- Downers Grove South High School
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Downers Grove South High School 
Address 1436 Norfolk St.
Downers Grove, Illinois, 60516
United StatesCoordinates 41°46′15″N 88°01′15″W / 41.7708°N 88.0207°W Information School type Public Opened 1964[1] School district Community HS Dist. 99 Superintendent Dr. Mark McDonald[2] Principal Stephan Bild[3] Staff 301[4] Grades 9–12 Gender Co-Ed Enrollment 3,183[5] Average class size 21.0[5] Campus Suburban School Colour(s) navy blue
columbia blue[6]Athletics conference West Suburban Conference Nickname Mustangs[6] Average ACT scores 22.0[5] Publication Calliope[7] Newspaper 'Blueprint
Pony Express[8]Yearbook 'Caracole[8] Radio station WDGC (88.3 FM)[9] Cable TV Station Channel 29[7] Website http://www.csd99.org/south/ 
Satellite Image of DGS
Downers Grove South High School, or DGS, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dunham Road and 63rd Street in Downers Grove, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community High School District 99, which also includes Downers Grove North High School. The South campus draws students from Downers Grove (south of 55th St.), the majority of Woodridge, a large portion of Darien (west of Cass Ave.), and a small section of Bolingbrook.
Contents
History
The school opened its doors in 1964 and the student population at Downers Grove High School was split in two, half going to the original structure now named Downers Grove North, and half going to the new building. It has since undergone significant renovations to bring it up to date, including a $49.5 million voter referendum for the district in 2001. In the summer of 2008 the school embarked on a parking space expansion on campus, which had been plagued by delays. Despite several causes for postponement, parking lot adjustments were prepared in time to effectively start the 2008—09 school year.[10] On Friday, 22 June 2011 at around 8:30 pm, South High School received extensive damage to its outdoor sports areas during a two-minute EF1 tornado: fences around the tennis courts were flattened, portable toilets and rows of bleachers were flipped upside-down as well as some fallen branches across the school's football/soccer field. [11]
Academics
In 2008, Downers Grove South had an average composite ACT score of 22.0, 1.5 points above the state average.[5] DGS graduated 96.7% of its senior class.[5] Downers Grove South has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which with the ACT, are the assessment tools used to fulfill mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. While the school as a whole did make AYP, two of the six student subgroups failed to meet expectations in reading. As of the fall of 2011 DGS will be getting a new turf football field.[5]
Athletics
South competes in the West Suburban Conference. The school is also a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most sports and competitive activities in the state of Illinois. The school teams are stylized as the Mustangs.
The school 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 compete in baseball, football, and wrestling, while young women may also compete in badminton, bowling, cheerleading, and softball. The DGS Fillies (Varsity) and Pintos (JV) dance and pom teams perform at half time of men's home football and basketball games and compete at the Team Dance Illinois State Competition every year.[12]
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament or meet:[13]
- Badminton: 2nd place (1997—98)
- Basketball (boys): 3rd place (2004—05)
- Cheerleading: 3rd place (2006—07); 2nd place (2001–2002, 2005—06, 07—08)
- Football: semifinals (1986—87); 2nd place (1984—85, 93—94); State Champions (2001—02)
- Soccer (boys): 4th place (1983—84); State Champions (2004—05)
- Soccer (girls): 4th place (2001—02, 07—08); 3rd place (1991—92); 2nd place (1992—93)
- Softball: 4th place (2006—07); 2nd place (2005—06); State Champions (1992—93)
- Tennis (girls): 2nd place (2007—08)
- Track & Field (girls): 3rd place (1989—90)
- Volleyball (girls): 4th place (2004—05); 3rd place (1995—96, 2000—01); 2nd place (1992—93, 93—94, 94—95, 97—98); State Champions (1996—97, 99—2000, 02—03)
- Marching Band: 4th place (2010-11)
Activities
Downers Grove South has won several state championship for its extracurricular activities in its history, including (as of 2008[update]) three in performance in the round, two in chess, and three from the Fillies Pom and Dance Team. The Coed Cheerleading team also won Back to Back State Championships in 2003 and 2004 and Back to Back National Championships in 2004 and 2005. Its speech team has won fifteen state championships, more than any other school.[14] In 1997 it became the only team to win the speech state championship four years in a row, and in 2009 the only school to win that same title 6 years in a row.[15]
Other School Activities Include:
- AAMLG (African-American Male Leadership Group)
- Anime Club
- Art Club
- A.C.E. (Athletes Committed To Excellence)
- Blueprint (Student Newspaper)
- Calliope (Student Literary Magazine)
- Chess Club
- Checkers Club
- Class Boards
- Climate Action Club
- Culture Club
- Go Green Initiative (formerly "Direct Action")
- Heifer International
- International Club
- Key Club
- J. Kyle Braid
- Marching Mustangs (Marching Band)
- Masque & Gavel (Speech Team/Theater)
- Math Team
- Model UN
- Mustang Book Club
- Music Appreciation Club
- National Honor Society
- Outdoor Adventure Club
- RUSH Corps ("Are (R) You (U) South (S) High (H)?" - helps incoming freshmen get used to high school)
- SADD - Students Against Destructive Decisions
- Scholastic Bowl
- Science Club
- Snowball
- Speech Team
- Stage Crew
- Steppers
- Student Council
- Students With A Voice
- Ultimate Frisbee Club
- WDGC-FM Radio
- Video Game Club
- Yearbook Club (Caracole)
Notable alumni
- Bob Olesen (class of 1985) was a member of the United States two and four man bobsled teams at the 1998 Winter Olympics.[16][17][18][19]
- Emo Philips is a famous comedian.[19]
- Bob Bryar is a member of the band My Chemical Romance.[citation needed]
- Greg Corner (1992) is the bass guitarist for Kill Hannah.[citation needed]
- Robbie Russo (Class of 2011) a fourth round selection in the 2011 NHL draft by the New York Islanders.
References
- ^ History of District 99; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ District 99 Administration; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ Administrative directory for DGSHS; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ Staff directory for DGSHS; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ a b c d e f Class of 2008 school report card; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ a b School information for DGSHS; ihsa.org; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ a b Directory of Clubs at DGSHS; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ a b Curricular activities directory for DGSHS; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ Competitive activities at DGSHS; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ http://www.csd99.org/district/news/story.asp?site=district&ID=1852
- ^ http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/06/23/confirmed-tornadoes-hit-downers-grove-mount-prospect
- ^ List of teams; DGSHS Athletic Department; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ Season summaries for DGSHS; ihsa.org; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ IHSA Table of Titles
- ^ IHSA Individual Events Team Champions and Runners-Up
- ^ DGSHS Athleti Hall of Fame; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ Two-man bobsleigh results for the 1998 Winter Olympics; todor66.com; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ Four-man bobsleigh results for the 1998 Winter Olympics; todor66.com; accessed 15 July 2009
- ^ a b Akouris, Tina (4 January 2010), "Downers Grove South", Chicago Sun-Times, http://yourseason.suntimes.com/schools/downerssouth/1973162,010410-school-of-the-week-downers-south.article, retrieved 10 April 2011
External links
Categories:- High schools in Illinois
- Educational institutions established in 1964
- Downers Grove, Illinois
- Schools in DuPage County, Illinois
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