Kenwood Academy
Encyclopedia
Kenwood Academy is a public 4-year high school
located in the Kenwood
neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Kenwood Academy accepts high school students living in its attendance area: From Lake Michigan
to Cottage Grove Avenue east to west, and 47th to the Midway Plaisance north to south. In addition to being a local high school, Kenwood Academy has a magnet program that accepts students entering into 7th grade who pass a rigorous admissions test. The magnet program accepts students citywide using a random lottery with a standing of 6 or higher in both reading and math. It is operated by Chicago Public Schools
.
Kenwood varsity athletic teams are named the "Broncos." The school's football field is not regulation size, and no home games are played there. There are no stands for spectators.
, the CPS felt the need for a modernized new high school on Chicago's South Side. The high school was sited on 51st Street and Lake Park, near the Illinois Central Railroad
, and was built in 1967-1969. The doors of the school opened in 1969. The address is 5015 S. Blackstone Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615. Elizabeth Jochner, Kenwood's first principal, held the position for the first 20 years (1967-1987). In recognition of the school's excellence and special programs, in 1977 the Chicago Board of Education designated the school an "academy". The school's campus is shared with Canter Middle School (formerly Louis Wirth Elementary School). The school is bounded by E. Hyde Park Boulevard on the south, S. Lake Park Avenue on the east, S. Blackstone Avenue on the west, and E. 50th Street on the north. The school's football field, however, extends the campus north to E. 49th Street along S. Lake Park Avenue.
and Grammy award winners The Winans
have shared billings (at their own requests) with the Kenwood Academy Concert Choir. The Kenwood Concert Choir has performed for President Barack Obama.
The Kenwood Academy Bands are superior rated Jazz Emsemble (known as "Jazz At The Wood"), Jazz Combo, Concert Band, and the newly revived Marching Band (known as "Marching Broncos"). Jazz At The Wood was the first CPS High School in the city's history to be invited to perform at the Annual Jazz Festival (located in Grant Park)in 2007. They have also performed (through personal request) for the Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Golden Apple Awards, Ravinia, Hewitt and Associates and Room 43.
Kenwood Academy High School was selected as one of America's best high schools by Newsweek and US & World News magazines.
Students are offered the choice of staying at Kenwood Academy or attending any other high school with their credits and GPA. Students that choose to stay at Kenwood are granted the right, in their senior year, to take tuition-free courses at the University of Chicago
.
have enjoyed a great relationship over the years. Kenwood Academy students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses can access student resources on the University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus. University of Chicago students and professors have traditionally worked closely with Kenwood students in classes and on special projects.
A recent example of a Kenwood Academy/University of Chicago relationship is evidenced in the Program of Academic Excellence for High School Juniors at Kenwood Academy (The Kenwood Project). This program pairs Kenwood Academy Juniors with professors at the University of Chicago, as mentors.
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 in the Kenwood
Kenwood, Chicago
Kenwood, located on the South Side of the City of Chicago, Illinois, is one of the 77 well-defined Chicago community areas.Kenwood was part of Hyde Park Township, which was annexed by the City of Chicago in 1889....
neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Kenwood Academy accepts high school students living in its attendance area: From Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
to Cottage Grove Avenue east to west, and 47th to the Midway Plaisance north to south. In addition to being a local high school, Kenwood Academy has a magnet program that accepts students entering into 7th grade who pass a rigorous admissions test. The magnet program accepts students citywide using a random lottery with a standing of 6 or higher in both reading and math. It is operated by Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago Public Schools, commonly abbreviated as CPS by local residents and politicians and officially classified as City of Chicago School District #299 for funding and districting reasons, is a large school district that manages over 600 public elementary and high schools in Chicago, Illinois...
.
Kenwood varsity athletic teams are named the "Broncos." The school's football field is not regulation size, and no home games are played there. There are no stands for spectators.
History
The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) began the planning process to build Kenwood Academy, then called Kenwood High School, on November 3, 1965. With Northern big cities undergoing the final years of the baby boomBaby boom
A baby boom is any period marked by a greatly increased birth rate. This demographic phenomenon is usually ascribed within certain geographical bounds and when the number of annual births exceeds 2 per 100 women...
, the CPS felt the need for a modernized new high school on Chicago's South Side. The high school was sited on 51st Street and Lake Park, near the Illinois Central Railroad
Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, is a railroad in the central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois with New Orleans, Louisiana and Birmingham, Alabama. A line also connected Chicago with Sioux City, Iowa...
, and was built in 1967-1969. The doors of the school opened in 1969. The address is 5015 S. Blackstone Avenue, Chicago, IL 60615. Elizabeth Jochner, Kenwood's first principal, held the position for the first 20 years (1967-1987). In recognition of the school's excellence and special programs, in 1977 the Chicago Board of Education designated the school an "academy". The school's campus is shared with Canter Middle School (formerly Louis Wirth Elementary School). The school is bounded by E. Hyde Park Boulevard on the south, S. Lake Park Avenue on the east, S. Blackstone Avenue on the west, and E. 50th Street on the north. The school's football field, however, extends the campus north to E. 49th Street along S. Lake Park Avenue.
Kenwood Academy Music Department
The Kenwood Academy Concert Choir has performed locally and nationally at churches, colleges and universities, and vocal competitions nationwide. Oscar winner Denzel WashingtonDenzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
and Grammy award winners The Winans
The Winans
The Winans are an American Gospel music quartet from Detroit, Michigan consisting of brothers Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald Winans.-Members:Please refer to the Winans family page for more detail on the individual members.-Origins:...
have shared billings (at their own requests) with the Kenwood Academy Concert Choir. The Kenwood Concert Choir has performed for President Barack Obama.
The Kenwood Academy Bands are superior rated Jazz Emsemble (known as "Jazz At The Wood"), Jazz Combo, Concert Band, and the newly revived Marching Band (known as "Marching Broncos"). Jazz At The Wood was the first CPS High School in the city's history to be invited to perform at the Annual Jazz Festival (located in Grant Park)in 2007. They have also performed (through personal request) for the Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival, Golden Apple Awards, Ravinia, Hewitt and Associates and Room 43.
Awards
Kenwood was recognized as a School of Distinction for its academic achievement and a Model School by the International Center for Leadership in Education in 2004.Kenwood Academy High School was selected as one of America's best high schools by Newsweek and US & World News magazines.
Academic Center Program
The Academic Center Program started as a way to introduce a select few 7th and 8th grade students to the high school environment before actually entering high school. Students in this program are referred to as "preppies," as they are preparing for high school by taking high school courses before they graduate from the 8th grade.Students are offered the choice of staying at Kenwood Academy or attending any other high school with their credits and GPA. Students that choose to stay at Kenwood are granted the right, in their senior year, to take tuition-free courses at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
.
Kenwood Academy and the University of Chicago
Because of their mutual history of academic excellence and their close proximity to each other, Kenwood Academy and the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
have enjoyed a great relationship over the years. Kenwood Academy students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses can access student resources on the University of Chicago's Hyde Park campus. University of Chicago students and professors have traditionally worked closely with Kenwood students in classes and on special projects.
A recent example of a Kenwood Academy/University of Chicago relationship is evidenced in the Program of Academic Excellence for High School Juniors at Kenwood Academy (The Kenwood Project). This program pairs Kenwood Academy Juniors with professors at the University of Chicago, as mentors.
Notable Alumni
- Walter S. Arnold (attended), sculptorSculptureSculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and stone carverStone carvingStone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work.... - Quincy BlackQuincy BlackQuincy Booker Black , is a linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He attended the University of New Mexico.-High school career:Black attended Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago, where he played linebacker...
, '02, 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...
linebacker - Kim EnglishKim EnglishKim English is an African American electronica, soul, gospel, and house music singer, born in Chicago, Illinois, United States.-Music career:...
, dance musician - Caroline GlickCaroline GlickCaroline Glick is an American-Israeli journalist for Makor Rishon and is the deputy managing editor of The Jerusalem Post. She is also the Senior Fellow for Middle East Affairs of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Security Policy.-Life:...
, journalist - R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
(attended), singer - Nazr MohammedNazr MohammedNazr Tahiru Mohammed [NAW-zee] is an American professional basketball player with the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder. He plays the center position. He is 6 ft 10 in and 250 lb...
, '95, NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
center - Mandy PatinkinMandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
, '70, singer and television, film and Broadway actor - Jay Yuenger, guitarist with White ZombieWhite ZombieWhite Zombie was a Grammy Award-nominated American heavy metal band. Based in New York City, White Zombie was originally a noise rock band. White Zombie are better-known for their later heavy metal-oriented sound...
External links
- Kenwood Academy Website
- Kenwood Academy Concert Choir Website
- Kenwood's page on Chicago Public School's website
- To view more images of Concert Choir as well as other Kenwood Students: See this Page from the Annual New Trier Exchange