Meet the new faces of JMArts: A lineup of artistic excellence

Siler City, NC – Arts at Jordan-Matthews high school will have a new face this fall — five new faces, in fact! — with faculty appointments confirmed over the last several weeks. Well, not all of the faces are entirely new; one new teacher is actually a JM arts alum and JMArts Scholar.

Here’s a quick introduction:

Chorus teacher Allison Haskell received her Bachelor of Science in Education, Vocal/Choral Music, graduating magna cum laude from the University of Alabama, where she was conductor for the Chamber Choir and conductor and section leader for the Women’s Choir. She has been teaching music at Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Dance teacher Hannah Marr received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2017 from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where she specialized in Contemporary/Modern Dance. She recently taught dance at Enloe High School in Raleigh and is a company member with OM Grown Dancers and ShaLeigh Dance Works in Durham. Her website is hannahmarrdance.com.

Art teacher Laura Newman received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and her Master of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She currently teaches art appreciation at Bladen Community College and has recently been art teacher locally for J.S. Waters School and Moncure Elementary.

Band teacher Aaron Partin received his Bachelor of Music Education this spring from Greensboro College, where he performed with several ensembles and was awarded the Hunt Family Music Scholarship. He is a 2019 graduate of Jordan-Matthews and was a 2017 and 2018 JMArts Scholar, studying at summer band camps at East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Theater teacher Mikala Richardson received her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre in 2021 from Greensboro College and has been teaching theater at Richmond County High School in Rockingham. She is a graduate of North Moore High School, where she performed the role of Miss Hannigan in her senior production of “Annie.”