Glenbard West High School
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| Established | 1922 |
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| Type | Public Secondary |
| Principal | Dr. Jane Thorsen |
| Faculty | 127 |
| Students | 2,121 |
| Grades | 9 – 12 |
| Location | 670 Crescent Blvd Glen Ellyn, Illinois, USA |
| Campus | Suburban |
| Colors | Forest Green, White |
| Mascot | Hilltoppers |
| Yearbook | The Pinnacle |
| Newspaper | The Glen Bard |
| Website | http://www.glenbardwesths.org/ |
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Glenbard West High School, or GWHS (also GBW), and locally referred to as "West," is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Ellyn Avenue and Crescent Boulevard in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Glenbard Township High School District 87, which also includes Glenbard North High School, Glenbard South High School, and Glenbard East High School.
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[edit] History
Glenbard West was the first of the Glenbard high schools to be built, and was originally referred to as simply 'Glenbard'. The school was built in the style of a castle, complete with roof turrets, atop what was then called Honeysuckle Hill in 1922, purchased for the sum of $1. The 1991 television documentary Yearbook was filmed here. It was also featured in the book The Girl Who Owned A City by O.T. Nelson. Large portions of the 1986 film Lucas were shot in and around the school.[1] Glenbard also figures prominently in the award-winning young adult novel Say Goodnight, Gracie by Julie Reece Deaver.
[edit] Facilities
'Glenbard' as it was originally named, was constructed in 1922, atop Honeysuckle Hill, overlooking picturesque Lake Ellyn. Built with dark red brick, the building was built with castle-like design, complete with a turret and other minor castle details. Athletics were initially played in a gymnasium built in the school building itself, but with the construction of a $12 million state of the art field house across the street, the once gym was turned into the Robert D. Elliott Library, named after one of the most influential principals in school history.
[edit] Academics
In 2006, Glenbard West had an average ACT score of 23.2,Graduated 97.7% of its senior class. Glenbard West has made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievements Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act[2] Glenbard West was ranked 688 out of the nation's top 1351 schools by Newsweek in 2007, placing it in the top 3% of schools in the United States.[3]
The staff consists of 114 teachers, of which 84% hold an advanced degree.[4] The average class size is 26.8.
[edit] Theatre
Each year Glenbard West performs three productions in the Larry Shue Auditorium, and two Black Box/Studio Shows in the black box theater. In recent years the studio pieces have been student written plays. Its production of How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying was selected for the 2008 Illinois State Theatre Festival.
[edit] Dances
Various dances, supported by the Glen Ellyn Youth Center and various clubs from the school, are held in Biester Gym-the main exception being the first dance of the year, which is held on Circle Drive. Dances that are held in Biester Gym include Homecoming, the Halloween Dance, Heart Hop, and Mistletoe Madness, among others. Additionally, a monthly dance, sponsored by the Glen Ellyn Youth Center, occurs in Biester Gym.
[edit] Athletics
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It has been suggested that Glenbard West Football be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) |
Glenbard West competes in the West Suburban Silver Division of the West Suburban Conference. Its mascot is the Hilltoppers.
Glenbard West is currently categorized in football as a division 7A school. The football team, which won its only state championship in 1983 plays at Duchon Field, built in 1923, which in 1980 was named after Head football coach from 1960-76, Bill Duchon. The stadium seats up to 5,000 spectators, of which the home side overlooks picturesque Lake Ellyn. The stadium was used in the 1986 film Lucas.[5]
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[edit] Clubs
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[edit] Activities
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[edit] Notable alumni
- Samuel Bodman, U.S. Secretary of Energy 2005--, class of 1956
- Larry Shue, Playwright, class of 1964
- Laurie Anderson, Musician, class of 1965
- Colin Stinton, Actor, class of 1965
- Jeffery Deaver, Author, class of 1968
- Julie Deaver, Author, class of 1971
- Ted Wass, Actor/director, class of 1970
- Bobby Rahal, Indy-car driver and team owner, class of 1971
- Peter Roskam, Republican member of the United States House of Representatives, class of 1979
- Fareed Haque, Musician, class of 1981
- Phil Vischer, Co-creator of Veggie Tales, class of 1984
- Amy Carlson, Actress, class of 1986
- Christina Filiaggi, Radio personality, WLS AM 890, class of 1986
- Sean Hayes, Actor, Will & Grace, class of 1988
- Matt Bowen, Professional football player, Buffalo Bills, class of 1995
- Mike Hall, ESPN Dream Job winner, class of 2000
- Joe Fawell, World's Worst Boss, class of 2007
[edit] References
- ^ Lucas (1986) - Filming locations
- ^ http://www.glenbard.net/Glenbard_DistrictHQ/2005/media/pdf/Report%20Cards/Current%20Year/Glenbard_West_Report_Card.pdf
- ^ America's Top Public High Schools | Newsweek Best High Schools | Newsweek.com
- ^ http://www.glenbard.dupage.k12.il.us/Glenbard_DistrictHQ/2005/media/pdf/Profiles/West.pdf
- ^ Ten Great Places to Watch a High School Football Game
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This article or section includes a list of references or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. You can improve this article by introducing more precise citations. |
- "Filming locations for Lucas", IMDB. Accessed Sept. 1 2007.
- "Glenbard West High School", 2006 Illinois School Report Card. Accessed Sept. 1 2007.
- "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek. Accessed Sept. 1 2007.
- "Glenbard West High School Profile - 2006-07" Accessed Sept. 1 2007.
[edit] External links
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