Sean Gildea

Just as a fervent squad of cheerleaders rouses a crowd of fans to cheer wildly at a football game, a vivacious principal can stir up unbelievable excitement and zeal for children of all ages. Mr. Sean Gildea, principal at Martin Elementary School, is sparking a blaze of enthusiasm for learning. He is an energetic leader cheering on his students to a captivating school spirit and to higher levels of achievement. To heat up the fervor in his gang, Mr. Gildea opens every assembly with a cheer. He shouts into the microphone, "We are…" And the kids yell, "Martin!!" Back and forth they cheer, "We are… Martin!!" Mr. Gildea asserts, "The kids love it!" Teachers agree that the school spirit builds a better atmosphere for kids working together to reach their goals. Taking the helm as principal this year, Mr. Gildea has initiated several new programs to increase learning and academic achievement. The first program stems from his position as the Curriculum Coordinator for kindergarten through fifth grades. To build stronger skills, he is developing a district wide system for third graders to practice prompts (reading and math problems) for the yearly PSSA tests. Mr. Gildea explains that the more students prepare for the exams by practicing similar problems, the better they do. Another initiative is an exciting multiplication competition for Martin's third graders. The students help each other study their multiplication facts with flashcards and games. Then they take daily and weekly practice quizzes with 100 problems to be completed in 6 minutes. Each time they try to improve their score. For the big competition, the class with the highest average wins a pizza party. Second and third place prizes will be awarded too, with a special grand prize. If all students achieve a certain average, they win a fieldtrip for the entire third grade. In addition, a teacher is donating t-shirts to all the participants. The kids are so thrilled with their progress, that they run up to Mr. Gildea to tell him their newest scores. The entire school is a buzz with the resonance of learning. When describing Martin Elementary, the new principal beams with pride. "The staff here is excellent. They are willing to bend over backwards and do whatever it takes to help the kids succeed," he relates. "The students are very well behaved." He adds, "The highlight of my day is when they smile and say, 'Hi, Mr. Gildea!'" He's also proud that his students had outstanding test scores for the 2003 PSSA. "Our school ranked as one of the highest scores for elementary buildings in the district." Mr. Gildea's education and experience includes working with children at several different grade levels, but he has always wanted to be a principal for elementary age children. After attending Plum High School, he obtained his degree in Elementary Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He began teaching for first and second grades while gaining his master's degree in Administration and Policy Studies as well as his principal's certification at the University of Pittsburgh. Next while serving as head coach for Kiski's Girls Varsity Soccer Team, he taught five years in third and sixth grades for the Kiski Area School District. Last year Mr. Gildea accepted the position as Assistant Principal at Valley Middle School. Now as principal at Martin, he is the Coordinator for the Act 48 Teachers' Certification and for the Induction Plan for new teachers. Mr. Gildea's loves spending time with his wife, Amy and two boys, Jackson, 4, and Lucas, 2. He's also soon to be the proud father of a baby girl. His other hobbies include training for a triathlon at the gym every morning at 5:00am and playing golf in a league. Reflecting on his greatest contribution to the school, Mr. Gildea responds, "It is my enthusiasm about education and learning, as well as my love for the kids." He adds, "I'm still a teacher at heart."