After 15 years of teaching at Portsmouth High School, Kate Fitzpatrick is officially leaving PHS at the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
Fitzpatrick joined the English Department in 2010. Since that time, she has become a well-loved teacher of English 9 & 10, Monster Literature, Shakespeare, Food Writing, and Creative Writing.
Fitzpatrick’s mother was a teacher and a big influence in her becoming an educator.
Fitzpatrick states that there have been no specific standout moments over the years, but rather connections built with specific classes and specific students “that have been so meaningful.”
“There are highs and lows in [teaching], every single day,” said Fitzpatrick. “Even if it’s the same curriculum, it’s always different, and the students make it different.”
“My first impression of Mrs. Fitzpatrick was her positivity and welcoming demeanor,” said Allie Donahue, a freshman and student of Fitzpatrick. “She always greeted the class with a smile, even on challenging days.”
Donahue states that she will “miss her kindness and patience the most. She never reacted harshly to disruptions. Instead, she handled everything with calmness and respect.”
“The school community will undoubtedly miss her,” said Donahue. “Mrs. Fitzpatrick gave the classroom a positive and caring energy every day. [She] will be missed!”
“Fitzpartrick has always been a gifted and talented teacher,” said Brendan Harrington, a close friend and fellow PHS English teacher. He goes on further to say that Fitzpatrick is known for having high standards not only for herself, but for her students as well.
“Some see having high expectations and exacting demands as signs of a demanding teacher, but it really points to how much [Fitzpatrick] cares about students’ growth and learning,” Harrington elaborates.
Harrington said Fitzpatrick has also taught him about the importance “for teachers to cultivate themselves, hobbies, interests, and friendships outside of school.”
“[Fitzpatrick] is a very solid, very strong teacher,” said Harrington. When asked what he believes Fitzpatrick’s lasting legacy will be, he says it will be that she deeply cares about making her students better readers and writers.
As she leaves, Fitzpatrick hopes that her passion for literature and language of all kinds will stick with her students and inspire them to use it to impact the world positively.
“[Literature] has an impact on how we view and change the world,” Fitzpatrick acknowledges, and goes on to say “…if I didn’t believe that, then I wouldn’t have become a teacher.”
