On Wednesday, Oct. 13, we will be administering the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) to sophomores and juniors starting at 8 a.m. Students will be dismissed for the day following the completion of the test, which we anticipate will take until approximately 11:45 a.m. This will be a non-attendance day for freshmen and seniors.

Please contact your child's school if you have questions about the test or the schedule for the day.

You can access a more detailed breakdown of this data by building at https://bit.ly/3d93aws.

Employees who work in the administration building or are not assigned to a specific school - 98%

In the second installment of our “Inside the Classroom” series, which dropped on Oct. 6, we had the opportunity to check out Randy Brogan's Physics in the Universe class at Hinsdale South. During our visit, we had a front row seat for a lab the students were conducting about the amplitude and speed of waves. We also got the chance to experience the camaraderie and sense of community that Mr. Brogan has created in the class, which are helping his students develop skills and form bonds that will benefit them throughout their lives.

You can access the video from the class by visiting https://youtu.be/PvYqtw8RdXk.

We want to thank Mr. Brogan and his students, especially freshman Samiah Pike, for giving us a glimpse into what makes this class so special.

As we have shared in previous emails, Superintendent Tammy Prentiss and our principals conduct walk-throughs every Wednesday to stay updated on the exciting things that are happening in our buildings and further foster relationships with our students, faculty and staff.

During the walk-through at Hinsdale Central on Oct. 6, Superintendent Prentiss and Principal Bill Walsh visited several family and consumer science classes, including Culinary 1 and Culinary 2. They also spent some time in the Fashion Merchandising and Design class, and were blown away by the dress a student made for homecoming.

At Hinsdale South, Superintendent Prentiss and Principal Arwen Pokorny Lyp checked out the learning that was taking place in several science classes, including Physics Honors, Chemistry Honors, AP Chemistry, Biology and AP Biology.

On Oct. 5, the department chairs for English, social studies, world languages, career and technology education, physical education/health/driver education and fine arts provided the Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) with an update on the work their program teams have been doing to advance Goal 1 (Student Growth and Achievement) of the district's strategic plan. They also shared changes that are being recommended to help align and enhance the district's curriculum. After each department's presentation, the members of PTAC had the opportunity to ask questions and/or offer their feedback on the proposed changes. The department chairs are scheduled to share their updates and recommendations during the board of education meeting on Oct. 14.

We want to thank the members of PTAC for their valuable contributions to this important work, and for their dedicated service on behalf of our students, staff and schools.

The boys and girls golf teams from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South had phenomenal finishes to their seasons.

We congratulate the teams and individual student-athletes on their incredible success this year.

The varsity girls tennis team from Hinsdale Central swept the competition in singles and doubles en route to the West Suburban Conference Silver title. Meanwhile, the junior varsity and varsity teams from Hinsdale South finished in first and second place respectively in their conference tournaments.

We congratulate the Red Devils and Hornets on their success at conference, and wish them the best of luck throughout the remainder of the postseason.

Last week's edition of The Hinsdalean featured several articles about Hinsdale Central.

There was a story about Tomi Adeyemi's induction into the Hinsdale Central Hall of Fame. Adeyemi, who graduated from Central in 2011, is a New York Times bestselling author whose book "Children of Blood and Bone" is being made into a movie. You can read about Adeyemi's return home by visiting https://bit.ly/2WV5S5e.

There was a story about student-athletes from Central whose teams are coached by their fathers. In the piece, the Barbers (coach Bob Barber, junior Tessa Barber and freshman Vija Barber) talk about the special relationship they have in and out of the pool, while the McCabes (coach Mark McCabe and junior Catie McCabe) reflect on what they enjoy most about being in the cross country program together. You can read all about the family dynamic on these teams by visiting https://bit.ly/2YyCpP3.

There was a piece about the efforts that senior Bella Insignares and the other members of Central's Hispanic Student Association (HSA) have been undertaking to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. These efforts have included observances of Mexican and Chilean independence days; a virtual event with four panelists from different heritages and backgrounds who talked about their professions and the influence their Hispanic culture has had on their lives; and a screening of the film "In the Heights." You can read more about Insignares and the work of the HSA by visiting https://bit.ly/3muFKH6.

There was also a student-athlete profile that featured a Q&A with senior Kayla Teuscher. Teuscher is a captain on the diving team who will be attending the United States Military Academy West Point after she graduates from Central. You can check out the profile by visiting https://bit.ly/3iGoFsr.

Junior Zaida Apichai from the girls golf team and sophomore Tommy Gneiser from the boys golf team were named the Hinsdale South Athletes of the Week for the week of Sept. 27.

Zaida qualified for the sectional tournament after shooting her personal best at regionals. She wrapped up a successful season at sectionals by placing 63rd out of the 112 golfers who took part in the event.

Tommy had an incredible first season on varsity. He earned medals on two occasions, made all conference, and qualified for sectionals after tying for eighth place at the regional tournament.

We congratulate Zaida and Tommy on this recognition.

Hinsdale Central recently recognized 12 individuals who were named Student of the Quarter by the school's various departments based on their leadership, kindness and skills as role models. Those who received the recognition included:

We congratulate these students on this honor.

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.

The next District 86 Board of Education meeting will be held on Thursday, Oct. 14. The agenda and packet of materials for the meeting will be posted on BoardDocs (https://bit.ly/394u9as) and shared via email tomorrow (Oct. 12).