Crow Island Parent Newsletter

Dear Crow Island Families,

We are so thankful for our PTO hosting our parent and staff gathering on Friday night. It was so nice to catch up with each other in a social setting and really sets the tone for a wonderful spring. Many thanks to our hosts and volunteers who helped organize. This week, we are looking forward to seeing our 1st and 2nd Grade families for our annual spring sing. We can't wait to celebrate our students and their creativity!

I wanted to make a plug for you to complete the parent 5 Essential Survey. The information is used to help us set goals for each year and reviewed by our school team. Also, the participation in the survey is part of our IL school report card score. Please, take 5 minutes to complete the survey. Right now, we are at 33% participation and we want to be much closer to 100%! Your feedback is valuable so please see below for more information on how to complete the survey.

Have a great week!

Luke

March:

• Friday, March 14: 4th Grade Immigration Week Lunch
• Thursday, March 13th: Spring Sings, 1st Grade 5:45 pm, 2nd Grade 6:45 pm
• Friday, March 21st: Spring Break Starts
• Monday, March 31st: School Resumes

April:

• Thursday, April 3: STEAM Expo Grade 2-4
• Tuesday, April 8: IAR Assessment Grade 3 & 4
• Wednesday, April 9: IAR Assessment Grade 3 & 4
• Thursday, April 10: IAR Assessment Grade 3 & 4

Monday Spirit Days:

As a reminder, every Monday is considered a Crow Island Spirit Wear Day. Staff and students are encouraged to participate.

Student Attendance:

One area of focus for our school continues to be around student attendance and making sure students are at school as much as possible. The research around attendance is clear, students with higher absences are less likely to be proficient in learning and are also more likely not feel a strong sense of belonging. We will continue to track our attendance and share out when the numbers dip.

• Average Attendance the week of Feb 14, 2025 | 95% 👍
• Average Attendance the week of Feb 17, 2024 | 91%👎
• Average Attendance the week of Feb 28th, 2024 | 95%👍
• Average Attendance the week of Feb 28th, 2024 | 97%👍

5 Essentials Parent Survey:

The 5 Essentials Parent survey is open for parent participation.Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement efforts. All responses are completely confidential and will never be linked back to you or your child. Participation in the paren survey is part of the rating, so please take time to participate.

• Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
• The survey closes on March 28th.

1st & 2nd Grade Spring Sings:

It's almost time for the 1st and 2nd grade spring sing! We look forward to seeing you on Thursday evening.

1st Grade Show: 5:45PM

2nd Grade Show: 6:45PM

First graders create a show based on a children's book of their choice. This year, after students suggested many wonderful books, Nanette's Baguette by Mo Willems was the clear winner! In the story, you'll hear about Nanette's biggest responsibility yet- to go to the bakery to get the baguette! But is she ready yet? What happens after she visits Baker Juliette? Will mom be upset? Don't fret! Come see this charming story about how everyone makes mistakes, and how we can all benefit from the simple pleasures in life.

Second graders create a show based on something nonfictional. This year, in a collaboration with our entire related arts department, the second graders have created a bilingual musical in Spanish and English about the true story of Benito the giraffe, who is moved to Puebla, Mexico from Juarez in order to make new friends. Second graders have been researching giraffes, animal habitats, and Mariachi music to inform their script and songwriting. This special idea for a musical was sparked by a children's book written by our very own Senora Landor!

Monthly Observances | March| Women's History Month:

Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture and society and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. Women’s History Month is a dedicated month to reflect on the often-overlooked contributions of women to United States history. From Abigail Adams to Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth to Rosa Parks, the timeline of women’s history milestones stretches back to the founding of the United States.

Dimension of Belonging | March | Supported:

The Dimension of Belonging featured in March is “Supported” and monthly observances include Women’s History Month. Learn more by reading the Belonging Means… Newsletter which features contributions from Greeley School and the Department of Innovation, Teaching and Learning.

Erin's Law:

This is a state-mandated sexual abuse prevention education during one 20-30 minute session in each classroom. Parents have the option to opt their children out of the program as they deem appropriate by completing this form by March 14th. For more detailed information about Erin's Law, including curriculum content and zoom opportunity with social work staff, please refer to the Erin’s Law page of the District website or by contacting your school’s social worker, Susan Johnson. You can also learn more about Erin's Law or ask questions about the classroom lessons, join the K-4 school social workers on March 11, 2025, from 11:30-12:15 using the link below.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/5257282502?pwd=OXJGaoBDD3grTpj79R7ygFJF8fvc8O.1
Meeting ID: 525 728 2502
Passcode: Crow

STEAM EXPO:

We are excited to host our annual Crow Island STEAM Expo! The Expo will take place on Thursday, April 3rd. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore a topic they are personally interested in learning more about.

Students in grades 2-4 are invited to participate in creating a project. 4th Graders may choose to work with a partner or individually. Participants will present their projects to staff and students during the school day and to parents in the evening from 6:00-7:00 PM.

We hope your student will consider participating! Please complete this form so that we can plan appropriately. Read STEAM Information and Guidelines HERE and HERE.

Right at School |Discovery Clubs | Survey:

Please take a minute to fill out the below survey to help us improve our after-school Discovery Club programming run by Right at School. Your honest feedback is very beneficial to the PTO and D36 to help improve the after school programming. Right at School Survey

Winnetka Parent Institute:

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

Up Next:

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

March 12, 2025

9:30 AM

The Skokie School Community Room

Join Principal Cooney and Assistant Principal Joynt (The Skokie School) and Principal Fenton and Assistant Principal Horwitz (Carleton Washburne School) for an informational session focusing on the ins and outs of the growing middle school child. We will spend time exploring both the academic and social-emotional needs appropriate to 5th-8th grade children, how they change over that four year span, as well as the neurological changes that contribute to these needs. Parents with current middle schoolers, or soon-to-be middle schoolers, are encouraged to join us for an engaging, encouraging and educational hour together.

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)

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

Season 3, Episode #7:

“Be Where Your Feet Are”: Benefits of Cell Phone-Free Schools

A bold decision was made in The Winnetka Public Schools to counter the growing disruption of personal technology in our learning environments. Yondr, a secure storage system for personal technology was implemented in grades 5-8 in September 2024. Dr. Kelly Tess is joined by Flossmoor School District 161 Superintendent, Dr. Dana Smith, who spearheaded the adoption of this program in Illinois. The conversation touches on research highlighted in the recent bestseller The Anxious Generation, including the impact of cell phone use on adolescents’ neurological development and mental health. Special guests, Carleton Washburne School students Ellie and Lulu, share their candid thoughts on the “new normal” in middle school in Winnetka. The upshot: “I feel like its not that big of a deal…you get used to it.”

Listen here:

Apple Podcast

Amazon

Spotify

iHeart

Homework Tips & Tricks for Parents
The Homework & Executive Functioning Network has compiled a list of tips and tricks to support students and parents with homework success at home. Review the list here!

Kindergarten Registration:

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2025/2026 will begin November 18, 2024. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2025, 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.

Adventures in Learning:

Get ready for an exciting Summer 2025 filled with opportunities for growth and learning! We are thrilled to offer a dynamic range of Adventures in Learning (AIL) programs, including Discover, Extended School Year, and Academic Intervention Classes. These programs are designed to provide enriching educational experiences and support for students throughout the summer months.

The Winnetka Public Schools will host summer programs at Greeley and Hubbard Woods Elementary schools from June 23 to July 24, 2025. There will be no class on Friday, July 4. The hours are 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Registration opens March 3, 2025. Details are here.

Single-Subject and Grade Level Acceleration

The Accelerated Placement Act requires Illinois public school districts to adopt and implement policies on acceleration that provide opportunities for single subject and grade level acceleration. To learn more about District 36’s acceleration policy implementation view this infographic or visit our updated webpage. The request form for accelerated programming in the 2025/26 school year is now open; the request form window is February 24-March 21. If you have questions about the policy, please contact the Asst Supt of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Dr. Becky Mathison, at beckymathison@winnetka36.org.

Counted Out - Math Documentary Screening (run through April 7)

On April 8 from 6:00-8:00 p.m., a free community showing of the documentary Counted Out will be held in the Skokie Auditorium, followed by a brief facilitated discussion with participants. If you are interested in attending, please register here.

About the film:
“Counted Out” investigates the biggest crises of our time. Political polarization. Racial biases. Social injustice. Economic inequity. Climate change. And a global pandemic. All viewed through a previously unseen lens: math.

In our current information economy, math is everywhere.The people we date, the news we see, the influence of our votes, the candidates who win elections, the education we can access, the jobs we get is all underwritten by an invisible layer of math that few of us understand, or even notice.

But whether we know it or not, our numeric literacy — whether we can speak the language of math — is a critical determinant of social and economic power.

Through a mosaic of personal stories, expert interviews, and scenes of math transformation in action, “Counted Out” shows what’s at risk if we keep the status quo. Do we want an America in which most of us don’t consider ourselves “math people?” Where math proficiency goes down as students grow up? Or do we want a country where everyone can understand the math that undergirds our society — and can help shape it?

The film’s voices include the late civil rights icon Robert Moses as well as Talithia Williams, associate professor of mathematics at Harvey Mudd University and TEDx speaker of “Own Your Body’s Data,” Julia Angwin, investigative journalist and founder of Proof, Steven Levitt, co-author of “Freakonomics.”

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

Email: christinedemas-hall@winnetka36.org
Website: https://crowisland.winnetka36.org/
Location: 1112 Willow Road Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-0353
Twitter: @CrowIslandD36