The big five-oh

Captured moments from Lake Highlands High School’s 50th anniversary celebration

Lake Highlands High School celebrated 50 years, and did it big — from a mayoral proclamation and high-profile alumni visits to Wrangler, Highlandette, Folklorico, band and choir performances. Photographer Danny Fulgencio was on site to capture a little bit of the magic.

MORE PHOTOS online at lakehighlands.advocatemag.com.

Opposite/ An attendee admires the

Below/ Current students,

A high school history

This past March Lake Highlands Advocate online (advocatemag.com), in honor of Lake Highlands High School’s 50th anniversary, published a series of short articles about the school. Snippets from those stories are provided below, but for the full read, visit goo.gl/zC45QC.

Olympian recalls Lake Highlands High in 1964

Archilla was part of the first graduating class, which used Lake Highlands Junior High as a campus. Archilla recalls classmate Bill Bickley, who became a writer for the show “Happy Days,” a senior trip to Lake Murray and the day President Kennedy was shot, to name a few. Archilla was a biathlon contender in the 1988 Olympics.

Retired teacher Laura Alverson reminisces

“When I came to LHHS, I was in my 11th year of teaching,” Alverson says. “From the very first day, I knew that I was in a remarkable school. My colleagues were creative, well prepared, fun to work with and committed to the success of the students. Our faculty was a ‘family’ and we still feel that way about each other.”

Counselor Jerry McVay recalls 33 years at LHHS

She fondly recalls the senior trips to Lake Murray. “[The seniors] and the chaperones rode the train to get there. In one car, there was music, and the students engaged in a relatively new craze, ‘the dirty bop.’

Shooting of Lake Highlands cafeteria worker Thelma Row

On May 16, 1983, 64-year-old cafeteria supervisor Thelma Row was counting the daily receipts in a back room at the high school when a robber wearing a stocking mask reportedly shot her with a .357-caliber pistol. He made off with $1,600. She died 11 days later. Billy Conn Gardner was executed on Feb. 16, 1995 for the crime. At trial it was discovered that the husband of Row’s coworker Paula Sanders, who had learned of the daily cash intake from his wife, was an accomplice.

Dr. Bob Iden: Student, athlete, teacher, coach, principal These days Dr. Bob reflects often upon his days at LHHS, entertaining his many Facebook friends with games of LHHS Jeopardy (Who sang “Seven Bridges Road” in the 1998 Senior Show? Granger Smith, Patrick Freshwater, Kevin Graham and Taylor Vieger. Who earned the infamous “Highlandette Hellraiser” award in 1981? Julie Jordan Gargus.) Dr. Bob remains close to many former students and teachers, including Coach Higgins, who once cut him from the baseball team. It’s OK — he played football instead.

Former English teacher Dot Biggs recalls hilarity and heartbreak

A staffer for 25 years, Biggs taught English and co-sponsored The Pub, the school’s student-produced magazine. “Some teachers didn’t like it because it was highly satirical and the kids sometimes made fun of teachers and other students.” Her students were quite the pranksters, she says. “I remember Chris Pyryt, who was president of the senior class at the time, got a buddy and picked me up in my chair and carried me out in the hall and closed my classroom door. He went to work for the FBI, I believe …” She adds that her worst memories “are of kids who fell between the cracks. I recall when drugs were coming onto the scene. I had one student who went into the corner of the room and curled up, shivering. I had no idea what to do. We got help, but it was scary for me and for the kids.”

Killing at the Winn-Dixie

Tammy Davis was a senior at Lake Highlands High School when she was gunned down during a robbery at the Abrams-Royal Winn-Dixie. She worked there after school, checking groceries and greeting customers. Harold Joe Lane would later say he was high on drugs and alcohol that day in November 1982. After bagging $3,300 at the check-cashing booth, he tried to flee through the store entrance but the automatic door wouldn’t open. He started kicking it. That’s when Davis, unaware of the robbery, tried to point him to the other door. He shot her in the head. Police chased Lane and his getaway driver through the streets of Lake Highlands, and they were captured in the in Northlake Shopping Center parking lot.

‘Original Wildcat’ Sue Passmore

“I came to Lake Highlands in October 1959 at Wallace Elementary I arrived just a few days after the indoor plumbing was completed and the port-a-potties had been removed from campus.” The only other neighborhood school at that time was Lake Highlands Elementary; she married its principal, Bill Passmore. Sue’s most significant memory is of November 22, 1963. “I had already prepared material to begin a poetry unit the next week. When we received the announcement that the president had died, I immediately pulled out the purple ditto pages I had run of Robert Frost’s ‘The Gift Outright,’ the poem Frost had read at Kennedy’s inauguration. We read and discussed the poem in class. To this day, students tell me they still have that old purple ditto.”

The Lake Highlands mom and the hit man

In 1983 Joy Aylor hired an assassin to off her husband’s mistress, Rozanne Gailiunas. Years after Gailiunas’ unsolved murder, Aylor reportedly attempted unsuccessfully to have her husband killed. The whole saga was made into a movie starring Cybil Shepherd.

CLAIRE’S CHRISTIAN DAY SCHOOL

8202 Boedeker Dr., / (214) 368-4047 / clairesdayschool.com At CCDS, we encourage a child’s sense of exploration and discovery in a loving, nurturing, and safe environment. We offer a parent’s day out program with a play-based curriculum fostering socialization, motor skill development, and an introduction to academics for children aged 4mo – 3yrs. Our preschool for children aged 3-5 further develops these skills, along with a more focused approach to pre-math and pre-reading. At CCDS, we have developed our own science, math, and reading enrichment classes to ensure kindergarten preparedness for every child. We make learning fun!

Inspire Pediatric Therapy

5439 Glen Lakes Dallas Tx 75231 / 469-9641554 / ethurman@inspirepediatrictherapy. com / Inspirepediatrictherapy.com Inspire Pediatric Therapy is excited to offer enjoyable and exciting camps this summer for articulation and language therapy ages 3-5.These intensive four week camps will increase your child’s articulation and language in a fun day camp setting. During each session your child will receive individual and group therapy. Camps include summer themes, rotating centers, snacks and games. Call to register today. Spots are limited. Inspire also offers private speech therapy for all children.

The Kessler School

Pre K – 6th Grade / 1215 Turner Ave, Dallas TX 75208 / 214-942-2220 / www. thekesserschool.com The Kessler School offers an innovative academic environment that gives students a solid foundation, confidence, and a love of learning. Located just minutes from downtown Dallas; The Kessler School’s mission is to “educate the whole child,” and provides an individualized approach to teaching – meeting the student where their needs are. Students are educated socially through community time, physically through daily PE, academically through a well-rounded curriculum, and spiritually through a fostering of awareness and individual growth.

Lakehill Preparatory School

Leading to Success. 2720 Hillside Dr., Dallas 75214 / 214.826.2931 / lakehillprep. org Kindergarten through Grade 12 - Lakehill Preparatory School takes the word preparatory in its name very seriously. Throughout a student’s academic career, Lakehill builds an educational program that achieves its goal of enabling graduates to attend the finest, most rigorous universities of choice. Lakehill combines a robust, college-preparatory curriculum with opportunities for personal growth, individual enrichment, and community involvement. From kindergarten through high school, every Lakehill student is encouraged to strive, challenged to succeed, and inspired to excel.

Our Redeemer Lutheran School Of Dallas

214-368-1371, ext 238 or carolb@orlcs.com www.orlcs.com At Our Redeemer Lutheran School, your child will receive more than academic excellence and a creative, individualized approach. For over 50 years, our caring, dedicated faculty has introduced positive Christian values—giving students a solid foundation to grow in love and commitment to God, family, community and individual excellence! Our affordable tuition is possible through the loving support of our sponsor congregation, Our Redeemer Lutheran Church. Call for a private tour and see why students and their families love our school! Limited spaces available for Fall. See ad for more details.

Spanish House

5740 Prospect Ave. & 4411 Skillman / 214-826-4410 / DallasSpanishHouse.com Spanish House is a Spanish immersion school with two Lakewood locations for children ages 3 months - Kindergarten. We offer half-day and fullday programs, with extended care available from 7:30am - 6:00pm. We also offer after-school and Saturday classes for PK and elementary-aged students, both on- and off-site. Additionally, we have an adult Spanish program for beginning, intermediate and advanced students.

ST. CHRISTOPHER’S MONTESSORI SCHOOL

7900 Lovers Ln. / 214.363.9391 stchristophersmontessori.com St. Christopher’s Montessori School has been serving families in the DFW area for over a quarter of a century. We are affiliated with the American Montessori Society and our teachers are certified Montessori instructors. Additionally our staff has obtained other complimentary educational degrees and certifications, including having a registered nurse on staff. Our bright and attractive environment, and highly qualified staff, ensures your child will grow and develop in an educationally sound, AMS certified loving program. Now Enrolling.

ST. JOHN’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

848 Harter Rd., Dallas 75218 / 214.328.9131 / stjohnsschool.org Founded in 1953, St. John’s is an independent, co-educational day school for Pre-K through Grade 8. With a tradition for academic excellence, St. John’s programs include a challenging curriculum in a Christian environment along with instruction in the visual and performing arts, Spanish, German, French, and opportunities for athletics and community service.St. John’s goal for its students is to develop a love for learning, service to others, and leadership grounded in love, humility, and wisdom. Accredited by ISAS, SAES, and the Texas Education Agency.

Ut Dallas Chess Camp

800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson 75080 / (972) 883-4899 / utdallas.edu/chess ) 2014 Summer Chess Camp Campers learn while they PLAY. Chess develops reading, math, critical and analytical skills, and builds character and self-esteem. Just don’t tell the kids…they think chess is fun! Join beginner, intermediate or advanced chess classes for ages 7 to 13 on the UT Dallas campus. Morning (9am-noon) or afternoon (1-4pm) sessions are available June 9-13, June 16-20, July 14-18, July 21-25 and extended playing classes. Camp includes t-shirt, chess board and pieces, trophy, certificate, score book, group photo, snacks and drinks. Instructors are from among UT Dallas Chess Team Pan-Am Intercollegiate Champions for 2010-2012!

White Rock North School

9727 White Rock Trail Dallas / 214.348.7410 / WhiteRockNorthSchool.com

6 Weeks through 6th Grade. Our accelerated curriculum provides opportunity for intellectual and physical development in a loving and nurturing environment. Character-building and civic responsibility are stressed. Facilities include indoor swimming pool, skating rink, updated playground, and state-ofthe-art technology lab. Kids Club on the Corner provides meaningful after-school experiences. Summer Camp offers field trips, swimming, and a balance of indoor and outdoor activities designed around fun-filled themes. Accredited by SACS. Call for a tour of the campus.

Woodrow Wilson High School

100 S. Glasgow Dallas 75214 / 972-502-4400 / woodrowwildcats.org A proven college preparation program and a true high school experience. Woodrow graduates attend, year after year, our state’s and country’s finest colleges including Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU, Tech, West Point, Georgetown, Duke, North Carolina, Princeton and Yale, often with meaningful scholarships. With academic programs equaling the best private and magnet schools, Woodrow’s diverse student body also enjoys a traditional high school offering arts, music, dance, theater, math and science clubs, debate and writing competitions and a broad, inclusive and successful sports program, with cheerleaders and drill team. “It’s all at Woodrow and it works.”

Zion Lutheran School

6121 E. Lovers Ln. Dallas / 214.363.1630 / ziondallas. org Toddler care thru 8th Grade. Serving Dallas for over 58 years offering a quality education in a Christ-centered learning environment. Degreed educators minister to the academic, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Before and after school programs, Extended Care, Parents Day Out, athletics, fine arts, integrated technology, Spanish, outdoor education, Accelerated Reader, advanced math placement, and student government. Accredited by National Lutheran School & Texas District Accreditation Commissions and TANS. Contact Principal Jeff Thorman.

of our 200,000+ readers with average income of $146,750 want more info about private schools.