Greeley Greeting

Dear Families,

It’s hard to believe, but planning for the next school year is already underway here at Winnetka Public Schools! Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming some prospective families to Greeley during our Kindergarten Information Night. If you missed this event and would like more information, please see the Winnetka Parent Institute link below to watch a recording of the event.

For those of you with incoming kindergartners, we encourage you to start the registration process today. Additionally, if you know of any neighbors or friends with children entering kindergarten, please encourage them to start the registration process as well. Starting the registration process helps us plan more effectively, ensuring we have the right number of sections, staff, and materials. If we need to hire additional staff, early registration allows us to access a wider pool of qualified candidates. Information on how to start the registration process is included below.

Even if you don’t have an incoming kindergartner, you can still help us plan for the future. This is the final week to complete the parent survey for our strategic planning process. Your input is invaluable in shaping the district’s priorities for the coming years. The survey link is provided below.

Thank you for your continued support!

In partnership,

Principal Kopinski

January

• 1/31 Otus Parent Portal Opens (Winter Benchmarking Data)

February

• 2/3-2/28 Greeley Adopt a Gorilla Change Drive (benefitting Lincoln Park Zoo)
• 2/12 Winnetka Parent Institute: From Washburne to New Trier, 9:30am at Washburne
• 2/14 Valentine's Day
• 2/20 No School-Parent Teacher Conferences
• 2/21 No School-Parent Teacher Conferences
• 2/24 Acceleration Request Window opens

March

• 3/7 End of Trimester 2
• 3/10 Start of Trimester 3
• 3/13 Greeley PTO STEAM Night, information to follow
• 3/24-3/28 Spring Break

Our fourth graders are working closely with RC director Brenda Glenn to organize a change drive to raise money in order to adopt a Gorilla at the Lincoln Park Zoo. Fourth graders will be rewarded with a special field trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo later this spring if they meet their fundraising goals. Start saving your change now, and stay tuned for more details.

• If your child is participating in a Valentine’s exchange, please ensure they bring one for each of their classmates. Teachers can provide a “first name list” only to ensure accurate class counts.

• Many teachers in our younger grades prefer that students only write their own name on each Valentine to make it easier for your child to distribute Valentines. Please see classroom newsletters for specific information from your child's teacher.

• Avoid sending in any food (including candy) to come with Valentines. The district has a no food policy to support our students who have a variety of food allergies.

• You can send in small items with a Valentine’s that are non-food related.

Dr. Kelly Tess chats with Department of Communications, Safety & Security leaders, Mr. Ray Finnerty (Director of Safety & Security in his first year in the District) and Ms. Kate Hughes (Director of Communications in her tenth year in the District). A retired police officer and former publicist seem to be an unlikely team–and what purpose does this Department serve? Mr. Finnerty shares how he has enhanced safety and security practices with the support of the Winnetka Police and Fire Departments. Ms. Hughes shares how the District’s communication strategies have evolved to align with current best practices, serving as a model for other Districts, as well as garnering six awards from the National School Public Relations Association between 2023-2024 and a record 65 awards from the Illinois School Public Relations Association since 2015.

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.

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

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iHeart

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. View the entire 2024/2025 schedule here.

Up Next:

From Washburne to New Trier: A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition

February 12, 2025

9:30 A.M.

Location: Carleton Washburne School RC

Join Paul Waechtler, Principal at the New Trier High School Freshman

Campus, who will discuss the New Trier freshman placement process and the efforts made to ensure a smooth transition to high school. A Q & A will provide an opportunity for parents to learn more about how to best support their child(ren) as they prepare for their New Trier experience.

Interested:

RSVP here

If you missed it, view videos from past sessions:

• Insights on K-8 Literacy Programming in The Winnetka Public Schools

• What to Know About the Otus Parent Portal

• AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 5-8

• Understanding the IEP and 504 Processes: From Referral to Eligibility and Services (with Ms. Denise Matthews, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, Equity and Inclusion, and Ms. Jackie Schwartz, Director of Student Services, Equity and Inclusion)

• Acceleration Applications Overview with Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Teaching and Learning Dr. Becky Mathison

• Preschool/Kindergarten Family Information Night (with Winnetka Administration and Sue Stolzer, Early Childhood Assessment Team Lead from TrueNorth)

Please welcome Alex Childs to Greeley School starting this Wednesday! She will joining us as a part time social worker on Wednesday afternoons and full days on Thursdays. We look forward to welcoming her to our team.

Teachers will send out sign ups for the February 20th and 21st Parent Teacher Conferences on Monday, February 3rd by 3:00pm. Please check your email on this date to sign up for conferences with your child(ren)'s teacher(s).

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 occur three times this year for students in grades K-8. The Winter Benchmark Assessments started on January 6th and concluded on January 24th. 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 January 31, 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 January 6-January 30.

Building Data Team meetings to review the Winter Benchmarking data will occur February 3-14.

For help with understanding what questions you can answer in Otus, access Otus for Parents.

Additional Otus Parent Resources

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