Fran Sciullo, Assistant Principal at AE O'Block Jr. High School

It’s the Tuesday before school starts and the halls at A. E. O’Block Junior High School, in Plum,are packed. Walking through the building like pirates with treasure maps, parents and students search for various classrooms. It’s a walkthrough orientation for kids to scout their routes before actually heading to classes on the following Monday. Down the hall bellows a friendly, joking voice, “You’re still here??!!” The jesting comes from the brand new Assistant Principal, Mr. Fran Sciullo, who is roving through the halls to offer assistance. The happy group he’s speaking to laughs along with him; then all begin conversing excitedly.

Such was the scene when I traveled to Plum to meet Mr. Sciullo. During our discussion, it became obvious that his enthusiasm and commitment to building successful students powerfully affects both students and faculty. Mr. Sciullo earned his Bachelor of Science degree at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. There he played defensive back on the football team for four years. He soon gained the position of teaching Social Studies at Plum Senior High School and went on to obtain his Masters of Instruction and Curriculum as well as his principal’s certification at Gannon University. While teaching for five years, he also served as an assistant coach for the junior high football and varsity track teams.

To help students reach academic excellence, Mr. Sciullo explains that the faculty is committed to keeping an affirmative, encouraging atmosphere at the school. He states, “By far, what makes us unique is the overwhelmingly positive learning environment. You wouldn’t believe the number of students, even college students, who come back to tell us what a wonderful experience they had here.” As a teacher, Mr. Sciullo promoted this positive attitude in his students every day. He relates, “Each student brings a different attitude and a different way of looking at things. Sometimes they bring problems. You have to guide them through the obstacles. Sometimes it’s just keeping a big smile on your face.” In addition, he regularly incorporated life lessons into his classes. As an administrator now, he still sees himself in the role of a teacher. “I look at myself as a guide, coach, teacher, and mentor.”

Maintaining the upbeat, warm attitude at O’Block Junior High has afforded excellent academic results. For the past four years, the school received the “Adequate Yearly Progress Award” for performance on the Pennsylvania state assessments in math and reading. Mr. Sciullo adds, “We are very proud of our seventh and eighth grade students for this achievement.”

Mr. Sciullo enjoys attending extracurricular activities at the junior or senior high school with his wife, Lindsay. Lindsay is a teacher. They stay busy watching sporting events and all of the various student activities. In addition, they are active “outdoors people” participating in several sports themselves, including biking, and they enjoy landscaping. Their faithful companions are two Corgis.

Along with continuing to grow with the district, Mr. Sciullo has a goal of pursuing higher education possibly working toward a doctorate degree. He considers teaching adult classes someday. But his highest goal for each day embraces the purpose of his school, “preparing the seventh and eighth graders for the next step.” His focus is to build skills for success to help students gain a granite foundation for ninth through twelfth grades. “The faculty and administration does and excellent job of preparing our students for moving up to the high school. We want them to have a smooth transition.” He adds, “Hopefully they are able to grow and learn from life lessons they’ve learned here.”

When asked what he finds most rewarding, he answers, “I could give you a giant list. The number one item, however, is knowing that I played an active part in the lives of the seventh and eighth graders; knowing I had a hand in preparing them to take the next step.” With a big smile on his face he relates, “When they come back to visit, it’s amazing the change they have gone through as they have become young adults in the community. Sometimes I have a hard time recognizing them. They say things like, ‘Thank you for keeping me after class. Thank you for making me aware that I control my actions.’ That’s very rewarding.”

Though Mr. Sciullo has just begun his adventure as an administrator, he has certainly sprinted out of the blocks with his eyes focused on the prize – successful students.