Mr. McCullough's Birthday Spread

Mr. McCullough reaches his 72nd birthday on November 27th, 2015.

To celebrate, the Pinetree Post interviewed the man himself about his plans for this very special day, and for the many days yet to come.

Interview by Beverley Fung Graphics and layout by Emily Liang

I R B T Y H P D P Y H

Mr. McCullough

T CAKE F H OR THOUG PTP: What are your plans for your birthday this year?

Mr. M: I don’t have any plans. I haven’t really got any plans. At school, I don’t know.

Somebody will do something - usually Mrs. Hamilton starts something off, so I’m not sure. At home, I think my wife has something planned to be together with my son. He just had a new grandson, got married and now I think we’ll do something to celebrate that. And I think my grandson who lives in Calgary might be flying out ‘cause he’s in grade 2 now so he may fly out to be with his grandfather. I really don’t know. I just thank everyone that I’m still alive and get to get up every morning and go for a walk and come to Pinetree.

PTP: What is your favourite flavour of cake?

Mr. M: Cake? I like sponge cake. I like it with frosted icing - boiled icing.You may have to look it up. It’s called boiled icing and it’s outstanding. And then I like money put in the cake. Put quarters, but now that things are expensive we can put toonies too, wrap them up in wax paper and put them in the cake.

PTP: How many years have you been at Pinetree? What is your favourite memory?

Mr. M: It’s been going on 13 years now. There’s so many - so many moments. One that I can just think of right now is commencement for grade 12s two years ago. Not this past year, but the year before. Just out of the blue, everybody in the audience including the grads actually gave me a plaque said to me - I didn’t even know it was coming - “The most caring principal at Pinetree”. So that’s been quite memorable. I haven’t forgotten that because it caught me by surprise. And then I guess, I have happy moments every morning.

Coming to school every morning - it’s really an uplifts. And I come and I simply listen and talk with kids as they come into school. Every day that’s a highlight. I’m really fortunate to be able to do that.

PTP: How has Pinetree changed since your first year here?

Mr. M: It was a huge school when I came here - we had over 1800 kids. I came here 2004. It was very, very big. On the old timetable, it worked really well - the school ran really well. But it, it was big. In my opinion, it was too big for a high school. High school should be somewhere between 1400 1600 kids. So what’s really changed is that we’ve come down to about 1450 kids. It’s really workable. It’s easy for me now to get to know everyone’s first name and faces over the four years, which to me is very important. The teachers have enjoyed their jobs here and they’ve stayed. And I think that’s what’s really made Pinetree Secondary a strong school. Strong teachers in the classroom, kids that want to be here and are interested in learning have goals in mind. They’re also highly respectful. That’s what makes it such a wonderful place.

PTP: What are you going to miss most about Pinetree?

Mr. M: You guys. I’m going to miss all the kids here. All of you that are here.

My wife will tell you if you were to talk to her that my life revolves around you guys. I can’t wait to get to school in the morning, hang out. Friday is a bad day because you’re all leaving and I won’t see you for two days. That’s that’s important to me. It’s going to be difficult when the time comes.

PTP: What final message do you want to leave for the students of Pinetree?

Mr. M: You mean if I go? ‘Cause remember, I haven’t put in a retirement letter. As far as I am concerned, there is a board policy that says I should be moved anywhere between 5 and 8 years. I’ve been here almost 13 years. I have been arguing for the last 3 years that I shouldn’t be moved and I’ve been able to stay. But on March 31st, that will be the decision at that time whether or not I can stay. If I can’t stay and they want to move me to another high school then I will put my retirement letter in. And at the end of July, I will retire. So that’s sort of - it’s tentative whether I’m going or not. Does it look very promising? Not really. But still in the back of my mind. I am concerned about what happens should I have to leave. About the things I value at this school, will someone keep them going? Will we do the things that I think are important which are: get to know everybody in the school, get out and about, get to know their names, talk to them, do things that will make the kids positive and happy. Like this year, everything is around things like be happy, think happy, put a smile on your face - like the music I play. I hope people, whoever comes in, will do those things. I don’t know.