Castonguay appointed as Dean of Students
Words were said…
Like a true South Hadley Tiger, Eric Castonguay pounced on the opportunity to become Dean of Students for the 2014-15 school year. This prominent leadership role was previously held by Science Teacher Matthew Benoit.
Castonguay has been teaching here for 8 years as a physical education teacher, but he said that when he first started he never expected that he would ever become the Dean of Students. In fact, when he first started, there was no such job.
The position was created two years ago by the Superintendent and School Committee after Vice Principal Ted McCarthy took the position of Principal to Sutton High School.
As dean, Castonguay’s primary job is to handle students who were marked absent on previous days, and, if necessary, hand out disciplinary measures if students skip classes
When the job opened up, Castonguay said he was ready to jump in and take over. “I wanted to be the dean because I got my masters degree in administration,” Castonguay said. “I feel like I can contribute more to the overall educational process this way.”
The best part about being dean is that I get to interact with more students than I did as just a P.E. teacher.
— Eric Castonguay
In order to take over this position, Castonguay needed to make some major changes to his schedule. He only teaches two physical education classes a day now, but he said that he likes it that way. Castonguay says that it gives him more time during the day to be a “presence in the hallway.”
“It’s good working with Mr. C. He really is a team player, he’ll do anything for the school,” Vice Principal Patrick Lemieux said, “He’s super passionate about his job so it makes things easier when you have someone who is so invested in the school.”
As much as he says he loves his new job, Castonguay still has a special place for teaching. He is happy that he still has the two classes to teach, but is also happy that he holds a position with more authority in the school.
“I get to be a part of the process of how the school runs on a daily basis and I like that, while still teaching P.E which is what I started off with,” he said.
Physical Education Shane Harrington said he is happy for his friend, but his job has been affected also. “It’s been lonely,” Harrington said. “Mr. C and I used to work collaboratively and conjoin blocks, but because of his schedule we don’t see each other as much.”
However, Harrington said he believes that Castonguay was the best option for the job. “He is personable and very well known,” Harrington said. “When students are in a time of need, I feel as though they are more comfortable approaching him rather than an administrative adult they either don’t really know, or can’t personally connect to.”
Oliveira may be reached at [email protected]
