Careers at Packer

As a teacher, I’m lucky to be able to witness that special ‘aha’ moment, when students' eyes light up with understanding.

It's rewarding to help students bridge their time between Packer and what is on their horizon by honoring endings and beginnings.

I think that working at Packer has taught me how much I value community.

"I continue to be impressed by the students' curiosity and passions... I'm always learning from them!"

"I am thrilled to be at Packer. There are lots of smiling faces, and I get the sense that people are generally happy to be here."

"I would say that Packer and I chose each other."

The development team is creative, hard-driving and tenacious. Our collective mission is to bring people closer to the heart of Packer.

"I'm really lucky to be working with a team of dedicated, experienced professionals, who come in every day with the goal of providing a stable platform as we educate our students."

My impressions are that Packer is a wonderful place with bright, curious, friendly students and wonderfully supportive, fun, and deep-thinking colleagues.

I chose to work at Packer primarily because of the excellence that is tied to the schools athletic program. I also value how diverse and welcoming the community is. Everyone greets you with a smile!

From the first interview I knew that Packer was a special place that valued relationships and connection.

I find myself beaming with pride anytime I hear about any Packer alum's accomplishments, small or large; whenever possible, I want to be a resource to my peers on their journeys.

I am proud to work with the H&W team, and our wider adult community, to ensure our amazing and talented kids are also learning to practice balance, embrace joy, and get to know themselves on a deeper level.

From the moment I interviewed last year, I felt such warmth from everyone, and after 6 months of being here, it feels like this is where I've always belonged.

Packer faculty and staff do serious work, but they don't take themselves too seriously. I love being able to laugh with my students and colleagues. It's good for my health.

One of my favorite things is when I come into a class and students are already discussing the book, or have strong feelings about it and are excited to get going. But above all, I love to read when students reflect on their writing and can see their growth, see their hard work, and feel proud of themselves.

I'm consistently impressed with my Health students' ability to grapple with sensitive topics — from mental health to substance use to sexuality — with equal parts curiosity, intelligence, and humor. I never had a Health teacher in my educational experience, so much of my Health education ethos is rooted in reparative work — being the teacher I wish I had had growing up.

I am continually impressed with the level of professionalism and care shown by my coworkers to the students, and each other. The students show a desire to learn and level of inquiry that I have not experienced before. I thoroughly enjoy the diversity of the staff and the many talents they bring to the work environment.

Packer people seem to bring their full selves to school—this is a place that so many different kinds of people feel supported in being creative and taking risks. I also so appreciate Packer's love for its own particular history and power in place. 

Packer people seem to bring their full selves to school—this is a place that so many different kinds of people feel supported in being creative and taking risks. I also so appreciate Packer's love for its own particular history and power in place. 

Packer people seem to bring their full selves to school—this is a place that so many different kinds of people feel supported in being creative and taking risks. I also so appreciate Packer's love for its own particular history and power in place. 

The best part about the science curriculum is that the students discover the models of physics themselves rather than read them straight from a textbook; they learn by actively doing physics instead of passively reading about it.

I find my job rewarding when students come back the next day and say they have deeper wonderings and questions from the day before, because it means they are thinking outside of the classroom and that brings me joy.

My mom gave me a vintage poster that says, "No one is you, and that is your power." I want students to learn that there is something that only they can offer, even if they are doing what everyone else is doing. They have a unique lens for seeing the world and acting upon it. Hopefully this is an empowering idea, and one that lets them know that we are so happy they are here with us, sharing of themselves and their way of thinking.

I have a tendency to want to move quickly and it is important to cherish small moments and take time reflect, look deeply, uncover complexity, and enjoy the here and now. Particularly working with such little children, we are sometimes eager to look ahead and want time to pass to reach the next age and stage, but truly each developmental step has its own joys that should be savoured.

The great thing about comms in schools is we tend to have the privilege of seeing the big picture: we get to know and work with everyone and see everything that is going on throughout the whole school. So comms can really help enact a school's mission and showcase what our students and teachers are creating here every day.

I love hearing stories about former student athletes’ experiences, how many life lessons were taught while roaming the halls of Packer. I look forward to creating my own memories during my time here.

I find particularly sharp joy in supporting a student grappling with something personally challenging — whether it's digging into sources for an essay on Ancient Egypt, nerving themselves to perform in a Greek play, or pushing through doubt to finally see themselves as a poet — and then applauding when they've conquered that mountain.

My favorite part of my job is when I get to sit down with students and listen to them talk about their experience at Packer. Our new Student Team for Diversity and Equity in Communications (S-DEC) is the Communications Office's opportunity to discuss what equity looks like through the lens of Packer students.

I couldn't be happier here at Packer. I've found my people, and it feels really good to know that.

On day one of class, I had several students thank me for the day’s lesson as they exited the classroom. The simple gesture completely caught me off-guard. In my 8 years teaching, I had never been thanked by students for teaching them. It is honestly something I will always remember and a great way to start day one at Packer. 

I try to teach students how to approach and manage their workload in way that works for them. I routinely give students options about the content they explore and the order in which they explore it. The big lesson there is that, once we are out of school, we have a lot of control about how we explore our passions, and I want my students to be prepared for life long learning.

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We're better when we work together. Better outcomes, more brain power, collaboration. You want to go far, you have to get the right group of people together to accomplish great things.

The Science Department [at Packer] is a group who is passionate about students, science, and lifelong learning. We are a group of people excited about the natural world and what t has to teach us. We want our students to experience it for themselves, and we love finding ways to help them do it.

The Packer community (colleagues, students and families) is one of the most thoughtful and kind communities I have known. The students here always amaze me with their lively enthusiasm, curious ways, illuminating aspirations and kindness toward others, but most of all, I love to see them being so joyful as their world opens up in front of their eyes!