Colorado Avalanche October 2021 Teacher of the Month

Future GoalsTM Program

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Colorado Avalanche October 2021 Teacher of the Month

Name:

Josie Pack

School:

Centennial Elementary; Denver Public Schools

Classroom Team:


Tell us about yourself!

Josie was born in Denver, Colorado on Lowry Air Force Base. She grew up a military kid and was lucky enough to live in England as a young child. Josie spent much of her school years in Colorado Springs where she attended UCCS (CU-Colorado Springs) and earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media Management. Josie spent ten years in marketing, working closely with curriculum, which inspired her to take the plunge into teaching. In 2015, Josie earned her Master’s degree in Education and Elementary Curriculum. She is so excited to be part of the Centennial Crew, teaching alongside some of the most committed educators and fascinating students Denver has to offer. When she’s not in the classroom, Josie spends time with her awesome husband Dave and their two hilarious kids, Conrad and Rosemary (also Centennial students!). The Pack family enjoys pizza nights, living room dance parties, hockey games, camping out, and pretending to sleep in.

Who is your favorite NHL® player and why?

Philipp Grubauer – Former Avs goalie and all around skilled player. He’s always been solid in the goal, especially when he’s challenged to work hard for an entire game. I’ve always been impressed with his relentlessness, making save after save. Sad to see him go to the Kraken, but they are a cool team and deserve some Gru love too.

What is your favorite part of the Future Goals™program? How do you see STEM in the game of hockey?

I love giving students access to educational content that incorporates real world examples and topics they are excited about. We think sports only belongs in PE or field day, and kids who love sports don’t have an outlet to talk about it during the rest of the school day, but we can leverage what they are interested in to make learning meaningful and this is one great way to do it. I see STEM in hockey countless ways, physics being the biggest connection. Force, energy and mass, action/reaction. There is geometry with the angles. States of matter with ice and water.

If you played hockey, what position would you play and why?

I’d be a goon, oops, I mean enforcer, wait…Defender. Yeah, that’s the official term 😉 What I lack in speed and skill, I make up for in solid strength, loyalty to my team, and passion for the game.