Update on the Search for the Assistant Superintendent for Academics
As we shared last week, District 86 is currently working with the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) on a search for a new assistant superintendent for academics (http://bit.ly/32yVI8L). To date, nearly 30 people have applied for the position.
On March 6, more than 60 students, staff members, parents/guardians and community members took part in a pair of meetings held at Hinsdale Central. During these meetings, the attendees provided feedback on the strengths of the district's academics department, as well as the opportunities that exist for improvement. They also shared their thoughts about the attributes they believe the next assistant superintendent for academics should possess. We want to thank everyone who participated in these sessions and offered valuable input about the department and position.
Below is additional information about the next steps in the search process, including key dates and activities.
- March 26 – The human resources department, superintendent and IASB will screen the candidates who applied for the position and select the individuals who will move on to the first round of interviews.
- April 8 – The candidates who were selected to move on will be interviewed by a team composed of students, staff members, parents/guardians and board members. This team will help select the finalists for the next round of interviews.
- April 15 – The finalists who were selected by the team will be interviewed by building and district-level administrators. These administrators will identify the individual who will be presented to the board of education for approval/appointment.
- April 23 – The board will vote to approve the appointment of the individual who the administrators recommend for the position.
We will keep the community updated on the status of our search for the next assistant superintendent for academics.
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RULER Conference
Four educators from District 86 (social-emotional learning coaches Megan Parker and Sarah Lombard and physical education teachers Lisa Tazelaar and Mia Tritch) attended the national RULER Implementation Conference that was held in New Haven, Connecticut March 2-3. The keynote speaker for the event was David Brooks, who is a columnist for the New York Times and commentator on PBS NewsHour. There were also presentations by Dr. Marc Brackett, who is the director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, and an interview with Dr. James Comer, who is a professor of child psychiatry at the Yale University Child Study Center.
Among the highlights of the event were the breakout sessions for schools that are in the second or third year of implementing the RULER curriculum for social and emotional learning (SEL). Megan, Lisa and Mia served as panelists for a session titled “RULER Implementation Focused on Diversity and Equity." Other topics covered during these sessions included measurement of SEL, building the emotional intelligence of staff, integrating RULER across the curriculum and harnessing the power of online resources.
We congratulate the members of the D86 team who were invited to take part in the event, and are excited for them to share what they learned with our students and staff. We also want to recognize teacher Stephanie Fox for the integral role she played in securing this incredible opportunity for the district. Despite being unable to attend the conference due to a broken leg, Stephanie helped develop the proposal and presentation for the panel discussion that was led by our team.
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Illinois Business Professionals of America
Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South excelled at the competition that was held in conjunction with the recent Illinois Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference. Both schools had a number of students finish in the top 10 in their events, including three who took first place - Nick Momchev from South (Java Programming), and Vanessa Ivanov (Prepared Speech) and Mohammed Bilaluddin (Interview Skills) from Central. In addition, more than 20 students qualified for the national competition being held in Washington, D.C. in May. You can access information about the district's accomplishments at the event by visiting
http://bit.ly/39ypIV0.
We congratulate all of the students on their outstanding performances at the conference, and wish those who are moving on to nationals the best of luck. We also want to thank faculty advisors Ashley Yurchak and Ashley Malleris for all of the time, effort and energy they have dedicated to the success of the BPA organizations at both schools.
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Breakfast Club Winners at Hinsdale South
Last week, Hinsdale South recognized its Breakfast Club winners for March. This month's honorees included: Mateo Escontrias and Dazlyn Lopez (Activities), Anastasia Galinski (Administration), Nevaeh Allston (Art), Glen Hogan (Athletics), Ariaonia Williams (Career and Technology Education), Jelena Kasapovic (Counseling), Jalyn Moss (Deaf Education), Blanie Ivery (Educational Services), Elizabeth Janecek (English), Matthias Perez (Mathematics), Elijah Banks (Music), Luke Terrell and Matas Novickis (Physical Education, Health and Driver Education), Vinie Mihindou (Science), Safia Kahn (Social Studies), Ann Serrano (Student Services) and Tessa Frank (World Languages).
Teachers nominate students for the Breakfast Club award based on "the intangible gifts they bring to the building and classrooms" at South.
We congratulate these students on this honor.
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Black History Month Town Hall Meeting
In last week's email, we shared that Hinsdale Central hosted a Town Hall Meeting in conjunction with Black History Month that featured students sharing their lived experiences about how they see themselves in the school, its classrooms and its culture. Below are a few photos from the event, which was attended by students and staff from both high schools.
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Boys Basketball
The varsity boys basketball team from Hinsdale South added Regional champs to its impressive list of accolades for the season following its 70-62 victory over Kenwood Academy High School. The Hornets, who are now 30-3 on the year, were led by Aaron Tims (28 points), Billy Durkin (13 points) Bobby Durkin (12 points) and James Ruzicka (11 points). Next up for the team is a date with Benet Academy in the Sectional semifinals. The game will take place at South on March 11. We congratulate Coach Moore and his team on their incredible run, and wish them continued success on their quest for a state title.
Meanwhile, Hinsdale Central's season came to a disappointing end with a 55-43 defeat at the hands of Lake Park High School in the finals of its Regional tournament. Despite the loss, the team had a great season, and should be very proud of its accomplishments.
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Hinsdale Central Activities Update
The latest update from Hinsdale Central's activities department featured news about several of the school's clubs and organizations, as well as details about the school's annual Variety Show. Below are some highlights.
- The Model UN team earned several top three finishes during the Lyons Township Model UN's' sixth annual conference, including first place for Best Small Delegation and first place for Best Delegate (Isabel Sunderland representing Belgium in the Security Council). In addition, Nick Pancione, Eric Brugge and Dayton DiTomasso each took third place and earned an Honorable Mention for their work on their respective committees.
- JETS (Junior Engineering and Technical Society) kicked off its season by racking up 18 medals en route to a regional championship in the ACES academic challenge.
- The Scholastic Bowl team came in fourth place out of 32 teams at the NAQT state tournament. The team finished the tournament with a record of 9-5, which included wins over Barrington, Chicago Christian, Jones College Prep and Springfield.
- Central will hold its annual Variety Show on March 11 and 12. The event, which will be hosted by seniors Nick Moawad and Alex Ovan, will feature a mix of student acts that include dancing, vocal performances, magic and bands. Tickets can be purchased online by visiting ticketpeak.co/hcdrama.
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Hornet Happenings Highlights
The latest edition of Hinsdale South's Hornet Happenings Newsletter featured news and information about the recent accomplishments of several of the school's students, groups and teams. Below are some highlights.
- A pencil drawing created by sophomore Alexa Smith took first place at the Darien Woman's Club Creative Youth Art Fair.
- South's jazz band was among the more than 100 school bands and combos from five states that performed at the 35th Annual Jazz in the Meadows Jazz Festival hosted by the Rolling Meadows High School Music Boosters. Special shoutout to students Henry Sullivan, Alex Hurka and Carson Kotecki on their outstanding solo performances.
- South's jazz ensemble had the chance to open for the Bob Lark Octet at the Historic Jazz Showcase that was held in Chicago on March 3.
- The members of South's Special Olympics swimming team, who are coached by teacher Kraig Conyer, turned in a number of outstanding performances during the recent Region C Special Olympics swim competition, including first place finishes in the 25-meter freestyle (Alicia Starks and Bryce Giron), 25-meter backstroke (Alicia Starks and CeCe Terrell), 200-meter freestyle (Charlie Nilles) and 400-meter freestyle (Charlie Nilles); second place finishes in the 25-meter backstroke (Jakub Kwak) and 25-meter freestyle relay (Jakub Kwak, Quinn Parker, Alicia Starks, and Charlie Nilles); and a third place finish in the 25-meter backstroke (Parth Kachru).
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Hinsdale Central Spring Musical
This year's Hinsdale Central Spring Musical will be Seussical the Musical. The talented students who are involved in the production have already been rehearsing for a month to help ensure that the show is an amazing experience for all ages.
Performances of the musical are scheduled to take place on April 23 and 24 at 7 p.m. On April 25, there will be a matinee performance at 11 a.m., a character party at 1 p.m. and a final performance at 7 p.m.
Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, children and senior citizens. Tickets for the character party are also $10.
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IEA Representative Assembly
Rick Cazzato, who is a math teacher at Hinsdale South and the co-president of the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association (HHSTA), was invited to take part in a panel discussion titled "Engaging in School Board Elections and Referenda" that was held in conjunction with the recent Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly. You can learn more about the assembly by visiting
http://bit.ly/3aAzgPh.
We congratulate Rick on being asked to represent the HHSTA, District 86 and the community at this event.
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Get It Done!
On Thursday, March 19, the D86 Transition Family Group will be hosting a pair of presentations at the Transition Center (7302 Clarendon Hills Road in Darien) in conjunction with its “Get It Done!” series. The first presentation, which will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., will feature information regarding how to talk to teens with disabilities about sex, relationships and our bodies. The second presentation, which will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., will be led by several local day programs that will share information and answer questions about their services, expectations and selection/intake processes.
There will also be consultants available from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. to provide families with free one-on-one assistance and support with the completion of the processes and paperwork for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Medicaid, power of attorney/guardianship and getting on the PUNS list. If you are interested in signing up for an appointment with a consultant, please fill out the Google Form found at
http://bit.ly/2QBGBaN.
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Summer School
Registration for summer school is open from now until April 15. You can access the link for registration, as well as important information about the district's summer programming (e.g., location, transportation, course offerings and fees), by visiting
https://d86.hinsdale86.org/summer
. You can also contact our summer school principals if you have any questions (Sue Grady, 630-570-8091,
sgrady@hinsdale86.org
; Sarah Porod, 630-570-8245,
sporod@hinsdale86.org
).
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D86 and Parent Network Speaker Series
On March 11, District 86 and the Parent Network will host a Speaker Series event that will feature a conversation with Dr. Patrick McGrath about the issue of anxiety among children and teens. During the event, which will take place in the Little Theater at Hinsdale South from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Dr. McGrath will discuss the different causes of anxiety, and the ways that parents/guardians and schools can help students challenge their fears in a healthy and safe manner.
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Blood Drive
The Indian Prairie Public Library is holding a blood drive on March 10 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. By taking part in this event, you can have a direct and profound impact on the 12,000 people whose lives are saved on a daily basis thanks to blood donations.
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