Paul Caleca is a Blue Devil at Heart
Paul Caleca’s day starts early at Huntington High School. He walks through the front door at about 5:50 a.m. There is a stillness in the hallways, which will spring to life 90 minutes later as more than 1,400 students and 200 faculty and support staff members start to filter in and go about their daily rituals.
Mr. Caleca is one of the building’s deans. He grew up in Queens and graduated from Forest Hills High School in 1982. Students frequently pick-up the Queens accent he maintains to this day.
Following high school, Mr. Caleca studied at CUNY-Queens College, earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in physical education. He later obtained state certification in school administration and supervision.
Mr. Caleca’s career began in Brooklyn as a physical education teacher. He would go on to spend a good chunk of his professional life at a junior high school in Queens. “A physical education degree is almost all science, so I started as a biology teacher, then moved to the gym,” he said. He also coached junior varsity and varsity baseball at Bayside High School.
After spending eight years teaching physical education and health, Mr. Caleca moved to the dean’s office for a four year stint before becoming an assistant principal. He left Queens and the New York City school system to take a job in Valley Stream as an assistant principal. From there he came to Huntington.
“I became a physical education teacher because I loved sports,” Mr. Caleca said. “As I started teaching, my love for my students outweighed my love of sports. When I became an assistant principal, it became more about the business of education and less of the hands on education of students. So in 2007, when I saw the dean’s job available here at Huntington High School, I applied. I’m glad I was an assistant principal. It was very beneficial experience, but I love being a dean. It’s my niche.”
Enjoys interacting with students
When asked to cite some of the highlights of his time in Huntington, Mr. Caleca said that’s a hard thing to do. “I don’t think there’s one highlight,” he said. “Growing up in Queens, we didn’t have homecoming or a pep rally or float night. Coming here and experiencing that was great. It never gets old. Those are still my favorite events. I love attending the sporting events. I try to go to as many games in all different sports as much as I can; both boys’ and girls’ sports, JV and varsity. It’s not just the sports. I feel like a dad going to see his own kids play.”
Mr. Caleca is very visible around the high school. “The best part of my job is the reason I took it,” he said. “I enjoy interacting and just being there for my kids. Students stop by all the time to talk to me about situations that are going on in their lives and very often seek out advice and guidance, not only from me, but from all the deans in this building.”
Arriving to work very early is part and parcel of who Mr. Caleca is. “I’m a freak about being on time,” he said. “I haven’t been late to work in 26 years, so I get here around 6 a.m. First, I check my e-mails and organize my desk for the day. At 6:40 I go to the point and direct the traffic. Originally, I started doing this as a way to keep unauthorized students from parking in the lot. Interestingly, this job has taken on a life of its own. When I’m in the village, people often stop me and say, ‘Hey! You’re the guy that waves to us in the morning.’ When I finally retire, after spending over 30 years in education, I’ll be remembered as the guy that waves in the morning.”
Once all students are safely ensconced in the building, Mr. Caleca handles any discipline referrals that might have some his way. “I check cuts and lateness to class,” he said. “I try to be out in the halls as much as possible. I think I say, ‘Put away your phone!’ ‘Take your head phones off!’ and ‘Get to class, please!’ about 10,000 times per day.”
A people person
If Mr. Caleca is anything, he’s a people person. “The best part of my day is interacting with the students,” he said. “I’ve often told parents, ‘These are your children from 2:30 to 7:30, but from 7:30 until 2:30, they’re mine.’ I’m a dean, but I still consider myself a teacher; only now I teach responsibility and respect. I demand that upperclassman carry themselves like college bound adults. I know I ask a lot, but I truly love my kids. I see myself as a strict father more than anything else.”
A new high school administration is in place this year, including former assistant principal Brenden Cusack, who is now Huntington’s principal and two new assistant principals in Joseph DiTroia and Gamal Smith.
“It has been a pleasure working with Mr. Smith and Mr. DiTroia,” Mr. Caleca said. “They both bring new energy and experience into our building. I’m a big fan of our new principal, Mr. Cusack. He is one of the smartest people I have ever met. He is an excellent administrator; but much more importantly, he’s a great person. He’s kind, he’s fair and compassionate and he’s empathetic. No matter how busy he is, he takes time to listen to anyone who needs him. He truly cares about Huntington High School and every person in it; students and staff alike. It is my prediction that Mr. Cusack will go on to be known as, not only one of Huntington’s best principals, but one of the best principals on Long Island.”
Mr. Caleca loves food. “That’s why I was 233 lbs. when school ended last year,” he said. The longtime educator has since lost a substantial amount of weight and is proud of it.
“I love going to restaurants in the city as well as all the great places right here in Huntington,” Mr. Caleca said. “I love animals. I never meet a dog I didn’t like. I love sports. I’m a big Met, Jet and Ranger fan. At 51, I don’t play ball or hockey that much anymore, but I am an archer and enjoy competing with my bow.”
Mr. Caleca assisted with the baseball team at J. Taylor Finley Middle School last spring. This fall, he has been on the chain crew at junior varsity and varsity home football games.
“If I can leave a legacy here, I hope people will say ‘He really cared and he really loved us,” Mr. Caleca said. “I may have been born in Queens, but I’ll die a Blue Devil.”