![Sarah Coffey]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1663688028/mcgillisschoolorg/dgeo47zmv10czpy6uyaf/CoffeyS.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1663688028/mcgillisschoolorg/dgeo47zmv10czpy6uyaf/CoffeyS.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1663688028/mcgillisschoolorg/dgeo47zmv10czpy6uyaf/CoffeyS.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1663688028/mcgillisschoolorg/dgeo47zmv10czpy6uyaf/CoffeyS.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1663688028/mcgillisschoolorg/dgeo47zmv10czpy6uyaf/CoffeyS.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1663688028/mcgillisschoolorg/dgeo47zmv10czpy6uyaf/CoffeyS.jpg","width":2048}])
Middle School Integrative Studies: Science Teacher
At McGillis since 2017
Contact Sarah Coffey: scoffey@mcgillisschool.org
Education
B.S., Meteorology, University of Utah
M.A.T., Secondary Education, Westminster College
Bio:
I competed in Track & Field at the University of Utah and went on to compete in Olympic-distance triathlons on the Elite Amateur circuit. I do not enjoy sitting still, and my favorite type of person is a middle schooler. I have been teaching middle school for twelve years, and have also worked in the residential treatment setting for adolescents. I am a self-proclaimed weather geek, and I especially enjoy looking at clouds and attempting to predict the weather. My three children and I love adventuring in the mountains year-round and singing in the car at the top of our lungs.
I am currently reading:
Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls by Lisa Damour
I am learning to:
Run a faster half marathon
Favorite McGillis lunch:
Chicken Gyros
Favorite McGillis tradition:
Fall Leaf Haul
Which McGillis Value do you most appreciate?
Derech Eretz - Seeing people for who they are, accepting them where they are at, and empathizing with their life experiences are some of the most powerful ways to connect with and empower one another.
What is a powerful moment you experienced at school?
When I was in eighth grade, I played on the school softball team. I hated running. However, my good friend was on the track team, and she bragged to me about how each day before a meet, they got to run to the local ice cream shop for their practice and indulge. I loved ice cream. So, in my freshman year of high school, I got bored with softball and decided to join the track and field team so I could go on their ice cream runs. During that competition, I was the slowest person on the team and would always get lapped in every race. I still did not like running. However, the following year when I was a sophomore, the school hired a new track coach so I decided to try the team just one more year; convinced I would still hate it but at a minimum I would still get ice cream. This coach immediately saw my potential, invested in me, encouraged me, pushed me, and I turned into a runner that year. I started placing in the meets, winning meets, and I went on to run in college. Running has taken me so many amazing places in my life and taught me countless life lessons, and I have that coach to thank for all of it.