As part of our return to the traditional bell schedule, we will be holding a Flex Learning Day on April 28 so that staff will have additional time for planning and collaboration. On this day, in-person learners will report to school and have 25-minute classes with five-minute passing periods (no lunch) from 8 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. Remote learners will participate in these classes via Zoom.

In the afternoon, all students will engage in asynchronous learning at home that will be centered around extension activities. These activities, which will be communicated to students through Canvas or during class time, will connect to the day’s in-class work or serve as an introduction to the following day’s lesson. They are estimated to take approximately 15 and 25 minutes to complete, and should be finished prior to the next class period. Homework (work assigned in addition to Flex Learning Day tasks) will not be assigned on these days.

Below is the COVID-19 data for the district as of Friday, April 23.

You can access the dashboard where this information is being stored by visiting https://bit.ly/3d93aws.

District 86 has been exploring the options and opportunities that are available for getting our students vaccinated. We are excited to share that, through our partnership with Osco, we have been able to secure 6,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine for our students and the students from Community High School District 99 that will be administered on May 20 and 26.

We have created a form that we are asking all of our families to fill out so that we can gauge interest not only in this opportunity, but also in any future vaccination events we may organize for our students. The deadline for completing this form, which can be accessed by visiting https://bit.ly/3naOhPt, is April 30 at 4 p.m.

During its meeting on April 22, the District 86 Board of Education accepted a donation of $1.6 million from the Friends of the Don Watson Aquatic Center that will be used to help fund the new natatorium at Hinsdale Central.

We want to thank the more than 240 individuals and groups who joined together to support this project, which will benefit countless current and future students, serve as a vital and valuable resource for the community, and honor the legacy and accomplishments of Coach Watson.

Student journalists from VESPA, which is Hinsdale South's yearbook, took second place at the sectional tournament held on April 10. They also had top three finishes in several individual events.

We want to congratulate these students on their impressive accomplishments. We also want to thank Jim Kelly, who is the faculty sponsor for Vespa, for all that he does to support the growth and development of these budding journalists.

During its meeting on April 22, the District 86 Board of Education recognized Hinsdale Central senior Faith Drescher for her service on the Illinois State Board of Education's Student Advisory Council (SAC), which is composed of 21 high school students from across the state who work with policymakers, legislators, ISBE and other stakeholders to help ensure that student voice is reflected and represented in educational policies. During her time on SAC, Faith has contributed to a number of instrumental discussions that have helped re-imagine public education in Illinois.

We thank Faith for her dedicated service on behalf of the district.

Pieces created by several members of the National Art Honor Society and AP Studio Artists from Hinsdale South are featured on the website for the virtual Illinois High School Art Exhibition (IHSAE). Click on the links below to check out their work.

We congratulate the students on this well-deserved honor, and thank their teachers for helping to nurture their incredible talent.

Below are links to several recent newspaper articles about the activities and accomplishments of students from Hinsdale Central.

During a meeting with Superintendent Tammy Prentiss in March, student leaders from across the district were asked to share what they needed to have a successful return to school following spring break. Without prompting, all of the Hinsdale South students who were present said that they wanted to resume the school's #SouthPride lessons. Students believe these lessons will enable them to develop critical social and emotional learning (SEL) skills (e.g., relationship building, self-awareness, etc.) that will help them deal with the changes and challenges created by the pandemic.

Based on this feedback, the SEL coaches from South reconvened the #SouthPride Student Voice Committee to plan a lesson for April 30 that will give students the chance to reflect on how they have changed over the past year, and also help them build relationships in the classroom.  

Not only will these monthly lessons continue at South next year, there are efforts underway to expand the program to Hinsdale Central.

We thank the members of the #SouthPride Student Voice Committee (listed below) for their hard work.

Hinsdale Central will host a virtual spring musical titled "The Theory of Relativity" April 30-May 2. The modern, pop-rock musical explores the connection between all of us through a series of songs and monologues.

Tickets are on sale for $15, and can be purchased through April 30 by visiting www.showtix4u.com/events/hcdrama. Student tickets are free. After purchasing tickets, an email will be sent with a code and a link to view the video of the show. The video and code will be activated at 7 p.m. on April 30 and close at 7 p.m. on May 2.

The Global Humanitarian Club from Hinsdale South will be hosting a Yemen Night in the school's auditorium on May 6 at 5:30 p.m. During this event, the group will screen a brief documentary about the current crisis in Yemen. This will be followed by a discussion about the film and the issues the country is facing.

While the event is free and open to the public, the club will be accepting donations that will go to help people in Yemen who are facing a number of serious and significant health and humanitarian challenges.

You can access a flyer for the event by visiting https://bit.ly/3nkoF2v.

If you missed the edition of Board Briefs for the District 86 Board of Education meeting that was held on April 22, please visit https://conta.cc/3dHxCzL.