Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

I've recently had numerous opportunities to speak with families about assisting children in reframing their thinking. Various examples include: fear of getting a wrong answer on an assessment, hesitation in trying something new, perseverating on national/world events, feeling devastated by social friction, and engaging in negative self-talk. After reflecting on these conversations this weekend, I felt moved to share a good resource with the larger Greeley Community in this newsletter.

It is important to note that these feelings are all normal. And, when I look at these above examples, I have sometimes seen these feelings play out in my own adult life. Perhaps you have felt the same feelings yourself.

Clinical Psychologist Dave Anderson from the Child Mind Institute offers a great overview and advice in addressing these thoughts in this relatively short video. For those of you wanting an abridged version, I have shared some notes below:

• There are 11 different negative thinking patterns, including:
• Overgeneralization: Taking a negative event and believing it is a universal pattern
• Labeling: Putting a negative label on something or someone (including one's self) so that you cannot see that thing or person differently
• Fortune-telling: Predicting something will turn out negatively (and possibly increasing the chances of a negative outcome as a result)
• Catastrophizing: Taking a problem and making it larger than it is
• Selective Abstraction: Seeing only the negative of an experience
• Discussing these various "cognitive distortions" can help children in noticing them; awareness allows one to move on from these distortions
• Self-awareness is a complex skill, especially for children
• Parents, caregivers, and teachers can help children identify negative thinking patterns
• It may be more productive to discuss this with a child after time has passed rather than in the moment

The middle of the winter can often see greater levels of stress, anxiety, and negative thinking among children. One way to help them is to consider how you model self-compassion as an adult when thinking this way. Another is to be measured in how you respond to a child's negative thinking. It is imperative to acknowledge and empathize with how a child is feeling, and hopefully these tips can aid us in helping children learn from their moments of negative thinking.

Sincerely,

Joshua Swanner

Principal

Greeley will be offering an adoption support group for students. The group will be starting in March 2024 and sessions will be held every other week. The group will run for eight sessions. The group will be led by members of our Behavior Health Team, Katie Kalogriopoulos, Social Worker; Danielle Kimak, Social-Emotional Coach; and Sehar Siddiqui, School Psychologist. Students who have experienced adoption personally, or who may have a sibling who has been adopted, are welcome to participate in this group. Please reach out to katiekalogriopoulos@winnetka36.org if you would like more information.

Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent of Schools, invites you to the first “Coffee with Kelly,” a community conversation that will be hosted at our schools over the remaining months of the school year. Staff, families and community members are welcome to join Dr. Tess and a special guest for co-facilitated discussions on topics of interest, providing an opportunity to gather together, listen to each other’s perspectives and enhance our partnership to educate the students of Winnetka.

The first “Coffee with Kelly” will center on the topic of Gathering. Dr. Tess will be joined by Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood for a conversation on:

• fostering social connections for our students,

• supporting community members craving connection,

• learning about how staff and families feel linked or out of synch with each other,

• and reflecting on how caring for others can be both nourishing and depleting.

This is an opportunity to converse, connect, learn, and grow together!

Guests are invited to:

• Read an excerpt from Nourished: Connection, Food, and Caring for Our Kids (And Everyone Else We Love) by Deborah MacNamara PhD

• and/or watch this interview with the author

• and/or come as you are, excited to engage with your childrens’ teachers, your neighbors, and your school leaders!

Wednesday, February 28 from 12 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Greeley School Resource Center,

275 Fairview Ave., Winnetka

Please RSVP by February 25, 2024.

All staff and parents (including grandparents and caregivers!) are welcome. You do not need to be a Greeley family or staff member to attend. Coffee will be served!

On March 10, Winnetka Public Schools Foundation board members will be reaching out to D36 parents and community members by phone, text and email to secure donations for the coming year. The goal is to raise $85,000 during Phone-A-Thon so that WPSF can continue to fund grants to promote teaching innovation. Every donation makes a difference in our schools! Donate online by March 9, to “Beat the Call.” With your support, WPSF can continue to invest in our students, teachers, schools and community and fund grants to enhance the learning experience for every Winnetka D36 student.

Think back to a favorite project you experienced when you were a student. Was there something about it that was highly engaging, unique, and allowed you freedom to discover and explore your own interests? Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, has a conversation with Carleton Washburne School students, Ms. Tip Walker (The Skokie School), and Ms. Jennifer Bertacchi (Carleton Washburne School) reflecting on the profound impact of Project Based Learning on education. This episode provides a window into how Project Based Learning is designed by teachers, experienced by students and connects to learning standards. As stated by a student interviewed about a recent Project Based Learning activity, “This really prepared me for what I may be able to do in the future.” To see the website built by these students as one of their public products visit this link.

Listen here:

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Winnetka Voices is a podcast hosted by The Winnetka Public Schools, featuring candid conversations on issues relevant to education and shared resources to support our students and families.

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics.

Click here for the Winter/Spring 2024 schedule.

Videos of the Fall 2023 sessions are available here:

• The Winnetka Experience: Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and Progressive Education

• District 36: Benchmark Assessments

• The Middle School Experience, AKA “Why is my child acting like this?” Please help.

• Literacy Pilot: How District 36 Educators are Testing Literacy Programs and Practices

The Homework and Executive Functioning Network, composed of teachers, interventionists, and administrators, is currently working to develop District Guidelines for Homework (grades 5-8) and Executive Functioning (grades K-8).

In order to make an informed decision, the Network would greatly appreciate your honest response to this brief, ANONYMOUS survey so that we can better understand our current practice and perceptions around these two topics. Responses are due by March 13. The information we collect from teachers, students, and parents, paired with research, will guide the Network in developing:

1. A qualitative, single-point rubric for Executive Functioning that details descriptors in the following areas: Organizing & Planning, Initiating Tasks and Staying Focused, and Managing Emotions.
   Executive functioning impacts each student’s growth, development, and achievement. These are essential skills for students in school and life, and are often strong indicators of future success.

2. Guidelines for grades 5-8 Homework Practices to aid in establishing consistent classroom-to-classroom expectations for students, increasing vertical alignment within our system and between levels, and identifying supports in preparing students for “what’s next”.

We understand that experiences may vary by grade level so please complete one survey per grade level and school that your student(s) are in.

Survey link: https://forms.gle/huKAKKvtR4kSv1bV9

Families may now access the calendar for the upcoming school year, also available on our District website.

The Accelerated Placement Act requires Illinois public school districts to adopt and implement policies on acceleration that provide opportunities for single subject and grade level acceleration. To learn more about District 36’s acceleration policy implementation, click here to view an infographic and click here to visit our updated webpage. Note that the acceleration request form will be open February 26-March 22. If you have questions about the policy, please contact the Asst Supt of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Dr. Becky Mathison, at beckymathison@winnetka36.org.

• Wednesday, February 28: Coffee with Kelly; 12:00 – 1:00pm in the RC
  
• Thursday, February 29: August Birthday Lunch w/ the Principal (Grades 1-4)

School Hours:

8:30am | Doors open

8:37am | School promptly begins

2:10pm | Kindergarten dismissal

2:45pm | Early Release (MONDAY ONLY)

3:15pm | Grades 1-4 and Stay & Play Kindergarten dismissal

Email: GordonSchreiber@winnetka36.org
Website: https://www.winnetka36.org/greeley
Location: 275 Fairview Avenue, Winnetka, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 446-6060
Facebook: facebook.com/Winnetka36
Twitter: @Winnetka36