On Friday, Oct. 26, about 20 AHS student athletes, as well as attendees from other local high schools  gathered at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Wellness Summit, where Ms. Kate Casey was awarded as the Wellness Coordinator of the Year.

Ms. Casey was nominated for the award by Athletic Director Mr. Serino and Assistant Principal Mrs. Louko. This award was extremely well deserved. Ms. Casey’s work for the wellness of the Abington students and faculty in her role as Wellness Director has made tremendous differences in the atmosphere and well-being of the school.

Coach Casey’s girls varsity soccer team attended the Summit, as well as members of the Student Athletic Advisory Council (SAAC), to support her in this enormous accomplishment. When asked about the Summit, Ms. Casey said, “to have my soccer team there on that special day was the best part.”

Regarding the award, Ms. Casey said, “It was wild. I didn’t know it was coming.” In addition, “the opportunities that have come out of this have been great,” Ms. Casey said.

Coach Casey is on the Cities and Towns Administrators of Health and Physical Education (CTAHPE), which is where all the wellness directors in the state get together and meet so they can hear what each other is doing. She said that “I was able to present what I did at Abington” and that “since then I’ve gotten emails from people on how I can help them make changes with their district. So the professional growth that has come out of this is really cool.”

When talking about giving her presentation at the Summit, Ms. Casey said, “It was awesome.” She added that she got “really good feedback” and that she is also “happy to help other people.”

In addition to helping others, Ms. Casey said that she is “excited to see how things work at Abington” and that she hopes things “work as well as they have in my brain. To be able to make these changes to other districts would be really cool too.”

Ms. Casey has worked to create more opportunities for a wider range of student interests in physical education and health classes. These changes include the addition of Lifelong
Fitness, Competitive Games, Get Fit, Crossfit, Human Sexuality, Life 101, and Mind/Body/Spirit. These changes benefit many students.  Some like gym more this year because it is different. The offerings go beyond traditional options and students find them enjoyable.

We thank you, Ms. Casey, for your drive and passion to improve the wellness of students. Your award is greatly deserved!