Updates from 86
Weekly news and information from District 86
Student Spotlight
The latest edition of our Student Spotlight features a pair of articles about the topic of sports that were published in Hinsdale South's Stinger newsmagazine. In the first article, which is titled "The Evolution of South Sports," Elizabeth Janecek, who serves as the sports editor for the Stinger, writes about the history of high school sports dating back to the 1880s and how they have evolved over time. In the second article, which is titled "South Creates History," Janecek and Sneha Mittal, who serves as the opinions editor for the publication, highlight the important role that sports have played at South over the past 50 years, and the impact they have had on the school's culture. You can access the articles by visiting  http://bit.ly/2sVTJy4.

We thank Elizabeth and Sneha for sharing their articles with us. We also thank teacher Brian Thelen for the work he does with all of the students in his role as the faculty sponsor for the publication.
Regeneron Science Talent Search 2020
Herbert Wang from Hinsdale Central was one of 300 high school seniors who were named scholars by the Society for Science & the Public in conjunction with the organization's annual science and math competition. The international competition drew nearly 2,000 applications from more than 650 schools. The scholars were chosen based on their "exceptional research skills, commitment to academics, innovative thinking and promise as scientists." They and their schools will receive $2,000 each.

On Jan, 22, the Society for Science & the Public will select 40 finalists from the group of 300 who will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. in March to compete for more than $1.8 million in awards provided by Regeneron, which is biotechnology company that invents medicines for people with serious diseases.

You can access additional information about the competition by visiting http://bit.ly/37N42Ty. We congratulate Herbert on this impressive accomplishment, and wish him all the best in his bid to be named a finalist.
World Language Week
Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central celebrated World Language Week last week, which highlighted the value of multilingualism and cultural diversity.

Students from South had the chance to sample cuisine from around the world, and hear from staff members outside the world languages department who speak another language and have lived or studied in other countries. They also enjoyed a presentation by three guest speakers who shared their experiences about using languages other than English while abroad. These speakers included Dr. Mary Lewis, a physician who has worked in several Spanish-speaking countries, current South student Maaria Abdel-Moneim, who served as a medical volunteer in Colombia, and Caitlin Hakala, who studied abroad in Spain and spent three years in the Peace Corps in Indonesia.

Students from Central also had the chance to try food from different countries, and take part in a variety of fun activities. One of those activities was a trivia scavenger hunt throughout the school that encouraged the students to discover the different ways that knowing more than one language can positivity impact their lives.  

We thank everyone who participated in the celebration of what it means to be a global citizen. We also want to express our appreciation to all of our world language teachers for organizing this incredible learning opportunity for our students.
Hinsdale South Boys Basketball
The Doings Hinsdale recently published an article about the pivotal role that two sets of siblings (Aaron and Ahmad Tims and Billy and Bobby Durkin) are playing in the success of the varsity boys basketball team from Hinsdale South. You can read the story by visiting http://bit.ly/2QEgMqc.
Hinsdale Central Marching Band
More than 100 band students from Hinsdale Central had the chance to ring in 2020 in Rome, Italy when they joined 2,000 performers from across the U.S. and Europe for the city's New Year's Day Parade. The students played holiday carols, selections from West Side Story and pep band classics during this annual celebration of music and culture, which attracts more than 250,000 spectators and is broadcast on international television. You can check out the band's appearance in the parade by visiting https://youtu.be/Xy-Wc86_e0I (51:35 mark to the 52:20 mark). You can also read an article that the Doings Hinsdale published about the experience by visiting http://bit.ly/2seJ9lm.
Hinsdale South Wrestling
The freshman boys wrestling team from Hinsdale South continued the great start to its season by taking first place in the invitational tournament it hosted on Jan. 4. Several members of the team earned first place finishes, including:

  • Omar Aristizabal
  • Griffin Carr
  • Kayden Miller
  • Max Waszkiewicz
  • Anthony Williams

Congratulations, Hornets. Best of luck with the rest of your season.
Sports Marketing Competition
Karen Russo’s Sports Marketing class from Hinsdale Central took first place in the Sports Career Consulting, LLC's fifth annual fantasy football sports marketing competition ( http://bit.ly/2Z02SkJ). This is the second time the school has won the competition, making it the first two-time champion in league history.

You can access additional information about this accomplishment, including the list of students who took part in the contest, by visiting http://bit.ly/35GccM2. We congratulate the students and Ms. Russo on this tremendous accomplishment.
Senior Night
As part of their Senior Night festivities, and in keeping with the school's ongoing efforts to practice gratitude, student-athletes from Hinsdale South's varsity boys basketball, competitive cheerleading and competitive danceline teams gave their favorite teachers a t-shirt that said "A South Student Thinks I'm The Best" and invited them to be their special guest at the event, which was held on Friday, Jan. 10.

We thank our teachers for all that they have and will continue to do for our students, and commend our outstanding student-athletes for being class acts on and off the field of play.
Hinsdale Central Fashion Merchandising and Design Class
Students in Lisa Sopiarz's Fashion Merchandising and Design class at Hinsdale Central recently enjoyed a pair of fun and interesting learning experiences. First, local fashion designer Abbie Ross stopped by the class to talk about how she got her start following design school, and share some behind the scenes information about putting on a fashion show. Second, the students used visual merchandising, as well as the elements and principles of design that they learned in class, to create their own display cases.

You can check out photos from both experiences by visiting http://bit.ly/2t5BHt5. While all of the cases were outstanding, the shoutout to "Friends" might be our favorite.
Self-Defense Training
On Feb. 20-22, District 86's physical education department will be hosting a three-day training on self-defense for PE teachers from our schools and several surrounding districts. The training will be provided by R.A.D. (Rape Aggression Defense) Systems, and will be focused on showing teachers how to conduct dynamic, realistic and safe simulation exercises in any self-defense training venue. 

The teachers from District 86 who will be participating in the training plan to incorporate what they learn into their lessons with their students, with the goal of helping the students enhance their decision-making skills and increase their self-awareness. You can learn more about R.A.D. Systems by visiting http://www.rad-systems.com/index.html.
James Lewandowski
During its meeting on Jan. 9, the District 86 Board of Education recognized James Lewandowski, who is retiring after serving for nearly 40 years in the buildings and grounds department at Hinsdale Central.

We congratulate Jimmy on his retirement, and thank him for his dedicated service.
Community Speaker Series
The next event in the 2019-20 edition of the annual Community Speaker Series that is being co-presented by districts 181 and 86 will feature a free screening of the documentary “Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience” followed by a discussion with filmmaker and physician Dr. Delaney Ruston. In her latest film, which features interviews with students from District 86, Dr. Ruston examines the science behind teens’ emotional challenges, the interplay of social media, and, most importantly, what can be done in our schools and homes to help them build crucial skills to navigate stress, anxiety and depression in our digital age.

You can access additional information about this event by visiting http://bit.ly/2uAHNlJ.
Board Briefs
If you missed the latest edition of Board Briefs for the District 86 Board of Education meeting that was held on Jan. 9, please visit https://conta.cc/2TebD9F. You can also access previous editions of the electronic update by visiting https://d86.hinsdale86.org/domain/244.