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new principals appointed at diocesan catholic elementary schools

Story by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

It is more of a homecoming than a new assignment for two of the newly appointed diocesan elementary school principals.

Dr. Kay Bennett will lead Cathedral Grade School; Sandra Kabat takes over at St. Bruno in Pinckneyville; Linda Putz is making her home at St. Mary St. Augustine School in Belleville; Kevin Spiller becomes principal at St. John the Baptist in West Frankfort; and Kimberly Ruef has signed on as principal at St. Joseph’s in Freeburg.

For Bennett and Spiller, their new roles return them to the schools where they began their teaching careers.

“I couldn’t be happier to be back here (at Cathedral),” Bennett said.

Bennett taught first grade at Cathedral for eight years and now says she has the children of some of her former students.

She has held teaching and administrative positions in St. Louis public schools and throughout the diocese.
Her doctorate, awarded in 1996 from SIU-E, focused on the use of technology in area schools and the need for teacher training for technology in the classroom.

Kevin Spiller left a position as principal at St. Bruno’s to return home to West Frankfort. Hetaught for eightyears at St. John’s and was pleased to return to the school. “This is my home parish,” Spiller said, and it’s nice to be her.
Spiller wants to look into increasing enrollment at the school of about 100 students.
“It was my dream to be principal here,” he said.

Spiller has a bachelor’s in business education and a masters in educational administration.
Taking over at St. John’s will give Spiller a chance to be “closer to home,” he said.

Sandra Kabat was happy to join St. Bruno’s as principal. This will be her first time as a principal, and she is anxious to start the school year. She has been a special education teacher for 14 years, and began working on her degree in administration, one course at a time. Her master’s degree is in art therapy, and she hopes to begin some art programs with the students.

With her home parish St. Barbara’s in Scheller, Kabat is happy to have a position in a Catholic school.
She also said she was “surprised by the amount of training the diocese does” with its teachers and principals.
Kabat is also pleased and “amazed at how many people help” at the school.

Another first-time principal, Linda Putz is looking forward to beginning the year at St. Mary St. Augustine. “We have a fantastic school here in a beautiful neighborhood setting, and I’m looking forward to a new year (here),” she said.
Kabat credits her desire to become a teacher to one of her high school math teachers at St. Teresa’s Academy in East St. Louis.

“The most influential person in my career was (ASC) Sister Francis. She taught me high school math, and I became a math teacher because of the influence she had on me.”

Putz is a graduate of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., and has a master’s degree in industrial technology with a certificate in administration. She spent her earlier years teaching in O’Fallon School District 90.
At St. Mary St. Augustine, Putz has found “the teachers are outstanding; it’s a great group of people here, and I’m looking forward to working with them.”

Kimberly Ruef was not available for an interview and photo at press time, but pastor, Father Mark Reyling, said he is looking forward to working with her. With her background is special education, Father Reyling said he hopes she can find creative ways to assist students who need extra help.

She has been an assistant principal in an elementary school in Oak lawn, Ill., and has a background in special education.

Her bachelor’s degree comes from Illinois State University in Normal, Ill., in education and her master’s in educational leadership from Aurora University in Aurora, Ill. (No photo was available at press time.)