For the second time this school year, Lincoln School second graders happily collaborated with Katy Broach’s Pottery 1 and Advanced Pottery classes at Newark High School to make painted, ceramic creations this time with a St. Patrick’s Day theme.
To view the designed article with photos from the day, visit: https://5il.co/3bpor
Alexa Johnson’s second graders went to NHS March 11th and with the able help of Broach’s students fashioned shamrocks and pots of gold out of clay.
On March 21st, Broach and three students' juniors LeaMarie Simmons and Jade Stoner who was are in her Pottery 1 class and junior Addison Henson, an AP art student came to Johnson’s class with the now kiln-dried ceramic creations, paint and paint brushes to assist the students in in putting the finishing touches on their project.
After Broach gave Johnson’s students precise instructions about how to keep paint on their creations and not on their desks, themselves or others, second graders eagerly dipped their brushes in colorful, gooey dabs of their choosing on Styrofoam trays. Then Simmons, Stoner and Henson assisted the children with questions about painting techniques.
As she watched, Broach, who also teaches Studio Art at NHS explained she mainly serves as a facilitator in the collaborative project and that it was largely the NHS students, both weeks, who instructed the second graders.
Connecting the young and older students not only develops community but instills confidence in both groups in the mentoring process, Broach said.
Both Johnson and her students enjoyed collaborating.
“I thought this was an amazing experience for the students,” Johnson said. “They got to travel to the high school and work with the high school students, in their art room with their materials as well. This also created a sense of community for the students to be able to bond and make connections about the art that they were creating. The high school students got to take on the role and responsibility of being models and teachers for my students. I can't wait to do this next year again!
Second graders said:
“I liked that we got to make shamrocks and pots of gold. I liked that we went to the high school to do pottery.” - Tanner Wright.
“I liked when we got to make the pottery and got to paint our pottery. I liked to see my cousin Morgan too.” - Lucy Gilpin.
Gilpin’s cousin, Morgan Paro, is a 12th grade Advanced Pottery student.