Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

What an exciting week we have ahead of us! We are all looking forward to our Spring Sing performances on Tuesday and Wednesday, where our students will take the stage and share the joy of music they’ve been working so hard on. It’s always a special moment to see their confidence and creativity shine—we can’t wait to welcome you to these wonderful events.

This week is also Staff Appreciation Week, and I want to take a moment to celebrate our incredible teachers and staff. Their dedication, care, and commitment to our students make Greeley such a special place to learn and grow. Please join us in showing them how much they mean to our school community.

Looking forward to a week full of celebration, gratitude, and song!

Warmly,
Principal Kopinski

May

• 5/5-5/23 Spring Benchmark Window
• 5/6 Greeley Spring Sings for Grade 1 and Grade 2
• 5/7 Greeley Spring Sings for Grade 3, 4, and K
• 5/22 Kindergarten Open House, 6:15pm (For Incoming K families)
• 5/26 Memorial Day (No School)
• 5/30 Otus parent portal opens

June

• 6/6 Half Day-11:20am dismissal
• 6/9 June birthday lunches with the principal
• 6/10 Field Day (6/11 Field Day Rain Date)
• 6/12 Fourth Grade Party (6/13 Rain Date)
• 6/16 Last Day of School (11:20am dismissal)

Mr. Urquhart is finishing up rehearsals today, and Ms. Montgomery and her team of dedicated parent helpers have finished hanging the beautiful student-created art work. We are excited to welcome you into the schoolhouse on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Mr. Urquhart's email provides more detailed information if needed, but here are the showtimes:

Tuesday, May 6

• Grade 1 6:00–6:30 PM

• Grade 2 6:40-7:10 PM

Wednesday, May 7

• Kindergarten: 5:30–5:55 PM

• Grades 3: 6:00–6:25 PM

• Grade 4: 6:30-7:00 PM

With our growing school population, and an auditorium capacity of about 300 seats, we kindly ask that each family limit attendance to no more than four guests per student. This will help ensure that every student has loved ones in the audience cheering them on. We expect a full house!

Thank you for your support and cooperation—we can’t wait to celebrate our students' hard work and talents with you!

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 May 5th and conclude on May 23rd. There are four platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, NWEA MAP, and SSIS. Benchmark data will be available in Otus beginning May 30, 2025. In order to allow for the data uploads to take place and to provide parents with consistent access to student data, please be aware that the Otus Parent Portal will be inaccessible May 5-30.

Building Data Team meetings to review the Winter Benchmarking data will occur June 9-13.

Otus Parent Resources

Please be aware that access to the Otus Parent Portal will be turned off on June 30, 2025 in order to prepare for the next school year. Communication will be sent out at the start of the year notifying parents when the portal will be accessible again.

Dear Greeley Families,

As we work together to ensure the safety of all students, staff, and families during drop-off and pick-up, we kindly ask for your cooperation in following our traffic guidelines. We understand the area around Greeley is naturally congested and offers limited space for traffic, but your support is essential in keeping our school community safe.

Key Reminders for Drop-Off and Pick-Up:

• On Elder Lane (west of the school):
  If you’re waiting in the queue, please be sure to park between driveways along the curb and move up only as the line advances. Do not block driveways or use them to turn around. It’s important we respect our neighbors and maintain clear access to their homes.
  
  

• Avoid stopping in the westbound traffic lane on Elder:
  Stopping in this lane is not only illegal, but it could also prevent emergency vehicles from getting through. Please stay within the curb lane and avoid creating unsafe traffic conditions.
  
  

• Do not stop on Fairview, just north of Hawthorne:
  Even a brief stop can create backups on Fairview that ripple onto Elder Lane. Please keep traffic flowing by avoiding this area during drop-off and pick-up times.
  
  

• Observe all posted signs around the school:
  There are designated areas where parking, standing, and stopping are not allowed. Following these restrictions helps us keep traffic moving safely and smoothly.
  
  

We truly appreciate your help in creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone around Greeley. To support your understanding of these guidelines, please review the map linked below.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to safety.

Warmly,

Ray Finnerty
Director of Safety and Security

Lindsay Kopinski
Principal, Greeley School

Kindergarten-2nd Grade Literacy: Connecting our Teaching and Learning to Progressive Education

May 14, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: Skokie Community Room

Families are invited to a session highlighting literacy instruction in The Winnetka Public Schools. Dr. Becky Mathison, Assistant Superintendent for Innovation, Teaching & Learning, and District educators will lead a discussion on the literacy research and neuroscience that underpins the foundational skills and knowledge-building approach to acquiring basic literacy. Together, we will explore how early childhood literacy efforts in The Winnetka Public Schools align with current best practices, as well as the Tenets of Progressive Education:Whole Child Approach, Experiential and Meaningful Learning, and Collaborative Community. Parents will leave with a greater understanding of what to expect in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, as well as how to best support their budding readers at home.

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Feedback Link

School Hours:

8:20am | Morning supervision begins

8:30am | School Doors open

8:37am | School promptly begins

2:10pm | Extended day kindergarten dismissal (Monday-Friday)

2:45pm | Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play kindergarten dismissal (Mondays only)

3:15pm | Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play kindergarten dismissal (Tuesday-Friday)

Office Email: gordonschreiber@winnetka36.org

Location: 275 Fairview Avenue Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-6060