Wheaton Warrenville South High School
Encyclopedia
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
. It is part of Community Unit School District 200
, which also includes Wheaton North High School
.
The school has had a long history, during which it has had four names, and is considered the successor to a school with a similar name. While the school is known for its academic and athletic accomplishments, it is best known for its association with a number of notable alumni including astronomer Edwin Hubble
, football player Red Grange
, comedian John Belushi
and actor James Belushi
.
, and changed its name to Wheaton Community High School.
In October, 1946, the school's cafeteria was largely destroyed by a fire that was blamed on a recently installed Coca-Cola
vending machine
.
In 1964, with the completion of its sister school, Wheaton North, the school was again renamed, Wheaton Central High School.
By 1967, overcrowding became an issue at Wheaton Central. In late 1967, the school board proposed a redistricting move that would send all Warrenville students to the newer Wheaton North building. In January, 1968, the board approved bussing underclass students in Warrenville to Wheaton North, and allowing upperclassmen the choice of either school.
The current building that houses Wheaton Warrenville South was opened in 1973, and operated as Wheaton-Warrenville High School from 1973—83. By 1982, it was clear that the high school population in the district was shrinking, and there would be a need to close either the older, tradition rich Wheaton Central, or the newer, but smaller Wheaton-Warrenville South. In June, 1982, the school board voted 6-1 to close Wheaton-Warrenville South, effective at the end of the 1982—83 school year. In response, there was a request to for a mass transfer of all students from Wheaton-Warrenville South students to either of the two other schools, and make appropriate forcing more changes at the other schools. When the request for the mass transfer was not granted by the board, a group of Warrenville parents began threatening to secede from the district. In January, 1983, the parent group presented a petition signed by over 75% of the registered voters of Warrenville to approve detaching from the district. The movement to split from the district eventually moved to the courts. Without even hearing the school board's argument, the judge ruled against the parents group. The issue finally came to an end when the DuPage Valley Regional Board of School Trustees voted 5-2 to reject the secession bid.
In 1983, the original Wheaton-Warrenville High School became Wheaton Warrenville Middle School, reflecting a shrinking high school population and an increasing population of younger students.
In 1988, with Wheaton Central aging, the board moved to renovate Wheaton Warrenville Middle School in preparation for opening it again as a high school, when Wheaton Central would need to eventually be closed. In October 1989, the school board formally proposed moving high school students from Wheaton Central back to Wheaton-Warrenville Middle School, and converting the older Wheaton Central building to a middle school. On May 9, 1990, the board officially voted to make the change, ending a situation that had again "divided residents". Even after the decision was made, there was debate over the naming of the school. In 1992, with an increase in the district's high school population, there was a need to move the high school population from the older 1925 building to the newer, larger 1973 building. The 1925 building became Hubble Middle School, and upon moving, Wheaton Central High School became Wheaton Warrenville South High School. Thus, the original Wheaton-Warrenville High School is considered the forerunner of the current Wheaton Warrenville South High School (not the same school). This can be seen in the evolution of the school seal which came from WCHS. The school colors, mascot, and nickname are continuations of Wheaton Central, while the current school's Wolverine Hall, with a green and gold color scheme, honor the earlier Wheaton-Warrenville High School from 1973—83.
It is proper to write the name of the earlier school as Wheaton-Warrenville High School, with a hyphen. When the school was renamed, the hyphen was dropped to symbolize a lack of division.
The 1925 building housing Hubble Middle School was closed at the end of the 2008—09 school year. A new Hubble Middle School was constructed, and the site is awaiting final disposition.
In 1999, the Integrity wing was built in the southeast corner of the school to house the math department. It includes eleven new classrooms, a math lab, and a math office.
In 2002, The Tradition and Commitment pods, primarily housing the English and Science departments, respectively, underwent significant renovations with reconstruction of all second floor classrooms. More than $100,000 worth of technology was also upgraded in 2002, with all classrooms receiving at least one new Dell
XP
computer connecting to a new broadband internet access
connection, cable
TV
, accompanying DVD
/VCR
combo player. The computer labs were also updated and several carts of wireless internet
laptop
s were added.
Wheaton Warrenville South installed solar panel
s on the roof of the school as an alternative energy
source as part of a 2004 partnership with British Petroleum
. BP's North American Chemical headquarters is located approximately two miles south of the school in Naperville
. The remaining energy comes from Commonwealth Edison
, which primarily produces energy from nuclear
and fossil fuel
sources.
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 add about 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) of space and renovate both Wheaton Warrenville South, and its counterpart, Wheaton North
.
The first phase of construction began in August 2003 and was completed in March 2005 and included 21 new classrooms with two resource centers to house the English and Foreign Language departments, two art rooms, a band room, an orchestra room, a choral room, and nine sound-proof
practice rooms. In addition, the central office area was reconverted for the counseling center and the health office, while all other administrative offices were moved to the front of the building. A new commons area was constructed and the cafeteria
underwent significant renovations.
The second phase began in spring 2005 and was completed by May 2006 and consisted primarily of renovations to the athletics wing and the construction of the field house. The library
has undergone significant renovations during summer of 2006.
score of 23.6, and graduated 99.8% of the senior class. Wheaton Warrenville South has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT, comprise the tests which are used to fulfill requirements mandated by the federal No Child Left Behind Act
. While the school as a whole has successfully met standards, one student subgroup failed to meet minimum expectations in mathematics and reading, while another failed to meet expectations in reading.
All academic classes at South are divided into three difficulty levels: Regular, Intermediate, and Advanced. The increased difficulty of intermediate and advanced/AP classes is reflected in the school's G.P.A. weighting system. Instead of a standard 4.0 scale, South uses a 5.0 scale. An A grade in a Regular class earns a pupil 4.0 points, an A in an Intermediate class 5.0 points, and an A in an Advanced or AP class 6.0 points.
Students are required to successfully complete twenty-four credits to graduate, each course at .5 credit.
(DVC). Wheaton Warrenville South is also a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which oversees most sports and competitive activities in the state.
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 my also compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
, while young women may compete in badminton
, cheerleading
, and softball
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors lacrosse
teams for both young men and women, an ice hockey
team open to young men and women, and a dance team for young women.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament or meet:
As of the end of the 2008—09 season, the six state titles for WWS in boys volleyball is a state record.
As of the end of the 2010-11 season, the seven state titles in football is the fifth highest total in state history, and the highest among public schools.
, National Art Honor Society
, and National Honor Society
.
There are typically four different student theatrical productions each year: a novice production in the early autumn, a play
in late autumn, a variety show in early spring, and a musical
in the last month before the end of the school year.
The school also sponsors a number of music groups including a jazz ensemble, pep band
, and marching band
. In addition to a general choir
, there are two show choir
s (The Classics and Esprit)The Classics won the FAME National Chapionship in 2011. The Esprit(a unisex showchoir) show choir is affiliated with the school, but is not sponsored by the school.
The following competitive activities have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
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....
located at the corner of Butterfield Road
Illinois Route 56
Illinois Route 56 is an east–west state road in northern and northeastern Illinois. It runs from the interchange of Illinois Route 47 at U.S. Route 30 in Sugar Grove east to US 12/US 20/US 45 by Bellwood...
and Wiesbrook Road in the southwest corner of the 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 western suburb of Chicago, Illinois
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, 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 North High School
Wheaton North High School
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...
.
The school has had a long history, during which it has had four names, and is considered the successor to a school with a similar name. While the school is known for its academic and athletic accomplishments, it is best known for its association with a number of notable alumni including astronomer Edwin Hubble
Edwin Hubble
Edwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer who profoundly changed the understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way - our own galaxy...
, football player Red Grange
Red Grange
Harold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
, comedian John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
and actor James Belushi
James Belushi
James Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
.
History
The history of Wheaton Warrenville High School can be traced back to the original high school in Wheaton, Wheaton High School, which opened in 1876. In 1925, the school was relocated to a new building which would eventually become Hubble Middle SchoolHubble Middle School
Hubble Middle School or HMS is a public middle school located in Wheaton, Illinois. It was originally in the building that was the original Wheaton High School, which later became Wheaton Central High School. In 1992, the building was converted into a middle school. It was named for the astronomer...
, and changed its name to Wheaton Community High School.
In October, 1946, the school's cafeteria was largely destroyed by a fire that was blamed on a recently installed Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
.
In 1964, with the completion of its sister school, Wheaton North, the school was again renamed, Wheaton Central High School.
By 1967, overcrowding became an issue at Wheaton Central. In late 1967, the school board proposed a redistricting move that would send all Warrenville students to the newer Wheaton North building. In January, 1968, the board approved bussing underclass students in Warrenville to Wheaton North, and allowing upperclassmen the choice of either school.
The current building that houses Wheaton Warrenville South was opened in 1973, and operated as Wheaton-Warrenville High School from 1973—83. By 1982, it was clear that the high school population in the district was shrinking, and there would be a need to close either the older, tradition rich Wheaton Central, or the newer, but smaller Wheaton-Warrenville South. In June, 1982, the school board voted 6-1 to close Wheaton-Warrenville South, effective at the end of the 1982—83 school year. In response, there was a request to for a mass transfer of all students from Wheaton-Warrenville South students to either of the two other schools, and make appropriate forcing more changes at the other schools. When the request for the mass transfer was not granted by the board, a group of Warrenville parents began threatening to secede from the district. In January, 1983, the parent group presented a petition signed by over 75% of the registered voters of Warrenville to approve detaching from the district. The movement to split from the district eventually moved to the courts. Without even hearing the school board's argument, the judge ruled against the parents group. The issue finally came to an end when the DuPage Valley Regional Board of School Trustees voted 5-2 to reject the secession bid.
In 1983, the original Wheaton-Warrenville High School became Wheaton Warrenville Middle School, reflecting a shrinking high school population and an increasing population of younger students.
In 1988, with Wheaton Central aging, the board moved to renovate Wheaton Warrenville Middle School in preparation for opening it again as a high school, when Wheaton Central would need to eventually be closed. In October 1989, the school board formally proposed moving high school students from Wheaton Central back to Wheaton-Warrenville Middle School, and converting the older Wheaton Central building to a middle school. On May 9, 1990, the board officially voted to make the change, ending a situation that had again "divided residents". Even after the decision was made, there was debate over the naming of the school. In 1992, with an increase in the district's high school population, there was a need to move the high school population from the older 1925 building to the newer, larger 1973 building. The 1925 building became Hubble Middle School, and upon moving, Wheaton Central High School became Wheaton Warrenville South High School. Thus, the original Wheaton-Warrenville High School is considered the forerunner of the current Wheaton Warrenville South High School (not the same school). This can be seen in the evolution of the school seal which came from WCHS. The school colors, mascot, and nickname are continuations of Wheaton Central, while the current school's Wolverine Hall, with a green and gold color scheme, honor the earlier Wheaton-Warrenville High School from 1973—83.
It is proper to write the name of the earlier school as Wheaton-Warrenville High School, with a hyphen. When the school was renamed, the hyphen was dropped to symbolize a lack of division.
The 1925 building housing Hubble Middle School was closed at the end of the 2008—09 school year. A new Hubble Middle School was constructed, and the site is awaiting final disposition.
Architecture
The building comprises five major pods: Grange, completed in 2005, and Tradition, Scholarship, Commitment, and Integrity, which are taken from the school seal.In 1999, the Integrity wing was built in the southeast corner of the school to house the math department. It includes eleven new classrooms, a math lab, and a math office.
In 2002, The Tradition and Commitment pods, primarily housing the English and Science departments, respectively, underwent significant renovations with reconstruction of all second floor classrooms. More than $100,000 worth of technology was also upgraded in 2002, with all classrooms receiving at least one new Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
computer connecting to a new broadband internet access
Broadband Internet access
Broadband Internet access, often shortened to just "broadband", is a high data rate, low-latency connection to the Internet— typically contrasted with dial-up access using a 56 kbit/s modem or satellite Internet with inherently high latency....
connection, cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
TV
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, accompanying DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
/VCR
Videocassette recorder
The videocassette recorder , is a type of electro-mechanical device that uses removable videocassettes that contain magnetic tape for recording analog audio and analog video from broadcast television so that the images and sound can be played back at a more convenient time...
combo player. The computer labs were also updated and several carts of wireless internet
Wireless LAN
A wireless local area network links two or more devices using some wireless distribution method , and usually providing a connection through an access point to the wider internet. This gives users the mobility to move around within a local coverage area and still be connected to the network...
laptop
Laptop
A laptop, also called a notebook, is a personal computer for mobile use. A laptop integrates most of the typical components of a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a pointing device and speakers into a single unit...
s were added.
Wheaton Warrenville South installed solar panel
Photovoltaic module
A solar panel is a packaged, connected assembly of solar cells, also known as photovoltaic cells...
s on the roof of the school as an alternative energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
source as part of a 2004 partnership with British Petroleum
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
. BP's North American Chemical headquarters is located approximately two miles south of the school in Naperville
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
. The remaining energy comes from Commonwealth Edison
Commonwealth Edison
Commonwealth Edison is the largest electric utility in Illinois, serving the Chicago and Northern Illinois area...
, which primarily produces energy from nuclear
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
and fossil fuel
Fossil fuel power plant
A fossil-fuel power station is a power station that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity. Central station fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation...
sources.
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 add about 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) of space and renovate both Wheaton Warrenville South, and its counterpart, Wheaton North
Wheaton North High School
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...
.
The first phase of construction began in August 2003 and was completed in March 2005 and included 21 new classrooms with two resource centers to house the English and Foreign Language departments, two art rooms, a band room, an orchestra room, a choral room, and nine sound-proof
Soundproofing
Soundproofing is any means of reducing the sound pressure with respect to a specified sound source and receptor. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using...
practice rooms. In addition, the central office area was reconverted for the counseling center and the health office, while all other administrative offices were moved to the front of the building. A new commons area was constructed and the cafeteria
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
underwent significant renovations.
The second phase began in spring 2005 and was completed by May 2006 and consisted primarily of renovations to the athletics wing and the construction of the field house. The library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
has undergone significant renovations during summer of 2006.
Academics
In 2008, Wheaton Warrenville South 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 23.6, and graduated 99.8% of the senior class. Wheaton Warrenville South 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...
on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT, comprise the tests which are used to fulfill requirements mandated by 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...
. While the school as a whole has successfully met standards, one student subgroup failed to meet minimum expectations in mathematics and reading, while another failed to meet expectations in reading.
All academic classes at South are divided into three difficulty levels: Regular, Intermediate, and Advanced. The increased difficulty of intermediate and advanced/AP classes is reflected in the school's G.P.A. weighting system. Instead of a standard 4.0 scale, South uses a 5.0 scale. An A grade in a Regular class earns a pupil 4.0 points, an A in an Intermediate class 5.0 points, and an A in an Advanced or AP class 6.0 points.
Students are required to successfully complete twenty-four credits to graduate, each course at .5 credit.
Athletics
WWSHS 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). Wheaton Warrenville South is also 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 oversees most sports and competitive activities in the state.
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 my also 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...
. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school also sponsors lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
teams for both young men and women, an ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team open to young men and women, and a dance team for young women.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament or meet:
- Badminton: 4th place (1992—93, 2000—01)
- Basketball (boys): 4th place (1980—81)
- Basketball (girls): 2nd place (1984—85)
- Cross Country (girls): 3rd place (1991—92, 2009–10, 2010-11)
- Football: semifinalists (1989—90, 2004—05, 05—06); 2nd place (1990—91, 91—92, 2007—08); State Champions (1992—93, 95—96, 96—97, 98—99, 2006—07, 2009–10, 2010—11)
- Golf (boys): 3rd place (1997—98)
- Gymnastics (boys): 5th place (2005-06) 4th place (2008-09) 3rd place (2003-04) State Champions (2004—05)
- Gymnastics (girls): 4th place (1997—98)
- Soccer (boys): 3rd place (2003—04); 2nd place (1974—75, 76—77, 83—84)
- Soccer (girls): 3rd place (2002—03); 2nd place (2001—02)
- Track & Field (boys): 4th place (1905—06, 20—21, 97—98, 2003—04); 3rd place (2002—03); 2nd place (1929—30, 94—95); State Champions (1995—96, 98—99)
- Volleyball (boys): 2nd place (2009–10); State Champions (2000—01, 03—04, 04—05, 06—07, 07—08, 08—09)
- Volleyball (girls): 4th place (2002—03)
- Wrestling: 2nd place (1965—66)
As of the end of the 2008—09 season, the six state titles for WWS in boys volleyball is a state record.
As of the end of the 2010-11 season, the seven state titles in football is the fifth highest total in state history, and the highest among public schools.
Activities
There are over 30 student activities ranging from athletic and artistic to social awareness and academic interests; and entire list of which can be seen here. Among those which are affiliates or chapters of nationally recognized groups are: Key ClubKey Club
Key Club International is the oldest and largest service program for high school students. It is a student-led organization whose goal is to teach leadership through serving others. Key Club International is a part of the Kiwanis International family of service-leadership programs...
, National Art Honor Society
National Art Honor Society
The National Art Honor Society was established in 1978 in the United States by the National Art Education Association for high school students grades 10-12, for "the purpose of inspiring and recognizing those students who have shown an outstanding ability in art" from the National Art Honor Society...
, and National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
.
There are typically four different student theatrical productions each year: a novice production in the early autumn, a play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
in late autumn, a variety show in early spring, and a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
in the last month before the end of the school year.
The school also sponsors a number of music groups including a jazz ensemble, pep band
Pep band
A pep band is an ensemble of instrumentalists who play at functions or events with the purpose of entertaining and "pepping" up a crowd. Often members of a pep band are a subset of people from a larger ensemble such as a marching band or a concert band. Pep bands are generally associated with...
, and marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
. In addition to a general choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, there are two show choir
Show choir
A show choir is a group of people who combine choral singing with dance movements, sometimes within the context of a specific idea or story.-History:...
s (The Classics and Esprit)The Classics won the FAME National Chapionship in 2011. The Esprit(a unisex showchoir) show choir is affiliated with the school, but is not sponsored by the school.
The following competitive activities have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
- Marching BandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
: State Champions (98-99), (99-00), (03-04), (04-05) 2nd Place (05-06) - ChessChessChess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
: 3rd place (2001—02, 02—03) - DebateDebateDebate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
: State Champions (1940—41) - DramaDramaDrama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
: 4th place (1981—82, 89—90); 3rd place (1974—75, 84—85); 2nd place (1982—83) - Group Interpretation: State Champions (1981—82)
- Individual Events: 4th place (1984—85, 86—87, 87—88, 2002—03, 06—07); 3rd place (1995—96, 2000—01, 03—04, 10-11); 2nd place (1969—70, 76—77, 88—89, 92—93, 94—95, 96—97, 2004—05, 07—08); State Champions (1968—69, 81—82, 82—83, 89—90, 97—98, 98—99, 99—2000, 01—02)
- Scholastic BowlQuizbowlQuiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school...
: 3rd place (1995—96); 2nd place (1987—88) - Speech: 4th place (1968—69); 3rd place (1969—70, 2010-11)
Wheaton High School (1876-1925)
- C. Wayland BrooksCharles W. BrooksCharles Wayland Brooks was a Republican U.S. Senator from Illinois from 1940 to 1949.He was born in West Bureau, Illinois and during World War I Brooks served as a first lieutenant in the United States Marines from 1917 to 1919; while in combat he was wounded several times.Wayland Brooks ran for...
(class of 1916) was a U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
(1940—49). - Harold "Red" GrangeRed GrangeHarold Edward "Red" Grange, nicknamed "The Galloping Ghost", was a college and professional American football halfback for the University of Illinois, the Chicago Bears, and for the short-lived New York Yankees. His signing with the Bears helped legitimize the National Football League...
(class of 1922) was a notable college and NFL halfbackHalfback (American football)A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
. He is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of FameThe Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
and 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...
. His uniform #77 was retired by the University of IllinoisIllinois Fighting Illini footballThe Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and the Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. WWSHS's football field is named in his honor. - Edwin HubbleEdwin HubbleEdwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer who profoundly changed the understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way - our own galaxy...
(class of 1906) was an astronomerAstronomerAn astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
who determined the existence of galaxies beyond the Milky WayMilky WayThe Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
, and proposed Hubble's LawHubble's lawHubble's law is the name for the astronomical observation in physical cosmology that: all objects observed in deep space are found to have a doppler shift observable relative velocity to Earth, and to each other; and that this doppler-shift-measured velocity, of various galaxies receding from...
, which helped in postulating the Expanding Universe TheoryBig BangThe Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
. The Hubble Space TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeThe Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
was named in his honor.
Wheaton Community High School (1925-1964)
- Dennis DuganDennis DuganDennis Dugan is an American director, comedian, and actor. He is most famous for his partnership with comedic actor Adam Sandler, with whom he directed the films Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, You Don't Mess with the Zohan, Grown Ups, Just Go With It, and Jack and...
(class of 1964) is an actor and director (I Now Pronounce You Chuck and LarryI Now Pronounce You Chuck and LarryI Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry is a 2007 comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Barry Fanaro, and starring Adam Sandler and Kevin James as the title characters. The film was released on July 20, 2007, in the U.S., August 16, 2007, in Australia and on September 21, 2007, in the UK and...
, You Don't Mess with the ZohanYou Don't Mess with the ZohanYou Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...
). - James H. MonroeJames H. MonroeJames Howard Monroe was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as a combat medic in the Vietnam War.-Biography:...
(class of 1962) was a US Army combat medicCombat medicCombat medics are trained military personnel who are responsible for providing first aid and frontline trauma care on the battlefield. They are also responsible for providing continuing medical care in the absence of a readily available physician, including care for disease and battle injury...
during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. He 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...
when he saved lives by throwing himself on a live grenadeGrenadeA grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
. - William RathjeWilliam RathjeWilliam Laurens Rathje is an American archaeologist. He is professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Arizona, with a joint appointment with the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, and is consulting professor of anthropological sciences at Stanford University...
(class of 1963) is an archaeologist, best known as "Professor of Garbology", while heading the Tucson Garbage ProjectTucson Garbage ProjectThe Tucson Garbage Project is an archaeological and sociological study instituted in 1973 by Dr. William Rathje in the city of Tucson in the Southwestern American state of Arizona. This project is sometimes referred to outside of academic circles as the "garbology project".-History:Dr...
at the University of ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaThe University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
. - Grote ReberGrote ReberGrote Reber was an amateur astronomer and pioneer of radio astronomy. He was instrumental in investigating and extending Karl Jansky's pioneering work, and conducted the first sky survey in the radio frequencies...
(class of 1929) was an amateur astronomer. He constructed one of the first radio telescopeRadio telescopeA radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
s in his Wheaton backyard, and conducted the first radio survey of the sky. - Samuel K. Skinner (class of 1956) was the United States Secretary of TransportationUnited States Secretary of TransportationThe United States Secretary of Transportation is the head of the United States Department of Transportation, a member of the President's Cabinet, and fourteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Transportation on October 15, 1966,...
(1989—91) and Chief of StaffWhite House Chief of StaffThe White House Chief of Staff is the highest ranking member of the Executive Office of the President of the United States and a senior aide to the President.The current White House Chief of Staff is Bill Daley.-History:...
for President George H. W. BushGeorge H. W. BushGeorge Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
(1991—92). - Orrin TuckerOrrin TuckerRobert Orrin Tucker was an American bandleader born in St. Louis, Missouri, whose theme song was "Drifting and Dreaming". His biggest hit was "Oh Johnny, Oh Johnny, Oh!" , sung by vocalist "Wee" Bonnie Baker....
(class of 1929) was a bandleaderBandleaderA bandleader is the leader of a band of musicians. The term is most commonly, though not exclusively, used with a group that plays popular music as a small combo or a big band, such as one which plays jazz, blues, rhythm and blues or rock and roll music....
. - Bob WoodwardBob WoodwardRobert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
(class of 1961) is an investigative reporter and author who works for The Washington PostThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. He is best known for his collaboration with reporter Carl BernsteinCarl BernsteinCarl Bernstein is an American investigative journalist who, at The Washington Post, teamed up with Bob Woodward; the two did the majority of the most important news reporting on the Watergate scandal. These scandals led to numerous government investigations, the indictment of a vast number of...
in uncovering the Watergate scandalWatergate scandalThe Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
. - John Wright (class of 1964) was an NFL receiver (1968—69).
Wheaton Central High School (1964-1992)
- James BelushiJames BelushiJames Adam "Jim" Belushi is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is the younger brother of comic actor John Belushi.-Early life:Belushi was born in Chicago...
(class of 1972) is a comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actor best known for his work in film (SalvadorSalvador (film)Salvador is a 1986 war drama film which tells the story of an American journalist in El Salvador covering the Salvadoran civil war. While trying to get footage, he becomes entangled with both leftist guerrillas and the right wing military...
, K-9K-9 (film)K-9 is a 1989 American action comedy film starring James Belushi and Mel Harris. Directed by Rod Daniel and written by Steven Siegel and Scott Myers, it was produced by Lawrence Gordon and Charles Gordon, and released by Universal City Studios...
) and television (Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
, According to JimAccording to JimAccording to Jim is an American sitcom television series starring Jim Belushi in the title role as a suburban father of three children. It originally ran on ABC from October 3, 2001 to June 2, 2009.-Synopsis:Jim is an abrasive but lovable suburban father...
). - John BelushiJohn BelushiJohn Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
(class of 1967) is a comedianComedianA comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
and actor known for his work on television (Saturday Night Live) and in film (Animal House, The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers (film)The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
).
Wheaton Warrenville South High School (1992-Present)
- Jon BeutjerJon BeutjerJon Beutjer is a former American football quarterback. As a senior at Wheaton Warrenville South High School he threw for a then-national high school record of 60 touchdowns in a 14-game season, winning several Illinois High School Player of the Year honors in the process...
(class of 1999) was a professional football quarterbackQuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who has played in the Arena Football League and 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....
. - Jerome CollinsJerome Collins-St. Louis Rams:Collins was the 144th pick of the 2005 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams from the University of Notre Dame. He was on the Rams practice squad and also the 53-man roster before beging released.-Dallas Cowboys:...
(class of 2000) was an NFL tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
(2005—07). - Sean RooneySean RooneySean Michael Rooney is an American volleyball player, who plays as an outside hitter for the U.S. national team. He made his Olympic debut at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.-Early life:...
(class of 2001) is a professional volleyball player in Europe and Asia. He was a member of the gold medal winning team for the United States at the 2008 Summer OlympicsVolleyball at the 2008 Summer OlympicsVolleyball competitions at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were held from 9 to 24 August 2008. Indoor volleyball events were held at Capital Indoor Stadium and Beijing Institute of Technology Gymnasium...
. - Sonal Shah (class of 1998) is an actress, best known for her role as Dr. Sonja "Sunny" Day on the television series ScrubsScrubs (TV series)Scrubs is an American medical comedy-drama television series created in 2001 by Bill Lawrence and produced by ABC Studios. The show follows the lives of several employees of the fictional Sacred Heart, a teaching hospital. It features fast-paced screenplay, slapstick, and surreal vignettes...
. - Kevin StreelmanKevin StreelmanKevin Streelman is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour.Streelman was born in Winfield, Illinois. A graduate of Wheaton Warrenville South High School in 1997 and Duke University in 2001, Streelman turned professional in 2003...
(class of 1997) is a professional golfer on the PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
. - Tony MoeakiTony MoeakiAnthony "Tony" Moeaki is an American football tight end. He finished his senior season at Iowa with 30 catches for 387 yards and 4 touchdowns. Moeaki was considered one of the top tight end prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft....
(class of 2005) is a tight endTight endThe tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who was drafted by The Kansas City ChiefsKansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, an NFL team, with the 93rd overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft2010 NFL DraftThe 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
.
- Dustin ByfuglienDustin ByfuglienDustin Ray Byfuglien is an American professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. His known nickname is "Big Buff," made up by his teammates...
(Did not graduate from WWSHS) currently a defenseman for the Winnipeg Jets, won Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2010 vs Flyers
Notable staff
- James Stankevitz is a physics teacherPhysics educationPhysics education or physics education research refers both to the methods currently used to teach physics and to an area of pedagogical research that seeks to improve those methods. Historically, physics has been taught at the high school and college level primarily by the lecture method...
who in 1992 received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science TeachingPresidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science TeachingThe Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through 12th-grade mathematics or science teacher may receive for outstanding teaching in the United States. Enacted by Congress in 1983, this program authorizes the President...
.
- Deon JacksonDeon JacksonDeon Jackson , is an American soul singer and songwriter.Jackson was born at Ann Arbor, Michigan. He performed in vocal groups and as a soloist in high school, he attended Ann Arbor High School and was signed while still in school by producer Ollie McLaughlin...
is a former American soul singer, with hit singles "Love Makes the World Go Round" and "Ooh Baby", who currently works as a Student Supervisor.