Taking Care of Teachers

Mrs. Kate Casey, Director of Wellness in the Abington Public Schools, Nurtures Not Only Students

Mr. Peter Serino, Athletic Director at AHS, with permission

Abington Middle-High School’s Fitness Center is open to all students, faculty, and staff. The Fitness Center, part of the new school project, was completed in 2017 and contains up-to-date equipment.

Matthew Lyons, Digital Media Editor
March 29, 2019

Teaching can be a very stressful and very busy job. With all of the grading and prepping, it can be hard for some teachers to get their daily recommendation of physical activity.

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I think it is extremely importantly for everyone to maintain a level of fitness so they can function better in life and prevent injuries and illnesses.

— Kate Casey

Enter Ms. Kate Casey. Ms. Casey is the Wellness Director, a teacher at Abington High School, as well as the “Wellness Coordinator of the Year.” She has been a part of Abington for a long time, first as a soccer coach in 2006 and then as a teacher in 2012.

She has recently started an after-school workout program for faculty. This program, though it only started in January, has accumulated twenty-five members. It is widely appreciated by the staff.

When asked about the origin of this program, Ms. Casey said, “I watched a documentary about a teacher who did this in her school and I thought to myself, I can do that! I am going to make it happen. So I did.”

Ms. Casey is the “advisor” of the group as she instructs the members on what they should do, helps them, and gives them advice on how they can get in better shape.

When talking about the importance of exercise, she said, “I think it is extremely importantly for everyone to maintain a level of fitness so they can function better in life and prevent injuries and illnesses.”

Ms. Susan Tirrell, a paraprofessional at the Abington Middle School and a member of this after school program said she likes the program and Ms. Casey’s guidance. “I like the fact that Ms. Casey modifies the exercises to everyone individually, making it comfortable for everyone,” Ms. Tirrell said.

Ms. Casey is very passionate about physical education and loves to get involved in the community, so naturally, this offering to her colleagues in the school’s Fitness Room was a perfect program for her to run.