Crow Island Parent Newsletter

Dear Crow Island Families,

It was wonderful seeing so many families come out to participate in the Steam Expo last week. Our students creativity and expertise was on full display as students shared their learning with peers and families.

There are three more reminders this week that I wanted to put on your radar.

• There is an opportunity on Monday for families to provide input on the Crow Island Principal search.
• The 3rd and 4th Graders will be taking the IAR Assessment on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. A message will be going out to parents about what they can do to help support students.

• We are starting to think of classroom placement and the form is linked for parent input below.

Take care,

Luke

April:

• Monday, April 7: Parent Input for Principal Search (see below)
• 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
• Friday, April 18: Good Friday - No School
• Friday, April 25: Early Dismissal 11:20am; Teacher Institute Day Afternoon

May

• Thursday, May 1: Spring Sing for Gr 3 and 4 (evening)
• Monday, May 5: Start of Teacher Appreciation Week
• Tuesday, May 13: Map Testing Gr 3 and 4 Reading
• Wednesday, May 14: Map Testing Gr 3 and 4 Math
• Thursday, May 15: Camp Edwards Gr 4
• Monday, May 26: No School Memorial Day

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, 2025 | 91%👎
• Average Attendance the week of Feb 28th, 2025 | 95%👍
• Average Attendance the week of March 3, 2025 | 97%👍
• Average Attendance the week of March 10, 2025 | 97%👍
• Average Attendance the week of March 17, 2025 | 87%👎
• Average Attendance the week of March 31, 2025 | 94%👎

Parent Input Form | Class Placement:

We are starting to think of class placement for next year. If you would like to share information about some unique aspects of your child’s learning styles or academic/social concerns that need to be considered then you will complete the form below. Please note that specific teacher requests will not be honored. Thank you for trusting our professional judgment as we create wonderful learning experiences for every Crow Island student. Crow Island Parent Input Form 2025-2026

Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR):

IAR Assessment Dates- grades 3-8

In early April the district will administer the state-mandated assessment, Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). The IAR includes complex tasks in reading and math that require strategic reasoning, extended investigation, and writing.

The IAR will be administered to students in Grades 3 through 8 from April 2 - 17, 2025. Individual teachers or schools will send details concerning specific dates and times of testing sessions. District curriculum, which is aligned with the Common Core and Illinois State Priority Standards, exposes students to the content and skills presented on the IAR throughout the school year. In the weeks before the tests, teachers will familiarize students with the computer platform and question format used in the IAR test platform to ensure that students feel comfortable with the test interface.

Information regarding IAR can also be found on the District website. If you have additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact your principal.

Reminder: Principal Search Focus Groups for Parents TONIGHT

Monday, April 7

5:00-6:00 p.m. at Crow Island School in the Auditorium

OR

7:30-8:30 p.m. (via zoom)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/87477248620?jst=2#success

ID: 87477248620

Passcode: 915352

We ask that you only attend one session to ensure all voices are heard equitably.

Winnetka School Board - Call for School Board Applications:

Due to a resignation announced at our March 2025 School Board meeting, we currently have an open seat on the Board that is to be seated this month to fulfill the final two years of that term. Per Board policy 2:70, the remaining term was less than 868 days, and the resignation was less than 88 days until the next election (April 1, 2025); therefore, the Board shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the open term.

The Board will be accepting applications from community members seeking to fill the open role through April 10th at 5 p.m. Qualifications to seek a Board seat are noted in Board Policy 2:40. The application can be found here.

After the application window closes, the Board will select candidates to interview in a closed session on either April 17th from 6:00-8:30 p.m. or April 18th from 8:00-10:30 a.m. Selected candidates may choose to meet with the Board in person or via Zoom.

The Board will discuss the final candidates and select a new Board member in time to be sworn in at the organizational meeting of the Board on April 22, 2025.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Board President, Dan Waters at danwaters@winnetka36.org.

Spotlight on Related Arts | Music

In Kindergarten music, we continue to learn about musical opposites! We're focusing on high/low and same/different. Learning about musical opposites is a great way to build musical vocabulary and understanding!

First Graders are beginning to learn about the four instrument families. We're playing games, learning about what makes each instrument family unique, playing some instruments in class, and learning about musical artists who play the instruments we're studying. Now that second graders have finished their Spring Sing, they've begun to experience Studio Time! Studio Time is a way for students to have hands-on time composing with the instruments in class to a teacher-led prompt. With the school under construction, students will be creating a project based on construction sounds, using Garageband to record their compositions to share in class.

Third and Fourth graders are busy working on their Spring Sings! As of now, they are very much still in the creating phase- writing their scripts, crafting their lyrics, and composing their songs. We're very excited to share it with an audience next month!

Monthly Observances | April | Arab American History Month:

Arab American Heritage Month takes place in April. It celebrates the Arab American heritage and culture and pays tribute to the contributions of Arab Americans and Arabic-speaking Americans.

Winnetka Parents Institute Sessions

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

Up Next:

Homework and Executive Functioning Support in The Winnetka Public Schools

April 9, 2025

9:30 A.M.

Location: Washburne RC

This session will highlight the work that is being done to better support our students in the area of executive functioning and how the District’s philosophy and expectations on homework will be experienced by our students.

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

• 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

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

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.

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