Getting to Know Mrs. Nisco- New Preschool – Grade 8 Art Teacher
Dear Saint Mary School Family,
I hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing and fun-filled summer! I am thrilled to join the staff of St. Mary School as your Art Teacher, teaching grades PreK to eight! I am excited to work with each and every student and cannot wait to begin our art adventure together.
For me, teaching is more than a career choice, it is a calling. I am passionate about education and working with students of all ages to gain essential skills, to become engaged world citizens, and life-long learners. For over two decades, I have taught in both public and private classrooms, preschool, as well as in the museum setting at the Bruce Museum, as Manager of Youth Programs at Stepping Stone Museum for Children, and as the Director of Education for the Greenwich Historical Society. Prior to creating and implementing art and history programs in the museum and gallery classrooms, I taught middle school history at Mount St Michael Academy in the Bronx and Fox Lane Middle School in Bedford, NY where I received tenure. Since 2015, I have taught History, English Language Arts, Writing, and Religion in diocesan schools in New Canaan, Wilton, and Newtown. However, it has always been my philosophy to integrate a humanities, interdisciplinary approach to my student-centered lessons and often incorporate art and music for a well-rounded learning experience.
Along with history, I am passionate about art, art movements, and allowing young people of all ages to utilize their imagination to create and explore. For me, creating art is about learning techniques and strategies to explore, imagine, problem-solve, and, most importantly, having fun in the process. In art, students learn to adapt, to experiment with different mediums and approaches, they encounter challenges that require them to think critically and find solutions. Creating art bolsters self-confidence and self-expression allowing for a sense of accomplishment as students see their creations take shape. Additionally, I ask students to look carefully at art to gain perspectives supporting critical thinking, visual literacy, communication, and collaboration skills.
On a personal note, I live in Wilton with my husband and we are the proud parents of three young adults, one Beagle, and two cats. I have been a Wilton resident for twenty-five years and enjoy cooking, gardening, traveling, writing and drawing, and reading. Looking always to be a student of life, I have returned to school to work on another Master’s Degree in Fine and Decorative Art and Design at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. I hold both a B.A. and a M.A. in History from Fordham University.
I look forward to beginning this new chapter and working with SMS students, collaborating with the staff, and meeting all the families. Until then, I wish you all a summer that brings fun and relaxation, filled with making new memories and many blessings.
Warmly,
Mrs. Marybeth Nisco