WELCOME to e-NEWS from the HCHS Foundation

Volume 1, Issue 3

November 2002

e-NEWS is published to help alumni and friends of Hinsdale Central High School keep current with the school and the Foundation. If you still live in the area, we hope the news will entice you to come out for events and see a great group of young people in action. For alums and friends alike, we encourage you to take part in the Central community by supporting the Foundation in its efforts to enrich the exceptional educational environment that exists at our school.

GRADUATES GATHER RIGHT HERE

More than 1,600 graduates have registered with our alumni database and we want that number to grow. Have you logged in yet? It’s easy and, once you’ve registered, you can search for friends by class year or last name. This is also the place to find out about specific class websites and reunion dates. Friends of Hinsdale Central High School are very welcome to register to receive future editions of this newsletter. Go to www.hchsfoundation.org/alumni/alumni.asp.

Interested in joining a new Alumni Association to be sponsored by the Foundation? If you’ve got experience, ideas or advice that would get this project off the ground quickly, contact us at [email protected].

GETTING A GOOD START

John Zaremba, President

Since the 2002-2003 school year began, the Hinsdale Central Foundation has been busy promoting its mission of enrichment and recognition.

At Homecoming in early October, four outstanding alumni were inducted into the Foundation’s Hall of Fame. Celebrating the many contributions of these accomplished graduates is a way to motivate our young people toward achievement and community service. We have also asked the Central faculty to submit proposals for projects that would expand their skills to better reach today’s students. The Foundation directs financial support to the most relevant and timely ideas, and we do so because we believe Central has a profound influence on our teens and on the welfare of the entire community.

Alumni and friends can help the Foundation quicken its pace of service to the school by making a year-end gift. I view each contribution as a vote of confidence in the mission we embrace and the work already done. You can make a tax-deductible donation via credit card using our secure e-commerce system. Go to www.hchsfoundation.org/giving.htm.

On behalf of all of us on the HCHS Foundation Board of Directors, may your upcoming holidays be filled with joy, good health, loving family and loyal friends.

LOOK WHAT’S GOING ON AT CENTRAL!

Academics
Art/Music/Drama
Athletics
Clubs
Good Times

THE FOUNDATION

HALL OF FAME

Four nominees were inducted into the Hall of Fame during Homecoming celebrations this year. Norm Chimenti, class of 1958, was recognized for his contributions in the areas of law and community service. James Farmer, 1943, for community service achievements. Allen Koranda, 1964, for banking and community service. Jay Kramer was recognized for a distinguished educational career that began at Central in 1959. The awards reception honoring the winners was held on October 4 at Ruth Lake Country Club in Hinsdale. Earlier in the day, the inductees were feted at a luncheon on campus catered by the school’s Chef and Restaurant class. The evening event was not only well attended, about 160 people joined in, but it had its moments of high humor as nominators roasted winners before presenting them with awards. For a nomination form for next year’s awards, more information on the program and all the past recipients, go to www.hchsfoundation.org/hall_of_fame.htm.

TEACHER GRANT DEADLINE IN DECEMBER

Applications for teacher grants must be received by December 13. One of the Foundation’s goals is to encourage excellence in teaching, and the Jodie Harrison Teachers’ Grant is awarded annually to do just that. Last year, guidance counselor Paula Kavanaugh received the grant for a project that could prove extremely meaningful to Central. She studied students performing in the bottom 10% with the intention of identifying means to motivate improved achievement. For an application form, information on the grant program and a list of previous recipients, go to www.hchsfoundation.org/grants.htm.

Report excerpts from the study conducted by Paula Kavanaugh for the 2001-2002 Jodie Harrison Teachers’ Grant:

The project examined the ability, achievement, extracurricular participation, attendance, discipline records, demographics and motivation of the bottom 10% of students attending Central with a goal of better meeting their needs to improve performance. Failure rate for males was significantly higher than for females. The attendance rate for 55% of the study group equaled the same high rate as that of the total school population. Discipline referrals were not a significant factor for over half the students in the study. Within the study group, 57% performed in the classroom at relatively the same achievement level as their local percentile on standardized tests, with 43% underachieving.

Parents and students participated enthusiastically in this summer research project. Lack of appropriate academic study skills emerged as a major area of concern, with students indicating that inconsistent effort, problems completing homework, and difficulty taking tests also posed considerable challenges to their success. Teachers have followed the progress of study participants in their classrooms and all concerned recognize the need to strengthen student ability to study effectively and thereby reduce the struggle realized by this student group. Lastly, the research methods utilized in this effort could be applied to understand other student populations (middle fifty percent or high achievers).

COMMUNITY INVITED TO JANUARY LECTURE

On January 21/22, Maurice Elias of the State University of New Jersey will present an important speech exploring social and emotional learning. The lecture, a joint venture of the Foundation and Hinsdale School District 181 Foundation, will take place at the Robert Crown Center.

THINK GOLF AND FUND THE FOUNDATION

It’s not too early to pencil in mid-June 2003 for the Hinsdale Central Golf Event, a major fundraiser aimed at creating special opportunities for excellence at the high school. Join us for a day of fun, food, companionship and support for Central. More to follow right here soon.

For complete information on the Foundation go to www.hchsfoundation.org.

ODDS & ENDS

TRIVIA CORNER

The Class of 57 has been industriously compiling forgotten facts about our school and its attendance areas. Here is one of their memory teasers. Answer will appear in the next edition of the Foundation’s e-NEWS. If you have a stumper you’d like to share, send it to [email protected]. Remember to include the question and answer plus your name and class.

Remember the listening booths in the Hinsdale Record Shop? Where was the store located?

Answers to question/s from last e-NEWS:

There used to be four grocery stores in downtown Hinsdale. Can you name them and where they were located?

Reineke’s was located at the corner of Washington & Second Streets. Kylen’s was on Second between Washington and Grant. Stebben’s was on Second west of Washington. The downtown Jewel sat across from the junior high on Washington.

MEMORABILIA IN DEMAND

Whether you remember Central as HTHS or HCHS, we need you. An effort is underway to obtain school memorabilia for display in the Alumni Room. Donations are most welcome and will be credited in your name while on display. Or loan your memorabilia if you can’t part with it forever. Contact Charla Russell, District 86 director of community relations, at (630) 887-1340, ext 445 or send an e-mail to [email protected]. Our latest acquisitions: vintage Devil drinking glasses and spirit pennants.

THE BOOSTERS CLUB

There are lots of reasons to support Boosters Club, but the best might be that this is the only place to get Central “spirit attire”—shirts, pants, caps, jackets, cushions, warmups, socks, accessories of all kinds. For that special gift or something just for you, go to www.theboosters.com. Or if you live near Central, consider one of their new Ruby memberships for $100. Get a family pass to athletic events plus a waterproof, windproof game blanket.

LINKS TO THE HINSDALE CENTRAL AREA

Whether you still live near school or have moved far away, we’ve put together some links that can keep you up to date on your old stomping grounds. E-mail us with additional suggestions. Find the links by going to www.hchsfoundation.org/links.htm.

AND DON’T FORGET…

Hinsdale Central High School seems to get better every year, and we want to keep it that way. Your help is important. Contributions to the Foundation’s fundraising efforts and The Endowment help create an educational environment that is great, not just good. Please give what you can. Thanks.

To keep e-NEWS coming your way, let us know when your e-mail address changes by going to www.hchsfoundation.org/alumni/alumni.asp and logging in. This takes you to the Members page where you can update any registration information, including your new e-mail address. You might want to bookmark this link.

If you happen to delete this e-mail but want to refer back to the newsletter later, you’ll always find the most current issue of e-NEWS available on the Foundation website. Just go to www.hchsfoundation.org and click on Newsletter. You might want to bookmark this link, too.