Greeley Greeting

Monday, May 13, 2024

A Message from the Principal

Dear Greeley Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

We are currently in the midst of our final assessment window of the year. The assessments taken vary by grade level and can be viewed here. Our teachers will use these end-of-year assessments to review how students have performed over the larger scope of an academic school year, inform planning for the 2024-25 school year, and make any final instructional decisions for the remaining month of school.

One the testing window closes, benchmarking reports will be, processed, printed, and sent home. If you are interested in understanding more about these reports, I will be joined by a number of Greeley staff members at an upcoming Winnetka Parent Institute (WPI) this coming Wednesday. Details and a link to RSVP are below.

Sincerely,

Joshua Swanner

Principal

🎻 Strings registration for next year 🎻

For incoming second to fourth-graders, please use the link below to register for violin, viola, and cello.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11Ht_yhorZu0uC6AmKMa_6l1GBSoY1bzqfl5ABvbWx_o/edit

“Coffee with Kelly”: Creating a Balanced Summer

Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent of Schools, invites you to our final “Coffee with Kelly” of the school year, a community conversation hosted at our schools! Staff, families and community members are welcome to join Dr. Tess and staff members from our social work and kinetic wellness teams for co-facilitated discussions on creating a balanced summer for your family. This is an opportunity to converse, connect, learn, and grow together!

Guests are invited to:

Read either of these two articles on the benefits of reading aloud:

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

Wednesday, May 22 from 9:30am to 10:30am

The Skokie School Community Room,

520 Glendale Ave., Winnetka

Please RSVP by Monday, May 20.

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

Winnetka Parents Institute

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

Click here for the Spring 2024 schedule.

Up next:

What Do These Reports Mean? (Greeley Staff Members and Principal Joshua Swanner)

May 15, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: Washburne Cafeteria

Families receive important information regarding their child’s growth and achievement at three distinct times in the school year. This includes progress reports, benchmarking reports, MAP assessment reports, and IEP trimester updates. This informational session is available to families of elementary students enrolled in the Winnetka Public Schools and will provide an overview of how to read and interpret the triannual data provided to families. Join staff members from Greeley School as they detail the purpose of these reports and how they are used to inform instruction.

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Feedback Link

If you missed our spring sessions, watch the videos here:

From Washburne to New Trier: (with Paul Waechtler, Principal)

A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition

Not Quite Little Kid, Not Quite Teenager: The Developmental Progression of the Middle School Child

Digital Citizenship in Winnetka (with SEL Coaches and Technology Integration Specialists)

Spring Benchmarking

Benchmark assessments are valuable tools that provide a snapshot of student progress at a point in time. These assessments help teachers to identify areas where students are excelling and where they may need additional support. They can also inform instructional decisions by providing data that can be used to tailor teaching to meet each student's unique needs and strengths. Benchmark assessments are an important component of progressive education, which recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different rates. By using benchmark assessments to inform instruction, teachers can provide a more individualized approach to learning that supports each student's academic growth and personal development.

Academic benchmark assessments for literacy and math will occur three times this year for students in grades K-8. The Spring Benchmark Assessments start on April 29th and conclude on May 17th. There are three platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, and NWEA MAP. Benchmarking reports will be mailed home on Wednesday, May 29th.

Assessment may be found on our district website in the Benchmark Assessment Section of ITL under Parent Communication on Student Learning. If you need further information on your child’s testing session, please contact your building principal.

Health Forms for the 2024/2025 School Year

This is a friendly reminder that all medical forms required by the State of Illinois are due before the first day of school. You can find additional copies of the forms on the district website here.

Please see the information below:

State of Illinois Health Examination:

Kindergarten & Grade 6

Eye Examination:

Kindergarten

Dental Examination:

Kindergarten, Grade 2 & Grade 6

Please use the links on the district’s health page to upload your child’s completed forms.