USC Assistant Principal Named Best in State

's assistant principal, Louis Angelo, was chosen as the 2012 Assistant Principal of the Year by the Pennsylvania Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals.

"I'm really excited about it; I'm very honored," Angelo said.

Angelo started his career as an English teacher at Upper St. Clair High School. Five years later, he left the district to become the athletic director for the .

While athletic director, Angelo started a captains' breakfast, in which the sport teams' captains would meet during the season to talk about leadership and mental toughness. Various speakers would join the breakfast meetings, following the theme Angelo created: "Learning How to Win in the Game of Life."

Two years later in Nov. 2006, Angelo returned to Upper St. Clair to become assistant principal. He wanted to take the captains' breakfast idea and somehow make it available to the entire student body.

When Superintendent Patrick O'Toole was hired, he brought training to the administrators based on the book "Total Leaders." It was that training that gave Angelo the framework to create Upper St. Clair's leadership academies, which was the focus of Angelo's nominination, written by Douglas Kirchner, high school social studies curriculum leader.

The leadership academy is a one-week summer workshop at the end of July. In the summer of 2010, 20 high school students participated. In 2011, the leadership academy was opened up to students in grades 4, 6 and 8, as well as the high schoolers, and 130 students participated.

"It's been everything we hoped it would be," Angelo said. "Our community believes in continuous improvement and our kids buy into it, even if it means giving up some summer vacation.

"I expect the kids are going to learn the skills that will positively impact our world. And that's a huge responsiblility to be willing to take on."

"Lou wasn't assigned (to create the leadership academies), he took it and did it himself," Superintendent Patrick O'Toole said.

"This award is very well deserved," said Barbara Bolas, Upper St. Clair School Board's vice president.

Angelo will now be in the running to become the assistant principal of the year on the national level.

Angelo lives in Peters Township with his wife, Whitney, and two sons, Louis, who is 4 years old, and Jonathan, who is 11 weeks old.

Share your congratulations with Mr. Angelo! Tell him in the comments.