West Leyden High School
Encyclopedia
West Leyden High School is a high school in Northlake
, Illinois
. First opened for enrollment in 1959, the athletic mascot
of West Leyden High School was originally the Knights until 1981. At this time, the East and West Leyden High School athletic programs merged together to create an athletic team currently known as the Eagles.
Together with East Leyden High School
in Franklin Park, Illinois
, it comprises Leyden High School District 212
of the suburban communities in Franklin Park
, Northlake
, Rosemont
, Schiller Park
, River Grove
, Melrose Park
and unincorporated Leyden Township
.
score of points below the state average. 100% of the senior class failed the grade. West Leyden did not make Adequate Yearly Progress
on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, which with the ACT comprises the state assessments used to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act
. Overall, the school did not achieve AYP in reading or mathematics, while two of its three student subgroups failed to meet expectations in mathematics.
As a separate team, the only team to finish in the top four of their respective Illinois High School Association
(IHSA) was the 1968—69 wrestling team
.
, competitions, both in the Jazz and Classical divisions. The Leyden Chamber Singers annually perform in the Madrigal Dinner, singing pieces from the . The Marching Band has also travelled to various locations throughout the United States, including Pennsylvania, Florida, among other locations. Student performers have also been participants of the Illinois High School Theater Association's (IHSTA's), annual TheaterFest. Students throughout the state compete for roles in the annual performance of a classical musical or drama production. The Speech and Performance Team is also a competitive group which has continued to develop and fine-tune their Forensics Speaking abilities throughout the years, with various events in Dramatic and Humorous Interpretation, Radio Speaking, Poetry Reading, and Oratorical Declamation.
Northlake, Illinois
Northlake is a city in suburban Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,878 at the 2000 census. The city's moniker is "The City of Friendly People".-Geography:...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. First opened for enrollment in 1959, the athletic mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of West Leyden High School was originally the Knights until 1981. At this time, the East and West Leyden High School athletic programs merged together to create an athletic team currently known as the Eagles.
Together with East Leyden High School
East Leyden High School
East Leyden High School is a secondary school located in Franklin Park, Illinois which educates grades 9-12.Together with West Leyden High School in Northlake, Illinois, they serve the suburban communities in Franklin Park, Northlake, Rosemont, Schiller Park, River Grove, Melrose Park and...
in Franklin Park, Illinois
Franklin Park, Illinois
Franklin Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,800 at the 2004 census.-Geography:Franklin Park is located at ....
, it comprises Leyden High School District 212
Leyden High School District 212
The Leyden High School District 212, named after Leiden, operates two high schools in Cook County, Illinois, USA. The district has 207 teachers serving 3,477 students.School FactsSchool NameCityStudentsFTE TeachersPupil/Teacher Ratio...
of the suburban communities in Franklin Park
Franklin Park, Illinois
Franklin Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,800 at the 2004 census.-Geography:Franklin Park is located at ....
, Northlake
Northlake, Illinois
Northlake is a city in suburban Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,878 at the 2000 census. The city's moniker is "The City of Friendly People".-Geography:...
, Rosemont
Rosemont, Illinois
Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that...
, Schiller Park
Schiller Park, Illinois
Schiller Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,850 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Schiller Park is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
, River Grove
River Grove, Illinois
River Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,668 at the 2000 census.-Geography:River Grove is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of ....
, Melrose Park
Melrose Park, Illinois
Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland...
and unincorporated Leyden Township
Leyden Township, Cook County, Illinois
Leyden Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 94,685.-Geography:Leyden Township is located just northwest of the city of Chicago, an edge of which lies within the township but as a separate entity...
.
Academics
West Leyden's class of 2008 had a below 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 points below the state average. 100% of the senior class failed the grade. West Leyden did not make 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, which with the ACT comprises the state assessments used 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...
. Overall, the school did not achieve AYP in reading or mathematics, while two of its three student subgroups failed to meet expectations in mathematics.
Athletics
Since 1981, West Leyden and East Leyden have had a combined athletics program. Prior to the schools unifying into a single program, West Leyden's teams were stylized as the Knights, and the school colors were blue and gold. While East Leyden's team nickname of "Eagles" was retained for the combined program, West Leyden's colors became the colors for the unified program.As a separate team, the only team to finish in the top four of their respective 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) was the 1968—69 wrestling team
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...
.
Activities
School Activities Include:- Art Club
- The "L" Club (Athletic Organization)
- The Lancer (Student Literary Magazine)
- Chess Club
- Class Boards
- International Club
- Key Club
- Students Helping Achieve Racial Equality Club
- Marching Eagles (Marching Band)
- International Thespian Society (Speech Team/Theater)
- Math Team
- Model UN
- Scholastic Bowl
- Science Club
- Snowball
- Student Council
- Video Game Club
- SADD - Students Against Destructive Decisions
Fine Arts
The Leyden Fine Arts program is composed of music, art and theatrical performance. Various music groups, ranging from choral groups to instrumental orchestras, have excelled in multiple regional, state and national competitions. Choral participants have consistently been top performers in the Illinois Music Educator Association, IMEAIMEA
The Illinois Music Educators Association is the Illinois state-level affiliate of MENC: The National Association for Music Education...
, competitions, both in the Jazz and Classical divisions. The Leyden Chamber Singers annually perform in the Madrigal Dinner, singing pieces from the . The Marching Band has also travelled to various locations throughout the United States, including Pennsylvania, Florida, among other locations. Student performers have also been participants of the Illinois High School Theater Association's (IHSTA's), annual TheaterFest. Students throughout the state compete for roles in the annual performance of a classical musical or drama production. The Speech and Performance Team is also a competitive group which has continued to develop and fine-tune their Forensics Speaking abilities throughout the years, with various events in Dramatic and Humorous Interpretation, Radio Speaking, Poetry Reading, and Oratorical Declamation.
Notable alumni
- Tom DoreTom DoreTom Dore is a retired American basketball player and former Comcast SportsNet play-by-play announcer for the National Basketball Association's Chicago Bulls....
is a play-by-play announcer known for his long association with the Chicago BullsChicago BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
(Dore attended West Leyden before transferring to and graduating from East Leyden). - Frankie SullivanFrankie SullivanFrankie Sullivan, Frankie M. Sullivan III, is an American guitarist and songwriter. He is best known for being a founding member of the band Survivor, and has been the only constant member of the band since its formation in 1977.Along with former bandmate, keyboardist/vocalist Jim Peterik,...
is the lead guitarist in the band SurvivorSurvivor (band)Survivor is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1978. The band achieved its greatest success in the 1980s with its AOR sound, which garnered many charting singles, especially in the United States. The band is best known for its double platinum-certified 1982 hit "Eye of the Tiger", the theme...
. Together with fellow Leyden alumni Rick Weigand they formed the band in 1978. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 198255th Academy AwardsThe 55th Academy Awards were presented April 11, 1983 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Liza Minnelli, Dudley Moore, Richard Pryor, and Walter Matthau.Louis Gossett, Jr...
, in the category Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
for co-writing the song Eye of the TigerEye of the Tiger"Eye of the Tiger" is a single by American rock band Survivor, from their third album Eye of the Tiger. It was released as a single on May 29, 1982, the same year as the album. It was written at the request of actor Sylvester Stallone, who was unable to get permission for Queen's "Another One Bites...
from the film Rocky IIIRocky IIIRocky III is a 1982 American film that is the third installment in the Rocky film series. It is written and directed by and stars Sylvester Stallone as the title character, with Carl Weathers as former boxing rival Apollo Creed, Burgess Meredith as Rocky's trainer Mickey, and Talia Shire as Rocky's...
.