Pomp and Unforeseen Circumstance

Enjoy this reflective tribute to the Class of 2020 from senior Therese Malinowski.  Thanks Therese for expressing with elegance what many of us are thinking and feeling - bravo!

South High School Fine Arts Welcomes New Faculty

District 99 and South High School are pleased two announce 

two faculty appointments to the Fine Arts Department at South High School.

Visual Art teacher Kimberly Davidson will teach Ceramics, Jewelry and Design. Kimberly is a recent 2020 graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago where she received her Masters  of Arts in Teaching. Prior, she received her BFA in Sculpture and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute and spent time teaching overseas in South Korea, Palestine and Turkey. From these experiences, she decided to pursue teaching art full-time here in Chicago and looks forward to building upon design, jewelry and sculpture skills with students at Downers Grove South.

Music teacher William Sugg will teach Jazz Workshop, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble.  South High School alum and current Marching Illini Drum Major Jake Burrows says about William Sugg "Over the past few years, I have had the honor and privilege of getting to know Dr. Will Sugg as a colleague and friend. It has become evident that Will is both a passionate music educator and selfless human being. Whether it is on the podium, on the football field or talking one-on-one, Will’s priority always is on who and what he cares about. His charisma and empathy create a culture that is welcoming and accepting and he will be an invaluable addition to the DGS family, fostering growth and success in the program and every student."

Will Sugg is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting at the University of Illinois and serves as a graduate assistant with the University of Illinois Band and Orchestra departments. During his time at Illinois, he has been fortunate enough to have had a diverse collection of experiences, including conducting five concert bands, teaching courses in undergraduate conducting, and conducting the University of Illinois Marching Illini, as well as the Fighting Illini Volleyball Band, Basketball Bands, and the Illinois Philharmonia Orchestra. Prior to attending Illinois, he served for three years as the Director of Bands and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Martin Luther King, Jr. Academic Magnet School in Nashville, TN, instructing and administrating the activities of almost 400 students across five concert bands and four orchestras. The school's ensembles have earned a strong reputation, as evidenced by the MLK Wind Ensemble being selected to perform at the Tennessee Music Education Association State Conference in April of 2015. In addition to his professional teaching positions, Will has worked with several marching band programs throughout the state of Tennessee. He is a 2009 Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Honors Program with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. While at UT, he also functioned as instructional staff for the UT Pride of the Southland Marching Band. He also served as a member of several professional organizations and was elected as the Regional President for the East Tennessee chapters of the TN Collegiate Music Educators National Conference. These and other academic pursuits led the faculty at UT to select him as their Outstanding Graduate in Music Education.

2020 South High School Fine Arts Awards

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 from the

South High School Fine Arts Department

2020 Fine Arts Department Outstanding Seniors

Music – Therese Malinowski

Art –Skyler Groveau

Theatre - Andrew O’Connor

2020 Goldie Zechel Senior Arts Scholarship 

Art – Maddie Puccilo

Music – Agne Giedraityte

2020 Visual Art Teacher’s Choice Award

Ben Skibbe

National School Choral Award

Emily Leatherwood

Stefan Tambik

Louis Armstrong Jazz Award 

Nathan Weichec

John Philip Sousa Award  

Matthew Fischer

National School Orchestra Award 

Therese Malinowski

Leonard Bernstein Musicianship Award

Megan Holley

Orchestra Director’s Award 

Katherine Wilkinson

Downer Grove Music Club Summer Rising Stars Scholarships

Diana Kwak

Jonah Sprandel