Page 18 - DIPAULA

It only takes one minute to scan through the timeline of any Hammond social media page to note the vast number of events that principal Dr. John DiPaula attends on a daily basis ranging from meetings, conferences, celebrations, concerts, field trips to athletic competitions. It doesn’t seem humanly possible for one person, and it would be so easy to pawn off these responsibilities to an assistant principal or staff member, but he believes there is no substitute for presence. And this is just one component of his responsibilities as a high school principal.
Given the number of activities on any single day, some of which may conflict or the location might be off-campus, it is impressive how he can function and focus. Most folks would need to rely on their GPS, Calendar, and Alarms to manage this chock-full schedule, but somehow Dr. DiPaula makes it look effortless, and when this Principal is at a function, he is present and fully engaged.
Dr. DiPaula works every night, either home or away, to build relationships with our community and to show support for our students and staff.
Last year, Dr. DiPaula as a second year principal was assigned two new Assistant Principals, which he happily took under his wing. He spent each day mentoring and coaching them through the rigors of becoming a high school administrator. Both of them grew immensely and Dr. DiPaula continues to assist them through new challenges.