griffith will be working on most behind-the-scenes aspects of the show. This includes but is not limited to working with the licensing company, managing the budget, organizing music, costuming and set departments, and managing ticket sales, programs, and parent volunteers.
Molly May • Feb 26, 2021 at 8:15 am
Great article about a great teacher 🙂
Leslie Keiser • Feb 26, 2021 at 6:12 am
I enjoyed learning more about this new teacher. What a great addition to our school.
Carol Corgan • Feb 26, 2021 at 4:57 am
Nice profile article, Arthur.