
Greeley Greeting
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
IMPORTANT: Please Use Name Placards for Pickup
We were excited to welcome our students to school today amidst the chilly weather!
Please be sure to have your family name placard viewable in your front windshield/dashboard. This is particularly important for today, as we anticipate much longer pickup lines. Student and staff safety is always our number one priority, and we will have our students waiting indoors in the auditorium. Having these signs present will allow us to radio into the building to communicate which children should head outside. Thank you for your help in ensuring all families can be on their way as quickly as possible this afternoon.
A Message from the Principal
Dear Greeley Families,
During our PTO Executive Board meeting last week, a question came up regarding our Monday early release time. Specifically, some parents were wondering what, exactly, our school team does during this time (2:45-4:15pm). This is a great question, and it comes with an answer that I believe helps families better understand how we work to meet our school and district goals.
Each week, this time is used for any combination of:
- professional learning
- developing action steps in alignment with our school improvement/district strategic plans
- reviewing important updates and trends in education
- collaborating on instruction, assessment, and/or programming for our students
For example, our previous Monday time on January 8th was used for further training on mClass and AIMSweb assessment tools, learning about artificial intelligence as it relates to education, and reviewing tools associated with RULER (our social emotional learning approach).
Unlike many private workplace settings, educators do not have regular time outside of early release or institute days to meet as a whole staff body, as we are with our students. These Monday times, therefore, are key in ensuring staff stay informed, connected, collaborative, and equipped to best instruct our students.
I hope this information provides helpful insight into how we meet the goals of our school and our precious Monday time. I also hope that your families can stay warm amidst this most chilly weather!
Sincerely,
Joshua Swanner
Principal
Reading and Math Resources for the Home
This year, our school district is implementing a number of new benchmark assessments in the fall, winter, and spring. We are currently in the midst of winter benchmarking.
Our school improvement plan seeks to use these new assessments and corresponding tools to inform our instructional practices. In addition, families wondering how they might best support their child's learning at home are invited to access the following materials:
Reminder: Practice Remote Learning Activity on January 25, 2023
As we may experience additional inclement weather this winter, we want to ensure our students are prepared for potential remote learning. With this in mind, we have planned a proactive practice activity for students. This practice session is an important step in ensuring that our students remain connected and ready for learning should multiple days of inclement weather occur.
Remote Learning Practice Activity:
Date for Device Take-Home: On Thursday, January 25, all K-8 students will bring their school-issued iPads home.
Objective: To connect their device to home Wi-Fi and access educational tools (How-to guide can be found here). This is purely for preparedness and will not be graded.
Help/Support: If you run into any issues with connecting your student’s device or in accessing materials, please complete this Google Form so that we can follow up with you.
Device Return: Please return the devices to school on Friday, January 26.
This practice activity is a crucial step in ensuring our students can seamlessly transition to remote learning if required.
Brief on Inclement Weather Policy:
In the event of school closures, communication will be made through Blackboard (phone, email, text), our website, and the Emergency Closing Center.
The first inclement weather closure will be a traditional snow day, with subsequent closures moving to remote learning.
For more information on our full inclement weather policy, please refer to our previous Principal newsletter communications. We appreciate your support in these preparations.
Stay & Play Registration
Kindergarten students who are not currently enrolled in Stay & Play will have the opportunity to register for the 2nd half of the year after 8:00 am January 8th through this link. Please note that the registration period ends January 31, 2024 and will remain closed for the remainder of the year. The rates are prorated below. If you attempt to register before the 9th, you will receive an Item Unavailable message. After purchasing Kindergarten Stay & Play registration, your child will be able to begin their attendance in the program the following Monday so the schools can plan accordingly.
Online Pre-Registration for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2024/2025 School Year has begun.
Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2024/2025 is now open. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2024, are eligible to enroll. Questions related to School Admissions and age requirements are addressed in School Board Policy 7:50 School Admissions and student Transfers to and from Non-District Schools.
Please note: There are two steps to completing new student registration. We ask that parent(s)/guardian(s) complete BOTH steps of pre-registration BEFORE January 12, 2024.
Step 1: Complete the online pre-registration form; Step 2: Visit the District Office (1235 Oak Street) to provide the following:
Proof of residency. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements. For your convenience residency documents may be uploaded during online registration.
Original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID.
Completing both steps (online and in-person) is required for your child(ren) to be enrolled as new students. Click here to begin the online segment.
Winnetka Parents Institute
The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. The Winter/Spring schedule will be shared soon. In the meantime, videos of the Fall 2023 sessions are available here:
Save-the-Date for the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Carlson Event
January 30, 2024
6:30-8:30 P.M.
Location: Skokie School
Join WPSF at their free annual event to learn about findings from the literacy pilot and to see a showcase of recently funded grants in D36. Teachers will be participating in a panel discussion on reading education. Don't miss this opportunity to learn firsthand from faculty and district leaders and to see #grantsinaction.
Follow us on Social Media!
Please follow the District via the following social media platforms in order to see day-to-day happenings and more.
Facebook and Twitter: @Winnetka36
Instagram: @WinnetkaPublicSchools
2023/2024 Calendar
To view the calendar for the 2023/2024 school year, please click here.
- Thursday, January 25: January Birthday Lunch with Principal Swanner
- Friday, January 26: July Birthday Lunch with Principal Swanner
- Thursday, February 8: NO SCHOOL - Conferences
- Friday, February 9: NO SCHOOL - Conferences
About Us
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