Just Arrived: The Best Non-Fiction Writing: Hinsdale Central 2011

In her Introduction to this the 2011 edition of The Best Nonfiction Writing at Hinsdale Central, English teacher Angelique Burrell writes, "In years to come, the authors in this edition can reread their pieces and get a sense of who they were at this time in their lives. Whether they have contributed a memoir about a struggle to master a song on the violin, a critique on unfruitful political bickering or an analysis of the superego in Heart of Darkness, my hope is that they will hear their voices, feel their passion, and remember themselves as they were in 2011."

As I wrote here in April when I reported on the students whose work was selected, this book collects a wide range of creative and thoughtful student writing. The book is, itself, the product of countless hours of selection, editing, and proofreading by the students in last year's Honors Seminar in Writing and the three current English teachers assigned to teach Honors Seminar in Writing -- Angelique, Alexis Colianni, Jared Friebel.

The book serves as an inspiration for students, a source of model writing for teachers, and, as Angelique suggests, a "time capsule" for anyone who wants to know what HC students in 2010/2011 were thinking about.

If you'd like to learn more or to purchase your own copy of the book contact me or Angelique (aburrell@hinsdale86.org).

Devil's Advocate wins "All American Award" in NSPA Critique

We just received notification from the National Scholastic Press Association that the Devil's Advocate won their "All American" Award with three marks of distinction. NSPA provides a critique service for newspapers, magazines and yearbooks. "All American" is the highest distinction. This is a prestigious recognition for a school newspaper staff that is very talented and very hard-working. The Devil's Advocate is sponsored by English teacher Sue Grady. Congratulations to staff and sponsor!

Hinsdale Central Students Earn Highest GPAs in College

Today's Chicago Tribune ran an extensive investigative report about how, for many high school students, high school GPAs don't predict college GPAs. The article attempts to "raise fundamental questions about how well the state's public high schools are preparing their students for college." But the article shows that there is no question about HC's preparation: students from HC have the highest GPAs compared to public high schools in DuPage County, and Cook County (except for one magnet school), and McHenry and Kane and Will Counties... (only Lake County has a single school with a higher average GPA.)

Teachers at Hinsdale Central expect a lot from students, and, evidently, that rigor pays off in terms of our alumni's GPA. Certainly the anecdotal reports we always get from students who come back to visit teachers confirm that HC has prepared them well for the next step in their education.

Senior Harrison Boling wins national Essay accolades

Senior Harrison Boling was one of 8 winners of the Young Native Writers Essay Contest, sponsored by the Holland and Knight Law Firm and the Holland and Knight Charitable Foundation. The winners and their teachers spent a week in Washington D.C., where the activities included tours of the White House and the Capital, as well as meetings with Senator Tom Dorgan at the Aspen Institute. Students and teachers also spent time at the Cultural Resource Center of the National Museum of the American Indians in addition to seeing a play at the Kennedy Center. They were interviewed for an NPR radio show hosted by Jay Winter Nightwolf.

The students were asked to discuss what they perceive as a problem in the Native American community and to come up with some solutions for the problem ( or at least propose what they might do to help the situation). Harry chose to write about the low rate of college graduates among Native Americans, and his solution was more intermediate steps to insure that students were comfortable in the college setting. Here's the website for those interested in more: http://www.nativewriters.hklaw.com/index.asp

Harry was accompanied by English teacher Christine Hicks.

Devil's Advocate wins Gold Medal

The Columbia Scholastic Press Association awarded Devils’ Advocate a gold medal status. This status is awarded based on a variety of categories such as: design, writing, photography, typography, overall magazine appearance/style, and journalistic integrity.