Lincoln-Way East High School

Lincoln-Way East High School or LWE, is a four-year public high school located approximately three miles south of Interstate 80 near the intersection of La Grange Road and Lincoln Highway in Frankfort, Illinois, a southern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is a part of Lincoln-Way Community High School District 210, which also includes Lincoln-Way Central High School, Lincoln-Way North High School, and Lincoln-Way West High School.

History

In December 1974, voters approved a $4,985,000 bond issue to develop a new freshman-sophomore building on the Frankfort site. Construction began in the summer of 1975, and the school opened in the fall of 1977 as Lincoln-Way High School East Campus. In November 1992, voters agreed to double the size of the campus to accommodate growth. Facilities added included a 42 classroom academic wing, a field house and auditorium. The expansion was completed in March 1995.

In 1997, citizens of District #210 approved a $60 million building bond referendum to split the existing freshmen-sophomore / junior senior configuration into two separate four year high schools and to add to the existing East and Central Campuses. The East Campus added 50 classrooms and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. While the Central Campus added 50 classrooms, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, a performing arts auditorium, as well as a new nursing office and new PPO offices. The splitting of Lincoln-Way into two separate high schools became official for the 2001-02 school year as the East Campus became Lincoln-Way East High School.

Academics

In 2008, Lincoln-Way East juniors scored 33rd in the state of Illinois on the Prairie State Achievement Exam. The staff is 204 teachers, of whom 6% have an advanced degree.^[4] Lincoln-Way East Mathletes won 10th in the SWSC Competition, and 47th in the Regional Competition. In 2011, Lincoln-Way East became the 11th school out of 656 (top 2%) in Illinois to place in the Prairie State Achievement Exam.

In total, Lincoln-Way East offers its students twenty-one AP courses.^[4]

As of 2012, Lincoln-Way East and the other Lincoln-Ways offer honor, advanced placement, college prep, and individualized courses within the guidelines created by the State of Illinois. The graduation rate of Lincoln-Way East's students, as well as the other Lincoln-Ways, is around 96.2%. More than 88% of the students that graduate continue on towards higher education.^[5]

Lincoln-Way East brings in an array of different class types for students in the district. With this, agriculture, business, ROTC, career and technology, family and consumer science courses as with many more. Lincoln-Way East creates avenues for students to potentially whittle down to what they want to gravitate towards for a higher education degree in.

Athletics

Lincoln-Way East has 27 athletic teams, of 14 boys and 13 girls teams, which play in the Southwest Suburban Conference and the Illinois High School Association.

During the 2001-2002 School Year (first year as a four year high school and without a senior class) Lincoln-Way East Griffins Softball team won the state title.

In 2001, Lincoln-Way East Football became the first football team in Illinois state history to field an all-Junior team to a state playoff tournament.

In 2002, the Lincoln-way club rugby team was started.

In 2005, the Griffins defeated Maine South High School in double overtime to win the Class 8A State Championship in football. The Football Team has never missed the playoffs in every year of the school's existence.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lincoln-Way-East-Griffins-Football/177533533882

LWE's football field was resurfaced with artificial turf following the 2005 state championship win.

In 2006 and 2010 the Lincoln-Way boys co-op gymnastics team won the IHSA state championship.

In 2006 the Boy's Bowling team came in 3rd at state.

In the spring of 2009 the Boys Lacrosse team was founded.^[6]

In the fall of 2012, the Lincoln-Way East Boys Football team was the IHSA Class 7A State Football Runner-Up.

In the spring of 2013, the Lincoln-Way East Girls Track team won the IHSA Class 3A State Championship.

In the spring of 2014, the Lincoln-Way East Girls Track team won the IHSA Class 3A State Championship.

In the spring of 2014, the Lincoln-Way East Boys Volleyball team won the IHSA State Championship.

In the spring of 2015, the Lincoln-Way East Girls Track team won the IHSA Class 3A State Championship.

Lincoln-Way East is also the home of the back to back girl's IHSA State Cheerleading Champions (2013-2014, 2014-2015)

Music

The Lincoln-Way East music department's instrumental music ensembles include

• Wind Ensemble
• Wind Symphony
• Concert Band
• Symphonic Band
• Percussion Class.

Vocal music classes include

• Chorale (a selective group of Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Basses)
• Concert Choir (all girls)
• Men's Choir
• Treble Choir (all girls).

Courses are also offered in Beginning Strings, String Orchestra, Guitar I and Guitar II. LWE Other music classes include

• Music Technology (levels 1, 2, and 3)
• The Understanding of Music
• Piano 1
• Music Seminar.^[7]

The piece "Flight of the Griffin" by composer Brian Balmages was dedicated to the school in 2002.

The music department also includes the Marching Griffins and Madrigals. The Lincoln-Way East Madrigals consist of costumed Singers, Ladies, Troubadours, and a Jester, Wench, and Shakespearean Players who perform medieval and Renaissance Christmas music.

The Marching Griffins is Lincoln-Way East’s traveling and competing marching unit. The roster includes, in addition to the playing block of winds, the Griffins Color Guard and drumline. Participation begins with fundamental instruction and music/marching auditions in May. When selected for membership, student involvement continues with summer drills and parade performances.^[8]

In 2007, the Marching Griffins defeated more than 40 other competing marching bands in the State Championships at Illinois State University and were Grand Champions of the competition. They also placed 1st in Class 6A (the largest competing class) and won the award for best color guard in Class 6A. They defended this title in 2008.^[9]

References

External links

• Official website