The Hinsdale Middle School Student Council recently partnered with a sister school from Komarek Elementary District 94 in North Riverside to bring gifts to some families who have children attending school there. The initiative was part of the District 181 Sister Schools program, which fosters collab oration and partnership with other schools in the area. Through this program, HMS students and their families took on the task of shopping for the wish list items provided by the families from the partnering district. “With this partnership, we met on Zoom with leaders from Komarek, where we asked them to identify students and families with the greatest need,” Hinsdale Middle School Principal Cory Burke said. “This year, it was mostly military families, but non-military families were also included.” This marked the fourth year in which the Hinsdale students have provided holiday gifts to Kamarek families, but the idea of providing holiday gifts for other schools goes back further. Burke said District 181 Superintendent Hector Garcia began creating connections eight years ago with leaders from other districts to collaborate on projects. “We established partnerships which have continued to grow over the years,” she said. “This annual event is a deeply meaningful project for the HMS community, allowing students to learn the value of service and giving back. By providing special items for the families, the students are helping to make the holidays brighter for those who serve our country and their loved ones.” This year, HMS families received wish-lists from nine Komarek families and shared those so that students could sign up to provide specific gifts on the list. “This gave people plenty of time to shop for the items and bring them to the main office at HMS,” Burke said. Burke, school secretary Jeanine Halverson, and Student Council teacher/sponsor Emma Doyle traveled in December with 12 students from the Student Council to bring gifts to Komarek. “The students helped bring in gifts and place them on tables for Komarek families to receive their gifts,” Burke said, adding that each box was labeled by Halverson so that families could quickly find their items. Burke said the option to get gifts for Komarek families was provided to the entire HMS student body and to parents. The 12 students who went to deliver the gifts represented about half of the Student Council. “We want our students to have empathy and compassion for others through events like this,” Burke said. “Our students felt good helping others and recognized their service had an immediate impact on lots of people.” And participating in providing gifts to some families at Komarek was a very positive experience for HMS students who were involved. “Honestly, seeing all the little kids and how excited they were was the best part,” said eighth grader Kate Sanderson. “Watching a little girl ride her bike was a moment that stood out to me. It reminded me why it is important to bring joy into other people’s lives” Fellow eighth grader Peter Shaplin also felt good about the experience and mentioned watching the little girl ride her new bike as a highlight. “I enjoyed the part where we got to see the families and actually give the gifts to them,” he said. “We got to show how grateful we really are for what we have and to give that feeling to others.” Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.  ...read more read less