Student journalists from Vespa, which is Hinsdale South's yearbook, and the Stinger, which is the school's newsmagazine, took third place at the sectional tournament that was held virtually on April 1. They also had the following individuals qualify for state after finishing in the top three in their events.

In other news, the 2021-22 edition of Vespa received five blue ribbons, a Gold Certificate and a Golden Eagle Award from the Northern Illinois Scholastic Press Association. This combination of honors earned the publication the distinction of being one of the best yearbooks in the Northern Illinois region.

We want to congratulate our students on their accomplishments, and wish those who qualified for state the best of luck. We also want to thank faculty sponsors Jim Kelly (Vespa) and Brian Thelen (Stinger) for all they do to support these budding journalists.

On April 3, Hinsdale South students NaKyra Culver and Umer Hasan presented the Darien City Council with their idea for installing LED crosswalk signs on Clarendon Hills Road to help improve driver and pedestrian safety. You can check out their presentation by visiting https://youtu.be/ipil5qjOpAI?t=1520 (starts at the 25:20 mark and ends at the 56:00 mark).

The idea for the signs was something the students researched and worked on in conjunction with a semester-long service learning project in their civics class. The next step in the process is for the students to meet with the city's Municipal Services Committee.

We want to congratulate NaKyra and Umer on a job well done. We want to thank Jason Oskorep, the district's director of operations, for his assistance with the presentation. We also want to thank teachers Kelly Van Hout and Alex Bitto for providing the students with the opportunity to learn about and experience what it means to give back to the community.

Below is information about the latest activities and accomplishments involving fine arts students from District 86.

We want to congratulate the following students for being named Hinsdale Central's athletes of the month for March.

Dr. Kari Smith, who is the district's assistant superintendent of student services, was asked by the School Social Work Association of America to present at its national conference in Broomfield, Colorado. Her presentation was based on a chapter about the evaluation process, data collection and data-sharing that she co-authored for a book titled "The Art of Becoming Indispensable: What School Social Workers Need to Know in Their First Three Years of Practice." 

The following faculty and staff members were selected as the winners of Hinsdale Central's Make A Difference Award for the third 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.

There was a piece about the podcast that students Gargi and Shreyas Girotra started to help raise awareness and encourage discussion about mental health issues.

There was a feature story about the official grand opening of the school's new gymnastics gym, which is being named after former coach Neil Krupicka.

There was also a Q&A with junior Nikolas Theotikos, who is a member of the boys gymnastics team.

In honor of National Assistant Principals Week, which was held April 3-7, we recognized and celebrated the following individuals for their hard work and dedicated service.

We greatly appreciate all that they do on behalf our students, staff, schools and community.

Reminder - registration for the district's summer school program will open on April 15. The first semester will take place June 12-29, while the second semester will be held July 5-20. Classes will not meet June 19, July 3 or July 4. Bus transportation will be available to all students at no additional cost.

You can access additional information about or our summer school program, including the program of studies, by visiting https://www.hinsdale86.org/summer-school.

Below are reminders about upcoming district events and activities.

The Hinsdale Central Drama Club will be performing "Urinetown" April 21 and 22.

The award-winning musical is a "hilarious tale of greed, corruption, love, and revolution in a time when water is worth its weight in gold. In a Gotham-like city, a terrible water shortage, caused by a 20-year drought, has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets. The citizens must use public amenities, regulated by a single malevolent company that profits by charging admission for one of humanity's most basic needs."

The performance on April 21 will take place at 7 p.m., while the one on April 22 will take place at 5 p.m. Tickets, which are $20 for adults and $10 for students, can be purchased by visiting ticketpeak.co/hcdrama.

Break a leg, Red Devils.

Civics students from Hinsdale South are collecting items that will help the Ronald McDonald House in Winfield meet the needs of the families it serves. They are currently seeking:

Community members who are interested in supporting this important initiative can bring donations to the school (foyer located off the circle drive entrance) between now and April 17. Please click the image on the right for more information.

During the event, which will be held in the library at Hinsdale Central from 7-8:30 p.m., Dina Scolan from The OCD & Anxiety Center will provide parents/guardians with strategies they can use to help their teens.

Katie Hurley will be the featured presenter for the final two events being held in conjunction with the 2022-23 Community Speaker Series.

During her sessions, which will take place April 25 from 7-8:30 p.m. and April 26 from 9:30-11 a.m., Hurley will discuss the critical role that empathy development plays in improving a child’s relationships, mental health and ability to work through difficult times. She will talk about the impact of bullying and cyberbullying and provide a proactive approach for empowering empathy and resilience in children. She will also provide attendees with concrete strategies for increasing empathy, kindness and resilience.

Both sessions are free and open to the public, and will be held in person at The Community House (415 W. Eighth Street in Hinsdale).

Please use the links below or visit http://www.d181foundation.org/ to register for the session you want to attend.