Waukesha South High School is one of three high schools located in Waukesha, Wisconsin. It was opened in 1957 as a southern campus to Waukesha High School, then in downtown Waukesha. The downtown campus is now, Les Paul Middle School - Central Campus. A shooting took place on December 2, 2019 in which a student armed with a pellet gun was wounded by a police officer.
Extra-curricular activities
Waukesha South is one of three schools whose students participate in C.O.R.E. 2062, a FIRST Robotics Team. The team won the Rookie All Star Award in 2007, the Wisconsin Regional in 2008, and the 10,000 Lakes Regional in 2010. In 2008, they also won the World Safety Award, the Wisconsin Regional Safety Award, the St. Louis Safety Award, the Entrepreneurship Award, the Website Award, in 2009 they won two Safety Awards, two Quality Awards, and an Animation Award. In 2015 C.O.R.E 2062 won regionals twice and made it to the world championship in St. Louis. The Blackshirt Student Newspaper, or The Blackshirt, is an online student-run school newspaper. Founded in 2017 by a couple of students, the student-run publication has gone on to complete interviews with Olympic Athlete Whitney Ashley and Max Temkin, a Forbes 30 Under 30 alumn & cofounder of the popular card game Cards Against Humanity. The Academic Decathlon team took 3rd place in state competition in 2011 and was 1st among Division 1 schools. Waukesha South's novice debate team placed seventh at state in 2010 and one of its members, Sam Foat, won Top Negative Speaker. South also had a Lincoln-Douglas debater qualify individually. The forensics team had all but one member qualify for state in 2011 and all achieved high honors. In September 2011 South restarted Key Club. It is an avid volunteer group throughout the community with about 50 members. They have helped out with many charity events throughout the community including Apple Harvest Festival, Waukesha Artful Bowls, Minooka Mash, and Salvation Armybell ringing. As the school year progresses Waukesha South Key Club plans on having many more volunteer projects ahead. South is the only school in the district to participate in the ComedySportzhigh school league. Students learn the fundamentals of improv before competing in league play run at the ComedySportz complex in Milwaukee.
Athletics
South is a member of the Classic 8 Conference for most athletics. South's boys' swim team won the state championship in 2010, 2011, and 2017, and placed second in 2020. The girls' swim team won the state championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013, and placed third at the state meet in 2009 and second in 2010. Waukesha South's sports include:
Baseball
Basketball (boys and girls
Bands
Waukesha South's Bands, the Waukesha South Blackshirt Bands, include Concert, Wind & Symphonic, Jazz, Marching, and several ensembles. The band curriculum focuses on music performance and music theory. The bands travel to local, domestic, and international venues. Locations have included Switzerland in 1974; England in 1998; New Orleans, Texas, and Florida in 2009; England, California, and Australia in 2011; and China in 2007.
Orchestras
Waukesha South's Orchestras include two skill levels; Symphony, and Chamber. Both orchestras work together to focus on music theory, performance etiquette and musical technique in solo and ensemble performance. Orchestra performances periodically involve winds, brass, and percussion instruments to create a full symphony orchestra. The string players perform together within the community to boost awareness of the musical program. Community gigs includes partnership performances with the Waukesha Public Library, and an annual Flash Mob on opening night of Downtown Waukesha's Friday Night Live. The full Waukesha South Orchestra performed in collaboration with Milwaukee band, I'm Not A Pilot in May 2015. The full Waukesha South Orchestra and indie rock band played a total of eight original I'm Not A Pilot songs written by band members Mark Glatzel, Adrian Esguerra, Peter Thomas, and Steve Vorass Jr. with orchestral scores arranged by Jim Gray.
