Hoffman Estates High School

Hoffman Estates High Schools
Address
1100 W Higgins Road Hoffman Estates , Illinois USA
Information
Type	Public secondary
Established	1973
Principal	Theresa Busch
Grades	9–12
Enrollment	2,222
Campus	Suburban
Color(s)	Blue, Orange
Mascot	Hawks
Newspaper	Hawkeye View
Yearbook	Halcyon
Website	www.hehs.d211.org

Hoffman Estates High School, or HEHS, is a public four-year high school located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B. Conant High School, William Fremd High School, Palatine High School, and Schaumburg High School.

History

Hoffman Estates High School, built to house an enrollment of 2,500 students, opened in 1973 as a freshman-sophomore school in Schaumburg Township.

Principal Terri Busch received the 2002-2003 Illinois State Board of Education’s Award of Excellence as a school administrator for outstanding contributions to Illinois education.

Hoffman Estates High School’s German Exchange with its sister school Bertolt Brecht Gymnasium in Munich is celebrating its 26th year of uninterrupted three-week exchanges of students and teachers. A new exchange with Melanchthon Gymnasium Nürnberg will begin in 2008, replacing the Bertolt Brecht exchange.

In March 2000, Hoffman Estates High School sent the first Special Olympic Unified Floor Hockey Team in the state to Anchorage, Alaska. In July 2003, a Hoffman Estates Special Olympic athlete represented Illinois and the United States in Dublin, Ireland. The volleyball team took first place at World Games. Special Olympics events at Hoffman Estates High School include volleyball, basketball, track, and snowshoeing. Peer coaching is provided by the peer partners. In 2004, the Hawks went to state for track and snowshoeing.

Academics

In 2005., Hoffman Estates had an average composite ACT score of 26.3, and graduated 96.7% of its senior class. The average class size is 21.0. Hoffman Estates has not made Adequate Yearly Progress on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, a state test part of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The U.S. Department of Education awarded the Blue Ribbon Award of Excellence in Education to Hoffman Estates in 1985. To ensure the highest level and quality of education, teachers at Hoffman Estates are required to have at least a Masters in their field within five years of their employment.

Hoffman Estates High School staff members have been recognized for excellence statewide and nationally. Among other honors, Hoffman Estates High School has on staff the National Athletic Trainer of the Year, Illinois Biology, Music, and Automotive Teachers of the Year, Illinois Counselor of the Year, winner of the Illinois Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching, a Golden Apple winner, and Illinois State Board of Education “Those Who Excel” award winners.

The Applied Technology Trades program is in its 28th year at Hoffman Estates High School. The Building Trades program is among the largest and best in Illinois, providing students with unparalleled work experiences, education, and career opportunities. The students have experienced all stages of construction – from driving the first nail, to hanging drywall, painting, and landscaping. Hoffman’s Automotive Technology Program has gained national recognition by N.A.T.E.F. (National Automotive Technician Education Foundation) certification.

Each classroom is equipped with a high quality projector and computer.

Throughout their careers at Hoffman, students have access to a highly-equipped college and career counselling center which is run by college consultant George Kazlusky, along with career advisor Ruth Buchberger. About 83% of Hoffman's graduates attend college.

Athletics

Hoffman Estates competes in the Mid-Suburban League West Conference and Illinois High School Association. Its mascot is the Hawks.

Hoffman Estates High School designed, implemented, and led the state in a Sportsmanship Program involving athletics and activities. The goal of proposing a Sportsmanship bylaw to the Illinois High School Association became a reality in 1995.

Hoffman Estates High School athletic performance is in the rebuilding phase.

• 2006 girls' bowling team placed first in the state competition.
• 2005 girls' bowling team placed second in the state competition.
• 1997 boys’ track team placed second in the state meet.
• Girls' Badminton
• Boys' Baseball
• Basketball
• Girls' Bowling
• Cross Country
• Boys' Football
• Golf
• Gymnastics
• Lacrosse
• Soccer
• Girls' Softball
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Track and Field
• Volleyball
• Water Polo
• Boys' Wrestling

Activities

The Hawkeye View has consistently been rated with excellent marks in regional and national press contests. Recently, Hoffman Estates High School’s newspaper has earned first place ratings from the American Scholastic Press Association (ASPA), the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), and the Kettle Moraine Press Association (KEMPA), as well as a Silver Certificate for Excellence in Journalism from the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association (NISPA). The student-run, student-produced newspaper has also received the Medalist rating, Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s (CSPA) highest award.

The Halcyon, Hoffman’s award winning yearbook, continues its tradition of excellence by producing top quality books. The cover, layout, and reporting are entirely student produced, and a majority of the photography is done by our outstanding student staff. The Halcyon has recently won the “Best Cover Award” by Josten’s Summer Yearbook Workshop and has been awarded first place with special merit by the American Scholastic Press Association for the over 1,700 enrollment group for several years in a row. This ranks the Halcyon as one of the best yearbooks in the nation.

The Skyhawks Flag Squad has qualified for IDTA State competition for 21 consecutive years. They have earned 1st place in state seven times, including 2004. The team also performs at pep assemblies and home football and basketball games.

The Madrigal Singers have performed each of the past 26 years at Stronghold Castle for in Oregon, Illinois, for 6,000 to 7,000 guests every year. They have also held Madrigal Dinners at the high school since 1974.

Each year of participation, the Symphonic Winds have received superior ratings at the I.H.S.A. State Band Contest.

In 2004, the WYSE academic challenge team placed 5th overall at the state meet held at the University of Illinois. Fourteen students teamed up to take tests in math, English, chemistry, physics, biology, computers, and engineering graphics. Several students earned individual medals for placing 1st through 6th in the state.

For the past 11 years, members of the Math Team have qualified for the State mathematics competition. State and Regional awards have been earned by team members. In 2004, the team won the District 211 meet. At the state meet, the junior/senior 8-person team took 4th place, the Pre-Calc team took 7th place, and the freshmen and Calculator teams took 10th place.

In 2004, the Scholastic Bowl Team set a school record for wins, compiling a 45-16 record. In Mid-Suburban League competition, the team tallied 15 wins and 0 losses en route to claiming the conference championship. The team won the IHSA regional championship, and had two players achieve all-sectional honors, with one earning 1st team all-state.

The Chess Team started in 1998, and has qualified every year to participate in the State Finals in Peoria, IL. The team has been coached by Mr. Barker, Mr. Davis, and Mr. Bullon. The team has had some great finishes in the State Championship over the years: 1999 - 6th Place; 2000 - 4th Place; 2001 - 14th Place (MSL Conference Champs); 2002 - 22nd Place; 2003 - 40th Place; 2004 - 35th Place; 2005 - 19th Place; 2006 - 33rd Place.

At the State Chess Championships, individual players are recognized with a medal if they finish in the Top 10 in the State at their board. For Hoffman High School, these players have been: 1999 - Alan Rose, 3rd Place, Board 2; 1999 - Mark Kounousky - 5th Place, Board 7; 2000 - Alan Rose, 5th Place, Board 2; 2000 - Jeff Bucsa - 3rd Place, Board 3; 2001 - Kousik Sulmamian - 5th Place, Board 7; 2001 - Glenn Moore - 5th Place, Board 2; 2001/2002 - Glenn Moore - 5th Place, board 2; 2003 - Keval Lakdawala - 7th Place, Board 8; 2004 - Amy Gill - 5th Place, Board 7; 2006 - Kyle Froehlich - 10th Place, Board 3; 2006 - Kendall Wang - 4th Place, Board 8.

Notable alumni

• Sal Fasano, Major League Baseball catcher for the Toronto Blue Jays
• Alan Levine, former MLB pitcher

• Sherri Shepherd, Actress

• Robert J. Steinmiller Jr., Composer / Actor in Bingo (film), Jack the Bear, The Ref

• Peter Schwartz, Manager of Grammy Award winning duo, Clance Baiken
• Steve Snow, Member of U.S. 1988 Summer Olympics soccer team. Scored 2 goals. Also member of U.S. U-20 national team which took fourth place at 1989 World Youth Championship.
• Ken Snow, Two time Hermann Trophy winner as best college soccer player of the year.
• Andy Choi, News anchor for WISC-TV, CBS affiliate for Madison, Wisconsin.