Crow Island Parent Newsletter

February 19, 2024

Dear Crow Island Families,

We had a blast last week celebrating Valentine's Day at Crow Island. We want to thank our PTO Room Parents for the support and helping us celebrate in each classroom.

This week, we have a lot going on in all grade levels. 2nd grade Flat People (Flat Stanley) have left Crow Island and should be appearing all over the place and I know they are looking forward to seeing the adventures. Third graders are immersed in pioneering and fourth graders are deep into the immigration units.

Have a great week!

Luke Livingston

Principal

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Friday, March 1st: 4th Grade Immigration Lunch
Friday, March 1st: PTO Parent/Teacher Party 5:30pm
Wednesday, March 6th: 1st & 2nd Grade Crow Island Math Night, 6:30–7:30 PM
Thursday, March 7th: 3rd & 4th Grade Crow Island Math Night, 6:30–7:30 PM
Monday, March 25th: No School, Spring Break
Monday, April 1st: School Resumes
Thursday, April 4th: STEAM Expo 6:00pm
Tuesday, April 9th: Illinois Assessment Readiness (IAR) Grade 3 and 4 Starts

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Monday Spirit Days:

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

WPSF Phone-A-Thon Fundraiser Is Here!

On March 10, Winnetka Public Schools Foundation board members will be reaching out to D36 parents and community members by phone, text and email to secure donations for the coming year. The goal is to raise $85,000 during Phone-A-Thon so that WPSF can continue to fund grants to promote teaching innovation. Every donation makes a difference in our schools! Donate online by March 9, to “Beat the Call.” With your support, WPSF can continue to invest in our students, teachers, schools and community and fund grants to enhance the learning experience for every Winnetka D36 student.

https://www.wpsf.org

Clean Up Club | Sunday's at 3pm

Come join the Leachman’s (Edie and Gus) as they have created a “Clean Up Club” for Crow Island School. The club meets every Sunday at 3pm. You can learn more here: Clean Up Club

End-of-School Date Change

Note that the last day of our school year will now fall on Friday, June 14, 2024. This is due to the emergency day taken when we experienced a winter storm last week.

2024/2025 Calendar Now Available

Families may now access the calendar for the upcoming school year, also available on our District website.

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, click here to view an infographic and click here to visit our updated webpage. Note that the acceleration request form will be open February 26-March 22. If you have questions about the policy, please contact the Asst Supt of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Dr. Becky Mathison, at beckymathison@winnetka36.org.

Online Pre-Registration for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2024/2025 School Year Now Open

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2024/2025 will open on November 13, 2023. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2024, 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.

Please note: There are two steps to completing new student registration. Step 1: Complete the online pre-registration form; Step 2: Visit the District Office (1235 Oak Street) to provide the following:

Proof of residency. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements. For your convenience residency documents may be uploaded during online registration.
Original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID.

Completing both steps (online and in-person) is required for your child(ren) to be enrolled as new students.

Why are both steps necessary? In January of each year, the District begins preparing its budget and staffing plan for the upcoming school year. For grades, other than Kindergarten/1st grade, the staffing plan is based on the assumption that all current students will return and matriculate to the next grade level. For kindergarten and first grade students, the District forecasts enrollment based on those students that have both the in-person and online forms submitted. These early enrollments impact the staffing plan by determining the number of kindergarten/1st grade sections and student services needed. For this reason, we ask that parent(s)/guardian(s) complete BOTH steps of pre-registration BEFORE January 12, 2024. As an added incentive new students that have completed the two step pre-registration process by January 12, 2024, will receive a credit of $40.00 toward student fees for the 2024/2025 school year.

Thank you for doing your part to ensure that the District is able to retain and/or attract the best educators for our students.

Coffee with Kelly

Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent of Schools, invites you to the first “Coffee with Kelly,” a community conversation that will be hosted at our schools over the remaining months of the school year. Staff, families and community members are welcome to join Dr. Tess and a special guest for co-facilitated discussions on topics of interest, providing an opportunity to gather together, listen to each other’s perspectives and enhance our partnership to educate the students of Winnetka.

The first “Coffee with Kelly” will center on the topic of Gathering. Dr. Tess will be joined by Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood for a conversation on:

fostering social connections for our students,
supporting community members craving connection,
learning about how staff and families feel linked or out of synch with each other,
and reflecting on how caring for others can be both nourishing and depleting.

This is an opportunity to converse, connect, learn, and grow together!

Guests are invited to:

Read an excerpt from Nourished: Connection, Food, and Caring for Our Kids (And Everyone Else We Love) by Deborah MacNamara PhD
and/or watch this interview with the author
and/or come as you are, excited to engage with your childrens’ teachers, your neighbors, and your school leaders!

Wednesday, February 28 from 12 p.m.-1:00 p.m.

Greeley School Resource Center,

275 Fairview Ave., Winnetka

Please RSVP by February 25, 2024.

All staff and parents (including grandparents and caregivers!) are welcome. You do not need to be a Greeley family or staff member to attend. Coffee will be served!

From our Partners at New Trier:

The tradition continues – fun for the whole family at Winter Carnival!

On Friday, February 23 from 5-8:30 p.m., the New Trier Senior Class is hosting its annual Winter Carnival, during which the entire Class of 2024 will work with their adviser rooms to transform the Winnetka Campus into various carnival attractions for children. Carnival-goers can expect everything from the classics, like Pop-A-Shot and Putt Putt Golf, to more unique activity booths, such as Glitter World Salon and Human Bowling. Admission at the North main entrance (along Trevian Way) is free and activity tickets are $1 each. Parking is free, and is available in the lots on the east side of the school as well as in any space marked "New Trier High School" in the Indian Hill lot adjacent to the Metra lot at Winnetka Avenue and Green Bay Road.

This year’s carnival will also feature an optional Magic Show, raffle, and more! Purchase tickets for the Liam the Magic Man Magic Show from 5-5:30 ($10 per family) here: https://newtrier.revtr

ak.net/fundraising/fundraising-senior-class/liam-the-magic-man-s-magic-show/

All proceeds benefit the 2024 Senior Class Service Project, Embarc Chicago, which provides “real-world experiential learning accompanied by a state of the art in-class curriculum to change the trajectories of students’ lives.”

Winnetka Voices

Season 2, Episode #4: What is Project Based Learning?

Think back to a favorite project you experienced when you were a student. Was there something about it that was highly engaging, unique, and allowed you freedom to discover and explore your own interests? Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, has a conversation with Carleton Washburne School students, Ms. Tip Walker (The Skokie School), and Ms. Jennifer Bertacchi (Carleton Washburne School) reflecting on the profound impact of Project Based Learning on education. This episode provides a window into how Project Based Learning is designed by teachers, experienced by students and connects to learning standards. As stated by a student interviewed about a recent Project Based Learning activity, “This really prepared me for what I may be able to do in the future.” To see the website built by these students as one of their public products visit this link.

Listen here:

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.

Winnetka Parents Institute

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics.

Click here for the Winter/Spring 2024 schedule. Up next:

From Washburne to New Trier: (Paul Waechtler, Principal)

A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition

March 6, 2024

10:00-11:00 A.M.

Washburne RC

Carleton Washburne School

RSVP here.

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