Wells Community Academy High School
William H. Wells Community Academy High School (commonly known as Wells High School) is public 4-year high school located in the West Town neighborhood on the Near Northwest Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Wells is a part of the Chicago Public Schools system. Wells serves grades 9 through 12. Wells is named after former superintendent of the Chicago Public Schools William Harvey Wells.
| Wells Community Academy High School | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
936 N Ashland Ave Chicago , 60622 United States | |
| Coordinates | 41.8991°N 87.6682°W |
| Information | |
| School type | Public Secondary |
| Established | 1886 |
| Opened | 1935 (current building) |
| School district | Chicago Public Schools |
| CEEB code | 140790[1] |
| Principal | Rituparna Raichoudhuri[2] |
| Grades | 9–12 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Enrollment | 456 (2015–16)[3] |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Royal Blue Silver |
| Fight song | Wells Loyalty Song Wells High, we raise our voice to thee. Wells High, you have our loyalty, fighting and always striving, to bring to you a victory. So we'll say… Wells High, to you we pledge our hearts, to you we will be true. Fight on and keep our colors flying, silver and royal blue. |
| Athletics conference | Chicago Public League |
| Team name | Raiders |
| Yearbook | Correlator |
| Website | wellshs |
Currently, Wells serves a large section of the inner and central areas of Chicago, with its attendance boundaries reaching as far north as Webster Avenue, as far south as 16th Street, as far east as Lake Michigan, and as far west as Sacramento Boulevard. This area includes sections of West Town, Bucktown, the Chicago Loop, the Near North Side, and the Near West Side.[4]
History
Wells was established in William Harvey Wells's honor approximately a year after his death in 1886. The current building opened in 1935 on the site of the original school with extra ground at the north. Originally, the city of Chicago planned for Wells to open as a junior high school in 1930; construction of the school was delayed.[5]
Principal
In October 2013, Rituparna Raichoudhuri was named as principal of the school, succeeding Ernesto Matias. Raichoudhuri served as resident principal during the 2012–13 school year, and previously served in the office of performance management at Chicago Public Schools, and as a teacher in California.[6]
Small schools
Wells is divided into 5 Smaller Learning Communities:
- Freshmen Academy
- Law & Public Safety Academy (LPSA)
- Logistics Academy
- Fine Arts Academy
- TeraU Program
Athletics
Wells competes in the Chicago Public League (CPL) and is a member of the Illinois High School Association (IHSA). Wells sports teams are nicknamed raiders. The boys' basketball team won the public league championship in 1936–37. The boys' soccer team were regional champions in 2008–09, and the girls' team were regional champions in 2011–12.[7]
Extra-curricular activities
- Dance
- Soccer
- Cheerleading
- Volleyball
- Basketball
- Baseball
- Pom-Pom
- Softball
- Track & Field
- National Honor's Society (NHS)
- JROTC
- ROTC
- Drama Club
- W.O.W (Women of Wells)
- Poetic Justice
- Soccer Club
- Volleyball Club
- Student Council
Feeder patterns
K-8 schools which feed into Wells include Andersen, Burr, Columbus, Chopin, Jenner, Lozano, Mitchell, Ogden K-8, Otis, Peabody, Pritzker, and Talcott.[8][9]
- Curtis Mayfield – R&B/funk singer, songwriter.
- Jerry Butler – singer, politician.
- Michael Rooker – Actor.
- Ramsey Lewis – Musician.
References
- "High School Code Search". College Board. Retrieved January 3, 2010.
- "CPS School Listings - CPS.edu".
- Chicago Public Schools: Wells
- "West/Central/South High Schools". Chicago Public Schools. May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2015.
- Wells Academy High School
- "Wells Staff List - CPS.edu".
- IHSA Chicago (Wells)
- "Elem Near North, West, and Central". Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
- "HS North/Near North." Chicago Public Schools. 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2016.