Making Masterpieces and Memories with Ms. Pacione

By Livy Pollard, 3rd grade student at Harker Elementary

Charles G. Harker Elementary School in Woolwich Township is an awesome place to learn. One thing that makes Harker so great is the teachers. They help us feel good about ourselves and figure out how we learn best.

One of the coolest teachers at Harker is the art teacher, Ms. Pacione. She makes art class super fun. She always thinks of creative ways to do art. One time, instead of just drawing a bridge, we dipped paper in glue water and built a bridge that way. It was awesome.

Ms. Pacione is always happy and kind, which makes her class even better. At the end of the year, she even puts on an art show where all our artwork gets displayed around the school. She makes the art show extra fun by having a scavenger hunt for us to do while we walk around the school looking at the artwork.

Seeing our art displayed and our families and friends walking around looking at all of our hard work makes us feel really proud.

I got the chance to sit down and ask her a few questions about her love of art and teaching. Here’s what she had to say.

Q: Who or what inspired you to become an art teacher?
A: My mom. She always loved art, and she supported me and my love of art too.

Q: What do you love most about teaching art to students at Harker?
A: I love seeing when a student learns how to use a new material like oil pastels or clay paint and then creates a masterpiece they’re really proud of.

Q: The art show this year was another huge success, and everyone had a great time. Do you have a favorite moment from the art show?
A: I loved watching people filling the community hall and doing crafts together. It was such a happy moment.

Q: Can you explain what the Art Enrichment program is and how students are selected?
A: Art Enrichment is a special time when students create extra cool artwork, such as large 3D engineering projects. I choose students after observing their work and identifying those who demonstrate strong art skills.

Q: You were named Gloucester County Teacher of the Year and a finalist for New Jersey State Teacher of the Year in 2018–2019. What did that mean to you?
A: It was a big honor and super exciting. It reminded me that the work we do at Harker really matters. I also felt very loved and appreciated.

Q: If you could make art with any famous artist—living or not—who would it be and why?
A: I would choose Dale Chihuly because he does glass blowing. I think it would be amazing to make a big, beautiful glass sculpture with him.

Q: What advice do you have for young artists who want to keep creating outside of school?
A: Try every art material you can and don’t give up! If your artwork doesn’t look the way you want it to, keep practicing. The more you work at it, the better you’ll get!

As you can see, we are very lucky to have Ms. Pacione at Harker. She makes art fun and helps us believe in ourselves. Thank you, Ms. Pacione, for inspiring so many young artists.

One Response

  1. Fantastic article. I love hearing about all the good things our teachers are inspiring our students to do! Congratulations!

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