Rolling Meadows High School
Encyclopedia
Rolling Meadows High School, or RMHS, is a public four-year high school
located in Rolling Meadows, Illinois
, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. It is part of Township High School District 214
. It is part of the second largest school district in Illinois, under Chicago. The other five schools include Buffalo Grove High School
, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High School
, Prospect High School
, and Wheeling High School
. It serves primarily central and east Rolling Meadows (east of Route 53
), a significant part of Arlington Heights
and a small part of Mount Prospect
.
Rolling Meadows High School first opened for the 1971-1972 school year.
The school uses Block Scheduling
. There are four classes per day, which alternate between a Gold Day (ex: Math, PE, English, History) and a Purple Day (ex: Info Processing, Seminar, Science, Spanish). Each class lasts ninety minutes, with the exception of late start Thursdays, where each class is seventy-eight minutes long. The only exception is a White Day, where all classes meet. White days, however, are not common and the school has gone years at a time without having them.
(MSL) East Conference and Illinois High School Association
(IHSA). Its mascot is the mustang
.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for boys and girls in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming
& diving
, tennis
, track & field, volleyball
, and water polo
. Boys may also compete in baseball
, football
, and wrestling
. Girls may compete in badminton
, bowling
, cheerleading
, and softball
. The athletic department also has a student athletic trainers group.
The following athletic teams placed in the top four of their respective state championship series sponsored by the IHSA.
Archery was only contested for four years. Rolling Meadows was the only team to win two state titles, and the only school to finish in the top four each year.
, won the 2006 Championship Chairman's Award at the FIRST
Championship Event in Atlanta, Georgia
. WildStang has also won the FIRST Championship Event in 2003 with team 469 from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and team 65 from Pontiac, Michigan. WildStang went undefeated and won the 2009 FIRST
Championships with team 67 of Milford, Michigan, and team 971 from Mountain View, California. WildStang won the 2011 FIRST Robotics Championship in St Louis, Missouri, with team 254 of San Jose, California, and team 973 of
Atascadero, California. WildStang's mentor Dan Green of Motorola won the 2007 Championship Woodie Flowers Award, the greatest honor for a mentor to receive. WildStang has won over 50 FRC awards, including 8 Regional Championships. The WildStang FTC team, "MiniStang", has won the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Illinois State Championship with an undefeated record.
, the Marching Mustangs, participating in several competitions.
There are many choirs at RMHS: Concert, Madrigals/Chamber, Beginning, Advanced Women's, and Trebellious(show choir)
Rolling Meadows High School is also host to the state's largest jazz
festival, Jazz in the Meadows. Area high school jazz bands from all over the Mid-West come to compete. The event finishes with a concert from a notable artist(s).
team has had members that have won state championships in 2005 and 2006, as well as the Junior State of America's 2007 Midwest Region Statesmen of the year.
festival, Jazz in the Meadows.
song, Make It Stop (September's Children)
. Tim McIlrath
, the band's frontman is alumni from Rolling Meadows High School.
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 Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Rolling Meadows is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,607 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rolling Meadows is located at ....
, a northwest 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 Township High School District 214
Township High School District 214
Township High School District 214 is located in Cook County, Illinois. It is the state's second largest high school district by enrollment .-Schools:* Buffalo Grove High School* Elk Grove High School* John Hersey High School* Prospect High School...
. It is part of the second largest school district in Illinois, under Chicago. The other five schools include Buffalo Grove High School
Buffalo Grove High School
Buffalo Grove High School, or BGHS is a public high school located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. It is one of six four-year comprehensive high schools in Township High School District 214, serving portions of the Villages of Buffalo Grove, Arlington Heights and a small...
, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High School
John Hersey High School
John Hersey High School, , is a four-year public high school located in Arlington Heights, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois in the United States, it has its students from Arlington Heights and also takes some students from Prospect Heights, Mount Prospect and a small part of Des...
, Prospect High School
Prospect High School (Illinois)
Prospect High School, or Prospect, is a public four-year high school located in Mt. Prospect, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, which also includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey...
, and Wheeling High School
Wheeling High School
Wheeling High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Wheeling, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 214, which also includes Buffalo Grove High School, Elk Grove High School, John Hersey High...
. It serves primarily central and east Rolling Meadows (east of Route 53
Illinois Route 53
Illinois Route 53 is an arterial north–south state highway in northeast Illinois. Route 53 runs south from Long Grove at Illinois Route 83 to Gardner at Interstate 55 west of old U.S. Highway 66, a distance of...
), a significant part of Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
and a small part of Mount Prospect
Mount Prospect, Illinois
Mount Prospect is a village in Elk Grove and Wheeling Townships in Cook County, Illinois, about northwest of downtown Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 54,167.-Geography:...
.
Rolling Meadows High School first opened for the 1971-1972 school year.
Academics
Rolling Meadows High School, like other schools in Township High School District 214, determines GPA's on a 5.0 scale. Students receive an extra point for taking Advanced Placement classes and an extra half-point for taking honors classes. Thus an A in a non-weighted (regular) class is worth 5.0 points, an A in an honors class is worth 5.5 points, and an A in an Advanced Placement class is worth 6.0 points.The school uses Block Scheduling
Block scheduling
Block scheduling is a type of academic scheduling in which each student has fewer classes per day but each class is scheduled for a longer period of time . A student might be taking 7 different classes, but only 4 per day, and the specific daily classes would rotate through a changing daily cycle...
. There are four classes per day, which alternate between a Gold Day (ex: Math, PE, English, History) and a Purple Day (ex: Info Processing, Seminar, Science, Spanish). Each class lasts ninety minutes, with the exception of late start Thursdays, where each class is seventy-eight minutes long. The only exception is a White Day, where all classes meet. White days, however, are not common and the school has gone years at a time without having them.
Athletics
Rolling Meadows competes in the Mid-Suburban LeagueMid-Suburban Conference
The Mid-Suburban League is an Illinois High School Association recognized high school extra-curricular league which includes twelve schools located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The conference is split up into two divisions for all interscholastic activities...
(MSL) East Conference and 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). Its mascot is the mustang
Mustang (horse)
A Mustang is a free-roaming horse of the North American west that first descended from horses brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Mustangs are often referred to as wild horses, but there is intense debate over terminology...
.
The school sponsors interscholastic teams for boys and girls 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, 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...
, and water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
. Boys may 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...
. Girls 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...
, bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, 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 athletic department also has a student athletic trainers group.
The following athletic teams placed in the top four of their respective state championship series sponsored by the IHSA.
- Archery (girls): State Champions (1977—78, 79-80); 2nd place (1976—77); 3rd place (1978—79)
- Cross Country (girls): 3rd place (1995—96)
- Gymnastics (boys): 2nd place (1988—89, 90—91); 3rd place (1973—74); 4th place (1972—73, 82—83, 86—87)
- Gymnastics (girls): 3rd place (1993—94)
- Volleyball (boys): 2nd place (1994—95)
- Volleyball (girls): 2nd place (1978—79); 3rd place (1989—90)
Archery was only contested for four years. Rolling Meadows was the only team to win two state titles, and the only school to finish in the top four each year.
Journalism
The Pacer, the student newspaper, was nominated for a national award, The Pacemaker, and received a runner-up mentioning in 2007. The Pacer comes out nine times during the school year. Class of 2010 alum Jimmy Hibsch was the 2010 Illinois Scholastic Journalist of the Year. In 2010, Mike McKenna won third place for the Sports Story of the Year at the National Journalism Education Association conference in Kansas City. The Pacer is a recurrent winner of awards such as the NISPA Golden Eagle as well as All-KEMPA ratings. It has been regarded by national judges as "nearly flawless" and "one of the best papers in the country." On March 9, 2011, Editor-in-Chief Alexandria Johnson was named the 2011 Illinois Scholastic Journalist of the Year. It was the first time in the history of the Journalist of the Year contest that two consecutive winners were from the same school.Robotics
The WildStang Robotics team from Rolling Meadows, Prospect, and Wheeling High Schools, partnered with MotorolaMotorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
, won the 2006 Championship Chairman's Award at the FIRST
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
Championship Event in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. WildStang has also won the FIRST Championship Event in 2003 with team 469 from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan and team 65 from Pontiac, Michigan. WildStang went undefeated and won the 2009 FIRST
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one.First or 1st may also refer to:* First , minor summit below the Schwarzhorn in the Bernese Alps in Switzerland* First , mountain in Bernese Alps in Switzerland...
Championships with team 67 of Milford, Michigan, and team 971 from Mountain View, California. WildStang won the 2011 FIRST Robotics Championship in St Louis, Missouri, with team 254 of San Jose, California, and team 973 of
Atascadero, California. WildStang's mentor Dan Green of Motorola won the 2007 Championship Woodie Flowers Award, the greatest honor for a mentor to receive. WildStang has won over 50 FRC awards, including 8 Regional Championships. The WildStang FTC team, "MiniStang", has won the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Illinois State Championship with an undefeated record.
Music
The school has a very active music department, with its marching bandMarching 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...
, the Marching Mustangs, participating in several competitions.
There are many choirs at RMHS: Concert, Madrigals/Chamber, Beginning, Advanced Women's, and Trebellious(show choir)
Rolling Meadows High School is also host to the state's largest jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival, Jazz in the Meadows. Area high school jazz bands from all over the Mid-West come to compete. The event finishes with a concert from a notable artist(s).
Student Congress
Rolling Meadows High School's Student CongressStudent Congress
Congressional Debate is a form of high school debate in the United States and Pakistan. The National Forensic League , National Catholic Forensic League , many national debate tournaments, State Forensic Associations, and the IEEE Pakistan Student Congress all offer Congressional Debate as an event...
team has had members that have won state championships in 2005 and 2006, as well as the Junior State of America's 2007 Midwest Region Statesmen of the year.
Yearbook
The Yearling, the school's yearbook, is a recurring winner of the Golden Eagle award consisting of outstanding writing and photography. All of the writing and photography in the book is by student staff members.Music & Theater
Rolling Meadows High School is also host to the state's largest jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
festival, Jazz in the Meadows.
Pop culture
Rolling Meadows High School was used as a set for shoots of the music video for punk band's Rise AgainstRise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
song, Make It Stop (September's Children)
Make It Stop (September's Children)
"Make It Stop " is the second single from punk rock band Rise Against's sixth studio album, Endgame. The single was released digitally to digital stores on May 30, 2011. The single's peak at number seven on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs charts and number thirteen on U.S. Billboard Rock...
. Tim McIlrath
Tim McIlrath
Timothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
, the band's frontman is alumni from Rolling Meadows High School.
Notable alumni
- Jeff AustinJeff AustinJeff Austin is a mandolinist and singer best known for being a part of the Yonder Mountain String Band....
, mandolinist virtuoso and vocalist of Yonder Mountain String Band - Jay BennettJay BennettJay Walter Bennett was an American guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Wilco.-Early life and work with Wilco:...
, Singer/Songwriter, formerly of WilcoWilcoWilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John... - Gary ColeGary ColeGary Michael Cole is an American actor. Cole is known for his supporting roles in numerous film and television productions since the 1990s.-Early life:...
is an actor known for his work in film (In the Line of FireIn the Line of FireIn the Line of Fire is a 1993 American thriller film about a disillusioned and obsessed former CIA agent who attempts to assassinate the President of the United States and the Secret Service agent who tracks him...
, The Brady Bunch MovieThe Brady Bunch MovieThe Brady Bunch Movie is a 1995 American comedy film based on the 1969–1974 television series The Brady Bunch.The film features all the original regular characters, all played by new actors...
, Office SpaceOffice SpaceOffice Space is a 1999 American comedy film satirizing work life in a typical 1990s software company. Written and directed by Mike Judge, it focuses on a handful of individuals fed up with their jobs portrayed by Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole, David Herman, Ajay Naidu, and Diedrich...
) and television (Fatal VisionFatal VisionFatal Vision is a best-selling true crime book published in 1983 by journalist and author Joe McGinniss. The following year it was made into an NBC television miniseries under the same name. Fatal Vision is the real-life story of Captain Jeffrey MacDonald, M.D., who in 1979 was convicted of the...
, Midnight CallerMidnight CallerMidnight Caller is a dramatic NBC television series created by Richard DiLello, which ran from 1988 to 1991. It was one of the first television series to address the dramatic possibilities of the then-growing phenomenon of talk radio...
, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is an American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. The series' pilot first aired in 2000, and later became a series in...
). - Sebastian ManiscalcoSebastian ManiscalcoSebastian Maniscalco is an American stand-up comedian born in Arlington Heights, Illinois. He was one of four comedians featured in Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights - Hollywood to the Heartland, along with Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, and Bret Ernst...
, Comedian, performed in Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show - Tim McIlrathTim McIlrathTimothy "Tim" James McIlrath is an American punk rock musician. He is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder for the American punk rock band Rise Against. McIlrath is known to support animal rights and actively promotes PETA with his band...
, Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist of punk rock/hardcore punk band, Rise AgainstRise AgainstRise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it... - Brian SchmackBrian SchmackBrian Robert Schmack is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who played for the Detroit Tigers in ....
(1991) is a former professional baseball player with the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
. - Aaron WilliamsAaron WilliamsAaron Williams is an American former professional basketball player. He played at the power forward and center positions.-Basketball career:...
was a professional basketball player, playing in the NBA (1993–2008).