See also: Central High School
Naperville Central High School ( Naperville Central or NCHS ) is a public four-year comprehensive school ranked in the top 3% of high schools nationally by US News and World Report, covering grades nine through twelve in Naperville, Illinois, a suburb southwest of Chicago in the United States. The school is a part of the Naperville Community Unit School District 203.
The school is notable for its strong academic standing and history of athletic accomplishments. Several of its alumni are notable across a variety of fields, though the school is unique in that it is the only high school in the United States to have its own Ancient Egyptian mummy.
History
The present NCHS structure is on Aurora Avenue just outside the downtown business district in Naperville. The building is within walking distance of the Naperville Riverwalk park/trail network, and is just north of Knoch Park and the Edward Hospital campus. The school is across the street from the historic Naper Settlement. The oldest part of the current building, known by some as the "Tower," or the "Three-Story Wing," was constructed in 1950, and was dedicated in 1952. The previous building which had housed the Naperville Community High School (or sometimes just Naperville High School) was built in 1916 and stood on Washington Street, just east of the present location of Washington Junior High School. This same building was used as the original Washington Junior High School until it was replaced in 1977.
The current Naperville Central building has received a number of building additions, in 1955, 1963, 1968, 1987 and 1992. For the 1992-93 school year, three projects in three independent locations added a Student Services wing in the northeast part of the building, in front of the original structure, an auditorium in the northwest part of the building and a natatorium (swimming/diving facility) in the southern part of the building. Prior additions included a field house and renovations to the student cafeteria area in the late 1980s, the current school library, and a large single-story classroom wing, known as the Flat Wing . As of the 2004-05 academic year, this gives the building a size of 439,660 square feet (41,000 square meters), not including the use of eight mobile classrooms in two modular units.
From 1939 until 1992, the mascot was the Redskin. A series of public protests over "Redskins" as a mascot began in the 1980s and continued into the early 1990s. Each time such a protest started, the student body was polled over keeping the mascot, and each result ended with the student body voting overwhelmingly to keep it. The community, too, rallied to keep "Redskins" as the nickname; despite this, the District 203 School Board decided during the summer of 1992 that it would be appropriate to end the use of the term "Redskins." Nearly all uses of the previous Native American logo and references to "Redskin," or other names deemed to be "Native American"-themed, such as the former "Arrowhead" yearbook, were removed from the building that summer (although students may still see some remainders of the Redskin today). The "Redhawk" was chosen in the fall of 1992 as the new school's mascot, after a vote by students, and went into effect in the 1993–94 school year.
The mummy
One of the most notable displays at the school is an Egyptian mummy. Though not claimed or confirmed, Naperville Central may be the only high school in America to claim such an artifact. Known as "Butch", it is stored in a glass case on the second floor of the school.
The mummy was donated to the school in the 1940s by local doctor, who had purchased it in a curio shop. The mummy was wrapped up and forgotten in an attic at the school until it was accidentally rediscovered by a teacher in 1975. The mummy underwent restoration in the 1990s at the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute.
In 2002 the National Geographic Channel visited the school and featured the school's mummy on an episode of its Mummy Roadshow television series. The mummy dates to approximately 55 BCE.
Academics
In 2008, Naperville Central had an average composite ACT score of 24.9, and graduated 96.6% of its senior class. Naperville Central has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, which with the ACT, are the assessment tools used in Illinois to fulfill the federal No Child Left Behind Act. One student subgroup failed to meet expectations in mathematics.
Alumni from Naperville Central High School founded a college preparation program known as Naperville College Prep that offers test-prep services and college application consulting, but the program is not endorsed by the school itself.
In 2009, Naperville Central was ranked #1353 on the annual Newsweek Magazine listing of their top 1500 American public high school (based on AP test results and the size of the graduating class). The school had been ranked #1015 in 2008.
Student life
Athletics
Naperville Central competes in the DuPage Valley Conference (DVC), and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), which governs most interscholastic athletics and competitive activities in the state. Teams are stylized as the Redhawks.
The school sponsors the following interscholastic teams for young men and women: basketball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, and water polo. Young men may compete in baseball, football, and wrestling, while young women may compete in badminton and softball. While not sponsored by the IHSA, the Athletic Department also oversees a competitive poms team for young ladies.
The following teams have finished in the top four of their respective IHSA sponsored state tournament or meet:
- Badminton: 4th place (1993–94, 98–99, 2004–05)
- Baseball: State Champions (2005–06)
- Basketball (girls): State Champions (2002–03, 03–04)
- Cross Country (boys): 4th place (1970–71, 93–94); 2nd place (1966–67, 87–88)
- Cross Country (girls): 4th place (1990–91); 3rd place (1987–88)
- Football: Semifinals (1997–98); 2nd place (1995–96, 2001–02); State Champions (1999–2000)
- Golf (boys): 3rd place (1974–75)
- Golf (girls): 4th place (1997–98)
- Gymnastics (boys): 3rd place (1993–94)
- Gymnastics (girls): 4th place (2002–03); 3rd place (1995–96, 96–97); 2nd place (1985–86)
- Soccer (boys): 2nd place (1988–89)
- Soccer (girls): 2nd place (1993–94, 94–95)
- Softball: 2nd place (1988–89)
- Swimming & Diving (boys): 4th place (1998–99); 2nd place (2004–05, 05–06); State Champions (2001–02)
- Swimming & Diving (girls): 4th place (1990–91, 95–96); 3rd place (1993–94); 2nd place (1994–95); State Champions (2004–05, 05–06)
- Tennis (boys): 4th place (2003–04); 3rd place (2000–01); 2nd place (1983–84)
- Tennis (girls): 4th place (1991–92, 2002–03); State Champions (1993–94)
- Track & Field (boys): 2nd place (1939–40)
- Volleyball (boys): State Champions (1997–98)
- Volleyball (girls): 2nd place (1998–99); State Champions (2005–06, 07–08)
- Water Polo (boys): 3rd place (2008–09); 2nd place (2004–05, 07–08)
- Water Polo (girls): 4th place (2007–08); 2nd place (2008–09)
Clubs and activities
The Naperville School District is notable for its sponsorship of non-athletic extracurricular activities. Naperville Central has used this support to produce numerous award winning academic teams such as The Scholastic Bowl Team, The Science Olympiad Team and the Math Team. These teams and others have placed well in conference, regional, and state competitions.
In 2004, the marching band was selected to perform as extras in the 2005 film The Weather Man , shown briefly in a scene depicting a Thanksgiving Day parade.
Science
The NCHS Science Olympiad Team, founded in 2004, ranked third in the state in 2005 and 2006 and second in state in 2007 and 2008(thus advancing to the national tournament). The Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering Team won the State Championship in 2006, ending rival Naperville North's multiple-year winning streak. In 2009, Central's WYSE team captured first place at the regional competition held at Naperville North. The Varsity Junior Engineering and Technical Society (JETS) team placed first in the nation in 2006; the JV JETS team placed second. In 2009, the Varsity JETS team took 1st place at the regional competition held at IIT (Wheaton Campus), while the JV team took 2nd.
In 2006, four students from NCHS competed in the Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision Competition and were recognized as 2nd Place National Finalist Winners for their design of a Wireless Information Integration network.
Chess
The NCHS Chess team placed respectably in 2005 and 2006, and student Jason Duncan was the Individual State Champion in 2005.
Journalism
The Central Times (CT) student newspaper has w
Naperville Central High School - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Naperville Central High School (Naperville Central or NCHS) is a public four-year comprehensive school ranked in the top 3% of high schools nationally by US News and World Report ...
Naperville Central High School
Redhawks. Features information and news, including daily calendar, special days schedule, student activities calendar, alumni resources, along with academic and athletic programs ...
Naperville Central High School Mathematics Department
District 203 Vision : Self-Directed Learner: Collaborative Worker: Complex Thinker: Community Contributor: Quality Producer
Naperville Central High School
440 West Aurora Avenue Naperville, Illinois 60540-6298. Bill Wiesbrook, Principal Main Office: 630.420.6420 Health Office: 630.420.6561 School Hours: 7:45 AM-3:10 PM
Naperville Central High School - What does NCHS stand for? Acronyms ...
Acronym Definition; NCHS: National Center for Health Statistics: NCHS: New Canaan High School (New Canaan, CT, USA) NCHS: Naperville Central High School (Illinois)
Naperville Central High School Community Demographics | SchoolMatters ...
Naperville Central High School Community Demographics – Information and stats on the Naperville Central High School District, including education levels, household ...
Naperville Central High School - Naperville, Illinois - IL - School ...
Naperville Central High School located in Naperville, Illinois - IL. Find Naperville Central High School test scores, student-teacher ratio, parent reviews and teacher stats.
Naperville Central High School
Naperville Central High School is a high school website for Naperville Central alumni. Naperville Central High provides school news, reunion and graduation information, alumni ...
News - Naperville Central High School
440 West Aurora Avenue Naperville, Illinois 60540-6298. Bill Wiesbrook, Principal Main Office: 630.420.6420 Health Office: 630.420.6561 School Hours: 7:45 AM-3:10 PM
Naperville Central High School District Financial – District ...
Naperville Central High School District Financial – District Financial information at Naperville Central High School.