On-Site Covid Testing Services by Northshore Clinical Labs
On Sept. 16, the District 86 Board of Education approved a contract with Northshore Clinical Labs to provide on-site COVID-19 testing services for our students and staff. Before we could make these services available, we needed the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to issue its updated testing protocols. We also needed to work with Northshore and our building-level leaders to finalize the logistical/operational aspects of the testing process (e.g., consent, staffing, locations, etc.). Now that these critical steps have been completed, we are pleased to announce that Northshore will be able to administer free rapid antigen and RT-PCR tests to our students and staff beginning the week of Nov. 1.
As a reminder, the following individuals are required to participate in the district’s weekly testing program:
- Unvaccinated students who are taking part in a school- or district-sponsored sport or activity, which includes serving on a student club or organization. For athletics, this is limited to students who are currently in season. Test results will be a factor in determining eligibility. The athletic and activities directors from each school will provide students and their parents/guardians with more detailed information about the testing process.
- Any employee who is unvaccinated. This is based on an executive order that Governor Pritzker issued in late August. The district’s human resources department will provide employees with more detailed information about the testing process.
While these individuals must submit to testing in accordance with the district’s program, that testing does not have to be conducted by Northshore. Instead, it can be completed by any licensed medical practitioner or health professional. With that said, official results have to be submitted to the appropriate school or district official by the reporting deadline every week regardless of where the tests are administered.
Any student (e.g., vaccinated; unvaccinated, but not in a sport or activity; unvaccinated, but not currently in season for a sport) or staff member (e.g., vaccinated) who falls outside the categories listed above will not be required to follow the district’s weekly testing protocols. However, they will have access to the testing services should they need them - i.e., they are experiencing a COVID-like symptom, or have been identified as a close contact and want to get tested in order to stay in school or at work.
Anyone who utilizes the services being provided by Northshore and the district must provide consent. Below are school-specific links that parents/guardians can use to authorize consent for their children and employees can use to authorize consent for themselves.
Any student from the Transition Center or employee who is not assigned to Central or South can use the link for the location that will be easiest/most convenient for them for testing purposes. In addition, while consent can be given at the time of testing, having it in advance will help expedite the process.
Below are the days and times that testing services will be available, and the location in each building where they will be administered.
- Hinsdale Central - testing will occur in room 504 during regular school hours (8 a.m.-3p.m.) Monday through Friday.
- Hinsdale South - testing will occur in room 126 during regular school hours (8 a.m.-3p.m.) Monday through Friday.
The buildings will provide additional information (e.g., process for getting tested during the school day, process for submitting test results from outside providers, etc.) prior to the first day of testing. In the meantime, please contact the assistant principal for operations from your child’s school (Kari Peronto from Hinsdale South, kperonto@hinsdale86.org; Ryan Maita from Hinsdale Central, rmaita@hinsdale86.org) if you have any questions.
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Weekly Thursday Progress Reports and Grading Reminders
We want to make sure that all families understand how teachers are using the grades of "M" and "ME" this school year.
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M (for Missing) is entered in a gradebook when a student has not turned in an assignment. It communicates to the student, parent/guardian and school support teams that an assignment has not been completed
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ME (Missing and Essential) is entered in the gradebook when an assignment that is essential for understanding a student’s performance has not been turned in or completed. An example of this might be a unit assessment, a research paper, or an end of semester project. When a grade of ME is entered in the gradebook, the student’s grade will appear as "Incomplete (IC)" until the ME is resolved. Once the student has completed the Missing and Essential (ME) assignment, the grade in the class will reappear in HAC. Please note that a student cannot receive a passing grade or credit in the course with an ME in the gradebook at the end of the semester. The IC should serve as serious red flag that the student's grade is in immediate need of attention. Should you see an IC on a weekly IPR or in HAC, please contact your student's teacher directly and they will work with you to explain what your student needs to do.
You can see if your student has an ME in the gradebook if they have an IC on their progress report. In this example, this student has an ME in their World Cultures class because the grade in the class is showing as IC instead of a letter grade.
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Q1 Make a Difference Award Recipients
Thank you to all who submitted nominations for the Q1 Make A Difference awards. After a careful and thoughtful review by the PTO committee, we are pleased to announce the Make A Difference award winners for the first quarter of the 2021-22 school year.
Congratulations to:
Arpan Chokshi – Social Studies
Susie Jaffe – English
Mike Jazak – Science
Lisa Korbitz – Math
Joe Liaw – Science
Wanda Swik – Athletics
These teachers and staff members went above and beyond and are making a true difference at Hinsdale Central. We thank them for their commitment and kindness to our Red Devil community.
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Attendance Procedures
We have received many calls from parents unsure of how to handle doctor's appointments and other instances where a student needs to leave school. Any time your student needs to leave the building, please call the attendance line. It is monitored throughout the day, so please leave a message and have your student check out of the Dean's office before they need to leave.
Our 24-hour Attendance Line phone number is 630-570-8090.
Please use this number to report all absences, including late arrivals and early dismissals. This includes doctor's appointments. Failure to call within 24 hours of the absence will result in an unexcused absence. If you need to call your student out unexpectedly, your student will first need to be excused from the Dean's Office before leaving school.
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Seniors Transcript Reminder
As we approach November 1 and November 15 college application deadlines, we wanted to remind seniors that they need to meet with their counselor to turn in any transcript request forms. To be supportive of students, the deadline has been extended from Oct. 18 to October 25 for a November 1 application deadline. Transcript request forms for a November 15 application deadline need to be submitted by November 1. Please see your counselor with any questions.
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Webinar: Happy, Healthy, Almost Stress-Free College Planning: For Parents, Seniors, and Juniors presented by Harlan Cohen on November 9, 2021 at 7:00 pm CT
College search and selection doesn’t have to be high stress and high stakes. There is a way to make the college planning process positive, healthier, and easier for students and parents. New York Times bestselling author of the #1 book on college life, Harlan Cohen (The Naked Roommate: And 107 Other Issues You Might Run Into in College and The Naked Roommate: For Parents Only!) helps students and parents reframe college search and selection to reduce stress and guarantee success. Harlan shares the latest facts, stats, and strategies to guide high school and college students as they navigate all the changes ahead. This event is hosted virtually. Visit www.HarlanCohen.com and BeforeCollege.TV to learn more about Harlan.
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ATTENTION SENIOR PARENTS!
Before you know it, your senior will be a graduate! Congratulate your senior in the yearbook with a special message! See how much they have grown by including a picture of them when they were younger! For more information, please see this SENIOR TRIBUTE FLYER
COST:
$40 By Nov. 30
$50: By Dec. 15
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Technology Help Desk
Students having difficulty with technology, should contact the Hinsdale Central Tech Help Desk at helpdesk@hinsdale86.org or call 630-655-6180. The IT staff can help students reset passwords or repair Chromebooks as well as many other tech issues.
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Get Your COVID-19 Vaccine in DuPage
COVID-19 vaccines are free and available to anyone 12 years or older. There are now many locations available to get your COVID-19 vaccine in DuPage County. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you, visit www.vaccines.gov.
The Dupage County Health Department also offers COVID-19 vaccinations on a walk-in basis in Wheaton, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, visit dupagehealth.org/covid19vaccineclinic.
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