Bacalia To Begin New Chapter on January 4, 2016

By Lauren Ahern and Nayeli Sanchez

After two and a half years of being an assistant principal at Pueblo, Mr. Joel Bacalia has accepted a job at University High School, which he will officially start, full-time, on January 4, 2016.

Bacalia said that one of the reasons why he is accepting this assignment is because of proximity to his wife and children.

He added that he has already been transitioning to University High School for the past several weeks. Eventually at UHS, Bacalia will be in charge of curriculum and instruction, which is what he has been his assignment and duties at Pueblo since the fall of 2013.

His other responsibilities at UHS will include completing teacher evaluations, supervision duties, leading and teaming with the counseling department, and helping to promote the school.

Though he has only been at Pueblo for two and a half years, Bacalia will miss many teachers, staff members and students.

At the last spirit assembly, on Friday, December 4, 2015, Bacalia realized that, “these [members of the Pueblo community] are my people”. He expressed that making a decision to accept the position at University High School was not an easy one.

Bacalia hopes that after he leaves Pueblo, his legacy will be for students, teachers and staff members to think back and say that he was “a good part of their day”.  If that doesn’t work, then Bacalia hopes that he is remembered for his “beard and colored pants”, he added.

“I really do believe in the theory, ‘Once a Warrior, always a Warrior’,” Bacalia asserted.