Each and every year, students and teachers witness changes in staff throughout the district, and this year we are biding many goodbye, including one of our executive assistants, Mr. McCaw.

However, the former teacher, advisor, and administrator is not leaving the district, but moving to the Ames Campus to assume his position as principal.  

Though his job is new, Mr. McCaw is no stranger to the Ames Campus, as he taught English there for nine years prior to becoming supervisor of secondary education at the main campus in 2012.

His past tasks have ranged greatly alongside his variety of jobs in the district.  As a teacher, he was responsible for both educating and supporting his students.  In the special education department, he was responsible for all students with special needs.  While executive assistant, he created schedules and oversaw the out of school suspension program (OSS), home instruction, and night school.  Now, his role is changing and he will have to use skills gained from his past roles to work with the staff and students at the Ames Campus.

As for a favorite of these jobs, Mr. McCaw leans towards teaching, yet he really loves everything he has had the opportunity to do.

“I really adore teaching.  As a teacher, I felt like I was directly, positively affecting the students” Mr. McCaw said.

Starting this year, Mr. McCaw will have the hefty responsibility of securing the health, safety, and welfare of every student and staff member in the building at all times, as well as making decisions that are in the best interests of the kids.

Though he will soon surely have a lot on his plate, Mr. McCaw has no doubt in his mind that he will succeed.

“In my previous roles, I’ve dealt with a whole range of issues so I feel very confident in my abilities, however, I’ve always had the support of other people” he said.

He is very appreciative to have had the helping hands of both Ms. Jean Castelli, a colleague of his in the special education department, and Dr. Barbara Williams, former principal of MHS.  Mr. McCaw is very excited to become this both reliable and supportive person for his co workers in Ames.

He is also excited to “work collaboratively with teachers, with parents, with students, and with the community to enrich and expand opportunities for all students both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as work with Mr. DiClemente and Mr. Esposito to create a 7-12 continuum to prepare students for post secondary endeavors.”

As far as hopes and goals, Mr. McCaw aspires to prepare students as best he can so that their transition to the main campus is reasonable.

“I want  to students to look back at their time here and I want them to feel they were well supported, appropriately challenged, taught the skills and given the confidence necessary to pursue as their future goals” Mr. McCaw said

Though many students have a negative opinion towards Ames and the time they spent there, Mr. McCaw believes that it isn’t really the school that students dislike.

“I think we are comparing privileges, not schools” he said.

All in all, Mr. McCaw is excited to have a job and a place to call home in Massapequa.