The following three seniors from Hinsdale Central have been named candidates for the 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program.

The program, which you can learn more about by visiting http://bit.ly/31emBy6, was established in 1964 to "recognize and honor some of our nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors." It was extended in 1979 to "recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts." It was extended again in 2015 to "recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields." Each year, up to 161 students are named Presidential Scholars, which is considered one of the nation's highest honors for high school students.

We want to congratulate Ediz, Isabella and Kevin on this tremendous accomplishment.

Hinsdale Central's Dan Watcke has been named the 2022-23 Gatorade Illinois Boys Cross Country Player of the Year. This award "recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field." It also distinguishes Dan as "Illinois’ best high school boys cross country player."

Dan is now eligible for the Gatorade National Boys Cross Country Player of the Year award. The winner of this award will be announced later this month.

We congratulate Dan on this well-deserved honor.

The speech teams from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South rocked it at the regional tournament on Feb. 4. The Red Devils won the regional championship, while the Hornets finished in fourth place. Both teams also had top four finishes in a number of individual events.

The girls gymnastics teams from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South turned in outstanding performances at regionals last week. Both squads took second place at their respective tournaments and had top five finishers who qualified for sectionals in the following events.

We want to congratulate the Red Devils and Hornets on their success at regionals, and wish those who are competing at sectionals the best of luck in their events.

Hinsdale Central's varsity, junior varsity and junior varsity 2 boys swimming and diving teams were dominant at their conference championships this past weekend. The three teams all took first place and won a combined 64 medals (33 gold, 23 silver and eight bronze).

The Hinsdale South boys swimming and diving program also had a strong showing at its conference tournament. The Hornets came in second place and won 18 medals (six gold, four silver and eight bronze).

You can access the results from all the meets by visiting http://bit.ly/3HVyU9x.

We want to congratulate Central and South on their impressive accomplishments, and wish the varsity teams continued success in the postseason.

The Science Olympiad team from Hinsdale South performed well at the Crystal Lake Invitational on Jan. 28.

The Hornets had 11 top five finishes in their individual events, including three first place victories. Below is the list of South students who medaled at the tournament.

We want to congratulate the team and coaches Robb Gotlund and Dave Lapetino on their success.

David Lange, who is the chair of the English department at Hinsdale Central, Kim Williams, who is an English teacher at Hinsdale Central, and Keith Bockwoldt, who is the chief information officer for District 86, were interviewed for an NPR Marketplace story titled "The advent of ChatGPT creates demand for software to detect its use."

In the piece, which you can check out by visiting https://bit.ly/3WZ3Fi1, Lange, Williams and Bockwoldt discuss the emergence of the artificial intelligence-powered chatbot known as ChatGPT and its impact on schools. They also talk about the need for software to help detect the use of AI in schoolwork, and the role educators can play in teaching students how to utilize the tool in an ethical way moving forward.

The next Community Conversation will be held on Feb. 15 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Hinsdale South. This session will feature a presentation and discussion about the district's final exam process and the role it plays in preparing students for the future.

If you plan to come to this event, we ask that you please use the form found at https://forms.gle/QgA24EpEEqGKGQXJ6 to RSVP. This will help ensure that we are able to accommodate those who wish to attend. We will also be recording the session for people who are unable to join us. This recording will be posted on the district’s website and YouTube channel, and shared via email, social media, etc.

If you have questions or need more information about our Community Conversations, please contact Dr. Chris Covino at ccovino@hinsdale86.org.

The next District 86 Board of Education meeting will be held on Feb. 9. The agenda and packet of materials for the meeting will be posted on BoardDocs (https://bit.ly/394u9as) and shared via email tomorrow (Feb. 7).

The next event in the 2022-23 Community Speaker Series will be a virtual presentation by Dr. Lisa Damour titled "The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Adolescents Who are Connected, Capable, and Compassionate."

During this webinar, which will take place on Feb. 7 from 6:30-8 p.m., Dr. Damour will:

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

You can register for the event by visiting https://bit.ly/3W7tVpW. You can also access additional information about the Community Speaker Series by visiting http://www.d181foundation.org/.

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.