On March 13, District 86 will begin using the text message feature in Infinite Campus (IC) to let parents/guardians know when their child has an unexcused absence.

If a student has an unexcused absence listed in IC, their parents/guardians will receive an automated text message the day it occurs that will prompt them to check their email for more information. Per the district's student handbook, parents/guardians must call the attendance line for their child's school (Central - 630-570-8090; South - 630-468-4555) within 24 hours of the absence to request that it be cleared from the system or changed to excused. Please note that the school reserves the right to determine, in accordance with the Illinois School Code, if an absence is excused. Examples of unexcused absences include, but are not limited to, those that are the result of oversleeping, cutting class, missing the bus, missing one class to study or do work for another one, etc.

Parents/guardians can opt out of the texts at any time by replying Stop to one of the messages they receive about an unexcused absence. Anyone who opts out will be sent a confirmation text that will also include information about how they can resume the service.

Parents/guardians who have questions or need more information about the text messages, unexcused absences or attendance in general are encouraged to please contact the dean’s office for their child’s school.

Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South turned in outstanding performances at the competition that was held in conjunction with the recent Illinois Business Professionals of America (BPA) State Leadership Conference.

Nearly 30 students from the two schools qualified for the national competition, which will be held in Anaheim, California April 26- 30. This included the following students who took first place in their competitive events:

You can access additional information about the district's accomplishments at the state competition by visiting https://bit.ly/3kLmNDg.

We want to congratulate all of our students on their success at the state level, and wish those who are moving on to nationals the best of luck. We also want to thank faculty sponsors Ashley Yurchak from South and Ken Shum and Leah Giarritano from Central for all they do on behalf of the BPA organizations at both schools.

Hinsdale Central seniors Katie Brophy and Delaney O'Neal took the top two spots in a competition organized by Sports Career Consulting, LLC that tasked students with "the development of a point of purchase display representing a consumer goods brand tied to Super Bowl LVII." Katie came in first place for her “Tostitos Kelce Bowl” concept, while Delaney tied for second with her “Tostitos Scoreboard” display.

Their success in the competition, which drew nearly 100 entries, was aided by the work they have done and lessons they have learned in Karen Russo’s Sports Marketing class. Students who take the class are introduced to the field of sports marketing and its role in society. They develop an understanding of the marketing concepts and theories that apply to sports and sporting events. They also plan, create, and assess sports marketing communication programs that include advertising, marketing, public relations and news media.

You can access additional information about the competition, including the feedback that Katie and Delaney received on their entries, by visiting https://bit.ly/3EM4MeI.

We congratulate Katie and Delaney on their incredible accomplishments, and thank Ms. Russo for all she does to foster the growth and development of her students.

The Scholastic Bowl team from Hinsdale Central went undefeated in the regular season (12-0) and conference tournament (3-0) to retain its title as conference champions. The team will look to keep this momentum going when it competes at regionals later today (March 6).

We want to congratulate the Red Devils on their dominance in conference play, and wish them continued success in the postseason. We also want to wish the team from Hinsdale South the best of luck at its regional tournament, which will kick off today at 4:30 p.m. and feature a first-round matchup between the Hornets and Schaumburg High School.

It was a tough end to the season for the varsity boys basketball team from Hinsdale Central. The Red Devils fought hard in their sectional final matchup against Downers Grove North, but ultimately fell 53-43.

The Latin Clubs from District 86 excelled at the final Certamen gathering of the year with their peers from Lyons Township and Benet Academy. Hinsdale Central took first place at the upper (Latin III/IV) and lower (Latin II) levels, while Hinsdale South took first place at the novice (Latin I) level. The district also had the MVP at all three levels (Sami Khalil from South - novice, Ben Yan from Central - lower and Michael Sahs from Central - upper). Next up for the three first-place finishing teams will be a trip to the regional competition in April.

We congratulate the students and faculty sponsors from both Latin Clubs on their accomplishments.

Hinsdale Central Latin Club: Ben Yan, Hank Bolenbaugh, Rowan Whelan, Yusuf Ahmed, Lucas DiGuido, JJ Levinthal, Michael Sahs, Gabriela Veliz-Hernandez, Zed Lillioja, Laolu Olaitan, Dan Sahs and Jonathan DeToro. Not pictured is faculty sponsor Alisha McCloud.

Hinsdale South Latin Club: Philemon Rassi, Jacob Drahos, Aasrith Poola, Sami Khalil, Arooj Nasir, Sofiya Antonova and faculty sponsor Peter DeRousse.

Last week's edition of The Hinsdalean featured coverage about some of Hinsdale Central's recent accomplishments. There was a story about the boys swimming and diving team winning the state championship (https://bit.ly/3Y8sKaY); an article about the impressive showings that the speech and chess teams had at their own state tournaments (https://bit.ly/3IINVL9); and a student-athlete profile about senior Jakobi Lange, who is a member of the boys volleyball team (http://bit.ly/3m9t4J6).

You can check out the online edition of the newspaper by visiting thehinsdalean.com.

Below are reminders about several of the district's upcoming events and activities.

Reminder - Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central will be offering preschool programs in April and May through their Child Care and Development classes. These programs, which are open and available to all families regardless of whether they live in the community, focus on developmental appropriateness, creativity, safety, independence and social skills. Discounts are available for any District 86 employee who is interested in enrolling their children.

If you have questions or need more information about the preschool program at South, please email Laura Hughes at lhughes@hinsdale86.org. If you have questions or need more information about the preschool program at Central, please email Lisa Sopiarz at lsopiarz@hinsdale86.org.