On Sept. 30, the board of education received an executive summary of the changes to the district's grading practices that are being implemented this year following more than two years of research and work by teachers, department chairs and administrators. The board had a follow-up conversation about these changes during its meeting on Oct. 14.

To aid the board's discussion, the administration created a document that answers several of the commonly asked questions about the alignment of the district's grading practices. Below is a list of the questions/topics that are addressed in the document.

You can access this document by visiting https://bit.ly/3p8Pqdg. You can also access an FAQ about the district's grading practices that was shared during the board meeting on Sept. 30 by visiting https://bit.ly/3ASoTEc.

The district's next Flexible Learning Day will be held on Oct. 20. On this day, students from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South will attend school from 8 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., and then engage in asynchronous learning from home that will be focused on the completion of extension assignments from their teachers. While the students are working on these assignments, staff members will be taking part in activities and discussions that will help advance the district's strategic plan and equity statement.

You can access additional information about Flexible Learning Days by visiting https://bit.ly/3FNFWtH.

You can access a more detailed breakdown of this data by building at https://bit.ly/3d93aws.

Employees who work in the administration building or are not assigned to a specific school - 98%

John Naisbitt, who is a social studies teacher and coach at Hinsdale Central, has earned an Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago.

For more than three decades, first-year students entering the university have nominated individuals for this award who have helped them "along the path toward intellectual growth." Naisbitt is among the educators who are being recognized this year for the significant role they play in their students' education, and the positive impact they have on the lives of those they teach. You can learn more about the award by visiting http://bit.ly/2nVg6kn.

There will be a virtual celebration for this year's winners on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. In the meantime, we want to congratulate Mr. Naisbitt on this well-deserved honor.

On Oct. 13, Hinsdale South celebrated the accomplishments of the 437 Hornet Scholars from last year who made the dean’s list both semesters and earned a score of 3 or higher on at least one Advanced Placement (AP) test.

We want to congratulate all of the students who were recognized for their impressive academic achievements. We want to thank Dr. David Bonner for serving as the teacher speaker for the event. We also want to give props to Assistant Principal Eric Martzolf for his photobomb skills in the image on the top left.

Tony Madonia, who is a special education teacher in the district's HAVEN program and soccer coach at Hinsdale Central, has been accepted into the United Soccer Coaches' 30 Under 30 Program. Each year, 15 male and 15 female coaches who are "leading the way in developing soccer players and enhancing the game" are invited to participate in this program, which offers them access to a variety of educational and mentorship opportunities. You can access the official announcement about the 2021-22 class of the 30 Under 30 Program by visiting https://bit.ly/3BNxQz7.

We congratulate Mr. Madonia on being selected for this prestigious program.

Junior Leah Tharian wrote an article for Hinsdale South's Stinger newsmagazine about the Western mainstream media's increased focus on and interest in East Asian culture. In her story, Tharian talks about the rise in popularity of East Asian movies, television shows, customs and celebrities. She also highlights the growing affinity for Asian cuisine such as pho, momos and kimbap. You can access Tharian's story by visiting https://bit.ly/3vdZuTb.

Meanwhile, senior Lynden McCarroll wrote a story for the Devils' Advocate about the emergence of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the world of online investing. In the piece, McCarroll explains what NFTs are and how they work. He also shares the differing perspectives that exist about the viability and reliability of NFTs. You can access McCarroll's article by visiting https://bit.ly/2YNRE7f.

On Oct. 14, representatives from Hinsdale South, including several junior class officers, Ashley Yurchak, who is the faculty sponsor for Hornet Havoc, and Nick Chavarria, who is the school's activities director, took part in an activities idea exchange that York High School hosted for schools from the West Suburban Conference.

We thank the students, Ms. Yurchak and Mr. Chavarria for representing Hinsdale South and District 86 at this important event.

Keith Bockwoldt, who is the chief information officer for District 86, was featured in the Project Unicorn State of the Sector report for 2021. In the report, which provides an analysis of K-12 school system capabilities and infrastructure for leveraging education data, Bockwoldt talks about how the district's data interoperability has helped us navigate some of the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can access the report by visiting https://bit.ly/3BPqVoV (the piece about Bockwoldt and District 86 is on page 26 of the report, which is page 28 of the pdf).

The District 86 Transition Family Group will be hosting a virtual information night on Oct. 20 at 6:30 p.m. that will feature presentations from several organizations about social and recreational opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

You can access additional information about this event by visiting https://bit.ly/3DSHOjn.

If you missed the edition of Board Briefs for the board of education meeting on Oct. 14, please visit https://conta.cc/2YQQ7xj.