Neuqua Valley High School

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Neuqua Valley High School
Address
2360 95th Street
Naperville, Illinois, 60564
United States
Coordinates 41°42′27″N 88°11′46″W / 41.70762°N 88.196011°W / 41.70762; -88.196011
Information
School type Public Secondary
Opened 1997
School district Indian Prairie S.D. 204
Superintendent Kathy Birkett[1]
Principal Robert McBride[2]
Grades 9–12
Gender coed
Enrollment 4,778[3]
Average class size 23.8[3]
Campus suburban
School Colour(s)      Blue
     Gold
Athletics conference Upstate Eight
Mascot Willy The Wildcat
Nickname Wildcats
Average ACT scores 25.2[4]
Publication The Essence
Newspaper 'The Echo'
Yearbook 'Neshnabec'
Website http://nvhs.ipsd.org
Neuqua Valley HS 1.jpg

Neuqua Valley High School, or NVHS is a public four-year high school located near the corner of Illinois Route 59 and 95th Street in Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Neuqua Valley is the counterpart to Waubonsie Valley High School and the newly built Metea Valley High School, in Indian Prairie School District 204.

Contents

[edit] History

The campus consists of three locations: a "Gold campus" building (formerly Crone Middle School) for Freshmen (Grade 9); a "Blue campus" building (the original NVHS main building) for Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors (Grades 10-12); and a third building, known as the "Frontier campus".

The original NVHS campus building was opened in August, 1997, and was built to house 3000 students.

The middle school conversion was done for the 2003-2004 academic year in an effort to alleviate overcrowding. The "Frontier campus" allows Seniors to receive dual credit for classes from the College of DuPage. These students attend class in block sessions with no classes on friday. It allows for independence and freedom. Seniors from Waubonsie Valley High School may also participate in the program.

The lake behind the school is known as "Lake Birkett," in honor of the school's first principal, Kathryn Birkett, who now serves as the district's Superintendent.

[edit] Academics

In 2008, Neuqua Valley had an average composite ACT score of 23.9, and graduated 99% of its senior class.[5]

In 2010, Newsweek ranked Neuqua Valley #951 in their annual list of the top American public high schools.[6]

However, this school has not made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act. The school is on the Academic Watch list from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) since the 2006-2007 academic year. It fails to meet the requirements in Reading and Mathematics.[7]

The Blue Campus, the original building, is divided into five wings, A-E. The A wing contains Neuqua's Fine and Applied Arts, as well as industrial and consumer education classrooms and facilities. The B wing contains History, English and Health classrooms. The C wing contains Science classrooms complete with lab equipment and also Television Production studios. The D wing contains Math, Computer Science, Foreign Language and Business Classrooms. The E wing contains the Cafeteria and Physical Education facilities and the staff room.

First-year classes are held in the Gold Campus building. Some classes for seniors are held in a special "Frontier Campus." This is in a building near the main NVHS campus on 95th Street, which features classes taught in conjunction with the College of DuPage. Some students attend the Frontier Campus full-time. Many classes at Frontier do not take place on Friday.

[edit] Honors

Neuqua Valley has received recognition by the Grammy Association for its music program. The school was named a GRAMMY signature school in 1998, 1999, and 2001, a GRAMMY signature school Gold in 2000, 2003, 2004, and 2009, and the National GRAMMY Signature school "Best in Nation" in 2005. The Music Department homepage, has a list of other awards.

[edit] Athletics

Neuqua Valley competes in the Upstate Eight Conference for athletics. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), and competes in state tournaments that it sponsors.

The school sponsors interscholastic teams for young men and women in: basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and water polo. Young men also have teams sponsored in baseball, football, and wrestling. Women may compete in badminton, bowling, gymnastics, cheerleading, and softball.[8]

While not sponsored by the IHSA, the school's athletic department also supports a competitive poms team, a dance team (orchesis), and a team which competes in and works with the Special Olympics.[8] Outside of these teams, the school's name is also linked with a team competing in Lacrosse, a sport not sponsored by the IHSA.[citation needed]. An extensive inter mural program is also available, competing in many sports including basketball, bowling, and even ping pong. Each fall, Neuqua also participates in a womens' powderpuff football tournament with Waubonsie, Metea, Naperville Central, Naperville North, and Benet Academy in Lisle.

The following teams have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA State Championship:[9]

  • Baseball: 3rd place (2007–08); State Champions (2006–07)
  • Woman's Basketball: 3rd place (2001–02); 2nd place (2000–01)
  • Cross Country (boys): 4th place (2003–04, 08–09); 3rd place (2010-2011); State Champions (2007–08, 09-10)
  • Golf (girls): 4th place (2001–02, 02–03); 2nd place (2000–01)
  • Soccer (boys): 4th place (2008–09); 2nd place (2007–08); State Champions (2003–04)
  • Soccer (girls): State Champions (2004–05)
  • Swimming & Diving (boys): 4th place (2005–06); 3rd place (2006–07); 2nd place (2008–09, 09-10); State Champions (2007–08);
  • Swimming & Diving (girls): 3rd place (2002–03); 2nd place (2005–06)
  • Hockey (2002-2003): State Champions
  • Track & Field (boys): 2nd place (2008-09); 3rd place (2009-10)
  • Volleyball (boys): 3rd place (2006–07, 07–08)
  • Water Polo (girls): 3rd place (2002–03)

The boys cross-country team has placed within the top 15 in the state race in Peoria every year since 2001. In 2007, the boys cross country team won the Nike Team Nationals. The team ran under the name Naperville XC Club to avoid violating IHSA season limitation by-laws.[10] They placed 12th in 2009 and 2010.

[edit] Marching Band

The Marching Band performs at all of the home football games at half time and playing pep songs to rally the crowd durning the game. Also the Marching Wild Cats march at the Labor Day parade and the Memorial Day parade in down town Naperville. The Marching Wildcats have placed 3rd at the Illini Marching Band Championships two years in a row.

  • 2010 show "James Bond" arranged by Greg Schwaegler. The band is under the direction of Mr. Jonathan Lauff with help from Mr. John Timmins, Mrs. Mary Emily Binder, Mr. Mark Duker, Mrs. Rachel Luhn, Mr. Charles Staley, and the one the only Mr. Bill Jastrow

[edit] Facilities

The school's athletic facilities include: One 8-Lane 25 yard indoor swimming pool, with a side diving well with two boards, and a small 3-Lane 20 yard wading/warm-up pool. The Blue Campus has three gymnasiums: two of these have three full-sized basketball courts each, and one is used for gymnastics. The Gold Campus has 2 Gymnasiums, 1 weight room, and 1 rock climbing wall (given as a Senior class gift in 2003). There is also a fully equipped weight room, a wrestling room, a football field enclosed by a 400 meter recycled rubber running track and a soccer stadium. The school also has more than 10 sound rooms.

[edit] Activities

The school sponsors numerous extracurricular clubs and organizations ranging from arts and academic to cultural and special interest. While an entire list can be found here, the following are the most notable in terms of being chapters of a larger national movement:

[edit] Notable alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ District 204 Administration; accessed 20 April 2009
  2. ^ List of District 20 schools and administrators; accessed 20 April 2009
  3. ^ a b 2008 Illinois School Reeport Card; accessed 20 April 2009
  4. ^ 2011 Illinois School Report Card; accessed 4 November 2011
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ [2]
  7. ^ http://iirc.niu.edu/School.aspx?source=AYP_Information&schoolID=190222040260002&level=S
  8. ^ a b Neuqua Valley High School Athletic Department; accessed 20 April 2009
  9. ^ IHSA Season Summaries for Neuqua Valley HS; accessed 20 April 2009
  10. ^ Nike NTN results-2007; accessed 20 April 2009
Division A (larger enrollments)
Division B (smaller enrollments)
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