Casali wins longest commute
By Schellandie Adriana Cherisson, Staff Writer
January 23, 2024
John Casali, math teacher at Norwood High School, might be the teacher who drives the longest to school. Living in Cape Cod, Mr. Casali dedicates an hour and thirty five minutes (without traffic) to come teach at the school he’s been working at for 30 years.
Casali is a pretty well-known math teacher. He teaches Algebra 1, Geometry and Statistics. He resides in room 222 on the second floor of the building. He’s described as “a really enthusiastic teacher” by Mrs. Susan Vaccaro, his colleague and another math teacher.
Mr. Casali’s wife is actually from Massachusetts while he is a New York native. They first lived together in Norwood as a married couple before they both wanted to go live in Cape Cod.
“I’m from New York, yo!” he said with a wide smile on his face.
Casali’s love of math is evident to many of his students.
“Math is a beautiful thing. It makes perfect sense,” he said.
Mr. Casali is also known for his masterful teaching and how he always has an answer when it comes to math.
“He’s helpful. He knows everything in the world about math.” Susan Vaccaro also said.
“He made the math class so much faster. It actually made me learn. First time in my life actually learning something.” said Sophomore Gabriel Silva.
“I think he’s just a good teacher,” he added.
“He’s a really good math teacher. He really explains nicely how to break down math problems and unlike other teachers, he’s really helpful,” said Sophomore Shyla Civil.
Casali isn’t only smart but also really funny. Even in the hallways where he stands by his room and smiles as he greets his old and present students and colleagues.
“He’s a vibe.” said Sophomore Meghan Savilia, who had Casali for Algebra 1 during her freshman year.
“He’s funny,” Freshman Maria Valyrakis said.
Casali has worked in Norwood High School for thirty full years, three decades in the same school. Before becoming a teacher, Mr. Casali was a construction worker and used to work with airplanes for a while, which is definitely why he’s so good at math.
“My only full time period experience has been in Norwood High School. The old high school out in front and this one, the new one,” Mr. Casali said.
As to why he never got a job where he lives, Casali said, “I don’t mind driving.”
That hour and thirty minutes commute leads him to classrooms full of teenagers.
Before teaching at Norwood High School, Casali used to do student teaching at a middle school merged with a high school. Yet, when he moved to Norwood, Massachusetts, he gravitated towards high school age students.
“The students are more aware, more developed. It can be a troubling age group but I like to work with this age group,” said Casali.
Casali holds a sparkle in his eyes and a smile on his face as he talks about the beauty of teaching.
He is also known for giving people nicknames and it is one special trait about him that everyone noticed.
“That’s a wonderful thing about teaching and seeing young people. You can see their personality and observe things and you get to know them a little bit and there’s always something special about every student," he shares.