Seven to Be Inducted to Downers Grove South Athletic Hall of Fame

A ceremony will be held Feb. 7 to welcome South High's newest Hall of Fame inductees.

Downers Grove South High School will welcome seven new members to its Athletic Hall of Fame next month, school officials announced Thursday. The inductees include three former athletes and two coaches—all of whom have made substantial contributions to South High's athletic programs. “We are pleased to honor these people for their athletic accomplishments and vast contributions to our programs,” said South High School Athletic Director Randall Konstans. “Each one of them has set an example for all of us and a foundation of athletic success at our school.” The inductees will be welcomed into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony Saturday, Feb. 9, at South High, 1436 Norfolk St.  A social hour will be held at 4 p.m., followed by the sophomore …

• Photos (1)

Downers Grove Police Investigate School Violence Rumors in District 99, Find No Credible Threat

Police and District 99 officials notified parents Tuesday of rumored incident related to the Dec. 21 doomsday theories.

Unfounded rumors of violent acts at Downers Grove's two high schools Friday—the day many doomsday theorists predict will be the end of the world—prompted an investigation earlier this week by police and district officials. Jill Browning, communications director for Community High School District 99, said a rumor of school violence surfaced Tuesday morning after a student noticed an online comment from another student, who posted about Dec. 21 being the last day in the ancient Mayan calendar and possibly the end of the world. The student who saw the post perceived it as a threat, and reported it to school officials, Browning said. District 99 immediately notified police, who interviewed the students involved and concluded there was no cause…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

J

12:19 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012

Frank, with the heightened security across the nation, I feel as if Community District 99 made the right move. Even if there was no direct threat made, and was later showen to have nothing to worry about, it was better to look into a student made report than to let it go. Somebody felt unsafe, and the district made a good decision to help calm nerves and set aside a comment that could be taken in…   more ›

Downers Grove South High School Names Four New Head Coaches

The school has selected four new coaches to serve its football, girls soccer, boys golf and girls track programs—including career and technical services teacher Mark Molinari, who will replace longtime football coach John Belskis.

The athletic department at Downers Grove South High School has selected four new head coaches to serve its football, girls soccer, boys golf and girls track programs. Taking over as head football coach for the Mustangs is Mark Molinari, a career and technical services teacher at South High. He has 15 years of football coaching experience at the high school level, 13 of which have been at South High. He has served as the varsity defense coordinator for the past seven years. Molinari has also been a coach for baseball programs at Naperville Central and Lockport High School, as well as the football program at Lockport High School. “Winning in our program will be a by-product of doing things the right way,” Molinari said in a press release. “…

• Photos (1)

Voting Open for Gagliardi Trophy; Downers Grove South Alum Among Finalists

Elmhurst College running back Scottie Williams is one of 10 finalists for the most outstanding football player in NCAA Division III.

Driver Gets $1,500 Fine, Community Service in Crash that Disabled Downers Grove Teen

Parents of 14-year-old Hunter Himes say he won't recover from injuries sustained in February, when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle home from a friend's house.

It's been nine months since 14-year-old Hunter Himes was struck by a car while riding his bike in Darien, and for the first time, his family is feeling some sense of closure. Hunter, who would have been a freshman at Downers Grove South this fall, was left in a persistent vegetative state from brain injuries suffered in the accident. His parents, Mark and Terra Ihde, put him on hospice this week after learning he would not recover. For the past several months, the Ihdes have been attending court hearings for the driver in the crash, Timothy J. Hagan, who pleaded not guilty to failing to yield to a pedestrian.  The Ihdes were joined Thursday by several family members at the DuPage County Field Court in Downers Grove for Hagan's long-awaited…

•  9 Comments
• Photos (1)

Downers Grove High Schools Rank Among Best in Area, State

Both District 99 schools were recognized by the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times for their performance on the Prairie State Achievement Exam.

Both schools in Downers Grove's Community High School District 99 were among the top-performers in the Chicagoland area and state, according to rankings published last month by the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times. Both newspapers used 2012 Illinois School Report Card data in determining the rankings. Downers Grove North High School was ranked 23rd in the Chicago area and 24th in the state by the Chicago Sun-Times, down slightly from 2011 when it was ranked 20th in the area and 21st in the state. The Chicago Tribune ranked North High 28th among schools in DuPage, Kane, Cook, Lake, Will and McHenry counties. Downers Grove South High School was ranked 45th in the Chicago area and 57th in the state by the Sun-Times—an improvement …

•  19 Comments
• Photos (2)

Ray

11:26 am on Thursday, November 15, 2012

A 23 is still over a 70 percentile and is more than respectable.   more ›

District 99 Boasts 23 National Merit Commended Students

Students were recognized last month in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

Community High School District 99 announced last month that 23 students were recognized as “National Merit Commended” students in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program, an academic competition for recognition and scholarships sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The designation recognizes a student’s “outstanding academic promise,” District 99 officials said. Students are selected based on test scores, an essay, their schools’ curricula and school official recommendations, as well as involvement in activities and leadership. “We are proud of all of these students and congratulate them on the achievement of being recognized in this prestigious program,” said District 99 Superintendent Dr. Mark McDonald in a release…

• Photos (2)

Downers Grove South High School to Perform Play 'Arabian Nights'

Students will perform Nov. 2-4, with evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a performance on Sunday at 3 p.m.

Students at South High School in Downers Grove will perform the play “Arabian Nights” this weekend. The show will run Nov. 2-4, with evening performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a performance on Sunday at 3 p.m. The community is welcome to attend. Tickets are $5 for the Friday and Saturday performances. Tickets are $10 for the Sunday performance, which includes a catered Middle Eastern dinner. Tickets are limited and are available at the door or by calling the activities department at 630-795-8518. "Arabian Nights" is filled with tales of love, comedy and dreams. Scheherazade's cliffhanger stories prevent her husband, the cruel ruler Shahryar, from completing ruthless acts, and after 1,001 nights, Shahryar is cured of his …

• Photos (2)

107 District 99 Students Selected to Perform at Illinois Music Educators Association Festival

Students will perform alongside the state's top high school musicians in November.

Community High School District 99 announced Monday that 107 students have been selected to perform in the 2012 Illinois Music Educators Association (IMEA) District Band, Choir, Orchestra and Jazz Band groups. Students auditioned and those with the top placing scores were selected to participate in the District Music Festivals, which will be held in November. “Selection to the IMEA All-District ensembles is a big honor for a high school musician,” said Brayer Teague, North High’s Fine Arts Department Chair. “This is the second-highest number of all-district placements in the history of our school, and we are very proud of these students for their hard work. Our faculty is excited for these students who will now have the opportunity to …

• Photos (1)

WATCH LIVE: Downers Grove South vs. Addison Trail

The Mustangs (3-5, 3-2) will hit the football field at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Use Patch to watch the game live, courtesy of High School Cube.

Downers Grove South will look to extend its winning streak Friday night as the team takes on conference rival Addison Trail in the final game of the regular season. The Mustangs (3-5, 3-2) will take on the Blazers (2-6, 1-4) at 7:30 p.m. at South High, 1436 Norfolk St. Through High School Cube, we are able to bring you a live stream of the game. Leave your predictions on the game below.  If you are a super fan of any sports team you should be blogging on Patch. CLICK HERE to give your team an even bigger presence on Patch. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  There are plenty of ways to keep up on Downers Grove news: From Darien or Woodridge? We've got you covered:

• Photos (1)