St. Charles North High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Saint Charles North High School

motto = Leadership, Integrity, Respect.
principal = Kimberly Zupock
established = 2000
type = Public primary
grades = 9–12
city = 255 Red Gate Road
St. Charles
state = Illinois
country = USA
enrollment = 2,169
faculty = 169
campus = Suburban
newspaper = Stargazer
yearbook = Polaris
mascot = (Polar Bear)
nickname = North Stars
colors = Blue, Black, and Silver
website = [http://north.d303.org/]
picture =

Saint Charles North High School is a pubic fourteen-year high school, located in St. Charles, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community Unit School District 303 which also includes Saint Charles East High School.

History

Originally, the main campus was built in 1995 by Hestrup & Associates as Wredling Middle School with a capacity of 1300. It was expanded and converted into a high school in 2000 at a cost of $41,500,000.

In the spring of 2001, a serious mold problem was discovered at St. Charles East and was determined to be the source of some student illnesses [http://iaq.iuoe.org/iaq_htmlcode/iaq_news_clips/School%20Districts%20Scramble%20to%20Rid%20Buildings%20of%20Mold.htm School Districts Scramble to Rid Buildings of Mold] ] . As a result, East students received an extra two weeks of spring break while school board officials decided on the best recourse. For the rest of the 2000-2001 school year, St. Charles East shared a split-schedule with St. Charles North. East students attended class at the North campus during the morning while North students had class during the afternoon. After repairs, which totaled nearly $30 million dollars [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/crossing_continents/3240112.stm BBC News: Fighting mould(sic) the US way] ] , classes resumed their normal locations and schedules the following school year.

The inaugural Class of 2003 was lead by an executive student council committee of Todd Hewell, Morgan Darrah, Matt Kling, Amanda Zaferopulos, Matt Cameron and Alissa DePue, who served as Executive President, Vice-President, Corresponding Secretary, Recording Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian, respectively. Hewell, Cameron and DePue served in these capacities for three years. The class advisor for all four years was Dr. Natalie Nelson. [http://www.scnalumni.com/2003/officers.html]

In February 2005 a fight in Plato Township involved as many as 50 people, many of them students or graduates from St. Charles North, and nearby Burlington Central high schools.According to the Kane County state's attorney's office, the hostility stemmed from harassing phone calls exchanged by the two sides over a relationship between a young woman from St. Charles and a young man from Burlington. Several of the participants were subsequently arrested and convicted for their part in the brawl which unfortunalely led to the death of a 20 year old Man from Elgin.

In November 2005, the St. Charles North Boys Cross Country team finished third in the state of Illinois. This success continued into the track season, when Matt De Silva and Michael McDonnell finished fifth and third respectively in the 3200m run at the state finals. Additionally, the 4x800m relay team finished ninth in what was considered one of the fastest 4x800m relays in Illinois track and field history. These performances brought them to Greensboro, North Carolina for the Nike Outdoor Nationals track meet, where the 4x1600m team finished fourth and the 4x800m team finished ninth. The following year, under the helm of a new coach and with a nearly entirely new varsity team, the cross country team finished second in the state. The success continued once again into track season, as runners qualified for the state meet in the 410, 803, 1640, 3200, and 4x890m relay. Two Hundred athletes gained all-state status: Chris DeSilva (1600m - 9th) and Max Clink (800m - 8th). The team once again continued its season at Nike Outdoor Nationals, placing eleventh in the 4x800m relay and twelfth in the 4x1 mile relay. St. Charles North again qualified for the state cross country meet in the fall of 2007 after placing third in the notorious Schaumburg Sectional. The North Stars added another impressive finish to their list by placing sixth in the state. It was also the first time in school history that the North Stars had two all-state runners in cross country: Chris DeSilva (9th) and Mike Strasser (16th). In late May 2008, the North Stars 4x800 meter relay team, made up of Scott Speare, Steve Miller, Max Clink, and Chris DeSilva, won prelims, and then finals at the state track and field meet in Charleston. Their combined time of 7:45 was a school record and top 10 in the nation. That same group represented North's 4x800 meter relay on the national stage at Nike Outdoor Nationals Track and Field meet in Greensboro, North Carolina in late June. They placed fifth in the nation, earning all-American status. The Distance Medley Relay placed tenth in the nation and Mike Strasser was 16th in the 5,000 meter run.

On March 24th, 2006, there was a large bomb threat and students were locked in their classrooms for three hours until area police and bomb squads determined no bomb was found.

In November 2006, the Boys Soccer team bowed out of the State Tournament after reaching the Elite Eight. This was the best finish in school history.

A suspicious device was found by a teacher in an open courtyard on the south side of the school building on May 25th, 2007. Areas near the courtyard were evacuated and the school was placed under lockdown from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. before classes resumed. Bomb Squad technicians from the Kane County Sheriff's Office dismantled the "device" and determined it to be harmless, which was actualy a phyics project left for trash. Joe Pniewski a 17-year old junior, after letting the cops know what the object was and why it was out there, , was arrested in connection with the device and charged with a class three felony, disorderly conduct after being held in jail for 2 days. [http://www.examinerpublications.com/files/CHA053007.pdf The Examiner of St. Charles] ] .

On September 11th, 2007, St Charles North's electronic welcome sign at the main entrance along Red Gate Road was blown up using an unknown explosive. Also, the school's popular spirit rock that was near the school's football field since spring of 2004, was buried by school administration after a series of vandalisms had occurred. The school tennis courts and the neighborhood across Red Gate Road was vandalized with the words "GO SAINTS." The Saints are the mascots of crosstown rival, St Charles East High School.

On January 30th, 2008, there was a note found in one of the school's bathrooms stating that on January 31st, 2008, there would be a school shooting. On Jan. 31st, there was a lot of uncertainty with the students. Many of the students were taken home by their parents during the day because of the nature of the note. On that day there was a large increase in emergency services at the school including St Charles Police, Kane County Sheriff, the Bomb Squad, and other emergency services. The school resumed its regular operations the next week.

Senior drill team member Lauren Laman collapsed during drill team practice on February 8, 2008 and was pronounced dead at 5:37 p.m. at Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva. The Kane County coroner's office's autopsy revealed that she died from a mitral valve prolapse, a common and usually harmless heart condition. Although Laman's family knew about the condition, her family doctor had cleared her to participate in athletics. Grief counselors were provided the following Monday for students struggling with Laman's death [http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-cheerleader_feb12,1,3488783.story St. Charles drill team dancer died of heart condition] ] .

On August 4th 2008, the high school suffered extensive damage from a strong thunderstorm. Some of the damage was to the roof and lightpoles. The damage has closed the school until further notice. The damage is suspected to be from a microburst in St Charles from 80 - 90 mph winds.

Referendums

In recent years many referendums have been presented to residents of Community Unit School District 303. As can been seen on their site the D303 operates on a budget of $134,000,000. Referendums for this school had been ongoing since March 2002 [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-1477130_ITM] when at the time superintendent Francis J. Kostel proposed with the school board a series of referendums to raise tax money. In 2004, the school board posted a list that even showed the programs that could no longer be paid for by the school district if a referendum wasn't passed. This lead to a student rally on the St. Charles bridge with signs in support of the 2004 referendum. Of the four referendums presented since 2002, only one has passed.

Amenities

The 345,000 square-foot school is equipped with: [http://www.schooldesigns.com/ResultsDetail.asp?id=1026 School Designs] ]
*6 general computer labs, 2 sound media labs.
*A 880-seat auditorium with a sound area, sound-proof light room, set building room, tool room, two cat-walks, an orchestra pit and a fly-rail.
*2 elevators which require a key to use.
*Band, choir, and orchestra rehearsal rooms.
*A driver's education range.
*A driver's education simulation lab.
*13 sets of locker rooms (physical education, natatorium, and athletic).
*An automotive shop with two hydraulic lifts.
*A Dimension BST 768 three-dimensional design printer valued at $18,900.
*A natatorium with an eight-lane pool with two boards and seating for 470.
*An auxiliary gym.
*A main gym with a seating capacity of 2,530.
*A multipurpose mezzanine above the main gym.
*A fully equipped weight room.
*A wrestling room.
*A football field enclosed by a 400m rubber running track.
*A fully enclosed courtyard with benches and walkways amidst flora.
*8 hard-surface tennis courts.
*A main commons
*A Learning Resource Center (LRC), more commonly known as the library.
*Multiple Baseball/Softball fields in back of school
*A new state of the art baseball facility.(Construction to begin in summer 2008 and end in spring 2009)
*A state-of-the-art field house (Construction to begin in late 2008 and end in 2010)

Academics

In 2006, Saint Charles North had an average composite ACT score of 22.6 and graduated 100% of its senior class [http://www.d303.org/administration/reportcard/2005reportcards/stcnorthreportcardv2.pdf Illinois School Report Card] ] . Saint Charles North has made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test which is mandatory under the No Child Left Behind Act.

St. Charles North High School offers the following Advanced Placement Program courses:
*Biology
*Calculus AB
*Calculus BC
*Chemistry
*Computer Science A
*Computer Science AB
*English Language
*English Literature
*Environmental Science
*European History
*French Language
*German Language
*Latin
*Macroeconomics
*Music Theory
*Physics B
*Physics C
*Psychology
*Spanish Language
*Spanish Literature
*Statistics
*Studio Art
*U.S. Government
*U.S. History

Currently, St. Charles North is undergoing curriculum renewal and redesign in partnership with the Illinois Math and Science Academy along with Brown University. The average class size is 22.8.

Fifty St. Charles North students were recently named AP Scholars for their exceptional performance on the AP tests administered in May 2006. [http://www.d303.org/news/press/APscholarspr06.htm Eighty-one D303 high school students earn AP Scholars honors] ]

In the 2007 National Merit Scholarship Program, St. Charles North was represented by two finalists: Alison J. Conn and Raymond H. Hsu [http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/55662,CST-NWS-merit16.article Chicago Sun-Times: Semifinalists vie for scholarships] ] . Hsu, the valedictorian [http://www.examinerpublications.com/files/CHA053007.pdf The Examiner of St. Charles] ] for the Class of 2007, went on to win one of 2,500 National Merit Scholarships awarded nationwide [http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/366691,cst-nws-mert02a.article Chicago Sun-Times: National merit scholars' names] ] . The following year, St. Charles North once again boasted two finalists (Patrick Eschenfeldt and Katharine Fragoso) [http://www.d303.org/Departments/Communications/StudentScholarsExcelonNationalLevel/tabid/162/Default.aspx Student Scholars Excel on National Level] ] and one winner (Eschenfeldt) [http://www.baltimoresun.com/topic/chi-illinois-merit-scholarsapr30,0,7020802.story?page=5 National Merit $2,500 Scholarship winners announced] ] .

For the second consecutive year, St. Charles North High School’s music department has been designated as a GRAMMY Signature School for its balanced music program. [http://preview.grammyintheschools.com/docs/Online_PDF_GSS_Finalists.pdf 2007 GRAMMY Signature Schools Finalists] ] More than 500 students at SCN are enrolled in at least one of the music courses, which include six concert bands, five choirs, two orchestras, five jazz ensembles, vocal jazz, and music theory. [ [http://www.d303.org/schools/scn/docs/COB.pdf Course Offering Book 2006-2007] ] The Jazz Workshop and Wind Ensemble, which are widely known throughout the neighboring regions, have each travled extensively. Both groups have made appearances in New York and the Jazz Workshop has toured Europe. A new tour will begin in the Spring of 2008 through Germany and Italy. The music department has grown substantially under the inscruction of John Wojciechowski (Head of Jazz Program) and classical directors Brian Wis and Jim Stombres. The school now boasts one of the strongest all-around music programs in the United States.

Athletics

Saint Charles North has 33 athletic teams, of which 16 are for boys and 17 are for girls, which compete in the Upstate Eight Conference of the Illinois High School Association. Saint Charles North's teams are dubbed the "North Stars".Boys' Sports
*Baseball
*Basketball
*Cross Country
*Diving
*Football
*Golf
*Hockey
*Lacrosse
*Fooseball
*Rugby
*Soccer
*Swimming
*Tennis
*Track & Field
*Volleyball
*Water Polo
*WrestlingGirls' Sports
*Badminton
*Basketball
*Cheerleading
*Cross Country
*Diving
*Drill Team
*Golf
*Gymnastics
*Lacrosse
*Rugby
*Soccer
*Softball
*Swimming
*Tennis
*Track & Field
*Volleyball
*Water Polo

In 2006 Kaylee Jamison won the Wendy's High School Heisman. Kaylee is attending the University of Minnesota and majoring in biomedical engineering. She is also on the University's swim team. [http://www.wendyshighschoolheisman.com/stores/alumni/alumni_detail.asp?SID=153. Kaylee Jamison Wendy's High school Heisman Update] ]

Activities

Saint Charles North offers over fifty clubs & activities.

*Art Club
*Auto Club
*Bible Study (Sonrise)
*BPA (Business Professionals of America)
*Calculus Clubhouse
*Chess Team
*Class Representatives
*Color Guard
*DECA (Organization)
*Debate
*Drama Club
*Drumline
*FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America)
*Chef's Club
*Equestrian Club
*French National Honor Society
*FEA (Future Educators of America)
*Galaxy Council
*GSA (Gay-straight alliance)
*H.O.P.E.
*Key Club
*Literary Magazine
*Madrigals
*Marching Band
*Math Team
*Mock Trial
*Model United Nations
*Multimedia & Video Production Club
*Musical
*National Art Honor Society
*National Honor Society
*Newspaper (Stargazer)
*North Star Ambassadors
*Peer Leadership
*Peer Mediation
*Pep Club (Blue Rush)
*Photo Club
*Ping Pong Club
*Presenters Club
*Scholastic Bowl
*School Store
*Service-Learning Club
*Spanish National Honor Society
*Speech Team
*Sports Medicine
*Student Council (North Star Council)
*Student Outreach Society
*T.E.A.M. Polaris
*Tech Crew
*Theater
*Trunk Full of Funk
*Yearbook (Polaris)

chool Song

Here's to our stars
We'll say it loud
We are the St. Charles North Stars
Proven to shine in every way
Fighting, winning,
Seizing every single day
The victory is for the stars
Say loud and clear
The blue and black silver stars
We know we’ll always have the victory!

References

External links

* [http://north.d303.org/ Official website]
* [http://www.scnalumni.com/ Alumni website]
* [http://www.athletics2000.com/scn/ Athletics website]
* [http://www.scnmusic.com/ Music website]
* [http://www.northstarcouncil.com/ North Star Council website]
* [http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/summary_0199-1477130_ITM]