December 13th - High School Parent

Growing Up Royal

My name is Kathy Hintzsche, and my husband, John and I are the parents of two high school students at Hinckley-Big Rock High School. We have a freshman and a sophomore, and we couldn’t be more pleased with their high school experience so far. We love our small towns and all of their big benefits. From the strong community involvement to the wonderful classes and programs offered, to the staff that makes it all work-we can’t imagine being anywhere else!

My husband was born and raised in Hinckley, and graduated from here as well. I grew up in Sugar Grove and graduated from Kaneland. We haven’t strayed very far, but why would we? The grass is not always greener on the other side. In our opinion, bigger schools tend to mean bigger problems. We love our tight-knit communities and small schools where you know almost everyone and tend to look out for each other. The way in which the community supports the schools and the schools support the community is remarkable. Whether it’s raising money for the schools at Dairy Joy Teacher nights to the Homecoming parade and Taste of HBR, you really get a sense of school and community pride and connectedness.

We may be a small school, but that does not limit the amount of enriching experiences we have to offer. The classes and programs at HBR High School have been outstanding. When my boys first started attending classes at HBR Elementary, I couldn’t believe the variety of technology available to them! Having Smart Boards in the classrooms and individual Chromebooks was not something I was expecting from such a small school. Continuing throughout middle school and into high school, the wide variety of enrichment courses, advanced placement courses, and even online classes available was another pleasant surprise. I love how our school district is continually striving for improvement in academics and athletics. I can’t wait to see the community gathered at our new baseball field enjoying a game and perhaps strolling over to watch the girls play soccer while grabbing a bite at the concession stand. Being able to have a place like this where a lot of the community can just walk right over to gather and bond is something I’m very grateful to have for our family.

 

We all know that you can have the best classes and programs available, but without the right staff, it’s just not going to work. Well, we are very fortunate to have the best group of teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, secretaries, principals, coaches, nurse, and administrators to make it all run like a well-oiled machine. The dedication and commitment to student success is very obvious. If my guys have before-school meetings, you will constantly see teachers’ cars in the parking lot that have been there well before we get there and will stay there even after we’re gone. Their passion for their job does not go unnoticed. I was sitting around talking with my son and his friends about school and was asking about their favorite classes/teachers. I loved how they could not decide on an individual teacher, because they said they each were so unique and each brought something different to the table. We are very lucky to have such genuinely committed and passionate people working in our district.

We have one more son that will be entering Hinckley-Big Rock high school in a couple of years and I love the fact that my husband and boys will all have graduated from HBR. Who knows, maybe even my grandchildren will one day be HBR alumni! We truly love our schools and all of the amazing things they have to offer. They are not perfect, as no schools are, but they are perfect for us. Go Royals!