Given the short week due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will not be sending an "Updates from 86" email on Monday, Nov. 28. The next one will go out on Monday, Dec. 5. Have a safe, restful and relaxing break.

As we head into the winter months, we want to remind students, staff, families and community members about the protocols and procedures we will initiate and follow should we need to close our schools due to inclement weather.

Please visit http://bit.ly/3g8xyNK for information about how and when we will communicate weather-related updates. There are also details about the Emergency Weather Learning (E-learning) Days we will implement if we need to close our schools.

The latest installment of our “Inside the Classroom” video series features Melanie Galich’s College Prep Math class at Hinsdale Central.

In the video, which can be viewed by visiting https://youtu.be/2PtEiFsqvek, Ms. Galich and senior LaNiyah Bailey talk about how the class prepares students for college-level math courses, while also helping them feel confident about their math skills and their ability to utilize them in real-world situations.

We want to thank Ms. Galich, LaNiyah and the rest of the class for showing us how courses like College Prep Math aid students in the pursuit of their college and career goals.

We want to thank everyone who attended the district's third Community Conversation on Nov. 17. You can access the video from this event, which featured a discussion about the district's multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) and early release Wednesdays, by visiting https://youtu.be/ecBzzLIq0FY.

Students from Hinsdale South earned the top three scores on the examinations that were administered in conjunction with the American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) for individuals in grades 10 and below and 12 and below. Eli Carder, Adolph Galinski and Rishikesh Joshi took the top spots on the AMC 10 A test, while Anastasia Galinski, Henry Joyce and Eva Maria Louis took the top spots on the AMC 12 A test.

The competitions, which are organized by the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), provide an opportunity for high school students to "develop positive attitudes towards analytical thinking and mathematics that can assist in future careers." You can learn more about them by visiting https://www.maa.org/math-competitions/amc-1012.

We congratulate our students on this impressive accomplishment.

Several Hinsdale Central students earned awards at the SIMUNXXI conference that was hosted by St. Ignatius on Nov. 5. Below is a list that features the names of the students, the awards they won and the committees they served on.

We congratulate these students on their accomplishments.

Hinsdale South students Olivia Fulton, Kaitlyn Wong and Rebecca Williams earned top awards for the work they submitted for the annual Write-On writing competition that was hosted by the Indian Prairie Public Library. Olivia took first place in the poetry category, while Kaitlyn and Rebecca took first and second place respectively in the short stories category.

Write-On is a series of writing events and activities for kids and teens that is sponsored by the Gift of Carl Foundation. The foundation was formed in memory of Carl Vuillaume, a student from Hinsdale South who drowned in 2005 at the age of 16.

We congratulate Olivia, Kaitlyn and Rebecca on their well-deserved awards.

The following faculty and staff members were selected as the winners of Hinsdale Central's Make A Difference Award for the first quarter of the 2022-23 school year.

These individuals earned this recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty for our students.

We congratulate all of the winners, and thank them for everything they do on behalf of the Red Devil community.

Each month, the world language teachers from Hinsdale South nominate individuals for recognition as the World Language Students of the Month. These students have a strong interest in a world or classical language, demonstrate the traits of being accountable, respectful and engaged, and perform actions and exhibit an attitude that exemplify what it means to have South Pride.

Below are the students from South who earned this honor for November.

The Hinsdale Central girls volleyball team was among the 35 teams from across the country (22 college teams and 13 high school teams) that earned the AVCA (American Volleyball Coaches Association) Community Voting Award for having 100% of their eligible student-athletes and staff vote in the November election.

We congratulate the team on this award.

Below are the names of the student-athletes from Hinsdale Central who recently signed their national letters of intent. We want to congratulate them on their signings, and wish them continued success at the collegiate level. We also want to thank our coaches for all they do to help our students excel on and off the field.

Hinsdale South is seeking the community's help again this holiday season to celebrate the memory of a brave seven-year-old boy from Darien who lost his battle with cancer nearly five years ago. The Hornet Leadership Board is currently collecting new, unused and unwrapped toys that will be donated to a toy drive organized in honor of Joey Ventimiglia, who passed away in 2018 from a rare form of cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG).

Please visit http://bit.ly/3XelQBw or click the image on the right for information about how you can support this important initiative. Donations will be collected through Dec. 6, and will benefit the WGN Toy Drive, the Off the Street Program and Help Heroes of Ukraine.

Lastly, anyone who wants to combine some hoops with their help can see the Hornets take on Downers Grove South for free if they bring a new, unused and unwrapped toy to the boys basketball games being held at Hinsdale South on Dec. 2.

Below are recent examples of District 86 students and staff giving back to the community and helping those in need.

The LEAP for Africa Club at Hinsdale Central held a wreath and garland fundraiser to benefit the LEAP schools in South Africa.

Students from Hinsdale South's upper-level Spanish classes helped the Darien Lions Club coordinate its annual holiday drive. Each year, the organization assists hundreds of local families in need by delivering a meal and gifts for young children. Since many of the families speak Spanish, the students from South called them to confirm contact information and find out details that will be used to select gifts for the children.

Hinsdale Central's CARE Club collected money and shelter supplies (e.g., dog food, cat food, paper towels, toys, etc.) for the Hinsdale Humane Society.

Hinsdale South's Key Club spent a recent Sunday picking up trash at Waterfall Glen, which is a nature preserve located in southern DuPage County.

The Christian Student Association at Hinsdale Central collected more than 50 coats and other warm weather clothing items that were donated to Life Builders United, which is a "care organization that offers lifestyle redirection plans to broken and hurting women."

Great job, Red Devils and Hornets.

Two sections of Hinsdale Central's Photography 1 class visited the Brookfield Zoo on Nov. 15, and spent the day taking black and white film photos of animals, architecture and various compositional elements that are necessary for producing quality images. After the students develop their own film, the negatives will be digitally scanned and analyzed from a shared Google Drive folder. The best negatives will be developed into black and white prints.

We want to thank teacher Matthew Gawlik for sharing this information with us. We cannot wait to see how the prints turn out.

District 86 is hosting the DuPage County Health Department's Smile Squad at Hinsdale South on Nov. 22. The Smile Squad provides dental services to students from across the county who have Medicaid insurance or meet specific income guidelines/criteria.

Below are the services that District 86 students who meet the eligibility requirements will have access to on Nov. 22.

A letter will be sent home that includes the results of each student's exam and a summary of the services they received. All students who participate in the event will receive a free toothbrush.

Although the event is being held at South, it is open to students from Hinsdale Central who qualify. Transportation will be provided for these students.

If your child is eligible and wants to receive the services described above, please fill out the consent form featured in the links below and email it to the health services office at their school (southhealth@hinsdale86.org for Hinsdale South students and centralhealth@hinsdale86.org for Hinsdale Central students).

If you missed the edition of Board Briefs for the board of education meeting on Nov. 17, please visit https://conta.cc/3EHg4RW.

Please visit https://bit.ly/3B4pHHk to access the latest COVID-19 data for our district, community and county. Below are the metrics we plan to update on a weekly basis.