Good News! Devils' Advocate Wins National Award!

Congratulations to the Devils’ Advocate staff!   The Devils’ Advocate 2012-2013 staff and advisor have won the prestigious Newspaper Pacemaker Award from the National Scholastic Press Association.  Evan Lee (’13) served as Devils' Advocate editor-in-chief, and Sarah Renehan (’13) was managing editor. English teacher Sue Grady is the newspaper advisor. 

This puts the Advocate staff in very elite company:  they are one of only five national winners in the Newsmagazine category. The Pacemaker is THE top award for high school journalism.  This award (according to the NSPA website) is based on the breadth and judgment of coverage, content, quality of writing, editorial leadership on editorial page, evidence of in-depth reporting, layout, design, photography, art and graphics.

Their award was announced at the annual NSPA convention in Boston this week.

Here's an illustrated list of all the national finalists.

Come see "Inherit the Wind" this weekend, and read this Doings article!

Christine Hicks

Chris Hicks, in her last year as Director of Drama at Hinsdale Central High School, is directing the play, "Inherit the Wind," which is based on the famous "Scopes Monkey Trial" of 1925, covered nationally by WGN radio.

Today at school students had a chance to see selections from the play in the library during all school periods.  Today also, the Doings, published this really nice piece by Kim Fornek about Chris and the production.  Fornek quotes many students who say they've been changed by working so closely with a play with such an important message.

And there's great quotes from Chris in the article:

“I am retiring at the end of the year,” said Christine Hicks, the high school’s director of drama, “and in a sense this play is a ‘thank you’ to the students, parents, staff and community members who have lived up to the ideals expressed in the play, namely, have the courage to stand up for what you believe in. 

“It is important we realize that each of us has the responsibility to do the right thing and defend ideas which are important to us,” Hicks said. 

“The community of Hinsdale Central fosters that kind of attitude and I am grateful to have worked in a community which has always defended intellectual freedom and the right – and the responsibility – to think.”

Read the article here: http://hinsdale.suntimes.com/news/schools/hcplay-HIN-11112013:article

Come to the Hinsdale Central Auditorium to see the play Thursday through Saturday, November 14-16.

Photo Credit: Kim Fornek, The Doings

Nate Bradley is the English Department's Student of the Quarter!

Ms. Lopez and Nate Bradley at the Student of the Quarter
Breakfast.  Photo Credit: Sigita Mitchell

I'm proud to announce that Junior Nate Bradley is the English Department's Student of the Quarter.  He was selected by his English 3 teacher, Cherise Lopez.

When Ms. Lopez introduced Nate at the Student of the Quarter Breakfast, she spoke about Nate's success in class during first quarter, especially about his exemplary character.

Congratulations to Nate!  It's students like Nate that truly make Hinsdale Central a special place.

Three English Teachers Named as "Making a Difference Award" Honorable Mention winners

English Teacher Hasham Bhatti

English Teacher Susan Sangwa

English Teacher Chris Billie

Three English Teachers were cited last week as "Make a Difference Award" honorable mention winners.  Susan Sangwa teaches English 2 and Expository Writing. Hasham Bhatti, a first year teacher at Hinsdale Central, teaches English 1, ESL 1, and AP Language and Composition.  Chris Billie teaches English 1, Senior Literature, and Senior Composition.  Congratulations to all three for all they do for the range of students they help every day. 

Gina Chandler is a "Make a Difference Award" winner!

English teacher Gina Chandler won the "Make a Difference Award" presented by the Hinsdale Central PTO.

Make a Difference Co-Chairs Annette Burlet and Hope Sabbagha sent out this note to the HC faculty and staff:

The PTO's Make A Difference Committee would like to announce the First Quarter Winners of the Make a Difference Award! Please congratulate these special staff members and spread the word about this great honor! The committee received over 50 nominations submitted by students, teachers and parents. 

Congratulations, too, to all the Hinsdale Central Award Winners: 

Gina Chandler - English

Abby Green - Math

Joe Liaw - Science

Lisa Korbitz - Math

Jennifer Lawrence - World Languages

Wanda Swik - Athletics

Congratulations to Students and Staff of HC for an Outstanding School Report Card!

Interim Principal Tom Paulsen sent this great message out to our staff.

The state has released test score data from the 2012-2013 school year for public consumption and Hinsdale Central is once again ranked among the top schools in the state.  In fact, in one category, we are at the top.  The partnership of staff and parents working with remarkable students is what makes this kind of achievement possible.  So, congratulations, Faculty and Staff of Hinsdale Central, for continuing the tradition of excellence at the corner of 55^th and Grant.
  ACT Scores:  26.4 composite, 4^th in the suburbs
 PSAE:  89% meets or exceeds, tied for 2^nd in the suburbs                                                                                    
 Chicago Sun-Times Ranking:  4^th in the state; 1^st outside Chicago (based on the Sun-Times particular method of ranking based only on Prairie State Reading and Math and other factors – see the Sun-Times web site for detail regarding the method used)
  It’s a great day to be a Red Devil! 

Another demonstration of the dedication and hard work of students and staff!

Hinsdale Alum at Stanford Creates Pre-Professional Society

Stanford University junior Julia Quintero, pursuing majors in
history and human biology, formed a campus club for
undergraduates who aspire to careers in K-12 education, particularly
teaching. Photo by Chris Kenrick.

Hinsdale Alum Julia Quintero (HC '11) is already making headlines.  She is the founder of the Stanford Pre-Education Society (SPREES).  The debut event of SPREES, held Tuesday, focused on how to attract students (especially the best and the brightest students) to a career in education.  

According to an article published last week in The Stanford Daily, Quintero anticipated the event would generate a new discussion surrounding education reform.

“I want this event to create [a] really important conversation that is not being had about education reform,” Quintero said.

The Palo Alto Weekly published an article about the conference and Quintero's leadership.  It reported: 

Stanford junior Julia Quintero, an aspiring teacher who formed an undergraduate pre-teaching club on campus last year. 

Quintero, who is pursuing majors in both history and human biology, said, "I was in the human bio core, which is mostly pre-meds, and everything was pre-med this and pre-med that and I thought, 'Why not pre-ed?' 

She said her organization is "trying to spark a national movement towards drawing the most talented college graduates into careers in education, particularly teaching."

Hinsdale Central teacher Jared Friebel, who served as Quintero's teacher for two years, was invited by Quintero to Stanford to participate in the event.  Quintero references Friebel in the Palo Alto Weekly article:

Quintero said she initially dismissed the idea of teaching when Jared Friebel, her English teacher at Hinsdale (Ill.) Central High School, suggested she consider it as a career. 

"He helped me realize that the reasons I was brushing it aside weren't good reasons, like: 'Why should I go to Stanford just to become a teacher?' 'Why would I waste this degree to become a teacher?' 

"It just comes from pressure from society. You go to an elite school and teaching just doesn't have any prestige," she said. 

"If I say I study public policy in education, that sounds really prestigious, like, 'Wow, you're making a huge difference.' And it's true. Policymakers do make a big difference, but I've come to alter my views on that. 

"It's teachers that really make the biggest difference. Studies show that, and any student could tell you that. What matters most in a successful class, hands down, is the teacher. It's not technology, and funding's important, but at the end of the day it's really the teacher that matters most."

Two Groups of English Teachers Present at State Educational Conference

This weekend, two groups of teachers gave presentations at the Illinois Association of Teachers of English 2013 Conference in Bloomington, Illinois.

Angelique Burrell, Jared Friebel, and Heather Ferhman, all teachers of Honors Seminar in Writing, presented on "Creative Nonfiction and Authenticity: Re-energizing and Celebrating Student Writing."

Michael Palmquist and David Lange spoke about formative assessment and the Common Core in a presentation entitled, "Getting Better: Quick, Easy, and Honest Ways to Show Student Growth."

Presenting at state and national conferences is one way that demonstrates teachers' professional commitment to continual growth and another sign that English teachers at Central are at the forefront of English educators.

Norman Mailer Writing Award Recognition for Three Central Grads

Photo Credit: http://www.ncte.org/awards/student/nmwa

Three recent Hinsdale Central grads received national writing recognition in the Norman Mailer High School and College Writing Awards.  This is widely considered the most prestigious writing award for nonfiction in high school and college.  Congratulations to Evan DeLorenzo ('13), who was a non-fiction finalist and to
Evan Lee ('13) and Abhishek Deshpande ('13) who were both semi-finalists.

English Teacher Jared Friebel

This is a great testament to the quality of student at Hinsdale Central and to the supportive, encouraging teachers in the English Department.  During their senior years, both Evans were the students of English teacher Jared Friebel in the Honors Seminar in Writing course.  Abhi was Angelique Burrell's student in the senior-level AP English Literature and Composition.   The Honors Seminar in Writing course focuses on the creation of creative non-fiction writing.  Angelique has been incorporating creative non-fiction in a course that is traditionally very analytical.

The "Judging Criteria" published at the Norman Mailer Award website demonstrates the high standards of this award:

Submissions will be read by national panels of teachers and writers. They will be judged by how well they achieve several qualities, including the artful treatment of subject matter; originality; quality of insight, image, voice, and style; artful arrangement of elements and materials; and overall aesthetic, emotional or intellectual effect.Finalists selected through this process will be submitted to a distinguished author (or panel of authors) selected by the Norman Mailer Center and Writers Colony, who will choosethe winning writers. Previous judges include William Kennedy, Sigrid Nunez, Colum McCann, and other accomplished authors.

Congratulations to Evan, Evan, and Abhi, along with Jared, Angelique as well as the teachers that supported them throughout their career at Hinsdale Central.

English Teacher Wins NEH Fellowship

English teacher, Cherise Lopez, participated in a prestigious National Endowment for the Humanities fellowship over the summer that took place in San Diego, California, titled "Empire of the Winds". During the workshop, Ms. Lopez participated in various discussions and lectures given by area professors that entailed learning about the discovery of the western coast from a nautical, historical perspective. The culmination of this experience ended with a lesson plan that Ms. Lopez created that she plans to use in her AP Language & Composition course that has students analyze visual rhetoric. This is the third fellowship Ms. Lopez has been awarded through the National Endowment and she looks forward to applying for future opportunities. 

Scholastic Art & Writing Award Winner at Hinsdale Central

Congratulations to Elijah Seo ('14) who participated in the 2013 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program and received the Gold Key Award for his essay "Unfilitered."

This is an impressive achievement.  According to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards website:

Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 visual and literary-arts organizations across the country to bring The Awards to local communities. Teens in grades 7 through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. Submissions are juried by luminaries in the visual and literary arts, some of whom are past award recipients. Panelists look for works that best exemplify originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. 

In the last five years alone, students submitted nearly 900,000 original works of art and writing. 

English teacher Gina Chandler was Elijah's teacher during his junior year.  Congratulations to Elijah.

Devils' Advocate Wins National Recognition

photo credit: http://studentpressblogs.org/nspa/

Devils' Advocate is a Pacemaker Finalist!  The Devils’ Advocate 2012-2013 staff and advisor have been nominated by the National Scholastic Press Association as a finalist for the association’s Pacemaker Award.  Evan Lee (’13) served as Devils' Advocate editor-in-chief, and Sarah Renehan (’13) was managing editor. English teacher Sue Grady is the newspaper advisor. 

Sue Grady

This puts the the Advocate staff in elite company:  they are one of only ten finalists nominated nationwide in the News magazine category. This nomination, (according to the NSPA website) is based on the breadth and judgment of coverage, content, quality of writing, editorial leadership on editorial page, evidence of in-depth reporting, layout, design, photography, art and graphics. The winner of the Pacemaker Award will be announced at the annual NSPA convention in Boston this November.

Here's an illustrated list of all the national finalists.

Just Arrived: The Best Nonfiction Writing at Hinsdale Central 2013

Four Years of Excellent Writing at Central

      The Best Nonfiction Writing Hinsdale Central 2013 has arrived!  Congratulations to the Honors Seminar in Writing team (Heather Fehrman, Jared Friebel, Angelique Burrell) for this FOURTH volume that showcases the excellent writing teaching that goes on across the department.

      This book collects a wide range of creative and thoughtful student writing. It's 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.

The book serves as an inspiration for students, a source of model writing for teachers, and, as Angelique suggested in last year's book introduction, a "time capsule" for anyone who wants to know what Central students were thinking about in 2013.

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

English Teacher Kim Williams Earns Golden Apple "Teacher of Distinction" Award

I am proud to say that Kim Williams, who teaches English 1 and English 3, has won the prestigious "2013 Teacher of Distinction Award" from the Golden Apple organization.  Congratulations, Kim!

Find out more information about other award winners here:  http://www.goldenapple.org/teachers-of-distinction

See earlier posts about Kim's Award-winning year here and here.

Three Juniors Win National Writing Award

Three Central juniors, Emily Morse, Madison Wagner, and Dania Noghnogh, were recently awarded the prestigious "Achievement Award in Writing" for "superior performance in writing" by the National Council of Teachers of English.  There are only 155 students chosen from across the United States.

The National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Award in Writing was established in 1957 to encourage high school students in writing and recognize publicly some of the best student writers in the nation. The selection process is intense. The winning writers are selected for independence of thought, fresh insight, concern for expressiveness, keen observation and reflection, and sensitivity to nuances of word meaning.

Congratulations to Emily, Madison, Dania, and the entire English faculty for helping these students develop her writing skills.  The three English teachers who mentored the students, Erin Timmons, Gina Chandler, and Christine Hicks, deserve special commendation.

English Teacher Christine Hicks

English Teacher Erin Timmons

17 Students Recognized for Excellence in Writing

Each year, the Illinois English Bulletin devotes its Fall issue to publishing student work from Illinois students. This year, an astounding 17 Central students were published and honored. Congratulations to this remarkable group of authors!  Congratulations also to the English teachers including (but not limited to!) the ones listed below who have helped nurture these young writers.  The number of students recognized this year is an all-time record.

Name	Grade	Title	Teacher	Place
Margaret Bieber	11	Coda	Christine Hicks	First, prose
Annie Cappetta	11	Good Grief	David Lange	Runner Up, prose
Bridget Gilmore	12	Unshoveled	Angelique Burrell	First, prose
Jordan Hank	12	The Field of Screams	Heather Fehrman	Honorable Mention, poetry
Julia Huang	11	A Day in the Life	Jared Friebel	Runner Up, prose
Kelly Hung	11	Thicker Than Blood	Christine Hicks	First, prose
Emma Jerzyk	12	When we Were Best Friends	Jared Friebel	Honorable Mention, poetry
Smriti Kanangat	11	All The Single Ladies	Christine Hicks	First, prose
Charlotte Kanzler	12	Neuropathology	Angelique Burrell	Runner Up, poetry
George Levy	11	The B.S. of America	Jared Friebel	First, prose
Sarah McCarthy	11	Wub. vs. Boom	David Lange	Honorable Mention, prose
Dania Noghnogh	11	Love Letter	Gina Chandler	Honorable Mention, prose
Rahul Ramani	11	Eye Witness	Jared Friebel	First, prose
Shreya Rao	11	Remembering Nine	Christine Hicks	First, prose
Alexandra Solovyev	11	Saints and Sinners	Jared Friebel	Runner Up, prose
Derek Tu	11	Happy Meal	Jared Friebel	First, prose
Sarah Vessely	12	On Choosing Pain	Angelique Burrell	First, prose

Top 10 Ways to Prepare for the Switch from English 1 to English 2 Honors

English 1 Teacher Michael Smith asked one of his past students who jumped from English 1 to English 2 Honors to make a "Top 10 List" of how to make the transition successful.  I think the list is great.

Top 10 Things to do When Transitioning Between Regular and Honors English

1. ·         Do not get behind on your reading! Honors moves at a faster pace and you most likely won’t be able to catch up, unless you spend your entire weekend reading it.
2. ·         Highlight important quotes as you read because there is a lot of quote identification that you will need to know. Know who says it, and who they say it to! Also, take notes while you read.
3. ·         For Socratic seminars, make sure you have detailed notes because it makes you talk more during them. Use textual evidence and always speak up during them. Don’t just repeat what other people say either, say something new.
4. ·         If your teacher gives you a packet to answer questions in while you’re reading, but says it’s optional, DO THEM. Most likely these questions are a guide for your test.
5. ·         Actually read your book and think critically about it because we get a lot of pop reading quizzes the day after we read. Don’t be surprised if your teacher gives you one or two pop quizzes a week during a book unit.
6. ·         Writing is everything in honors. You have to make an effort to improve and adapt your writing styles to your teachers liking.
7. ·         Write your thesis as an open statement, not a list. You will learn to do this in honors next year and your thesis statements should stay like this for the rest of the year.
8. ·         Analyze everything. Notice the figurative language in reading and writing and make sure to include figurative language in your creative writing papers.
9. ·         If you need help on a paper or don’t understand what is going on in a book, go in for help. Just because you’re in an honors class doesn’t mean your teacher won’t help you.
10. ·         Speak up in class in the beginning of the year because it shows the teacher that even though you came from a regular class, you know what you’re doing and you deserve to be in that honors class!

GOOD LUCK NEXT YEAR!!!

-MK

Opening Night of "The Diviners"!

(photo credit: Mrs. Gallo)

Last night was opening night of the spring play, "The Diviners," directed by English and Drama teacher Sonia Gecker.  Come see it Friday, April 26 or Saturday, April 27 in the Hinsdale Central Auditorium at 7:00.  It's a touching and memorable production of a thought-provoking play.  

In this photo, Buddy (David Gallo, senior), having learned about heaven and angels and where his dead mother is from  C.C. (Spencer Wawak, junior), ends up teaching C.C. a lesson himself.

Congratulations to Sonia, David, Spencer, and the rest of the cast on a wonderful show.  Come see it if you can.

Mindfulness Training Can Help Improve Standardized Test Scores according to Harvard Business Review

(source: Harvard Business Review "The Daily Stat" email) APRIL 15, 2013

If You're Prone to Distractions, Mindfulness Training Can Help

A series of eight 45-minute "mindfulness" training sessions, in which participants learned to focus on a single aspect of experience, such as breathing, led to standardized-test improvements analagous to 16 percentile points, on average, says a team led by Michael D. Mrazek of UC Santa Barbara. For people who struggle to maintain focus, mindfulness training appears to dampen distracting thoughts, the researchers say.

Source: Mindfulness Training Improves Working Memory Capacity and GRE Performance While Reducing Mind Wandering