Signing Up to Communicate with Hinsdale Central High School
Clear communication is our goal here at HCHS; thus, we have created a variety of electronic
communication resources. Each is a separate system because each serves a distinct purpose.
Here is a primer:
1. Weekly ListServ E-News E-mail
¾ What is it?
This is an e-mail blast that goes out to all interested people as a group. It contains up-todate, important information regarding events, programs, and initiatives, along with student
recognition, Guidance Department updates, fundraising activities, PTO, Booster notices, etc.
This is an “opt-in” system; we understand that not all parents/guardians want to receive the
weekly “news e-mail” so we provide a choice.
¾ How do you sign up?
In order to sign-up for the weekly E-News listserv e-mails, a person must go to the HCHS
website (http://central.hinsdale86.org/) and register to receive these e-mails. You will easily
find the ‘blue mouse’ icon for registering for these e-mails.
2. Parent/Guardian E-mail Addresses
¾ What is it?
These are individual e-mail addresses stored in our student management information
system under your student’s name. They are used by school personnel to make private
contact with individual families. These e-mail addresses are also used by teachers to send
out group messages to parents/guardians of students in their classes.
¾ How do you sign up?
We ask everyone to complete an information sheet at registration/Book Month. On that
sheet we request parent/guardian e-mail addresses. Please note that these e-mail
addresses are not used to send out the weekly E-News ListServ E-mails because we
believe that parents/guardians should have a choice as to whether they receive those “bulk”
e-mails. We ask that you notify Vivian Kane (vkane@hinsdale86.org) if you need to update
these personal e-mail addresses during the course of the year.
PLEASE NOTE: In order to be assured of receiving teacher e-mails send to an entire
class of parents/guardians, you should put all of your student’s teachers’ email
addresses in your address book. This will avoid the situation of messages being
forwarded to a spam folder due to the number of names in the ‘to’ field.
3. Home Access Center (Online Grade Portal)
¾ What is it?
The Home Access Center is a web-based program that provides parents/guardians with
real-time information about their student(s) including attendance, class work, test scores,
and report cards. It is designed to offer parents/guardians the ability to support and guide
their children through the educational process, using a secure and password-protected
website. E-mail links are available throughout Home Access Center so parents can easily
communicate with the school and teachers.
¾ How do you sign up?
Incoming parents/guardian receive a letter from the school with log-in instructions and
information. If you did not receive this letter, or misplaced it, please contact Vivian Kane
(vkane@hinsdale86.org). You will need to provide Ms. Kane with your student’s name, I.D.
number, and the parent(s) name. Ms. Kane will be able to generate a password for you.
In addition, students will be given their own passwords to the Home Access Center so that
they can monitor their own academic progress, keep up with due dates for assignments, etc.
To log on to the Home Access Center, students and parents/guardians should go to the
school’s website (http://central.hinsdale86.org/), find the “Quick Links” column on the right
side of the site, and click on “Home Access Center.”
4. Naviance (College Information)
¾ What is it?
Naviance is a powerful Web search engine for college and career information that links to
each student’s individual transcript. It also provides Hinsdale Central’s matriculation data
from the past eight years. Parents/guardians and students are asked to routinely check for
e-mail messages in the Naviance Family Connection Program. The Guidance Department
has the capability to send e-mail messages to the entire student body or to direct
information to certain grade levels, such as notification of special programs, college
representative visits, and scholarship opportunities.
¾ How do you sign up?
In order to use Naviance, a student needs an official transcript. Thus, at the end of the first
semester of freshman year, each student will receive Naviance registration information and
log-in instructions from the Guidance Department. Sophomore, junior, or senior transfer
students must contact their Guidance Counselors to register and receive a log-in. The
Naviance link is found by going to the Guidance menu on the left-hand side of the school’s
website (http://central.hinsdale86.org/).
¾ What should students do if they forgot or lost their Naviance password?
Each student can go to his/her counselor to have the password reset.
5. SharePoint
¾ What is it?
This a secure, Web-based learning environment set up by a teacher to provide easy access
to curriculum resources, course calendars, classroom materials, and activities that students
can access at any time from any place. Not all teachers have SharePoint sites for their
classes, but many do. Only students on a teacher’s class roster have access to that
teacher’s SharePoint site; there is no separate parent log-in.
¾ How do you sign up?
STEP ONE: In order to access SharePoint from home, a student must have first logged-in
to SharePoint through the school’s network at school. Go to the library and ask a librarian
for help with logging on our system. Student will enter:
1. “User Name” = I.D. number
2. “Password” = full last name
Student will then need to reset the password to something more secure for privacy.
STEP TWO:
From home, students must go to the Hinsdale Central web site
(http://central.hinsdale86.org/). At the top of the page is a SharePoint link. At the link
students will be asked to log-in. Their log-in is STUDENTID#@hinsdale86.org.
¾ What should students do if they can’t log in to SharePoint from home?
If their log-in does not work, students should first check the link on the log-in page that will
help them trouble-shoot. If this does not work, then they will have to wait until the next day
when they should ask any teacher they have to put in a HelpDesk ticket for them. A
technology expert at the school will correct the problem.
¾ What should students do if they forgot or lost their network password?
Students should go to the HCHS Library and ask a Librarian to re-set their password.
Librarians are able to help before school, during lunch periods, study halls, and after school.
6. PTO Directory and PTO emails
¾ What is it?
The Parent Teacher Organization is an active, essential part of Hinsdale Central High
School. Comprised of a large group of energetic volunteers, the PTO supports the school
community through staff appreciation programs, fundraising assistance, college
scholarships, parent education, social events, incoming family transition, directory
publication, communication efforts, etc.
¾ How do you sign up?
Registering to receive information from the PTO is done through the PTO web site
(http://www.hinsdalecentralpto.org/).