Here at Potosi High School, the art department has been flourishing for many years thanks to the work of Ms. Perry, PHS’s beloved art teacher who retired in 2022. PHS hired Mrs. Hill, who had been teaching art at TIS, to work here at PHS full-time, and because art classes are so popular, the district also hired Mrs. Reichert to work at the high school part-time and at TIS part-time. Because of Ms. Perry’s retirement, Mrs. Hill and Mrs. Reichert have big shoes to fill with the art classes and the art club. 

More and more PHS students have been requesting more art and ceramic classes than in the past few years. Already 57 people have requested to be in ceramics for 2023-2024. The cause of all these students requesting these classes would be Mrs. Jessica Hill, one of PHS hard-working art teachers. She has only been here for a short amount of time, but within that short period, she has already proven to be one of the most popular teachers. Before working here at PHS, Mrs. Hill was a teacher at TIS, she had been teaching at TIS for eight years before coming this year to teach at PHS. 

Mrs.Hill and Mrs.Reichert sponsor Art Club, which is held every Thursday from three to five. At the beginning of the year 22 students signed up for Art Club. Currently, they have more than 22 students attend the art club at the end of the school day because of Mrs. Hill. I asked a couple of students at PHS why they decided to join art club or request to be in a ceramic class next year and if they decided to do both. 

Makya Fisher, a Junior at PHS, had signed up for art club and has requested to be in ceramics next year with Mrs. Hill. Makaya said, “I had signed up for art club because I wanted to spend time with my friends and Mrs. Hill, while also creating something or finishing up something I had already started in class. I love anything to do with art so I decided to join art club. I really love how Mrs. Hill lets students create what they want and helps them when they need or want help.”

Alyssa Mason, a Senior at PHS, had signed up for art club at the very beginning of the year when Mrs.Hill had first announced it. Alyssa said, “I love creating art and being involved so when I heard about there being art club this year I joined.” She continued, “I’m actually very glad Mrs.Hill is the art teacher because she is very laid back and lets us do our own thing most of the time. She is very easy to talk to and hang around and she is a lot less strict and more chill about things than most of the other teachers.”

Since Alyssa will be graduating in May, I asked what she would miss about Mrs. Hill at PHS. She replied, “I’m upset that I couldn’t have her as a teacher for longer than a year, but I’m glad she was one of my teachers because she has made my senior year so much better and I will miss having her classes.” 

Mrs. Hill has left quite an impression on many of the students here at PHS, and she will continue doing so.