Greeley Greeting

August 20, 2024

Week of December 2, 2024

Principal's Message

Dear Families,

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break filled with joy, rest, and quality time with loved ones. As we return to school, the weeks ahead are always a special time, with opportunities for growth, celebration, and community activities, including this week's PTO Book Fair, our Parent Coffee Talk on Tuesday, and our Winter Sharing events on Wednesday, December 18th. Thank you for your continued partnership in making our school a vibrant and nurturing place for all.

Warmly,

Principal Kopinski

Upcoming Dates

December

12/2 Beginning of Trimester 2
12/3 Parent Coffee Talk, 9:00 a.m. (see flyer below)
12/3-12/5 Greeley PTO Book Fair
12/9-12/13 Spirit Week (planned by Fourth Grade Spirit Squad)
12/10 Trimester 1 Progress Reports Available
12/18 Winter Sharing Concerts (see times below)
12/23-1/3 Winter Break

January

1/6 School Reopens
1/6-1/24 Winter Benchmarking
1/20 No School (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
1/31 Otus Parent Portal Opens (Winter Benchmarking Data)

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New Information

Save Time by Pre-Registering Your ID Now for December School Events

In advance of holiday events, we strongly encourage all parents/family members to proactively make a visit to your school to get your ID (Driver’s License) registered in our Raptor System or fill out this form at your earliest convenience (one per guest). This system allows the District to conduct an immediate background check on visitors during school hours so we can ensure that all those within our school buildings are safe and clear to be there. This must be done for each event you are attending; previous Raptor registrations will not suffice for future events. By taking care of this in advance of a holiday event, you should experience a more efficient entry process. If you are unable to do this in advance, remember to bring your drivers license or state ID the day of the event and arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the event in order to register.

Greeley Winter Sharing Events (Grades K-4):

Wednesday, December 18th at 9:00 a.m. for students with last name starting with A-H

Wednesday, December 18th at 10:30 a.m. for students with last name starting with I-Q

Wednesday, December 18th at 1:00 p.m. for students with last name starting with R-Z

Congratulations Ms. Park!

Ms. Park, our entrance monitor, has accepted a new position as an administrative assistant in the nearby Avoca district. Her last day with us at Greeley will this Friday, December 6th. We are proud of her for taking this exciting next step in her career. Please join me in congratulating her and wishing her all the best in this new chapter.

We have posted the entrance monitor position, and will work to ensure a smooth transition once a quality candidate is hired. We appreciate your support during this transition period by ensuring that you pre-register for our upcoming Winter Sharing event on December 18th. See above for details.

Winter Recess

We plan to go outside whenever possible for recess. Our rule of thumb is “when in doubt, we go out.” That said, the weather is getting colder and we ask for families to partner with us to ensure students are prepared to go outside. Our ask is that you take a look at the weather in the morning and send students with the gear needed to head outside even in the colder weather.

When is it too cold to go outside for recess?

Only in the event of very cold days will we not be going outside for recess. In the morning, we will closely monitor the temperature and if the “feels like” temperature falls at 10 degrees or below we will plan for indoor recess. That said, if the day is sunny and students have winter gear we may head outside for a few minutes of fresh air. Please check with your teacher or administrator if you have questions.

Below are resources we use as guidance for our district to determine if we are outside or staying inside for recess.

How do we monitor the weather?

We will use the Weather Channel to monitor the weather. This gives us our “feels like” temperature.

We use the ISBE windchill guide for guidance.

Car Signs

As the weather gets colder and we have more families choosing to use the pickup lane after school, please do your part to help our lines move quickly and efficiently by prominently displaying your placard or a sign with your child(ren)'s last name. This helps all staff working outside to get students into cars faster.

December's Dimension of Belonging: Known

The Dimension of Belonging featured in December is “Known” and monthly observances include Human Rights Month, Hannukah, and Christmas. Learn more by reading the Belonging Means… Newsletter which features contributions from The Skokie School and the Department of Communications, Safety & Security.

This week: PTO Book Fair

The Greeley PTO book fair begins tomorrow, Tuesday, December 3rd! As a reminder, students will visit the book fair with their class on Wednesday or Thursday with the Kindergarten preview on Tuesday. They’ll have the chance to purchase books or create a wishlist to take home. If you'd like your child to purchase books, please send them to school with cash in a labeled bag or envelope.

Hardcover books are priced around $17.99–$19.99, and softcover books are $7.99–$10.99. There will also be books available from teacher wishlists and free gift wrapping is available.

Book Fair Hours:

Tuesday, December 3rd: 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Wednesday, December 4th: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday, December 5th: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Reminders from Last Week

Fourth Grade Spirit Squad Week

Our October fourth grade PTO representatives expressed interest in planning a Spirit Week for our school. We are excited to share their plans with you, and hope that your child(ren) will show their support for our fourth graders by participating!

Winter Session of Pokemon Club

The Pokemon Club winter session is coming soon! Here is the flyer with more information. Registration will open on December 3rd on the District 36 Web Store.

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:

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)

December 11, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: The Skokie School Community Room

This informational session is intended for Winnetka parents who would like to learn more about IEP and 504 services and processes. Parents will be informed about the referral and eligibility process as well the support and services that the District provides to students in grades K-8. This information is intended to assist parents with making informed decisions for IEP and 504 support.

Interested:

RSVP for this event 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

Online Pre-Registration for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2025/2026 School Year is Now Open

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2025/2026 began on 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.