During the summer months, we plan to scale back the number of update emails we send to the community. With that said, we will continue to use this resource during that time period to share important, time-sensitive information. We will also post this information on our website and our Facebook and Twitter pages.

If your child is not returning to District 86 in the fall (e.g., he/she is attending college next year) and you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe via the link at the bottom of this message.

Reminder - people who are 12 or older can receive the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on May 26 at Downers Grove South. The second dose will be administered at the school three weeks later (i.e., on June 16). The inoculations will be administered starting at 9 a.m., and be provided free of charge.

You can schedule an appointment for the vaccination event on May 26 by visiting https://bit.ly/3xzik8k.

Osco is required to collect a signed consent form for every dose of the COVID-19 vaccine that it administers. With this in mind, the company has asked us to share the form that people who received their first dose on May 20 will need to fill out prior to receiving their second dose on June 10. You can access this form by visiting https://bit.ly/3wmtnjD.

Reminder - anyone who received the first dose of the vaccine has automatically been scheduled for the second one, which will be administered on the same day, at the same time and in the same location 21 days later. So, for example, if you received your first dose at Hinsdale Central on Thursday, May 20, at 10 a.m., you will receive the second one at Central on Thursday, June 10, at 10 a.m. This means that no additional steps are required to schedule your second appointment.

District 86 is seeking paraprofessionals for short-term assignments this summer and full-time positions this fall. The people who serve in these positions support students with special needs through tutoring, supervision, preparation of classroom materials, data collection, and guidance in the community and work sites. A paraprofessional certification or professional educators license is required. Please visit https://bit.ly/2NlSpxZ to see our current position openings.

The second weekly video update we created about our Future Ready Facilities projects features Jason Oskorep, the district's director of operations, talking about the renovation of the new space for the Transition Center.

You can check out the video by visiting https://youtu.be/C9jMPEMBINo.

Derek Pancratz, who just completed his junior year at Hinsdale Central, has been selected to participate in Carnegie Mellon University's Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS). This highly competitive program (only 75 students were chosen from the more than 500 who applied) utilizes traditional classroom instruction and hands-on projects that are administered by the university's faculty and staff to help students develop a deeper understanding of subject areas such as mathematics, biology and physics. You can learn more about SAMS by visiting https://bit.ly/3v1Gt5K.

We congratulate Derek on this impressive accomplishment.

The world language departments from Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central had a few additional updates and accomplishments they wanted to share to close out the school year.

The following faculty and staff members were selected as the winners of Hinsdale Central's Make A Difference Award for fourth quarter.

The school community recognized these individuals for "going above and beyond the call of duty for students, especially during these trying times."

We congratulate all of the winners, and thank them for everything they do on behalf of our students.

Nancy Betker from Hinsdale South received the Standing Ovation Award from the Illinois Association for Behavioral Health in recognition of her work with the district’s Operation Snowball program. Operation Snowball is "an alcohol and other drug use prevention program based in Springfield, Illinois that focuses on leadership development to empower youth to lead drug-free lives."

We congratulate Mrs. Betker on this well-deserved award, and wish her the best in her retirement after 32 years of dedicated service on behalf of the students, staff and families from Hinsdale South and District 86.

Last week's edition of The Hinsdalean featured a powerful and poignant story about how writing and the close-knit track and cross country communities have helped Hinsdale Central teacher and coach Noah Lawrence navigate some of the most difficult periods in his life, including the loss of his daughter Beatrix in October 2018.

You can access the article by visiting https://bit.ly/3f3Hlkt.

The website for Hinsdale South's Stinger newsmagazine features a list of where members of the class of 2021 are headed after high school. It also includes a piece by Culture Editor Lauren Packard in which she offers advice to the freshmen, sophomores and juniors who will be returning to South next year. You can access the site by visiting https://southstinger.com/.

Meanwhile, the Devils' Advocate at Hinsdale Central published its print issue for April/May, which features several articles about the impact of the pandemic on students, staff, the school and the community. It also included information about what members of the class of 2021 will be doing next year. You can access the publication by visiting https://bit.ly/2RCUQid.

This year, 36 students (juniors and seniors) and 38 staff members participated in the Red Devil Character program, which pairs mentors and mentees who work together on a character-based curriculum. The students and staff engaged in themed activities that addressed a variety of topics, including dreams, patience, future planning, helping others, determination, courage, collaboration, creativity, conflict, health, friendship, community and heroes. They also developed/strengthened important virtues such as courage, justice, honesty, compassion, gratitude, humility, integrity and respect.

You can check out the list of everyone who took part in this year's program by visiting https://bit.ly/3oy6TJG.

The next District 86 Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 26. The agenda and packet of materials for the meeting, as well as instructions for how to participate in the session, will be posted on BoardDocs (https://bit.ly/394u9as) and shared via email later today (May 24).