secondary school principal The Holley Central School District has appointed Michael J. Gilbert as secondary school principal 7-12. He was the unanimous choice of the board of education and administrative team after interviews with four outstanding candidates. Gilbert will replace William Pileggi, who retired after 28 years. Gilbert will join the district on November 18. Currently, he is assistant principal at Hilton High School, a position he has held since 2000. As assistant principal, he initiated and facilitated the Grade Nine House Program, which creates cohesive groups of students and teachers, and eases the transition from middle school to high school. Gilbert has been with the Hilton School District since 1994, first as director of the Hilton High School Tutoring Model, which provided classroom instruction for at-risk students. He then taught social studies at Merton Williams Middle School. Before being promoted to assistant principal, he was a teacher on special assignment, handling ninth-grade student management, coordinating school events, and serving on the Grade Nine House Research Committee. A native of Greece, NY, Gilbert received his bachelor's degree in secondary education from SUNY Plattsburgh. He completed special education course work at Nazareth College and received his master's in educational administration from SUNY Brockport. Gilbert also has a certificate of advanced study in educational administration from SUNY Brockport. At Holley, Gilbert will be responsible for a wide array of duties as principal of the junior/senior high school, including working with staff and students, and focusing on academic success. "I did my student teaching in the small village of Malone, New York in the North Country, and have always wanted to return to a smaller district," he said. Gilbert, along with his wife, Joyce, and infant son, Finnegan, live in the Holley School District. Joyce Gilbert teaches English at Merton Williams Middle School in Hilton. |
