Welcome back, Vikings!

We hope you had a wonderful, safe winter break and holiday season, and we are happy to be able to welcome our students and staff back this week for in-person learning. Please know that our school district will continue to follow all guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). To make the return to in-person learning as safe as possible, please remember the following:

1. Please do not send your student to school if they are currently sick or not feeling well. Our Attendance Line can be reached at 708-799-3000, then pressing 2.
2. If your student is having suspected COVID-19 symptoms OR if anyone in your house receives a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 OR if your student comes into close contact with a positive case, please complete the District 233 COVID-19 Reporting Form as soon as possible. Our staff will contact you, contact trace and provide guidance and remote learning information, if necessary. The form is available by clicking here...
3. If you/your student are not yet vaccinated or boosted, you can find a convenient location for a vaccination clinic near you at this website.
4. If you haven’t signed up your student yet for free weekly SHIELD testing at H-F and wish to for this semester, click here for the registration form. Forms can be returned to [email protected].
5. Please remind your student to wear a high-quality mask correctly every day at school. The mask needs to cover the nose and mouth; reusable masks should be washed in hot water after being used. 

Thank you for your support & cooperation!

Click here to read the 2nd Semester Letter to H-F Families, sent via School Messenger on Dec. 30, 2021.

Welcome, Clinton Alexander, H-F's New Principal

At a special meeting held on Friday, Dec. 17, the District 233 Board of Education appointed a new principal for H-F: Clinton Alexander. Currently the principal at Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Alexander will begin at Homewood-Flossmoor as principal on July 1, 2022. With the assistance of BWP & Associates, the board conducted a thorough search this year with input from community surveys, focus groups and interviews.

Alexander’s career in education began as an English teacher at Bloom Township High School. He then went on to teach at Proviso East High School, where he was awarded a Those Who Excel Award by the Illinois State Board of Education for his contributions to data-driven instruction. He also served as the activities coordinator at Proviso. After Proviso, Alexander served as the associate principal of Curriculum and Instruction at Rich East High School, then as the associate principal of Operations at Rich South High School. He was named the principal at Hillcrest High School in July 2020. He earned his B.A. in Communications at Eastern Illinois University, where he was a two-sport athlete (football and track) with a full scholarship for football, then went on to add another bachelor’s degree in English from Governors State University. He holds a master’s degree in Education and principal licensure from Concordia University, and is currently pursuing his doctorate degree in Educational Leadership at National Louis University. A second-generation educator from the South Suburbs, his focus is on advocating for student achievement and ensuring that all students have equitable learning experiences. He recently presented on the topic of cultural transformation at the Illinois Principals Association’s Annual Conference.

Click here to read the full announcement...

New Year, New Website

A new website for the HFHighSchool.org url will launch this Thursday! The new user-friendly site will feature better accessibility and mobile responsiveness. Familiar features — including dedicated Student, Parent, Staff and Alumni pages and a COVID Dashboard page — will still be available. If you have any difficulties loading the site on Thursday, be sure to clear your cache for quicker loading. And be sure to let us know what you think at [email protected].

6th Annual Pursuing the Dream

Join us at 7 p.m. on Jan. 12 in the Mall Auditorium for a night of powerful performances, presentations, visual arts, and much more! In our annual event, Pursuing the Dream, we will pay tribute to a historical leader whose legacy imbues the excellence of Black history and Black culture. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., proclaimed that "faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." We hope you will honor us with your presence as we celebrate the multitude of first steps that have shaped and impacted this nation and the world abroad.

Our keynote speaker this year will be Donna Miller, Cook County Commissioner for the 6th District. Performances and other speakers will include:

• Ayodele Drum & Dance
• H-F Inspirational Voices
• H-F Steppers
• Jeanne Miller - H-F English Department Chair
• Andre Thomas - H-F alumnus
• Kayla Robertson - H-F alumna (via video)
• Layla LaNier - H-F Speech Team member
• Lauren Wells-Mann - H-F Fine Arts teacher
• Inspire by Tyler Art Display — by Tyler Clark, H-F alumna
• Representatives from H-F Clubs: Black Student Union and Agents of Change

Note: Masks are required in all H-F facilities.This is a free event, but due to COVID capacity restrictions, a ticket will be required for all attendees, including children. Please click here to reserve your seat via a Google Form...

Summer School Sign Up: Jan. 22

District 233 has received funds as a result as the pandemic, allowing H-F High School to offer 2022 Summer School courses (with the exception of Summer Academy, Summer Theatre & Driver Education) at no cost to district families!

Summer School classes will run 8 a.m.-12:50 p.m. Mondays through Fridays June 6-July 15 this summer in the South Building. The courses listed below will be available for Credit Recovery for those students who have failed first semester courses. Credit Recovery courses will be through the online Acellus Program (with the exception of Physics). Teachers will be on campus every day for in-person assistance for students, if necessary.

• ENGLISH — English 1, English 2 and English 3
• MATH — Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry
• SCIENCE — Biology, Chemistry and Physics (Physics will be an in-person class)

Social Science courses — including World History, U.S. History, Economics and U.S. Government & Politics — will also be available for those students who are interested in opening their schedule up for more electives during the school year. These classes will be held in-person.

Registration for Summer School will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, beginning on Saturday, Jan. 22, from 8 a.m.-Noon in the North Building. Click here for the 2022 Summer School brochure, which includes Summer School courses, Summer Academy courses, Summer Theatre & Driver Education.

Questions? Please contact the H-F Summer School Office at 708-335-5605, [email protected].

SAT Test Prep begins this month for H-F juniors

H-F has partnered with Excel Edge to provide its SAT 1600 course here on campus, which is designed to help students better anticipate typical question types/formats/content and apply appropriate strategies for maximizing their score. This comprehensive prep course also helps students gain confidence in their test-taking abilities. Two sessions will be offered; dates and times are as follows:

• Jan. 25-March 15, Tuesdays 7-9 p.m.

• Jan. 29-March 19, Saturdays 10 a.m.-Noon

You can register for the class online at www.hf.8to18.com/accounts/login. Fee: $100

Registration ends Monday, Jan. 10, or sooner if sections have been filled. Please reserve your spot as soon as possible. Questions? Please contact Celine Bucci in the Assessment Office: 708-335-5584, [email protected].

2022-23 Course Selection

As the first semester of the 2021-22 school year has ended, it is time for our freshmen, sophomores and juniors to think about the 2022-23 school year. All H-F students will

receive course registration information for the 2022-23 school year from the Guidance Department in January. As parents and students work together to make courses

selections, please first review teacher recommendations, which students will be able to view in the Info Dynamics program starting in mid-January.

The 2022-23 online course catalog is also now available; it outlines the course descriptions, graduation requirements, course prerequisites and college/career entrance requirements. Click here to view the new catalog...

Later this month through Feb. 18, students will have the opportunity to meet with their school counselor in order to finalize course requests for next year’s schedule and discuss post-high-school planning. Questions? Please contact Guidance Department Chair Jim Schmidt at 708-335-5650, [email protected].

Above: During Institute Day — Jan. 3 — the H-F Alumni Office hosted dozens of young alumni from the Classes of 2018-2021 back on campus for networking and pizza. The alums got a quick tour of the new Fine Arts wing and were introduced to District 233's next superintendent, Dr. Scott Wakeley.

Below: Prior to winter break, Mrs. Marks' Advanced Culinary students got in the holiday spirit by building gingerbread houses, made with graham crackers, frosting and edible decorations.

H-F Student-Artist's Work featured in Virtual Exhibition

Congratulations to Jaelynn Holman, a junior student-artist whose photograph Drawing You In (shown above) was selected to be a part of the 2022 National Art Honor Society/National Junior Art Honor Society Juried Exhibition! Her work is one of 200 selected out of 1,665 submitted entries. Entries were judged by representatives from Burren College of Art, College for Creative Studies, Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design, Minneapolis College of Art & Design, Moore College of Art & Design, and Parsons School of Design.The virtual exhibit will open on Jan. 18 on the National Art Education Association's website.

Lip Sync Champions

Congratulations to the members of The Lemonheads — Athena Davis, Maggie Cutrara, Sandra Aldape, William Goldberg and Oscar de la Torre — for winning 1st Place and $400 in the 9th Annual VTV Lip Sync, held in early December. The group came out on top of nine teams with its performance of a Pompeii / Determinate mix in the Mall Auditorium. VTV is sponsored by Mark Ciesielski, H-F Fine Arts teacher. Click here for more pictures from the event...

2021 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic Champions

Congratulations to our Varsity Boys' Basketball team for bringing home 1st place at the 2021 Hinsdale Central Holiday Classic, held during winter break. Nashawn Holmes & Christian Meeks were selected to the All-Tournament Team with Meeks earning Tournament MVP honors. The team is coached by Mark Condotti, H-F PE/Health/DE teacher.

Cheer Teams headed to Championships

Congratulations — and good luck — to our JV and Freshman Cheer Teams, who qualified for the Cheer Championships, which are to be held in Springfield at the Bank of Springfield Center this weekend! The teams are coached by Zenia Smith, H-F instructional assistant.

Congratulations to District 233 Board of Education Vice President — and H-F alumna — Debbie L. Berman (H-F '84), who was recently honored at a Harvard Law Society of Illinois reception for her accomplishments in her field, leadership in her firm (Jenner & Block), her work in the community and her pro bono efforts. In addition, she has been recognized as a 2021 Notable Gen X Leader in Accounting, Consulting & Law by Crain's Chicago Business! Click here to read more...

Congratulations to District 233 Board of Education President — and H-F alumnus — Gerald Pauling (H-F '85), who was recently recognized as one of Crain's Chicago Business' 2021 Notable Black Leaders & Executives! He is an equity partner at Seyfarth Shaw. Click here to read more...

Congratulations to Jon Elfner, H-F Social Science teacher, for his latest podcast featured on the national program, Our American Stories. For this story, he looked close to home: he tells the story of another H-F employee (Rikk Dunlap) who had his potential novel turned into a Hallmark movie: Christmas Under the Stars. The podcast aired nationally during the holidays; you can listen to it now with this link!

Student-Athlete College Signings

Congratulations to the following student senior-athletes, who recently signed to study and pursue athletics at colleges and universities next year:

Note: Only home games & playoffs are shown below. For complete athletic schedules, click here...

Did you know that H-F sends out dedicated emails prior to every regular District 233 Board of Education meeting? Update your "H-F FYI" subscription by clicking here and add "District 233 Board of Education Regular Monthly Meeting Preview" to your list of requested messages from our school. Thank you!