Greenbriar Gazette 3/07/25

Dear Greenbriar Families,

Today marks the end of the second trimester and it's hard to believe that we're two thirds of the way through the school year! Families of 2nd-5th graders will receive NWEA MAP reports via email this afternoon. Progress reports will be shared on March 21st, also via email.

Students in 4th and 5th grades will participate in taking the IL 5Essentials survey next Wednesday. Thanks to all parents who have already taken the survey. We have surpassed the required response threshold to receive a report but invite all parents who haven't yet taken the survey to submit a response. Your feedback is appreciated!

Many of our students enjoyed an adaptive curling event last weekend at the Chicago Curling Club. Thanks to Abbie Sullivan and Sara Kladis for organizing the event, to all of our 5th-grade leaders who attended to support their peers, and to Flash for making a special appearance. Click on this link to see amazing photos from the event.

Our monthly PTO meeting will be held on Tuesday, 3/11 at 8:45. We invite everyone to attend in person or via Zoom at this link. We'll be discussing upcoming events like Greenbriar Gives service week and end of year events like County Fair and our Golden Folder Ceremony. We appreciate everyone who is able to attend!

I hope you all have a restful weekend!

Warmly,

Ginny

Greenbriar students had a great time at the adaptive curling event this past weekend. Thanks to our PTO Inclusion committee for organizing this great event!

Our 3rd-5th graders will participate in the IL Assessment of Readiness (IAR) test between April 4th and April 11th. There are typically five sessions in the IAR test including two literacy sessions and three math sessions. This year, Greenbriar was selected as a test school meaning we need to administer a third session of literacy that is not scored but instead used to field test new questions for future tests. Therefore, our students in 3rd through 5th grades will test on 4/4 through 4/11 in the morning each day. We ask parents to make every effort to have students to school on time and well rested on testing days. Please avoid making appointments on those mornings as well.

Students in 5th grade are also required to take the IL Science Assessment (ISA) in April. Our students will take the three sessions of the science test on 4/21-4/23 testing in the morning on each day. Again, please try to avoid tardies and absences on those testing dates. Thanks for your help in making this a successful testing period.

• Kindergarten and 2nd grade families: The May 15 dental form deadline is approaching. If you haven't already, please turn in forms as soon as possible.
• Parents, please remind your child not to use their smartphone or watch to contact you directly if they're ill. Students should request to go to the nurse and Mrs. Sherman will call parents as needed.
• Students should wear/bring athletic shoes each day for P.E. and recess (unless snow boots are needed). We're seeing an increase in minor injuries due to improper footwear.

Starting next week your child can participate in our exciting "Lucky" book activity! Students will choose a book, write a short review, and have a chance to win a prize. Reviews are due on or before Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

A massive thank-you to all the parents who responded this week to the Illinois 5Essentials Survey. We have reached our 20% response benchmark, but that doesn't mean we don't want to hear from you if you haven't already responded! Please take a few minutes to take the Illinois 5Essentials Survey for parents. Select the parent survey, type in Cook in the County field and select from the drop-down menu, then start typing in the name of the school and select Greenbriar from the drop-down menu. You then need to enter the number of children you have enrolled in the school and you will open the survey.

The Illinois State Board of Education has more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey or view District information on our website.

On April 1, Northbrook District 28 will ask voters to consider a bond referendum that will fund comprehensive updates to all D28 schools. Our buildings are 60 to 75 years old and they are showing their age. The building plan will update safety and security, make schools more accessible and ensure our classrooms are equipped to support today’s best practices in curriculum and instruction.

Community Open Houses

Attend one of our community open houses at Northbrook United Methodist Church, 1190 Western Ave, to learn more about our building improvement plans and ask questions.

• 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 11
• 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 18
  
  

Virtual Information Session

• Noon, Thursday, March 20
  RSVP to get the ZOOM link

Learn more at northbook28.net/referendum where you can find updates:

• Check out our Frequently Asked Questions gathered from school presentations

• See detailed lists of building improvements by school

Summer Enrichment courses are now available on our website.

Summer Enrichment and Extended School Year session will be held Thursday, June 5 - Friday, June 27 (No Summer Enrichment/ESY on Thursday, June 19, to observe the national holiday Juneteenth.)

Students in incoming grades 1-4 will attend at Westmoor School and incoming grades 5-8 will attend at Northbrook Junior High.

Registration for District 28 students opens on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 7 p.m. and closes on Friday, April 11, 2025.

A Safe Haven is a community organization that serves people suffering from social and economic challenges. Their mission is to restore hope and opportunity to individuals in crisis by providing treatment, housing, support services, and career pathways. A Safe Haven offers phased housing which consists of access to transitional, recovery homes, supportive, affordable, senior, and veteran housing. They provide adult residents and their children access to an assigned individual case manager to manage assessment and coordinated services. At A Safe Haven, they offer comprehensive behavioral health services for a wide range of conditions, whether you’re seeking support for substance use or other behavioral health challenges.

The PTO will be sending a weekly update on Mondays...you can also always find the latest news and updates on the PTO website.

Service Week is coming up March 17-21 and we’re looking for parent volunteers to help out.

Please sign up at this link during your child’s classroom scheduled time. If your child has one teacher in the AM and one in the PM, please note the time of day their classroom is scheduled for service week and sign up accordingly. Thank you!!

• March 7th: Last Day of Trimester 2
• March 7th: PTO Pizza and Spirit Wear Day!
• March 11th: PTO Meeting @ 8:45 (Zoom link)
• March 11th: Referendum Gallery Walk @ 2 p.m. @ Northbrook United Methodist Church
• March 11th: Board of Education Meeting @ 7pm
• March 14th: PTO Pizza and Spirit Wear Day!
• March 14th: Kindergarten Fine Arts Sharing Day!
• March 17th-21st: Greenbriar Gives Week!
• March 17th: Junior, Concert & Jazz Band performance @ NBJH @ 7pm
• March 18th: Referendum Gallery Walk @ 7p.m. @ Northbrook United Methodist Church
• March 21st: PTO Pizza and Spirit Wear Day!
• March 21st: Progress reports shared with parents
• March 21st: Spring holiday classroom parties @ 2:30
• March 24th-28th: Spring break, NO SCHOOL
• April 1st: Election Day! Remember to vote!
• April 4th: PTO Pizza and Spirit Wear Day!
• April 4th: IAR testing begins for 3rd-5th grades
• April 7th-April 11th: IAR testing for 3rd-5th grades
• April 8th: PTO Meeting @ 8:45am (Zoom link)
• April 11th: PTO Pizza and Spirit Wear Day!

OHMIGOD YOU GUYS!

NBJH students will have Northbrook thinking pink when they present their production of Legally Blonde JR. March 12-15. The fun and upbeat musical follows the adventures of sorority girl Elle Woods who tries to win her ex-boyfriend back by earning a Harvard law degree. Once at school, she is challenged by her peers, professors and her ex, but with the help of some new friends, Elle realizes her potential and sets out to prove herself to the world.

Performance times:

• 7 p.m. Wednesday March 12 (Blue Cast)
• 7 p.m. Thursday March 13 (Blue Cast)
• 7 p.m. Friday March 14 (White Cast)
• 2 p.m. Saturday March 15 (White Cast)

All performances will be held in the small gym at Northbrook Junior High School. Tickets can be purchased in advance through the D28 payment portal or at the door for $8.

What: My Kid's Been Ghosted! (a Lunch and Learn Event)

When: Tuesday, March 11, from noon to 1 p.m.

Where: via Zoom

How can you support your child when they face social setbacks, like being excluded from a lunch table or group chat? Join us for a Lunch & Learn focused on empowering parents to guide their kids through these tough moments with confidence and purpose. We’ll explore how values can serve as an anchor for approaching your child with empathy and fostering resiliency. Practical tools for managing the thoughts and feelings that can arise when kids are experiencing difficult social situations will also be discussed. Ashley Leja, PhD will be the featured speaker.

Register here

Join the Northbrook Park District for the Boys Lacrosse League for the spring season. The league welcomes all levels of players.

Teams will participate and play in the Illinois Boys Lacrosse

Association (IBLA) league and instruction is provided by Glenbrook North Coaches. Practices are on Mondays and Wednesdays with games on the weekends. League begins March 17.

Register at nbparks.org

Spring Flag registration is open until March 8th. There is a boys league and a girls league for 3rd- through 8th-grade students. All home games are on Sundays at GBN.

To learn more go to: www.gbnjrspartan.com.

Registration is now open for Northbrook Baseball's 2025 Spring House League Season. All 3rd - 8th graders are encouraged to participate in the program, regardless of skill level or experience.

Registration Link

Registration will close in mid-February.