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Thornton Fractional South High School

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School type
  
public secondary

Status
  
Opened

CEEB code
  
142547

Phone
  
+1 708-585-2000

Number of students
  
2,314

Opened
  
1957

Superintendent
  
Dr. Creg E. Williams

Principal
  
Mr. Jake Gourley

Founded
  
1957

Address
  
18500 Burnham Ave, Lansing, IL 60438, USA

District
  
Thornton Fractional Township High School District 215

Similar
  
Thornwood High School, Thornton Township High Sch, Homewo High School, Marian Catholic High Sch, Illiana Christian High Sch

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Thornton Fractional Township South High School (T.F. South, TF South, TFS) is a high school located in Suburban Cook County, Illinois, located about 6 miles (9.7 km) from the city limits of Chicago, 24 miles (39 km) south of Downtown Chicago. Thornton Fractional Township South High School is one of three high schools in the Village of Lansing, the others being Luther East High School & Illiana Christian High School. The school serves an area of approximately 9 square miles (23 km2), & serves over 2,000 students in grades 9-12 who reside in the near South Suburban communities of Lansing & Lynwood.

Contents

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Foundation

Due to growth in the Calumet City-Lansing, Il area, Thornton Fractional South High School was opened in 1958 to subsidize the student population. The original high school in Calumet City that first opened in 1926 was renamed from Thornton Fractional High School to Thornton Fractional North High School. The Thornton Fractional Vocational Center, later renamed the Center for Academics and Technology was later built between the two high schools in Calumet City and opened for T.F. South and T.F. North students and has served many purposes, from being a freshman academy, to hosting AP courses for students from both campuses, to housing programs such as CAD, nursing, and culinary arts.

Academics

In 2010, District 215, T.F. South, T.F. North, and CAT, combined had an average composite ACT score of 18.7. Also in 2010, the total enrollment at T.F. South was 2,014 and graduated 93% of its senior class. T.F. South has not made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) on the Prairie State Achievement Examination, PSAE, a state test used in Illinois to fulfill the mandates of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. When comparing District 215’s 2008-2009’s PSAE scores to 2009-2010’s scores, the scores have significantly gone down. Overall, the school has not met minimum expectations in mathematics and science. All three of the school's student subgroups failed to meet expectations in mathematics, and two of the three failed to meet expectations in reading.

Graduation Requirements for District 215

District 215 requires that students must gain 23 credits during at least 8 semesters.

  • 6 Semesters of Social Studies
  • 8 Semesters of English
  • 6 Semesters of Math
  • 4 Semesters of Science
  • 1 Semester of Health
  • 7 Semesters of Physical Education
  • Athletics

    T.F. South competes in the South Suburban Conference & is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA), the body that governs most sports & competitive activities in the state. All T.F. South's teams are known as the Rebels. Athletics director for The T.F. South Rebels is Marc Brewe.

    The football team twice reached the state semifinals (1994–95, 2002–03). In 2010, Varsity football was ranked # 57 in Illinois, the highest rank it has had since before 2007. But in 2012, they were ranked #24 in Illinois finishing the season with a shared South Suburban Blue Conference championship(7-2) and 7 All-Conference selections. In 2011, Badminton was the SSC Conference team Champions. The badminton team also placed 2nd in the IHSA state finals in 2011. Also during the 2010-2011 year, Girls' Cross-Country qualified for sectionals, with one runner awarded All-Conference.

    The athletic sports that T.F.South has to offer include Boys Golf, Girls Badminton, Baseball and Softball, Boys and Girls Basketball, Boys and Girls Bowling, Boys and Girls Swimming, Football, Cheerleading, Boys and Girls Cross Country, Boys and Girls Soccer, Boys and Girls Tennis, Boys and Girls Track and Field, Boys and Girls Volleyball, and Wrestling.

    Activities

    TFS offers many extra-curricular activities. Some of these have won Illinois High School State Championships in the past, such as the Drama Department. History Club placed 2nd in mock trials during the 2010-2011 school year. Activities Director for The T.F.South Rebels is Nicole Modjeski.

    Activities & Clubs at T.F.South include Band, Best Buddies, Chess Team, Choral, Creative Arts Magazine, Cultural Exploration, Cooperative Work Training (CWT), Drama, Environmental, Freshman Class, Friends of Rachel, Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), History Club, Junior Class, Mathletes, Mock Trial, National Honor Society (NHS), Peer Mediators, Pep Club, Poms, Postscript (Yearbook), Rebel Rouser (Newspaper), Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD), Scholastic Bowl, Senior Class, Sophomore Class, Speech, Student Council, TV Production, and a few others.

    Student Life

    T.F. South High School creates many opportunities for students, staff, and parents to get involved throughout the year. During the "spirit" week of homecoming, there are many events to attend for everyone. Students and staff dress up differently each day to the specific theme. To start off the Homecoming night celebration, on Wednesday, the senior girls play the junior girls in a powder puff football game. After the powder puff game, each class, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, do relay races for “The Battle of the Classes,” the Homecoming court walks across the football field and the King and Queen are announced. Friday night is the football game with tailgating and Saturday is the homecoming dance.

    Every year T.F. South raises money for a specific charity. In the past they have raised money for St. Baldrick's Foundation, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital,and many other charities. In 2011, T.F.South raised $15,390.86 for “St. Baldricks.” T.F.South raises the money by having a basketball game dedicated to the charity they are hosting. Clubs sell T-shirts and much more to help the proceeds for the charity.

    T.F. South has also earned a 96% attendance rate, a 41% reading profficency rate, a 32% math profficency rate and a 50% decline in disciplinary infractions in the last three years. 37.4% of students have met PSAE standards in 2014.

    Notable Alumni

  • Frank Mazzocco was the broadcast play-by-play announcer for the NHL's Minnesota North Stars and the University of Minnesota Gophers.
  • Jack Wiers was the broadcast play-by-play announcer for the Baltimore Orioles in the mid 80s.
  • Curtis Granderson is a Major League Baseball outfielder
  • Al Greenfield produced documentaries for A&E Biography, PBS, and Bravo, including the Johnny Cash Anthology and Johnny Cash A Mile a Day.
  • Bruce Kingma is an economist, professor, and former provost for entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. Kingma graduated from TFS in 1979.
  • Demetra Plakas, drummer for all-girl punk band L7 (band). Plakas graduated from TFS in 1982
  • Harry Smith is a retired television journalist, best known for his work on The Early Show & for hosting the A&E program Biography. (1997–2002).
  • Pierre Thomas was a Super Bowl Winning NFL running back with the New Orleans Saints (2007–2014).
  • Tom Baldwin was a NFL defensive lineman who played for the New York Jets.
  • Ken Kremer was a NFL defensive lineman who played for the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • Jim O'Heir is an actor best known for portraying Jerry Gergich in the television sitcom Parks and Recreation.
  • References

    Thornton Fractional South High School Wikipedia