Mrs. Jessee Clements is the new assistant principal at Abington High School. She joined the AHS community this school year, along with Principal Jonathan Bourn.

Growing up in Eastern Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley Area, Clements attended Pen Argyl Area High School, whose colors like AHS are green and white. She made her way to Massachusetts for college where she attended Brandeis University in Waltham. She majored in math.

Clements did not always know that she wanted to become a teacher, much less an assistant principal. She went into three years of accounting work before finding her call to teaching.

Bridgewater State University is where Clements went to get her teaching license for high school math. She then worked as the Dean of the Math Department at Durfee High School in Fall River before a friend told her to go for an Assistant Principal position, which brought her here to AHS. This is her first year in this role.

When asked why she chose to work with high school students, Clements replied that she had a good time in high school. Because she enjoyed it, she wanted to teach that level of math. Also, Clements wants to engage with students as much as possible, and wants to make a positive influence on the high school experience.

Of course, as 2020 rolls on, one of the big questions is how Clements’ job has changed because of the current Covid-19 situation? Sadly, interacting with students face-to-face has been one of the main problems.

Clements says that she has had to change from interacting in-person to interacting over the phone or computer, and there are fewer opportunities to really get to know students.

Her goals moving forward are to try to create more relationships with students, and wants lunch to turn into a period where she can engage with students.

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When asked what being a positive role model meant to her, she mentioned that she wants to keep “a positive hard-working mindset” even through these times. Clements wants to be the familiar face that you can come to and have a chat with at any time, and she will always be around for a quick, “Hello.”

Clements added that, “When they [the students] graduate, I want them to be confident with what comes next for them… I want to have prepared them to be an 18 year old.”

When not working hard at the school, Clements said she loves to spend time with her family. Also, watching the WWE, although, she said, “my family doesn’t like it. They’re like ‘Mom…turn that off.’” Her favorite band is the British rock band  The Who and one of her favorite movies is the 1987 film Spaceballs.