, ....._..,,.,.,., ••_.,_J
'
ADVOCATE :
.
October
1, 1993
.
•
October 1, 1993
oor ---
Lincoln High School 2229 ''J'' Street
o
.i
·•
'
I
;
By Erin Kinney-----
ditectiy .
Vol. 99 No. 1
•
ens
Would you be shocked to catch yot1r principal checking out the latest rock concert? Be on the lookout. Once the lead singer of a rock band called the Showstompers, Principal Kathryn Piller has always had a love for music. After moving to Nebraska from Montana, where she was born and raised, Piller's band played at fairs, college dances, and high school proms in South Dakota and Nebraska. She began college at age 17 as a music and Dra1na n1ajor, but decided a year later that she wanted to take time off fro1n school to work. After 1narrying her husband and starting a family, she replaced her dream of becoming a professional singer with aspirations of a career in education. Piller put ht>r ti,ne in hitting the books. By age 30, she had her Bachelors in Elementary Edt1cation, Special Education, and in Adolescent Literatt1re. She graduated with a Masters in Behavior Disorders and Administration. Her previous work experience has not been limited to high school students, nor any age. In the last 13 years Piller has worked with students ranging from elementary to college ages. She ca1ne to Lincoln High '
·
.,'
~ 01r, ,lxcr po11itiorr=
tltc tlead: ·f1 ill'-'
cipal at Woodrow Wilson. Junior ,, High. in -- ... Council Bluffs. · Before that s'he · spent three years as the Assistant Principal at Ralston Middle School, six years as a teacher at Ralston High school, and one year at Thomas Jefferson High School in Ralston. Throughout those years Piller also taught at Wayne State College, Kearney State College and Metro Community College. Although the Lincoln High Fine Arts Department was one attracting feature, it was more than her interest in music that ,
•'
brought Piller to Li1ncoln High. "I've always enjoyed working with high school stt1dents," Piller said. "Having two daughters of my own has h1elpedme to learn ways of dealing with teenagers." Kathryn Piller was first exposed to the Lincoln Public Schools when she heard that they were doing a nattional search to replace Dr. Wes Laughterba, .ch, Lincoln Southeast Principal. Although she was not hired for that position, the interview opened a door for Piller in the Linc<0ln Public Schools. "When I heard tlhat Sam Nelson was retiring I was im1nediiately interested. Even more so than any other school in the state because I've always thought of Lincoln High more as a univer:sity than a high school, with it's diverse population and class offerings." "It's rare to be irn administration after only 13 years in the educational field, especially as a female," said Piller. Only five percent of secondary edt1cation principals in the nation are fe1nale;s. "It's exciting to be one of those 5%. I don 'tknow ifl'dconsider myself a fe1ninist, because that word has taken on various meanings, bt1t I do think that women shot1ld be given the same opportunities as men." · ·· ln ·the · ea1\y
she · spent
t")70's
.,
ti(l)e
volunteering fol"VJST A (Volunteers in Service to America). VISTA is a orie year full time service program . devoted to working with low-income people to enable them to become self-suffic:ient. Piller worked as a volunteer with a . Souix Native American community trying to find a market for their crafts and :researching information for the book Craz :y Horse. Piller stresses that s1he's here for the stt1dents. "I want studemts to bt1ild pride in their school," Piller s1aid. · "And the way "
• • ,,
•
"
"" ,•
•
'
•
•
• ,.
';
••
•
•,
-~< •
•
•••
·-
-
, ••
-
. ,··
.
Photo by Angel Slater
Pri11cipal Kathryn Piller conducts her daily business. to do that is by being directly involved in making changes to improve your school." When Piller;s not working busily in her office or ot1t talking to students and staff, you can find her at home in Elkom, where she still co1nmutes from daily, listening to Michael Jackson and creating
sandart. To relieve stress from her busy schedule she enjoys reading, woodworking and painting. Piller hasn't given up singing entirely, she still sings at an occasional wedding. "Bt1t what I really like to do is to eat and buy clothes!", she ended with a laugh.
Change sweeps through Lincoln High ----
By Damon Azizinamini----
Sophomores aren't the only new faces at Lin- to lunch fifth period while the sophomores go to lunch sixth period. This makes it possible to keep coln 1-ligh this year, there have also been several changes in the adminis .tration and staff along with the closed ca1npus policy workable for our large our large student population. those iin general school policy. . ·_, There is a new attendance policy in effect To begin with, Mary Beth Lehmanowsky, for 1ner counselor at _LHS, is now an assistant for this year. The policy specifies that five tardies principal. Her responsibilities are directed at will equal one truancy and if a student is 1nore five minutes late to a class they are attendance and discipline for seniors; She is also than responsible for getting schedules out to students considered truant. The policy also states that five truancies in one class will expel you from that by June 1. lf a student falls under twenty credit Jean Peterson, former Latin teacher and for- class. semester they are expelled eign language coordinator at LHS, is now an hours for the from school. Further infor111ation is provided in assistant principal also. · She is in charge of sophothe red attendance policy pamphlet sent out to more affairs. . Barry Stark, assistant principal, has also had all students before school. The new use of manditory identification a change in responsibilities from last year. This cards requires they be checked at the doors and year he will be working mainly with juniors, unlike last year where he. was in charge of disci- outside of school at lunch time by hall monitors . . sure that . those. going out to lunch are pline for all students. He is also in charge of to. make . juniors and seniors with parental pei·mission. · maintaining the security of the building. · . The last adrninistrati ve personnel change made They will also be used to identify and verify a student if he or she is in the hallway, was the repliJcement of the retired Mr. Nelson · without a pass, when he or she is not supposed with our new principal, Katheryn Pillar. This year there has been an addition of to be. As . you can see, I.HS has made the school goals. The implementation of the Lincoln Public Schools closed campus policy was used ·necessary changes to lead it into this school If these changes have the to help meet these goals. Only juniors and year and beyond. seniors are allowed to go off campus. LHS has proposed effect, we are sure to see a new exciting Lincoln High. made this possible by having a different schedule for sophomores. Juniors and seniors go .
.. '
'
.,
.