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Schools

LSHS Principal Recaps First Year in Office

Happy first day of school! Pete Sullivan, principal of Lisle Senior High, reflected on his first year in office.

You could say he's begun his sophomore year.

Pete Sullivan, principal at , took some time with Patch to reflect on his first year, following 26-year veteran Ron Logeman, and what he believes makes Lisle so very special.

The district's size had a definite appeal, particularly after an eye-opening experience in a former position.

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He said his son attended the same school where Sullivan worked, and one day told him, 'Dad, you passed me in the hall three times and didn’t even notice.'

A former curriculum director for Lockport schools, Sullivan knew that he wanted his next opportunity to involve developing relationships at a personal level.

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"With a population of over 3,000 students, you can imagine what the passing periods are like in the halls. The opportunity to connect with each student is an asset of the culture of this district. To look out at the graduating class (2011) and feel like you know the students is what makes Lisle unique,” Sullivan said.

Lisle really rolled out the welcome mat for Sullivan. Former principal Ron Logeman worked closely with Sullivan to ensure a smooth transition and is still available to this day.

“Replacing a person after 26 years, I could not have anticipated the kindness of people, from the hallways to sporting events,” he said.  

He will adopt the same policy with hiring, stressing that new staff should ”complement the present teaching staff.”  He also involves department heads in the process, adding, “Teachers that are hired need to be relatable with students as well as have subject knowledge.”

Several students met academic success under Sullivan's helm last year. The Scholastic Bowl team became consecutive state champions, and graduates have been accepted to schools such as Northwestern, University of Chicago, and the University of Illinois.

“We want a curriculum that has a level of rigor that will challenge students and support students who need it," Sullivan said.

This includes adding Advanced Placement level of courses in both English and US. History. Previously, only honors-level courses were available.

“This enhancement has an impact on courses beyond the classroom. It’s a capstone and opens the door to some very focused dialogue for where we want stats to be in ACT and SAT test scores," he said.

Last spring Sullivan championed a group of teachers to research what techniques are used by highly-skilled readers. In completing this exercise, the school is designing programs to support students in English and reading courses.

He has also helped integrate the district's commitment to pro-social skills into the curriculum. The school has adopted the same Character Counts! Pillars that the Lisle Community Character Alliance employs. Thanks in part to the initiatives of students from Lisle Teens With Character (www.ltcw.org) and the LCCA,  Sullivan has championed the message of good character throughout the school. He has tasked vice principal Mark Cunningham to lead a restructuring of the Discipline Committee “to define what we value as teachers and students which will lead to the model that is taught," with an emphasis on managing the issue of bullying.

Former disciplinary measures did not directly address the source of the conflict or conflict prevention. Sullivan explains, “providing a clear and consistent message, students are engaged in reflective writing to help make better choices.”

Communication is key. Sullivan explained, “I never worry when a parent is coming to see me. I see that as an asset when parents come to talk.”

One of the goals accomplished his first year was increasing opportunities for communications with parents. For example, the high school adopted the “virtual backpack,” which was formerly only used at the elementary level in district schools. It is a means for parents to receive direct email communication versus relying on students to relay information.

Sullivan seems comfortable settling into his position in this established school community.

"If I had started my career here, I am not sure it would have had the same impact," he said. “You wait your career to be in a special place. When this opportunity presented itself, I knew it was right.”

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