Neuqua Valley High School
Encyclopedia
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
.
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.
score of 23.9, and graduated 99% of its senior class.
In 2010, Newsweek ranked Neuqua Valley #951 in their annual list of the top American public high schools.
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.
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.
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
, cheerleading
, and softball
.
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
. Outside of these teams, the school's name is also linked with a team competing in Lacrosse, a sport not sponsored by the IHSA.
The following teams have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA State Championship:
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. They placed 12th in 2009 and 2010.
The Marching Wildcats have placed 3rd at the Illini Marching Band Championships two years in a row.
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 near the corner of Illinois Route 59
Illinois Route 59
Illinois Route 59 is a north–south state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs south from Illinois Route 83 in Antioch to Interstate Highway 55 in Shorewood, spanning the north–south width of Chicago's western suburbs...
and 95th Street in Naperville, Illinois
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,...
, 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...
. Neuqua Valley is the counterpart to Waubonsie Valley High School
Waubonsie Valley High School
Waubonsie Valley High School, or WVHS, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ogden Avenue and Eola Road in Aurora, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
and the newly built Metea Valley High School
Metea Valley High School
Metea Valley High School is a high school in Aurora, Illinois that opened in August, 2009 in DuPage County. The school is one of three high schools operated by the Indian Prairie School District; the others are Waubonsie Valley High School, also in Aurora, and Neuqua Valley High School, in...
, in Indian Prairie School District 204
Indian Prairie School District 204
Indian Prairie School District 204 serves students from the Illinois communities of Aurora, Bolingbrook, Plainfield and Naperville. Currently one preschool, twenty-one elementary schools, seven middle schools, three high schools, and one alternative high school are in the district...
.
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
College of DuPage
College of DuPage, or COD, is a two-year community college in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates facilities in the Illinois communities of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Naperville, West Chicago, and Westmont...
. 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.
Academics
In 2008, Neuqua Valley 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 23.9, and graduated 99% of its senior class.
In 2010, Newsweek ranked Neuqua Valley #951 in their annual list of the top American public high schools.
However, this school 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, a state test part of the 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...
. The school is on the Academic Watch list from the Illinois State Board of Education
Illinois State Board of Education
The Illinois State Board of Education administers public education in the state of Illinois. The State Board consists of nine members who are appointed by the Governor with the consent of the...
(ISBE) since the 2006-2007 academic year. It fails to meet the requirements in Reading and Mathematics.
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
College of DuPage
College of DuPage, or COD, is a two-year community college in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. The college also owns and operates facilities in the Illinois communities of Addison, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Naperville, West Chicago, and Westmont...
. Some students attend the Frontier Campus full-time. Many classes at Frontier do not take place on Friday.
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.Athletics
Neuqua Valley competes in the Upstate Eight ConferenceUpstate Eight Conference
The Upstate Eight Conference is an organization of fourteen high schools in northeastern Illinois, representing ten communities in Chicago's suburbs. These high schools are all members of the Illinois High School Association.The high schools of the Upstate Eight Conference are located in Kane...
for athletics. The school 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), and competes in state tournaments that it sponsors.
The school 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....
, 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...
. Young men also have teams sponsored 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...
. 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...
, 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...
.
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
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
. Outside of these teams, the school's name is also linked with a team competing in Lacrosse, a sport not sponsored by the IHSA.
The following teams have placed in the top four of their respective IHSA State Championship:
- 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
Nike Team Nationals
Nike Cross Nationals is an invitational cross country meet that serves as the unofficial team national championship of United States high school cross country. It was designed to heighten competition between high school cross country teams nationwide...
. The team ran under the name Naperville XC Club to avoid violating IHSA season limitation by-laws. They placed 12th in 2009 and 2010.
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
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.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:- Business Professionals of AmericaBusiness Professionals of AmericaBusiness Professionals of America is a career and technical student organization that is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. BPA aims to develop leadership, academic, and technological skills in the workplace among students and leaders within the community...
(BPA) - Best Buddies
- Distributive Education Clubs of AmericaDECA (organization)DECA, also known as Collegiate DECA on the college level) is an international association of students and teachers of marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality, and marketing sales and service . DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing,...
(DECA) - Family, Career & Community Leaders of America (FCCLA)
- Junior State of AmericaJunior State of AmericaThe Junior State of America is an American non-partisan student-run youth organization. It is also the largest high school student-run organization in the country...
(JSA) - Model United NationsModel United NationsModel United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
- Operation SnowballOperation snowballOperation Snowball is an international alcohol, tobacco and other drug use prevention program focusing on leadership development to empower youth to lead drug-free lives...
- Vocational Industrial Clubs of America/Skills USASkillsUSASkillsUSA 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...
(VICA) - YMCA Youth and GovernmentYMCA Youth and GovernmentYMCA Youth and Government, or Y&G is a YMCA civic engagement and service-learning program in the United States that offers high school students the opportunity to serve in a model government process at the local, state, national, and international levels...
- Science OlympiadScience OlympiadScience Olympiad is an American elementary, middle, or high school team competition which tests knowledge of various science topics and engineering ability. Over 6,200 teams from 49 U.S. states compete each year. Most teams compete in three levels of competition: regionals, states, and nationals...
Notable alumni
- Brittany BockBrittany BockBrittany Christine Bock is an American soccer defender currently playing for Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer.-Personal:Bock was born in Naperville, Illinois and attended Neuqua Valley High School...
- WPS defender for the Washington FreedomWashington FreedomThe Washington Freedom was an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Germantown, Maryland that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The Freedom was originally founded in 2001 as a member of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. Since 2004, the...
, and the United States Women's National Soccer TeamUnited States women's national soccer teamThe United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world... - Dave Della TerzaDave Della TerzaDave Della Terza is an American Internet entrepreneur from Chicago, Illinois.He is most notable as the founder of Vote for the Worst, a web site that promotes voting for contestants on American Idol who he, among others, believe the producers would hate to see win.Della Terza has kept his media...
- Creator of Vote For The WorstVote for the WorstVoteForTheWorst.com is a website that is devoted to voting for the worst, most entertaining, most hated or quirkiest contestants on the Fox Network television series American Idol... - Chris DerrickChris DerrickChris Derrick is an American distance runner at Stanford University and former American junior record holder in the 5000 meters.-High school:...
- Stanford University All-American. 2007 IHSA Cross Country State Champion, and Former American Record Holder for the Junior 5000m with a time of 13:29. - Evan LysacekEvan LysacekEvan Frank Lysacek is an American figure skater. He is the 2010 Olympic champion, the 2009 World champion, the 2005 & 2007 Four Continents champion, the 2007 & 2008 U.S. national champion, and the 2009/2010 Grand Prix Final champion....
- 2010 Olympic Gold Medalist in Figure Skating - Babatunde OshinowoBabatunde OshinowoBabatunde Oluwasegun Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa "Baba" Oshinowo, Jr. [Ba-ba-TOON-day OH-shi-no-who] is an American football defensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
- NFL defensive tackle-Carolina Panthers - Danielle PanabakerDanielle PanabakerDanielle Nicole Panabaker is an American actress. She was a cast member in the CBS drama Shark, and appeared in the films Mr. Brooks, Sky High, The Crazies and Friday the 13th, among other projects...
- actress "Yours, Mine, and Ours," "Sky High", "Friday the 13th" and "Mr. Brooks" - Lindsay Wisdom-HyltonLindsay Wisdom-HyltonLindsay Wisdom-Hylton is an American professional basketball player. She attended high school at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, IL. She currently plays the forward position for the Chicago Sky in the WNBA.-Childhood:...
- WNBA forward for the Los Angeles SparksLos Angeles SparksThe Los Angeles Sparks is a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded before the league's inaugural 1997 season began...