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By JOSELYN KING
WHEELING -- Triadelphia Middle School Principal Andrew Seals is setting the stage for leadership and communication at the school.
Seals, 43, is in his first year as principal at Triadelphia. He has been in education for 18 years.
"My role within Ohio County Schools -- and specifically Triadelphia Middle School -- is to provide leadership, direction and coordination within the school dealing with academics,student and staff scheduling, discipline and communication," he said.
Seals said a typical workday begins with his personally greeting students and teachers as they arrive.
"I believe this gets the day started in a positive way and allows us to interact with all of the students within the school," he explained. "After morning announcements, we typically deal with any discipline issues from the previous day."
Seals next makes it a priority to complete care calls to students' homes as early as possible.
"These are students that haven't been called off by a parent or guardian, but who show up on the absence list," he said. "I try to move throughout the school popping into classrooms and am usually monitoring a hallway between classes.
"My day continues with lunch duty, and this is another way for us to interact with the students in a positive manner."
The afternoon is typically dictated "by whatever is going on during the early part of the school day," Seals continued. This may include parent calls, teacher meetings, and monitoring student dismissals.
His motto is: "Wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it, and right is right even if no one is doing it."
Seals began coaching for Ohio County Schools while attending West Liberty University, and he said he enjoyed working with administrators, teachers and student athletes from different schools throughout the county.
"The Ohio Valley is a wonderful place to live and raise a family," Seals said. "We have quality schools and access to higher education."
He said teachers and other young people entering the workforce need to be able to work and play well with others.
"I believe in order to be successful you must be self motivated and willing to work with different personalities," Seals explained. "Appropriate communication skills will allow you to continue to grow and develop in your chosen career."
He credits his coaching background as giving him the experience he needed to lead in the classroom and in the school.
"I believe my experience as a coach while in college helped me understand the importance of planning and organization, as well as developing positive student and parent relationships," Seals said.
"I look forward to continuing to move Triadelphia Middle School in a positive direction, preparing our students for Wheeling Park High School and giving them the best middle school experience possible."
Seals has been married for 20 years to his wife Carly, who teaches at WPHS. The couple has two children -- AJ, 15, a sophomore at WPHS, and Brennan, 10, in 5th grade at Steenrod Elementary School. The family also includes a three-year-old dog named Brownie.