Hinsdale High School Teachers Association

The Hinsdale High School Teachers Association is pleased to report that eighteen graduating seniors were the recipients of $12,800 in scholarships awarded by the Association this year. The scholarship fund was raised through the Staff Talent Show and Spaghetti Dinner at Hinsdale South, and Pancake Breakfast at Hinsdale Central. Events were held during Homecoming week at both schools.

Student recipients were selected from an outstanding pool of applicants. Criteria for consideration included: academic achievement, community service, demonstrated pursuit of excellence, commitment to a career in teaching and financial need.

Recipients at Hinsdale South included four $1,000 scholarships and eight $500 scholarships awarded to:

• Gina Calvello
• Grace Chang
• Cristina Duran
• Yasmine Hatamleh
• Christine Miller
• Kevin Miller
• Justin Ng
• Rahul Puranmalka
• Jessica Reif
• Vienet Romero
• Mariah Wood
• Dan Zangri

Recipients at Hinsdale Central included five $700 scholarships and one $1,300 scholarship awarded to:

• Maeve Andrews
• Christina Lantero
• Colleen Leahy
• Erin Quaid
• Ann Marie Richard
• Jordan Spinazola

Congratulations and best of luck in college to our recipients!

Terry Meyers has been a fixture in the Hinsdale Central World Languages department for over three decades. She has also been a great source of support and inspiration for me. Not that I’ve learned any French from Terry, but rather that she has been a long time HHSTA-Central Vice president and continued to be active in the Association even after her service as an officer ended. She’s been a source of information, guidance and a go-to person for help with Association business over the years.

Suburban Life had a nice write up on her career influence on her students recently. In it, you can read all about Terry’s career as an outstanding educator who modeled educational excellence for our students for more than three decades. Here’s a snip:

“What really is gratifying is to see the improvement (students) may not notice themselves, or when I take students on a trip to France and see the impact it has on them.

[…]“Even over just the last 10 years, teaching has changed, especially with progress made in technology. Today the tools with which we work is just off-the-charts better than before, the materials at our disposal have improved so much,” Meyers said. “I know the expectations of teachers has also increased exponentially, from the planning to the record keeping,” Meyers said.

We wish Terry all the best of luck!

Hinsdale High School Teachers Association is proud to recognize the achievement of Hinsdale Central Social Studies teacher Mike DiMatteo on being recognized as a 2010 Golden Apple Teacher of Distinction. Aside from being the varsity head football coach and member in the Association, Mike is always striving to represent the professional excellence in the classroom that our teachers are known for.

From the Golden Apple Foundation press release:

Teachers of Distinction are recognized for their distinguished contribution to teaching and are asked to participate in Golden Apple programs.

The honorees, all high school teachers, were selected from a pool of 562 nominees. Golden Apple has recognized outstanding Chicago-area educators annually since 1986. The creation of Golden Apple founders Mike and Pat Koldyke, the Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching recognize and honor outstanding teachers for their contributions to building a stronger, better-educated citizenry.

“The 20 outstanding educators we’re honoring as Teachers of Distinction this year all exemplify excellence in classroom leadership. We look forward to their contributions to the mission and programs of Golden Apple,” said Golden Apple President and CEO Dominic Belmonte.

DiMatteo in his own words in a recent Suburban Life interview:

“I think some people have a stereotype that coaches are just Xs and Os guys who teach in order to coach. But that isn’t what I am about. I am a teacher who coaches football,” said DiMatteo, now in his sixth year at Hinsdale Central teaching Advanced Placement European History and World Cultures.

[…]

“It’s an honor because the Golden Apple is the highest level award a teacher can receive,” said DiMatteo.

[…]

He currently is working toward a second masters degree in education.

“Any time you can grow professionally, it is a good thing,” DiMatteo said.

Congratulations to Mike for his outstanding achievement and demonstration of professional excellence!

For American Education Week, our current Interim Principals wrote the following letter to the local media:

The occasion of American Education Week provided us the opportunity to reflect on our experience at Hinsdale Central.  In August, we met with a group of students and asked them what they liked most about attending Central.  The first thing they said, to a person, was their appreciation for the fine teaching and support staff.  Their eyes “lit up” when they shared about the passion which teachers have for their subject and for teaching; when they shared how much the support staff cares, helping students through both academic and non-academic issues; and when they shared about the excellent relationship which students have with the staff at HCHS.

Since that day in August, we have visited classes in which students have struggled with the material and have observed teachers differentiating instruction in order to meet the varied academic needs of those students.  We have observed teachers challenging students academically in order to “stretch them” educationally, preparing them for the post-high school experience.  We have observed dedicated coaches and sponsors giving students wonderful opportunities to grow in the areas of team work and learning the benefits of hard work.  We have observed counselors helping students understand what it takes to prepare a quality college application.  We have observed social workers meet with students in extreme social and emotional circumstances and help them cope with those circumstances.  The staff at Hinsdale Central is among the finest with which we have worked.  It has been an honor and privilege to be associated with them as colleagues.
Tom Paulsen
Frank Kesman
Interim Principals, Hinsdale Central High School

Thanks to Tom and Frank for their dedication and wonderful professionalism shown this year as well.

The HHSTA at Hinsdale South is pleased to announce that we have once again set a record in the number of scholarships awarded to graduating seniors of the Class of 2009.  Four $1000 awards were given, as well as eight $500 awards.  Recipients of these scholarships, based on applications submitted in the spring of 2009 were:

• Angelene Arito
• Meghan D’Andrea
• Eva Davis
• Hilary Fung
• Danielle Jauregui
• John Leganski
• Amanda Lofgren
• Emily Markham
• Meghan McDonnell
• Marina Nir
• Brittany Novy-Mackey
• Allison Ross

Scholarship funds are derived from the HHSTA Spaghetti Dinner, held the Friday evening of Homecoming Week.  Also, for the last four years, a Faculty Variety Show has been held during Homecoming Week.  Proceeds from the first V-Show benefited victims of Hurricane Katrina.  Proceeds from the shows in 2006, 2007 and 2008 went directly to the Scholarship Fund.

We urge community support of these efforts, in order to continue to offer these funds to deserving Hinsdale South graduates.  The date for this year’s Faculty Variety Show is Wednesday, September 30, curtain rises at 7:30 pm.  The Spaghetti Dinner will be held on Friday, October 2 from 4 to 8 pm.  Please join us!!!

Each year HHSTA sponsors a pancake breakfast at Central during our homecoming weekend. All of the net proceeds from this breakfast go directly into a scholarship fund that is used to provide numerous scholarships to seniors who intend to major in education in college. Applications are available in the guidance office in March and interviews for qualified applicants take place usually in May. This year six HHSTA scholarships were awarded at Central for applicants entering teaching training programs.

HHSTA proud to recognize, encourage and support students interested in pursuing degree programs that will help them enter into teaching profession. This year’s recipients are:

HHSTA Teacher Scholarship:

Ryan DeLeon
AnneMarie Madej
Madeja “Maddy” Metcalf
Jacqueline “Jackie” McGinn
Taylor Schroyer
Kelly Yadinak

Congratulations!

In the February 26th edition of the Doings, Hinsdale resident Jim Smith wrote a letter to the editor entitled “Important to invest in our teachers”. The letter responds to a previous letter, and in some parts appears directed at a school district other than District 86. But I believe the sentiment expressed represents the larger education community as a whole in Hinsdale.  It reads in part:

I have no idea who Robert Lennox is. However, I do agree with his comments. We need to bring in revenue to maintain our high standard of Education. The quality of schools is what brings people to a community and thereby creates home and retail sales and the income they generate.

[…]

Hinsdale has always had a top shelf reputation when it comes to its’ schools. It is the main reason my wife wanted to move here 22 years ago. It signified growing property values, great retail operations, top community services such as the library, police and fire departments, hospital and parks.

It meant that people would move in so that their children would have an edge over children from run of the mill towns.

Again, our most precious resource is our children! We have a reputation for having the highest caliber teachers and education system. If someone has to go it should not be the teachers…

I’ve brought this letter to the attention of our Association membership. Too often we hear from those only too happy to demagogue a distorted view of the stereotypical teacher as the root cause of all the ills in the community. Reading letters like this valuing what teachers do for their students and the wider community from community members is uplifting and very appreciated.