Home Access Center Information

Accessing Grades and Coursework
On the morning of Wednesday, January 12, HAC access to grades and coursework was turned off so the process of assigning of grades can begin. Report Card Grades and Coursework will be viewable at 4:00 PM on Tuesday, January 25.

Why is Report Card Grades and Coursework inaccessible in Home Access Center (HAC)?
· All grades must be electronically processed and checked for errors and incompletes.
· Turning off HAC grades/coursework while grades are checked for accuracy ensures that families don’t see a grade before it has been verified as correct.
· Since teachers submit their grades at different times, if grading is left on, students and families become concerned that something is wrong if some grades appear but others are missing in the portal.
· Deactivating the HAC grading portal and then turning it back on once all grades are submitted limit confusion while guaranteeing that all students have access to their grades at the same time.
5 Essentials Survey

Hello Hinsdale Central Parents -

We Need Your Feedback!!!

Parents, students and teachers across Illinois will once again have an opportunity to participate in the annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of your child’s school as it relates to the important elements of school effectiveness.

On behalf of the Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be administered online by the University of Chicago. All survey responses will be kept confidential. The state will provide survey results for individual schools only if a school has at least 20 percent of parents take the survey.

To take this short survey:
  1. Visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/
  2. Type and select “Dupage” as "County." (The county is the location of the school district's main office.)
  3. Type your school's name into the "School" field and select your school.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey identifies five indicators that can lead to important student outcomes, including test score gains. Research has shown that schools strong on these indicators are ten times more likely to improve student learning. The five indicators that affect school success are effective leaders, collaborative teachers, involved families, supportive environments, and ambitious instruction.

Parents will have until March 11th to participate in the survey.

We will be administering the survey to students during the week of February 14th. Student participants will be required to log-in using their state ID and birth date in order to complete the survey. Students’ identities will be completely confidential. Teachers or administrators will never see individual responses to survey questions and will only receive aggregated information, such as the total percentage of students who agree homework assignments help them learn course material.

Please be aware that under the Protection of Pupil Rights Act. 20 U.S.C. Section 1232(c) (1) (A), you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your child. While the link to this year’s survey questions has not yet been made available, the questions are the same as last year and can be found on the Illinois 5Essentials website at https://help.5-essentials.org/s/article/illinois-5essentials-survey-questions

If you do not want your son or daughter to participate, please call the Hinsdale Central Main Office at 630-570-8214 by February 7, 2022.
Upcoming Community Speaker Series Event on February 1 and 2, 2022
College Selection Process: Advice from the Experts on February 16 at 6:30 PM online

Please join us to hear admissions advice from the following representatives: Dr. Thelbert J. Snowden, Director of Admissions & Recruitment at Morehouse College, Christopher J. Gruber Vice President/Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Davidson College, Melinda DeMaria – Undergraduate Admissions/Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Georgia and  Keira Vollandt – Assistant Director of Admissions at Tufts University

You can join the event at: 
Event number: 2499 095 7056
Event password: uyWkWD6pb33 (89959367 from phones)
Join by phone 408-418-9388 
Access code: 2499 095 7056
COLLEGE PLANNING WORKSHOP -
for Hinsdale Central High School Junior students and parents

Sunday, FEBRUARY 20, 2022
12:00 PM - 3:30 PM

This optional workshop is designed to provide juniors and their parents with some additional guidance as they prepare to navigate the college application process.

After an introduction, students will participate in 3 breakout sessions focused on the college search and application process. The breakout sessions include the following:

College Applications from the perspective of a college admissions representative
Application Essays—take a deep breath
How I selected my college list: HCHS Senior Student panel

In addition, students may choose to participate in a mock interview conducted by a trained interviewer. Here is some information regarding co that require an interview:

The workshop also includes a 90 minute parent session which includes time for Q&A about the college application process.

All juniors/parents who would like to attend the workshop must register whether or not they choose to have an interview. Registration closes on February 4. Practice interview sessions are limited and scheduled on a first come/first serve basis.

Please click here:

to register for the 2022 College Planning Workshop

We also welcome volunteers to help with the day. We need interviewers and feedback providers (you will receive training!) plus a few folks to help with check-in and logistics.

Click here to volunteer

For more information or questions, please contact us at
Changes to the Food Service Program - Second Semester

During its meeting on Nov. 18, the District 86 Board of Education decided to extend our expanded free meal program for everyone through the end of first semester. The board also decided that evening to shift the availability of the program for second semester to students who qualify for free and reduced lunch or have an approved demonstrated need. That shift will take effect on January 19, 2022.
 
In addition, Quest Food Management Services has informed us that it will be raising prices on several lunch items at the start of second semester. These increases, most of which are either $0.25 or $0.50 per item, are due to the challenges created by the ongoing global supply chain issues (e.g., not enough workers to process, distribute and deliver food, increased fuel prices, ocean freight disruption, etc.). Below is a list from Quest of the items being offered second semester, with the ones featuring price increases highlighted in yellow.
 
If a student has food needs that we can help address through our expanded free meal program, please share that information with their counselor or social worker. If you have questions or need more information about our free meal program in general, please contact Julie Van Ness (630-570-8214) at Hinsdale Central. If you have questions or need more information about the price increases, please contact Josh Stephenson at jstephen@hinsdale86.org
UPDATE: Master Facility Plan Student Service Center

Since Pepper Construction began work on the Student Service Center in May 2021, much work has been completed as we are near completion and occupancy in April 2022. Click here to see the work from start through December 2021.

Cotter Consulting, which is serving as the owner's representative for the district's Future Ready Facilities work, is providing weekly updates about the status of open projects. Links to those updates can be found on the D86 Future Ready Facilities website.
UPDATE: Hinsdale Central Prom
Prom 2022 will continue as planned at the Field Museum on April 30, 2022

The Field Museum has made a decision that students attending the Hinsdale Central High School Prom on April 30 will be exempt from having their vaccination status verified at the door. However, all adults, including chaperones and other personnel, will be required to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination.

Thank you to our Senior Crew (students who plan prom), Prom Sponsors Ms. Saunders and Ms. Cotter, Activities Director Ms. Phillip, and our parents who worked proactively to engage in dialogue and alternative plans to address the COVID-19 mitigation measures that the Field Museum is operating under.
Attention All Seniors! See below for Jostens Cap and Gown Information

Seniors: Jostens needs your approximate height and weight to ensure you have a proper fitting gown for graduation purposes. Please click the below link to finalize your information.

The cap and gown has already been paid for in your graduation fees at the beginning of the school year, this is ONLY for height and weight information.

Nothing else needs to be purchased at this time.


Questions? Contact Julie Van Ness at jvanness@hinsdale86.org
FAFSA Completion

This is a reminder to all seniors that you are required to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or complete a FAFAS Non-Participation Form in order to graduate. If you are choosing to complete the non-participation form, please return it to your counselor.
Midyear Grade Reporting for Seniors

Seniors: Some colleges require your 7th semester transcript (also known as a Midyear Report).

If you have colleges requesting your 7th semester transcript, please complete the 7th semester transcript form and return to your counselor as soon as possible. You can print the form OR make a copy of the request form and rename the document: “[Your Name] Request for 7th semester transcripts” and share with your counselor. We will not begin sending these until the last week of January when grades are complete. 
Building Resilience in our Children Zoom Meeting Event
Process, Protocols and Procedures for Inclement Weather

As we head into the winter months, we want to remind students, staff, families and community members about the process, protocols and procedures we will initiate and follow should we need to close our schools due to inclement weather.

Please visit https://bit.ly/3rREamP for information about how and when we will communicate weather-related updates. There are also details about the Emergency Weather Learning (E-learning) Days we will implement if we need to close our schools.
Classrooms, Cell Phones, and Distractions

In the coming weeks you may receive an email from your child's classroom teacher about a cell phone protocol in their classroom. As students have returned to in-person learning environments, our teachers have been experiencing an excessive use of cell phones during class time. While teachers have been redirecting students back to the learning environment and, in some cases, writing an office discipline referral for Cell Phone Use, these interventions have not been as successful as our teachers and building leadership team would like. Therefore, the next level of intervention may include a cell phone protocol in your child's classroom. An example of a next level intervention may include a teacher having a "cell phone cubby" permanently installed on the wall in their classroom. The cell phone cubby is intended to be a temporary home for a student's cell phones during class. Students would deposit their phones at the start of class and pick up their phones near the end of class. Please look for this communication from your child's teacher(s) and reach out to them about the protocols that may be used in their classroom regarding cell phones.
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. 
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.