Reminder - District 86 is seeking the community’s help with the development of our profile of a graduate, which will feature the qualities and characteristics we want our students to possess when they leave our schools. We have created a brief survey people can use to:

The survey, which can be accessed by visiting https://forms.gle/A8fvoYUtjA8syPY46, will be open until April 22 at 4 p.m.

We want to thank the community for its participation in this important process, and for its continued support of our schools and the students we serve.

Hinsdale South senior Jay Yang and his sister Judy, who is an alum of the school, are members of the first badminton team that the United States will be sending to compete at the Deaflympics.

The Deaflympics is an international multi-sport event that is organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf. It started in Paris in 1924, and was the first sporting event for people with special needs. This summer, an estimated 4,500 athletes from more than 100 countries will head to Brazil to take part in the games.

You can check out an interview that Jay and Judy did about this opportunity by visiting https://bit.ly/3uHkO56. You can also learn more about the Deaflympics by visiting https://www.deaflympics2021.com/.

The following students from Hinsdale Central won awards during the recent Family, Career and Community Leaders of America's (FCCLA) state competition.

We want to congratulate these students on their achievements. We also want to thank faculty sponsors Dawn Oler and Elizabeth Meersman for all of their hard work.

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 9. Several of them also qualified for state after finishing in the top three in the following individual events.

We want to congratulate these students on their success at sectionals, and wish them the best of luck at state. We also want to thank faculty sponsors Jim Kelly and Brian Thelen for all they do to support these budding journalists.

The following students from Hinsdale Central's Model U.N. team earned the Diplomacy Award during the annual Northwestern University Model United Nations Conference (NUMUN).

The Diplomacy Award is given to delegates who "promote collaboration, teamwork, positive change, collective impact, and the spirit of the Model United Nations and international diplomacy."

We congratulate these students on this well-deserved recognition.

Hinsdale South inducted 55 members into its chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) during a ceremony held on April 13. The names of the inductees are listed below, and photos from the event can be viewed by visiting https://bit.ly/37kjigi.

NHS, which was established in 1921, highlights a school's commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership and character. You can learn more about the organization by visiting https://www.nhs.us/about/.

We congratulate the students who earned this honor.

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

The Doings Hinsdale/Chicago Tribune published a great article last week about Hinsdale South's Deaf Drama club and its upcoming production of "The Hallmarks of Horror." You can access the online version of the story by visiting https://bit.ly/3rpGUqG (subscription required), and a scanned copy of the print version by visiting https://bit.ly/3vm1dq0.

The show will take place in South's auditorium on April 29 at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $6, and voice interpretation will be provided. You can access a flyer for the performance by visiting https://bit.ly/3tggdpB.

Below is information about recent honors that were earned by staff members from Hinsdale Central.

We congratulate Mr. Rasavongxay and Coach Barber on these well-deserved honors, and thank them for everything they do to support the growth, development and success of our students.

Keith Bockwoldt, who is the district's chief information officer, has been selected to serve on the board of directors for CoSN (the Consortium for School Networking). CoSN is a professional association for school system technology leaders that provides thought leadership resources, community best practices and advocacy tools to help support digital transformation. 

We congratulate Keith on his selection.

The District 86 and District 88 Transition Family Groups will be hosting a virtual presentation by Laura Gonzalez from UCP Seguin on April 20 at 6:30 p.m.

During the event, Ms. Gonzalez will talk to attendees about guardianship. She will also share information about the day programs and housing options that are available through UCP Seguin.

You can access additional information about this event by clicking the image on the right.

The Hinsdale Central Drama Club will be performing "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" April 22 and 23.

The award-winning musical centers on a fictional spelling bee set in the geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. During the event, a group of eclectic and anxious young spellers reveal things about their personalities and backgrounds while vying to win the big trophy.

The performance on April 22 will take place at 7 p.m., while the one on April 23 will take place at 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. They can be purchased at the door on the day of the show, or in advance by visiting ticketpeak.co/hcdrama.

Break a leg, Red Devils.

The College of DuPage (COD) will be hosting its annual STEMCON event on April 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. During this event, COD staff and industry experts will provide attendees with information about some of the most in-demand and cutting-edge career opportunities.

You can learn more about STEMCON by visiting https://cod.edu/stemcon.

If you missed the edition of Board Briefs for the board of education meeting on April 14, please visit https://conta.cc/3EgmbuL.

Please visit https://bit.ly/3d93aws to access the latest COVID-19 data for our district, community and county. As a reminder, below are the metrics we plan to update on a weekly basis.