Greeley Greeting
August 20, 2024
Dear Families,
Even though last week was just three days long, it was filled with meaningful moments here at Greeley! Together, we completed three of our Safety Week drills, and we ended on a joyful note with High Five Friday alongside our Winnetka Police and Fire Department. Thank you for bringing your energy and spirit to these special community traditions. We also loved seeing so many of you at Go to School Night—it was wonderful to share a glimpse of the learning and experiences your children will engage in this year.
Looking ahead, students will participate in benchmark assessments with their classroom teachers and complete our annual Hearing and Vision screenings. A reminder that there is no school this Thursday in observance of Yom Kippur. For those in our community who celebrate, G’mar chatima tovah.
Lastly, today is the final day to register for Fall Kindergarten Stay and Play, bus transportation, and iPad accidental damage/lost/stolen coverage. If you’d like to register, please see the Repeated Information section of this newsletter for details.
In partnership,
Principal Kopinski
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Instructions on how to access for our new conference scheduling platform, Parents’ Meeting, were sent to families on September 25. We encourage you to attempt logging in ahead of time so that you’re ready when scheduling begins. These instructions have also been placed in your PowerSchool Parent Portal Document Library in case you cannot find the email or the link has expired. Conference sign-ups will be available from October 3 at 12:00 PM through October 28 at 12:00 PM (CT). If you experience any difficulty with logging in, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at help@winnetka36.org.
Spotlight on Art
In art, every Greeley student is creating a person-shaped about me tessellation piece. As they are fitted together, the overall effect shows how we are ALL DIFFERENT yet ALL CONNECTED. At Greeley, we are a family. Students have been excited to not only try to find themselves in the greater image but to also see tessellations made by their teachers and other staff members. Watch for the completed project the next time you are in the building!
Ms. Lizzie Ramirez, Greeley's new art teacher
Spotlight on Music
In Music Class, Greeley students have been actively playing and engaging in singing and making music together. All students have used boomwhackers (tuned percussion tubes), mallet keyboards, tubano hand drums, and bucket drums to express their creativity and play with their fellow classmates.
This week, information and permission slips will be passed out to the fourth grade students for Greeley’s Fourth Grade Chorus. Greeley’s Fourth Grade Chorus meets Tuesday mornings in the Greeley Theatre at 8:00 am.
I am so excited to have another amazing year with your young musicians!
All the Best,
Brian Urquhart
Winnetka Parent’s Institute (WPI) Schedule 25/26
Progressive Tenets in Action: Whole Child Approach
October 15, 2025
9:30 A.M.
Location: SK Community Room
Join the first in a three-part series that will explore the District’s Progressive Education Tenets. Learn about what a Whole Child Approach means and how it comes alive in our classrooms.
Interested:
Following the event a link will be provided to the taped presentation on the website.
For Families of Kindergarteners and First Graders
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent of The Winnetka Public Schools, and Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood invite you to join a parent education opportunity focused on Early Childhood and the primary years of elementary school. We will take an hour to provide an overview of what support for our youngest learners looks like in Winnetka, resources that are available to you as parents through the District and North Shore Area (i.e. the Alliance) and how we seek your partnership, especially in these first few years of school.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Greeley School Resource Center
275 Fairview Ave., Winnetka
Optional Fees & Services – Deadline: Monday, September 29, 2025
✅ Visit the Web Store for more information and to register or purchase optional services.
iPad Accidental Damage or Lost/Stolen Coverage
Students in grades K–8 may purchase iPad coverage for $30. This plan covers accidental damage or the loss/theft of a device.
Important: Coverage must be purchased by Monday, September 29, 2025. After this date, it will no longer be available for current students.
Transportation Service
Bus registration reopened September 15, 2025 at a flat fee of $550 for:
· One-way AM service
· One-way PM service
· Two-way service
Please note:
· There is no longer a separate fee for one-way vs. two-way service.
· Discounts for multiple riders in the same household are no longer offered.
· One-way service is limited to morning only or afternoon only (not a combination).
Important: Bus service must be purchased by Monday, September 29, 2025. After this date, it will no longer be available for current students.
Kindergarten Stay & Play
Stay & Play offers supervised play for kindergarten students during the time between their dismissal and the regular end of the school day:
· 2:10 – 3:15 p.m. (Tuesday–Friday)
· 2:10 – 2:45 p.m. (Monday)
Supervision is provided by non-certified staff.
Important: The deadline to purchase Kindergarten Stay & Play for currently enrolled students is Monday, September 29, 2025. Registration will reopen in mid-December for families who wish to enroll for the second half of the year.
HEARING AND VISION SCREENING ANNOUNCEMENT
Vision and hearing screenings will be conducted at Greeley starting on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. The following students will be screened as mandated by the State of Illinois. “Vision screening is not a substitute for a complete eye and vision evaluation by an eye doctor. Your child is not required to undergo this vision screening if an optometrist or ophthalmologist has completed and signed a report form indicating that an examination has been administered within the previous 12 months”(Section 27-8.1 of the School Code).
Benchmark Assessments
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.
This year students in Grades K-8 will participate in academic benchmark assessments of literacy, math and social emotional learning starting September 25-October 10. On October 20, results will be emailed home, available in the PowerSchool Parent Portal, as well as online via Otus.com.
E-Scooter and Other Motor-Driven Vehicle Regulations Effective Immediately
At the September 16 Village Council meeting, an ordinance was passed regulating the use of motor-driven vehicles, including electric scooters (e-scooters) and motor-driven cycles* (commonly known as e-dirt bikes or e-motos). This ordinance is effective immediately and violations can result in a fine: both to the violator and their responsible parent, when applicable.
Operators of e-scooters must be at least 18 years of age and possess a valid driver’s license: this is in alignment with State of Illinois legislation regarding low-speed e-scooters. Operators of motor-driven vehicles must be at least 16 years of age, possess a valid driver’s license, and have the vehicle properly titled and registered. In either case, it is a violation to alter the vehicle’s original manufacturer’s design to change its speed, method of propulsion, braking, or other operations. It is also unlawful for more than one person to ride on an e-scooter or other motor-driven vehicle.
Both e-scooters and other motor-driven vehicles cannot be driven on public sidewalks or within Village-owned parks, in Village-owned or Village-maintained parking lots, or on the Green Bay Trail.
Contact Us
Office Email: danarahkhem@winnetka36.org
Location: 275 Fairview Avenue Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-6060