Roanoke Catholic School is pleased to announce the hiring of its second Spanish teacher, Katherine Appel, who will teach Spanish exploratory classes for lower school and offer additional staffing for the upper school Spanish program.
Currently in her second year of teaching Spanish within Bedford County Public Schools, Ms. Appel attended a Spanish language immersion school in Guatemala while a student at James Madison University, from which she graduated in 2014 with a degree in Modern Foreign Languages, Spanish and Italian.
“I have spent many hours abroad immersing myself in the Spanish language and culture,” says Ms. Appel. “This has given me a holistic perspective of Hispanic life that has greatly enriched my ability to speak Spanish fluently.”
At Staunton River High and Middle schools, she teaches six separate classes for sixth to eleventh grade students.
Her experience also includes leading Hispanic Vacation Bible School day camp for New Life Christian Ministries; serving on several faith-based mission trips to Mozambique, Guatemala and Haiti; and assisting the development director at Blue Ridge Women’s Center.
“In concert with our commitment to expand our World Languages offering and to aid our students in becoming champions of world cultures and languages in our elementary and middle grades,” says Patrick Patterson, principal and head of school, “our school leadership team has been searching for the ideal candidate to join our school community. In Katherine Appel, we have found this passionate educator who will join a strong team in our World Languages Department.”