Wheaton North High School
Encyclopedia
Wheaton North High School, or WNHS, and locally referred to as "North," is a public four-year high school
. It is located at the corner of Geneva Road and Gary Avenue in the northwest corner of Wheaton, Illinois
, a middle-class western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. It is part of Community Unit School District 200
, which also includes Wheaton Warrenville South High School
.
The building underwent significant renovations in the mid 1990s and on April 1, 2003, residents of Community Unit School District 200 approved, by a vote of 10,173 to 6,518, a $72 million bond referendum to renovate and add onto both Wheaton North, and its counterpart, Wheaton Warrenville South. Construction began in the summer of 2003 with its first phase of the building of a field house. The second phase included renovations and additions to the building, which were completed in summer 2006.
On August 31, 2007, the school received a surprise visit from former U.S. President Bill Clinton
. He made the visit to commend the school for its history of community service, and particularly singled out Kendall Ciesemier
for her achievement in raising money and awareness for highly vulnerable children in Africa through her charity, Kids Caring 4 Kids, despite suffering her own medical problems. Kendall was rewarded with a trip to The Oprah Winfrey Show
. The episode featuring Kendall aired September 4, 2007.
score of 23.8 and graduated 99.6% of its senior class. Wheaton North has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT comprise the assessment tools used in Illinois to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
. One of the school's student subgroups failed to meet minimum expectations in reading and mathematics.
The Challenge Index
, used annually by the Washington Post and Newsweek
magazine to rank U.S. high schools, placed Wheaton North in the top 1300 three years in a row. This index ranks public schools according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in the past year divided by the number of graduating seniors. In 2009, Wheaton North ranked #1260. In 2006, the school had ranked #1078, in 2007 it had ranked #1039, and in 2008, the school ranked #1276.
(DVC), and is a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities in the state.
In 2003, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South became the first high schools in the DuPage Valley Conference, and among the first high schools in the nation, to convert their football fields to artificial field turf, at a cost of $550,000 per stadium.
The school sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming
& diving
, tennis
, track & field, and volleyball
. Young men may compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
, while young women may compete in badminton
, cheerleading
, and softball
.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
The Council oversees almost all student functions such as The Battle of the Bands: North vs. South, prom, homecoming, turnabout, blood drive, Christmas Sharing, The Spring Extravaganza, teacher appreciation, Daddy Daughter Dance, Mother Son Dance, and many smaller committees.
:
Wheaton North has 11 performing arts ensembles, including five choirs (concert, treble, show, chamber, and mens), two orchestras (concert, chamber), and three bands
(concert band, symphonic band, and wind ensemble). In addition, there is a pep band and a marching band which perform at sporting events.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. It is located at the corner of Geneva Road and Gary Avenue in the northwest corner of Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois
Wheaton is an affluent community located in DuPage County, Illinois, approximately west of Chicago and Lake Michigan. Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County...
, a middle-class western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of Community Unit School District 200
Community Unit School District 200
Community Unit School District 200 based in Wheaton, Illinois is a public school district mainly serving the communities of Wheaton and Warrenville. CUSD 200 also services fringe areas of Carol Stream, Winfield, and West Chicago. For the 2005-06 school year, there were a total of 14,173 students...
, which also includes Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Wheaton Warrenville South High School, or WWSHS, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Butterfield Road and Wiesbrook Road in the southwest corner of the Wheaton, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
.
History
As demand for a second high school increased in the 1950s and '60s, Wheaton North High School split off from the original Wheaton Community High School. At this time Wheaton Community changed its name to Wheaton Central, and in 1992 again changed its name to Wheaton Warrenville South and moved to its present location.The building underwent significant renovations in the mid 1990s and on April 1, 2003, residents of Community Unit School District 200 approved, by a vote of 10,173 to 6,518, a $72 million bond referendum to renovate and add onto both Wheaton North, and its counterpart, Wheaton Warrenville South. Construction began in the summer of 2003 with its first phase of the building of a field house. The second phase included renovations and additions to the building, which were completed in summer 2006.
On August 31, 2007, the school received a surprise visit from former U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. He made the visit to commend the school for its history of community service, and particularly singled out Kendall Ciesemier
Kendall Ciesemier
Kendall Ciesemier is an American youth volunteer from Wheaton, Illinois and a student at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.After watching a special of The Oprah Winfrey Show about the AIDS epidemic in Africa, Ciesemier founded the volunteer organization Kids Caring 4 Kids in 2004...
for her achievement in raising money and awareness for highly vulnerable children in Africa through her charity, Kids Caring 4 Kids, despite suffering her own medical problems. Kendall was rewarded with a trip to The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
. The episode featuring Kendall aired September 4, 2007.
Academics
In 2008, Wheaton North had an average composite ACTACT (examination)
The ACT is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. It was first administered in November 1959 by Everett Franklin Lindquist as a competitor to the College Board's Scholastic Aptitude Test, now the SAT Reasoning Test...
score of 23.8 and graduated 99.6% of its senior class. Wheaton North has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT comprise the assessment tools used in Illinois to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
. One of the school's student subgroups failed to meet minimum expectations in reading and mathematics.
The Challenge Index
Challenge Index
The Challenge Index is a method for the statistical ranking of top public high schools in the United States by Washington Post columnist Jay Mathews...
, used annually by the Washington Post and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine to rank U.S. high schools, placed Wheaton North in the top 1300 three years in a row. This index ranks public schools according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in the past year divided by the number of graduating seniors. In 2009, Wheaton North ranked #1260. In 2006, the school had ranked #1078, in 2007 it had ranked #1039, and in 2008, the school ranked #1276.
Athletics
Wheaton North competes in the DuPage Valley ConferenceDuPage Valley Conference
The DuPage Valley Conference is an organization of eight high schools in northeastern Illinois, representing seven communities in Chicago's suburbs. These high schools are all members of the Illinois High School Association. The Conference, organized in 1967, exists primarily for inter-school...
(DVC), and is a member of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities in the state.
In 2003, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South became the first high schools in the DuPage Valley Conference, and among the first high schools in the nation, to convert their football fields to artificial field turf, at a cost of $550,000 per stadium.
The school sponsors interscholastic athletic teams for young men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. Young men may compete in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
, and wrestling
Scholastic wrestling
Scholastic wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the high school and middle school levels in the United States. This wrestling style is essentially Collegiate wrestling with some slight modifications. It is currently...
, while young women may compete in badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
- Baseball: 4th place (2007–08)
- Cross Country (boys): 2nd place (1976–77)First Place (2011-2012)
- Cross Country (girls): State Champions (2002–03); 3rd place (1986–87); 4th place (1998–99)
- Football: Semifinalists (1988–89, 2001-02, 2002–03); State Champions (1978–79, 81–82, 86–87)
- Gymnastics (boys): State Champions (2004–05); 3rd place (2003–04), 4th Place (2008-09), 2nd Place (2010-11)
- Soccer (boys): 3rd place (2005–06)
- Soccer (girls): 3rd place (2005–06)
- Swimming and Diving (girls): 2nd place (1975–76)
- Track and Field (boys): 3rd place (2001–02, 03–04)
- Track and Field (girls): 4th place (1990–91); 3rd place (1988–89)(First Place 2011-2012)
- Volleyball (boys): 2nd place (1995–96)
- Wrestling: 3rd place (1978–79)
Activities
Wheaton North offers language clubs, service activities, and various other activities typical of an American high school.Student Government
The Student Council is broken up into four Class Councils, which are presided over by class officers, and the full Student Council which is overseen by the Executive Board. The board members function as both heads of the student body and student government, and have regular meetings with building administrators about student concerns.The Council oversees almost all student functions such as The Battle of the Bands: North vs. South, prom, homecoming, turnabout, blood drive, Christmas Sharing, The Spring Extravaganza, teacher appreciation, Daddy Daughter Dance, Mother Son Dance, and many smaller committees.
Competitive Activities
The following competitive activities have earned a top four-finish in their respective State Championship Tournaments, sponsored by the IHSAIllinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
:
- Debate: State Champions (1977-78 & 2005-06); 3rd (1975-76 & 76-77); Semifinalist (2005-06 & 07-08)
- Individual Events: 3rd (2006-07 & 2008-2009); 4th (1995-96)
- Scholastic Bowl: State Champions (2001-02, 02-03 & 03-04); 2nd (2000-01, 04-05 & 06-07), 3rd (2007-08), 4th (2005-06)
Performing Arts
In a typical year, Wheaton North typically presents a fall drama, spring musical, and an evening of one-act plays. The Wheaton North Thespian Troupe, which is the drama honor society, helps to incorporate students in the performing arts decision making process.Wheaton North has 11 performing arts ensembles, including five choirs (concert, treble, show, chamber, and mens), two orchestras (concert, chamber), and three bands
Concert band
A concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
(concert band, symphonic band, and wind ensemble). In addition, there is a pep band and a marching band which perform at sporting events.
Notable alumni
- Kent GrahamKent GrahamKent Douglas Graham is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League. Graham played quarterback at the University of Notre Dame before transferring to Ohio State University...
(1987) was an NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
(1992–94, 96–2001), playing most of his career with the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was the National High School Quarterback of the Year in 1986. - Adam HarrisAdam Harris (athlete)Adam Harris is an American sprinter who represented Guyana in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Harris specializes in the 200 metres.He competed in the 200 metres event at the 2008 Olympic Games, but without reaching the final round....
(2005) is a sprinterSprint (race)Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
who represented GuyanaGuyana at the 2008 Summer OlympicsGuyana sent a team to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. As of July 28, 2008, four representatives of Guyana had qualified to take part in the Beijing Games...
, and ran in the 200 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. - Rick JohnsonRick Johnson (Canadian football)Rick Johnson was an all-star quarterback in the Canadian Football League.Johnson was a graduate of the Southern Illinois University. He played in the United States Football League for the Oklahoma Outlaws in 1984. He moved to Canada in 1985, and played for the Calgary Stampeders...
is an actor, director, and former Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
quarterback (1984–89), spending most of his career with the Calgary StampedersCalgary StampedersThe Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. - Chuck LongChuck LongChuck Long is an American football coach. He played quarterback in college at Iowa for Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams. He is an inductee of the College Football Hall of Fame. In the January 2008 issue of San Diego Magazine he was chosen as one of...
(1981) was an NFL quarterback (1986–90), playing most of his career for the Detroit LionsDetroit LionsThe Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. He later became the head footballCollege footballCollege football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach at San Diego State UniversitySan Diego State Aztecs footballThe San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
(2006–08). He was elected to the College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1999. - Robert James MillerRobert James MillerRobert James Miller of Company A, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group was a United States Army Special Forces soldier who posthumously received the Medal of Honor at a White House ceremony on 6 October 2010....
(2002) was a U.S. Army staff sergeantStaff SergeantStaff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in several countries.The origin of the name is that they were part of the staff of a British army regiment and paid at that level rather than as a member of a battalion or company.-Australia:...
who served in the War in Afghanistan. In October 2010, he posthumously received the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
. - Gail O'GradyGail O'GradyGail Ann O'Grady is an American television actress. She is best known for her roles as Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue and as Helen Pryor on American Dreams...
(1981) is an Emmy Award nominatedEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
actress, best known for her work on the television series NYPD BlueNYPD BlueNYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
, American DreamsAmerican DreamsAmerican Dreams is an American television comedy-drama program broadcast on the NBC television network, produced by Once A Frog and Dick Clark Productions in association with Universal Network Television and NBC Studios...
, and Boston LegalBoston LegalBoston Legal is an American legal dramedy created by David E. Kelley, which was produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television for the ABC...
. - Randy PfundRandy PfundRandell "Randy" Pfund is an American former National Basketball Association head coach and a former NBA executive...
(1970) was the head coachHead coachA head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the NBA Los Angeles LakersLos Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
(1992–94) and then served as General ManagerGeneral managerGeneral manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
of the NBA Miami HeatMiami HeatThe Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
(1995–2008). - Nancy Swider-Peltz, Jr.Nancy Swider-Peltz, JrNancy Swider-Peltz, Jr. is an American speed skater who competed at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-2010 Winter Olympics:In the 3000 m, Swider-Peltz, Jr. finished 9th overall with a time of 4:11.16.-Personal:...
(2005) is a current U.S. Olympic Speed Skater, competing most recently in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in VancouverVancouverVancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
.