Updates from 86
Weekly news and information from District 86
Parent-Teacher Conferences and Testing
On Thursday, Oct. 7, we will be administering the PSAT 9 to freshmen and Illinois Science Assessment to seniors starting at 8 a.m. Students will be dismissed for the day following the completion of their test (we anticipate both tests will be done between 11:15 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.). This will be a non-attendance day for sophomores and juniors.

Parent-teacher conferences will also be held on Oct. 7 from 1-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 8, will be an early dismissal day. School will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 11:30 a.m.
COVID-19 Data
Below is the COVID-19 data (number of positive cases, number of people in isolation or quarantine, and vaccination rates) for the district as of Oct. 1.

Positive Cases, Isolation and Quarantine

  • Current number of positive cases among students and staff - 3
  • Current number of students and staff in isolation - 49
  • Current number of students and staff in quarantine - 8
  • Total number of positive cases among students and staff since the start of the 2021-22 school year - 32

The district's dashboard, which you can access by visiting https://bit.ly/3d93aws, features a more detailed breakdown of this data by building.

Vaccination Rates
Hinsdale Central
  • Students - 64.54%
  • Staff - 94%

Hinsdale South
  • Students - 54.21%
  • Staff - 95%
Transition Center
  • Students - 47.15%
  • Staff - 87%

Districtwide Employees
Employees who work in the administration building or are not assigned to a specific school - 98%
ReferralGPS
District 86 is partnering with ReferralGPS to provide students, staff and families with increased access to local resources that will help them address mental health and substance abuse issues.

ReferralGPS is a web-based service that features:

  • A searchable database of treatment options.
  • Support for individuals who are in triage or need help setting up appointments.

Below are some of the benefits of ReferralGPS.

  • The platform offers the ability to filter search results by criteria such as mental health concern, clinician gender/specialty, location and insurance acceptance.
  • The service is available to people who have public or private insurance (i.e., PPO, HMO and Medicaid), as well as those who are uninsured or underinsured. 
  • There is no cost for using the service.
  • All of the information entered on the ReferralGPS tool is securely stored and completely confidential.

Anyone who is interested in accessing or learning more about the services that are available via ReferralGPS can contact the student services staff (i.e., social workers, psychologists or counselors) at their child's school or visit https://referralgps.com/find-help/HinsdaleDistrict86.
Vespa
Vespa, which is Hinsdale South's yearbook, earned a rating of All-American from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA). This means that NSPA ranked the publication among the top 5% in the nation.

We congratulate everyone who was involved in producing the yearbook, including faculty sponsor Jim Kelly and the various current and former students who worked on the different aspects and elements of the publication. This is an incredible accomplishment and tremendous source of #SouthPride.
Alexandra Collins
In last week's email, we shared the exciting news that Hinsdale Central senior Alexandra Collins had been selected as one of the winners of the 2021 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. That news got even better when WGN-TV decided to interview her about her accomplishment. You can check out that interview by visiting https://bit.ly/3kY8KHS.

We are incredibly proud of Alexandra and the important work she is doing to protect the environment and keep communities safe.
Wounded Warriors
The past few years, Hinsdale South has held an annual fundraiser to help provide critical financial support to military veterans and increase awareness of the physical, mental and emotional challenges some of them face when they return home from active duty.

This year, the Hornets for Wounded Warriors, which is a student organization led by faculty sponsor Mike Moretti, raised $1,900 for the Wounded Warrior Project by collecting donations, selling t-shirts, and sponsoring the football game between South and Central.

We congratulate the students from Hornets for Wounded Warriors on the tremendous success of this initiative. We also thank Mr. Moretti for his hard work, leadership and continued commitment to this important cause.
Habitat for Humanity Club
Hinsdale Central's Habitat for Humanity club held a donation drive at the school on Sept. 25. Students filled an entire truck with used furniture, appliances and other home goods that were collected during the event. The donated items were brought to the DuPage Habitat for Humanity ReStore and will be sold to the public. Proceeds from the store's sales will benefit Habitat for Humanity housing projects in DuPage County.

We congratulate the members of the Habitat for Humanity club and faculty sponsors Dan Otahal and Kelly Griffin on the success of their event. We also thank them for everything they do to bring attention to this important issue.
Boys and Girls Golf
The boys and girls golf teams from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South had impressive outings at their regional tournaments.

  • The girls varsity team from Hinsdale Central qualified for sectionals after winning its regional championship. The team was led by junior Sarah Thornton, who took home the title of individual regional champion after shooting a 70 for the tournament.

  • The boys varsity team from Hinsdale Central also qualified for sectionals after coming in second at its regional tournament. Junior Emil Riegger followed up his incredible performance at the conference tournament with an individual regional championship.

  • The boys varsity team from Hinsdale South finished in fifth place at its regional tournament. Senior Billy Gneiser and sophomore Tommy Gneiser qualified for sectionals after shooting a 73 and 79 respectively.

  • The girls varsity team from Hinsdale South also finished in fifth place at its regional tournament. Senior Dana Euske and junior Zaida Apichai had strong showings at the event that earned them a trip to sectionals.

We congratulate the teams and individual student-athletes on their success at regionals, and wish those who are moving on to sectionals the best of luck.
Employment Opportunities
District 86 is looking for dedicated professionals who are interested in joining our team. Our current openings include opportunities to serve our schools and students as a paraprofessional or nurse.

You can learn more about or apply for these positions by visiting https://bit.ly/3fbBUA4.
Home Access Center
To help ensure that families continue to receive important information and updates from us in a timely manner, we are asking parents/guardians to please make sure your phone number and email address are correct in the Home Access Center (HAC).

Below is a link you can use to access step-by-step directions for checking and updating your information in HAC. There is also a link to the full user guide for the system, which includes details about how to create an account, access student information, etc.


If you have questions or need assistance, please contact our Help Desk at 630-655-6180.
Board Briefs
If you missed the edition of Board Briefs for the board of education meeting on Sept. 30, please visit https://conta.cc/3kXnp62.
Options Fair
The annual Options Fair will be held virtually on Wednesday, Oct. 6, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This event helps students with special needs and their families plan and prepare for the transition from school services to adult life. You can learn more about and/or register for the fair by visiting https://bit.ly/3hFsSfs.
Community Speaker Series Event - Oct. 5
Jamil Zaki, who is a professor of psychology at Stanford University and the director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, will be the first featured presenter for the 2021-22 Community Speaker Series. During a webinar being held on Oct. 5 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Zaki will talk about how empathy works and can be developed as a skill. He will discuss why kindness is not a sign of weakness, but rather a source of strength. He will also show those who are participating in the session how to change their professional, student, creative and personal relationships for the better.

The webinar is free and open to the public. However, registration is required if you want to take part in the livestream of the event, or watch the recording of it afterward.

Please visit https://conta.cc/3hGV0yW to register for or learn more about the webinar.