Updates from 86
Weekly news and information from District 86
Inside the Classroom
The latest installment of our “Inside the Classroom” video series features Stephen Moore’s AP Language and Composition class at Hinsdale South.

In the video, which can be viewed by visiting https://youtu.be/-ZIzzA7_EIw, Mr. Moore and junior Amelia Lavorato talk about how students develop the skills to become analytical thinkers who can clearly articulate their reasoning through writing. They also share how these skills can be applied to other important activities such as writing college essays and taking assessments (e.g., AP exams, the SAT, etc.).

We want to thank Mr. Moore, Amelia and the rest of the class for showing us how their experiences inside the classroom are helping them pursue their ideal future.
Boys Soccer
The boys soccer team from Hinsdale Central won the sectional championship following a hard fought 1-0 victory over Benet Academy. The Red Devils will continue the quest for their first state title since the 2014-15 school year when they take on Naperville Central in the super sectional on Nov. 1.

We congratulate the team and Coach Wiggins on winning sectionals, and wish them continued success against the Redhawks.
Cross Country
The varsity boys and girls cross country teams from Hinsdale Central are headed to state following strong showings at sectionals. The boys took second at their tournament behind top 10 performances by Dan Watcke (second place) and Aden Bandukwala (fourth place), while the girls came in sixth at their tournament thanks, in large part, to a second place finish by Catie McCabe and an 11th place finish by Sarah Fischer.

We congratulate both teams on their success at sectionals, and wish them the best of luck at state.
AVCA Best and Brightest Award
Erika Kalman and Kaitlyn Thick from Hinsdale Central were named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) Best and Brightest First Team. In order to be eligible for this award, which honors student-athletes who excel on and off the court, Erika and Kaitlyn had to earn at least a 3.8 unweighted or 4.3 weighted GPA during their junior year and play in 50% of the varsity team’s sets during their senior season.

We congratulate Erika and Kaitlyn on this well-deserved honor.
Hinsdale Central Debate Team
The Hinsdale Central debate team performed well at the HF Vikings Classic that was held Oct. 22-23. Ava Johnson and Finn Schmeltz came in first for the JV Public Forum Debate, while Sebastian Attlan and Sohan Whittier took third.

We congratulate the members of the team on their success at the event, and wish them the best of luck with the rest of their season.
World Language Students of the Month
Each month, the world language teachers from Hinsdale South nominate individuals for recognition as the World Language Students of the Month. These students have a strong interest in a world or classical language, demonstrate the traits of being accountable, respectful and engaged, and perform actions and exhibit an attitude that exemplify what it means to have South Pride.

Below are the students from South who earned this honor for October.
  • Ella DeGuzman
  • Edward Thomas
  • Sophia Yen
  • Zahra Karimi
  • Chloe Goins
  • Alexander Damis
  • Elisa Gonzalez
  • Natalia Vujovic
  • Wojtek Gilarski 
  • Jenna Alkhudari 
  • Adrian Drynan
  • Reece Berg
Student of the Quarter
Hinsdale Central recently recognized 12 individuals who were named Student of the Quarter by the school's various departments based on their leadership, kindness and skills as role models. Those who received the recognition included:
  • Aleksandra Korza (Art)
  • Lindsey Bruns (Business)
  • Shayla Patel (English)
  • Erin Pabst (FACS)
  • Mohammed Naveed (Mathematics)
  • Athena Deng (Music)
  • Yana Kuzmanova (Physical Education/Health/Driver Education)
  • Nikhil Raichand (Science)
  • Aiden ElDifrawi (Social Studies)
  • Monet Gruft (Technology Education)
  • Brian Williams (World Languages)
  • Rex Hannum (Red Devil Character)
We congratulate these students on this honor.
School Supply Drive
Civics students from Hinsdale South have organized a school supply drive that will benefit children in Florida who lost everything in the wake of the devastation and destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. There are three ways you can support this important initiative:

  • Drop new supplies (e.g., pencils, erasers, markers, backpacks, glue sticks, kids scissors, color pencils, notebooks, books, etc.) off in the donation boxes at Hinsdale South (circle drive or by the gym doors), Hinsdale Central (main entrance), the Transition Center locations (main entrance) and the administration building (main entrance).

  • Use a QR code to make monetary donations that will be used to purchase and ship supplies.

  • Use a QR code to make monetary donations that will be used to purchase books.

Please click the image on the right to access a flyer for the supply drive that includes the two QR codes mentioned above.

Any contributions you can make or assistance you can provide in spreading the word about this endeavor would be greatly appreciated.

If you have questions or need more information about the supply drive, please contact teachers Kelly Van Hout (kvanhout@hinsdale86.org) or Mike Gross (mgross@hinsdale86.org).
District 86 Gives Back
Below are a couple recent examples of District 86 students and staff giving back to the community and helping those in need.

We Care Hinsdale
We Care Hinsdale, which is a non-profit run by students from Hinsdale Central, raised more than $10,000 through sweatshirt sales, pop-up events and partnerships with local companies that will benefit the Edward Foundation’s Linden Oaks Hospital Fund. The students formed the organization to generate awareness about and provide support for peers who are struggling with mental health issues such as anxiety and depression.

Environmental Concern Organization
Earlier this month, Hinsdale South's Environmental Concern Organization collected four bags of trash during a cleanup it conducted along the stream and roadway on 75th Street.

Great job, Hornets and Red Devils.
Fatima Khan
Fatima Khan, who is a senior at Hinsdale Central, had her paper published in the August issue of the International Journal of High School Research (IJHSR). The paper, which was titled “The Cost of Healthy Drinking Water," explored not only the qualities that constitute the healthiest drinking water, but also whether the most expensive drinking water is the healthiest for a person to consume.

IJHSR is a publication that is peer-reviewed by university faculty members, STEM experts, postdoctoral researchers and doctoral students. The six issues that are published each year feature student work in all areas of science, including the behavioral and social sciences, technology, engineering and math.

We congratulate Fatima on this tremendous accomplishment.
Teagan Dunn
Teagan Dunn, who is a junior at Hinsdale Central, is one of 10 students who have been chosen to help select the nominees for next year's Lincoln Award (Illinois Teen Readers’ Choice Award).

Each year, a panel of high school librarians, teachers, public librarians and students determines the master list of 20 book titles that will compete for the coveted award. Students from across the state who go to participating schools or use participating public libraries may vote for the award as long as they have read at least four of the titles on the master list. The book that receives the most votes is the winner.

The Lincoln Award, which is sponsored by the Association of Illinois School Library Educators, is designed to encourage teens to read for personal satisfaction and become familiar with authors of young adult and adult books. It is named after former president Abraham Lincoln, who was an avid reader and noted author. You can learn more about the award by visiting https://aisled.org/lincoln/.

We congratulate Teagan on this incredible honor.
Carrie: The Musical
The Doings Hinsdale recently published an article about Hinsdale South's upcoming production of "Carrie: The Musical." The piece explores how South's fine arts department has teamed up with the school's social workers and social and emotional learning (SEL) coaches to help the cast, crew and student body as a whole navigate/process the show's themes, which include bullying and abuse. One of the approaches they are taking is to use the school's monthly SouthPride SEL lessons to show all students how to identify bullying and handle it, regardless of whether it is something they are experiencing themselves or witnessing with others.

You can access the article by visiting https://bit.ly/3DbmrLk (subscription required) or clicking here. You can also check out a flyer for the show, which is running Nov. 10-13, by clicking the image on the right or visiting https://bit.ly/3Cn58rg.
Clue: On Stage
The Hinsdale Central Drama Club will be performing "Clue: On Stage" Nov. 17-19. Below is a brief description of the show.

"Was it Mrs. Peacock in the lounge with the dagger? Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Come see the famous murder mystery board game come to life in hilarious fashion as our guests try to identify the killer at Boddy Manor before it's too late!"

The performances on Nov. 17 and 18 will begin at 7 p.m., while the performance on Nov. 19 will begin at 5 p.m.

Tickets for the show can be purchased at the box office or by visiting www.ticketpeak.co/hcdrama.
ALICE Training
District 86 students and staff receive training on an annual basis about how to respond to a variety of emergency situations. This includes learning about the strategies associated with ALICE (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate), which is a research-based approach to active shooter preparedness that empowers individuals to make critical decisions when a safety response is needed.

Given the increased focus and attention on school safety at the local, state and national levels, ALICE has created an online training to help educate families and community members about its program. You can access this training by visiting https://bit.ly/3zn8fxG and learn more about ALICE by visiting https://www.alicetraining.com/.
Family-School Relationship Survey
Reminder - The District 86 Family-School Relationships Survey was officially launched on Oct. 20. Through this survey, which features 59 questions and is estimated to take no longer than 20 minutes to complete, families can provide valuable feedback on important topics such as communication, engagement, readiness for learning, safety and support.

Any current District 86 parent/guardian who still wants or needs to take the survey can do so by clicking on the personalized link at the bottom of the email that was sent via the Panorama platform on Oct. 20. They can also visit https://surveys.panoramaed.com/hinsdale86 and enter the access code for their child's school (these codes were included in emails sent on Oct. 20 and 26).

The deadline for completing the survey is Nov. 16 at 4 p.m.
Community Conversations
As we shared in last week's email, the next Community Conversation will be held on Nov. 16 from 7-8 p.m. in the library at Hinsdale Central. This session will focus on the following topics:

  • The district's work in the area of multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS).

  • The early release Wednesdays at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South that are providing our faculty and staff with time to collaborate and our students with the opportunity to participate in programming and/or receive any assistance or support they need.

If you plan to come to this event, we ask that you please use the form found at https://forms.gle/rnCQAXyHiHuxtx3E6 to RSVP. This will help ensure that we are able to accommodate those who wish to attend. We will also be recording the session for people who are unable to join us. This recording will be posted on the district’s website and YouTube channel, and shared via email, social media, etc.

If you have questions or need more information about our Community Conversations, please contact Dr. Chris Covino at ccovino@hinsdale86.org.
Infinite Campus
Several new features have been added to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, including:

  • The ability to update phone numbers and email addresses via the Address Information tab.

  • Access to ACT, SAT and MAP scores via the Assessments tab.

  • The ability to enter an absence request for a student via the Absence Request tab versus having to call the school to report it. (This feature will be active starting on Nov. 1).

To access these features, parents/guardians need to log in to the Parent Portal and select the More option. Click the image on the right to see where the More option and the tabs referenced above are located.

The login page and directions on how to use the Parent Portal can be accessed by visiting https://www.hinsdale86.org/for-families/infinite-campus.
Board Briefs
If you missed the edition of Board Briefs for the board of education meeting on Oct. 27, please visit https://conta.cc/3zoU4be.
COVID-19 Data Dashboard
Please visit https://bit.ly/3B4pHHk to access the latest COVID-19 data for our district, community and county. Below are the metrics we plan to update on a weekly basis.

  • Transmission level in DuPage County
  • Positive case count for District 86
  • Weekly new case rate per 100,000 people in our local communities and DuPage County