Parents are often right and certainly for Mr. Jamie Moore, this was the case. When he was looking for opportunities to substitute teach after graduating from Lebanon Valley College, his parents suggested that he give Pennington a try. Armed with a bachelor in Citizenship Education: Social Studies, he quickly became a prime teaching candidate.
As an alumnus from the class of 2003, after spending grades 8 through 12 at Pennington, Mr. Moore already knew his way around the halls. He recalls realizing very early on in his undergraduate program that Pennington had thoroughly prepared him for college-level work. In particular, he remembers that his critical-thinking skills were sharp, and he knew how to advocate for himself when he had questions about the material covered in his courses.
After providing substitute teacher coverage during the 2007-08 school year, Mr. Moore worked for two years in the Cervone Center for Learning as a one-on-one Compensatory Skills teacher. Then a history teaching opportunity opened in the Middle School when another alumnus, Chad Bridges, transitioned from teacher to a new role of Upper School Dean of Students.
Since 2010, Mr. Moore has been teaching eighth-grade geography and current events in the Middle School while also filling numerous other roles and teaching elective classes. These include being the weekend activities coordinator, new faculty mentor, class dean for grade 8, dorm head for a boys’ dorm, and co-advisor to the directors of the spring plays. Sprinkled among those many endeavors, Mr. Moore has also coached JV girls’ basketball, taught ukulele, and led elective activities such as cricket, board games, and mystery games!
What is most impressive about Mr. Moore is not only how busy he is doing so many things, but also he has earned a master's degree in teaching, learning, and curriculum from Drexel University at the same time. He has also continued an impressive journey as an artist.
Mr. Moore came to Pennington from the American Boychoir School. Before he had ever graced a Pennington stage in our plays and musicals, he had traveled extensively with his previous school, singing in such esteemed venues as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the White House--where he once sang for then Vice President Al Gore at the annual tree lighting. As a young boy, Mr. Moore’s name had already appeared on two albums, he had performed on stage with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and had even sung in a commercial for Delta Airlines! No doubt these early opportunities to perform in front of others have helped him in his role as a teacher as well as in his relatively new venture as a printmaker.
Mr. Moore had always enjoyed painting, but as someone who is color-deficient (primarily he has difficulty distinguishing between red and green), his paintings didn’t always turn out the way he wished. The father of one of his Pennington classmates was a printmaking artist, so Mr. Moore asked him for a tour of his studio. The artist gave Mr. Moore a block of wood and a carving tool and told him to give it a try. These initial attempts have led to quite a successful undertaking.
Unlike paint, where one relies on color to create light, Mr. Moore is fascinated by how he releases light between the dark lines that he carves out. He also revels in the process, which he sees as “constant problem-solving.” Printmaking doesn’t just consist of a one-step process of putting pencil or brush to medium. As Mr. Moore explains, a print first starts with a design. He then translates that design using line and space on a block of wood or linoleum. Finally, he must carefully choose his ink and paper in order to have his design appear as he envisioned it.
As Mr. Moore points out, it’s not the kind of art that can be churned out quickly. Often, he will design an image and then leave it for a few days, allowing him to later examine his concept with fresh eyes. Not until the image has been printed in the third step, can he determine whether or not he was successful, which can be frustrating.
After creating numerous prints over the years, Mr. Moore and his wife, Gayle Freeman (who live on campus as part of our residential life community), began to notice that there was no longer any room in their apartment! So about two years ago, Mr. Moore decided to try his hand as an art vendor. He had submitted his work to a few juried art shows, but he thought that perhaps art collectors might be even better judges. Consequently, Mr. Moore has attended art shows in Princeton, Red Bank, and Asbury Park and has received a great deal of positive feedback. Many collectors want to know more about the process, and this is where Mr. Moore’s experience as a teacher comes in handy.
In addition to shows, Mr. Moore has also completed commissioned projects that have included printing images of people’s houses, pets, and even their favorite vacation photos. All this work has awarded Mr. Moore the opportunity to meet a wide range of artists with whom he has traded artwork as well as ideas.
Mr. Moore and Ms. Freeman also enjoy traveling domestically and abroad, and this travel has been beneficial for three reasons. First, visiting new spaces and perspectives has invigorated his art. Second, Mr. Moore has gained additional perspective regarding our Pennington students who travel from abroad to attend Pennington. He has had a renewed understanding of how important it is to exhibit patience and offer a helping hand to our international students, some of whom are leaving home for the first time. Last, he collects information, videos, and photos to add to his geography presentations and iBook.
Mr. Moore has also returned to his musical roots. Ms. Freeman, who sings and plays keyboard, and Mr. Moore began recording music during Covid and now have a few songs on Spotify! His love of music also bubbles over into the Pennington community as he is one of the founding members of the latest iteration of what we call “Faculty Band.” Over the years, they’ve performed at School community meetings, dinner dances, Homecoming events, and on Main Street for Pennington Day! Chances are, if anyone at Pennington is being creative and having fun, Mr. Moore will somehow be involved!