GHS welcomes new dean of students

With six different administrators in the last four years at GHS, students may be left asking what sets Mr. Robert Gallinelli apart from the rest?  “He seems interested in getting to know us,”  said Carly Curcuru, a sophomore.

Mr. Gallinelli, a Salem man, recently got tired of the drive in and out of Boston for his job as 9th grade academy director, so he decided to look for another job closer to home. And that is how he found the job as the dean of students of Gloucester High School.

This year represents a transition for Gallinelli.  At his last job in the Boston school system, which he likened to being  “almost principal,” Gallinelli dealt primarily with curriculum development and teacher evaluations.  This year, however, his job deals mostly with direct interaction with the students– and he is looking forward to that.

 Gallinelli, who describes himself as “friendly” and “always available,” wants students to trust him and to view him as approachable. “I want students to come up and say hi,” said Mr. Gallinelli.

 Many students have seen Gallinelli at lunch, standing outside the doors to the kitchen, shaking hands with them and asking for their names. Gallinelli can also be seen at the athletic entrance doors in the morning, holding them open for the students.

“He just seems pretty nice in general,” said Lauren Benchoff, a sophomore.

Jenna Taormina, a sophomore goalie for the field hockey team, said “He always sees me in the morning with my giant field hockey bag and asks if there’s a small child in there.”

Gallinelli says his biggest challenge will be learning names of students, since his last job did not require that.  Gallinelli said that this year he looks forward to getting involved with events like dances. He even wants to bring his wife and his kids to them.

 Gallinelli described himself to be “dorky and annoying at first” when trying to get to know everyone. But so far, students have found him to be nice and friendly. However, at the end of the day he is still the Dean of Students.

“My job is to maintain a safe environment,” Gallinelli said.   Though he says he believes that his position as dean does not necessarily make him powerful,  he still has to enforce the rules.