A Good Age: A special dad steps up to help his daughter teach kindergarten in Weymouth

WEYMOUTH − If only every teacher could have the same go-to resource that Melissa Staffier has: Her dad.

Staffier is a kindergarten teacher at the Nash Primary School in Weymouth. Ken Abbott is a retired music and special education teacher with extra skills in reading and math.

Last fall, in her fourth year of teaching, Staffier faced her largest, most diverse classroom with a wide range of student abilities. There were big learning gaps; some children were almost ready for first grade, others were not yet reading. She worried about being able to reach each child on their own level and prepare them all for first grade.

"I had more kids with more needs," Staffier, 41, said. "There were more differences among them, each one needing different things to become their own best self and go on to first grade."

A special surprise: How Weymouth surprised Ken Abbott with a 'Good Morning America' special appearance

Her father, who has been retired for 11 years, listened to her concerns and said, "Why don't I come in twice a week and help you out?"

On Mondays and Wednesdays, he has been driving up from Hanson to do just that.

As he listened to his daughter's concerns about the schoolchildren, Abbott said he felt a longing to "spend a little more time with those children who are already beginning the reading process. I asked, 'Could I come in and listen to them read?' I love doing that, and once you start, little by little, they reel you in."

More: Administrators work to address violence, 'very significant' issues at Weymouth school

Now, more than six months later, "he walks in the door and lights up the building," Nancy Schuhwerk, the Nash School principal, said. She hasn't heard of any other such classroom arrangement, a father-and-daughter team, but she knows this one has been a definite plus.

"He has the full engagement of the whole classroom and it is a true honor to have him be part of our team," Schuhwerk said. "And he is the kindest, most genuine person."

His presence frees up Staffier and her associate, Eileen Malone, to work with all students.

Bill Begley: Weymouth soliciting cards for longtime volunteer reaching 100th birthday

A Good Age: 'The ladies who lunch, an invincible bunch'; let's go meet Frances Perkins

School is a true family affair

Staffier's mother, Ginny Abbott, is also a retired teacher. She taught fifth grade and computer education in the Braintree schools for 26 years. When Staffier was raising three children and working toward her master's degree in early-childhood education, Ginny Abbott picked up Staffier's youngest child from preschool every day.

And now, while Ken Abbott is playing his electric keyboard with his daughter's kindergarten class preparing a Peter Rabbit song story, Ginny has come in to read to the class and will return soon to lead set design for the performance.

Their experience offers a new look at both the possibilities in retirement and also how schools might find unusual solutions as they recover from the effects of the pandemic.

Ken Abbott graduated from Braintree High School in 1971 and in 1975 from Boston University, where he studied music education. He quickly landed a teaching job in Weymouth and taught music at five primary schools, traveling from one to the other, for 10 years. He saw youngsters in a variety of learning situations and felt drawn to special education.

"I was a good student, but I wouldn't say everything came just like that, and I enjoy the process of breaking things down into manageable chunks for the children. There is a great deal of satisfaction," he said.

After obtaining a master's degree in special education at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, he remained in Weymouth for the rest of his 36-year education career, teaching reading and special education.

"I enjoy working with people of all ages, so it was an obvious career path," he said.

In 2011, he took early-retirement incentives and has since volunteered for Meals on Wheels and as an escort volunteer at South Shore Hospital, and has served on several boards at Old South Union Church in Weymouth.

"I'm very proud to have a daughter following in education," he said. "She is a natural and has creativity and the personality that can roll with the punches."

Melissa Abbott grew up wanting to be a teacher, graduated from Stonehill College in 2004, married Tony Staffier in 2006 and waited to complete her teaching credentials until after their three children were all in full-day school. Her daughter is now 12, her sons 10 and 8. She student-taught at the Wessagusset School in Weymouth while her youngest was in preschool.

Staffier landed her first classroom position in the fall of 2020 at the height of COVID. She met and taught her first kindergarten class online. This is her fourth year of teaching, her third in the classroom.

'That's a no': Clean Harbors won't commit to air monitoring at site of Braintree chemical fire

Woman hit while crossing Newport Avenue; it's Quincy's 15th pedestrian crash this year

Weymouth school volunteer is 'brave and courageous'

Seeing Staffier and her father in the classroom together is witnessing their shared pride in the children.

"He retired so many years ago that the children in front of him years ago were so different from today," Schuhwerk said as she visited the class last week. "He's brave and courageous and really wants to embrace their education and support his daughter at the same time."

Shuhwerk has a very personal perspective. Her son, Andrew, was a special education student who had Abbott as a teacher and will graduate from college this year with a degree in environmental science. When he went off to college, he wrote a letter thanking Abbott for helping him achieve that goal.

"As a parent, even though I was in education, the process can feel overwhelming and confusing," Nancy Schuhwerk said. "You can feel you didn't do enough, and Mr. Abbott brought me through the whole process with kindness and compassion."

Reach Sue Scheible at sscheible@patriotledger.com.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Diverse Weymouth kindergarten has extra help from teacher's dad