West Chicago High School
Encyclopedia
Community High School, also known as West Chicago Community High School, WCCHS, or simply WE-GO, is a public four-year high school located in West Chicago, Illinois
, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
. It is part of Community High School District 94.
school at the present site.
The opening date of the new high school was September 23, 1926. The 21st annual commencement (the first at the new high school) was held on June 11, 1927. The graduating class consisted of 27 students (20 girls and 7 boys).
In 1954, Community High School experienced its first addition to the building. That addition is the area that now includes the cafeteria, small gym, and some classroom facilities. In 1964 another major addition was approved by the Board of Education. This area includes the Bishop Gymnasium and all of the new classroom facilities in the northern part of the building. In 1978 additions were added to the north and south ends of the building providing a swimming pool, fieldhouse, greenhouses, library, commons, and administrative offices. In the summer of 1998 ground was broken for the addition of twenty-eight classrooms, a fitness center and dance studio, and the construction of a new sports stadium. The new classrooms,
fitness center and dance studio are located on the west side of the building. In addition to new construction, the building referendum passed in 1997 included monies for the installation of new heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air conditioning systems for the remaining parts of the building.
The referendum allocated 1.8 million dollars for technology. Technology has been integrated into all classrooms in the school. The high school now has 12 fully equipped computer labs, an Online College and Career Center,a Journalism/Yearbook Production Lab, and mobile laptop computers Department labs.
score of 20.4 and graduated 96.1% of its senior class. West Chicago has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT comprise the assessment tools used in Illinois to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
. Four of the school's five student subgroups did not meet minimum expectations in reading, while three did not meet minimum expectations in mathematics. Overall, the school has not met minimum expectations in reading and mathematics.
(DVC), and is a member of the Illinois High School Association
(IHSA), which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities in Illinois. West Chicago's teams are stylized as the Wildcats
.
The Athletic Department sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball
, cross country
, golf
, gymnastics
, soccer, swimming
& diving
, tennis
, track & field, and volleyball
. Young men may 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 a lacrosse
team for young men.
-
The following teams have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
, Key Club
, National Honor Society
, SADD, and SkillsUSA
.
The following activities have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament:
West Chicago, Illinois
West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 23,469 at the 2000 census. It was formerly named Turner Junction after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad in 1855...
, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is part of Community High School District 94.
History
From 1904-1926, the old junior high school (since torn down and now the present location of the West Chicago Fire Department) and various buildings in the city of West Chicago were used as high school classrooms. On December 28, 1924, the citizens voted to construct a new highschool at the present site.
The opening date of the new high school was September 23, 1926. The 21st annual commencement (the first at the new high school) was held on June 11, 1927. The graduating class consisted of 27 students (20 girls and 7 boys).
In 1954, Community High School experienced its first addition to the building. That addition is the area that now includes the cafeteria, small gym, and some classroom facilities. In 1964 another major addition was approved by the Board of Education. This area includes the Bishop Gymnasium and all of the new classroom facilities in the northern part of the building. In 1978 additions were added to the north and south ends of the building providing a swimming pool, fieldhouse, greenhouses, library, commons, and administrative offices. In the summer of 1998 ground was broken for the addition of twenty-eight classrooms, a fitness center and dance studio, and the construction of a new sports stadium. The new classrooms,
fitness center and dance studio are located on the west side of the building. In addition to new construction, the building referendum passed in 1997 included monies for the installation of new heating, ventilation, plumbing, and air conditioning systems for the remaining parts of the building.
The referendum allocated 1.8 million dollars for technology. Technology has been integrated into all classrooms in the school. The high school now has 12 fully equipped computer labs, an Online College and Career Center,a Journalism/Yearbook Production Lab, and mobile laptop computers Department labs.
Academics
In 2008, West Chicago 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 20.4 and graduated 96.1% of its senior class. West Chicago has not made Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress
Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP, is a measurement defined by the United States federal No Child Left Behind Act that allows the U.S. Department of Education to determine how every public school and school district in the country is performing academically according to results on standardized...
(AYP) on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT comprise the assessment tools used in Illinois to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
No Child Left Behind Act
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States Act of Congress concerning the education of children in public schools.NCLB was originally proposed by the administration of George W. Bush immediately after he took office...
. Four of the school's five student subgroups did not meet minimum expectations in reading, while three did not meet minimum expectations in mathematics. Overall, the school has not met minimum expectations in reading and mathematics.
Athletics
West Chicago competes in the DuPage Valley ConferenceDuPage Valley Conference
The DuPage Valley Conference is an organization of eight high schools in northeastern Illinois, representing seven communities in Chicago's suburbs. These high schools are all members of the Illinois High School Association. The Conference, organized in 1967, exists primarily for inter-school...
(DVC), and is a member of the Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
(IHSA), which governs most interscholastic sports and competitive activities in Illinois. West Chicago's teams are stylized as the Wildcats
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...
.
The Athletic Department sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, soccer, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
& diving
Diving
Diving is the sport of jumping or falling into water from a platform or springboard, sometimes while performing acrobatics. Diving is an internationally-recognized sport that is part of the Olympic Games. In addition, unstructured and non-competitive diving is a recreational pastime.Diving is one...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, track & field, and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
. Young men may 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 a 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...
team for young men.
-
The following teams have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state championship tournament or meet:
- Football: State Champions (1974–75)
- Swimming & Diving (girls): 3rd place (1991–92)
- Volleyball (boys): 4th place (2000–01)
- Wrestling: 4th place (1976–77)
Activities
West Chicago offers over 40 clubs and activities for students, ranging from academic and vocational, to cultural and leadership (the entire list of which can be found here). Among the clubs which are chapters or affiliates of more national notable organizations are: Future Business Leaders of AmericaFBLA-PBL
The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL, is an American career and technical student organization that has its headquarters in Reston, Virginia...
, Key Club
Key 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 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...
, SADD, and SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA
SkillsUSA is a United States career and technical student organization serving more than 320,000 high school and college students and professional members enrolled in training programs in technical, skilled, and service occupations, including health occupations. Since 2010, SkillsUSA has had Thomas...
.
The following activities have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament:
- 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 (1996–97); 2nd place (1994–95); State Champions (1995–96)
Notable alumni
- Tony AielloTony AielloTony Aiello is a television reporter for WCBS-TV in New York City. He joined the station in October, 2002 after spending more than four years at WNBC New York. Aiello is assigned to cover news in the northern suburbs from the WCBS-TV bureau in White Plains, NY.Aiello came to New York in 1996 to...
TV reporter for WCBS-TV in New York City. Class of 1981 (known in high school as Carm Aiello). - Scott DierkingScott DierkingScott Dierking was a running back in the NFL. He played for the New York Jets from 1977-1983. Before his NFL career, he played for Purdue University....
was an NFL running backRunning backA running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
(1977–84), spending most of his career with the New York JetsNew York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Harris W. FawellHarris W. FawellHarris W. Fawell was a Republican member of the Illinois Senate from 1963 to 1977, and was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1968 and 1988. In 1976 Harris W. Fawell ran unsuccessfully for the Illinois Supreme Court. In 1984 he was elected to the U.S...
was a U.S. Congressman (1984–1999), who representing the 13th Congressional District of Illinois. - Chauncey W. ReedChauncey W. ReedChauncey William Reed was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Chauncey Reed was born in West Chicago, Illinois to William Thomas Reed and Margaret Reed...
was a U.S. Congressman (1935–1956), who represented the 11th and 14th Congressional Districts of Illinois. He was briefly Chairman of the House Judiciary CommitteeUnited States House Committee on the JudiciaryThe U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
.