Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

I hope this message finds you well and enjoying (hopefully) the last days of winter! As we move through March, our school continues to be filled with energy, growth, and meaningful opportunities for connection.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of our families who participated in the 5Essentials Survey over the past few weeks. We are thrilled to share that Greeley reached 32% parent participation, a significant increase from 17.4% last year. Your voices truly matter, and this level of engagement helps us better understand our strengths and areas for growth as a school community. We are grateful for your partnership and your investment in Greeley.

I also want to share a heartfelt thank you to our PTO and the many parent volunteers who helped make last week’s STEAM Night such a success. It was incredible to see our students engaged, curious, and excited about learning. We are so appreciative of the time, creativity, and care that went into planning such a meaningful experience for our community. A special thank you as well to our staff volunteers—Mrs. Schoeder, Mr. Graf, Mrs. Zaia, Ms. Levy, and student teacher Ms. Griffin—for their support in making the evening run so smoothly.

In this week’s newsletter, you will find several updates and opportunities:

A spotlight from Mr. U with details about our upcoming Spring Sings, which are always a joyful celebration of our students’ talents and hard work.
A reminder that the window to apply for acceleration closes this Friday, for families who may be considering this option.
An important safety reminder from the Village of Winnetka to help keep all of our students and families safe while traveling around the village.
An opportunity to learn more about our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) through information shared by our MTSS Coordinator, highlighting how we support every learner at Greeley.

Warmly,
Lindsay

March

Wednesday 3/18: Progress Reports Released to Families in Powerschool
Friday, 3/27: Half Day for Students (11:20am Dismissal)-Teacher Institute PM
Monday 3/30-Friday, April 3: Spring Break

April

Monday 4/6: School Resumes
Tuesday, 4/7: Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Testing Begins for Grades 3-4
Tuesday, 4/7: District Chorus Concert 7-8pm
Wednesday 4/22: Greeley Strings Concert 6:30-7:30pm
Tuesday, 4/28: 5th Grade Orientation at Skokie School (4th Grade Families) 5:30-7:00pm

May

Friday, 5/1: Half Day for Students (11:20am Dismissal)-Teacher Institute PM
Wednesday, 5/6 through Wednesday, 5/20: Spring Benchmark Assessments
Thursday, 5/21: Spring Sing Grades K, 3, 4 5:30-7:00
Monday, 5/25: No School (Memorial Day)
Tuesday 5/26: Spring Sing Grades 1 and 2, 6:00-7:00pm
Wednesday, 5/27: Kindergarten Parent Open House, 6:15-7:15p, (Incoming K families)

June

Monday 6/1: Spring Benchmark Assessment Results Released to Families (Powerschool and Otus)
Friday, 6/5: Skokie Shadow Day for Grade 4 students
Friday, 6/5: Half Day for Students (11:20am Dismissal)-Teacher Reporting Day
Tuesday, 6/9: Greeley Field Day
Wednesday 6/10: Greeley Field Day Rain Date
Thursday, 6/11: Progress Reports Released to Families, 4th Grade Video and Party 1:30-3:00pm
Monday 6/15: Last Day of School, Half Day for Students (11:20am Dismissal)-Teacher Reporting Day

Greeley School Google Calendar

Lighthouse Moment from the Classroom

Today brought an unexpected and exciting learning moment for our kindergarten students, beautifully connected to their current Winnetka Birds study. During Morning Meeting, Ms. Zaia’s class noticed a woodpecker behaving a bit unusually, staying close to the feeder and tucked out of sight. As they observed more closely, they spotted the reason—a hawk perched above, watching and waiting.

What followed was a wonderful, real-time nature observation that lasted nearly 15 minutes. Ms. Zaia and her students thoughtfully invited other kindergarten classes to join them, turning the moment into a shared learning experience filled with curiosity and excitement.

In the end, a gust of wind moved a nearby branch, sending the hawk on its way, and the woodpecker peacefully returned to its breakfast. It was a perfect example of authentic, in-the-moment learning—one that brought classroom studies to life in a memorable way.

Illinois Assessment of Readiness Assessments

Students in Grades 3 and 4 will soon participate in the annual Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR). Testing at Greeley is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 7 and conclude on Thursday, April 9, with make-up sessions continuing through Friday, April 17.

Students generally tend to perform best when they are able to take these assessments in their familiar classroom environment alongside their peers during the regularly scheduled testing times. Being in a comfortable, familiar setting helps students feel at ease and do their best. We encourage minimizing absences during April 7–9 unless your child is sick so they can test with their class.

As we prepare for IAR, families play an important role in helping students feel confident and ready. Ensuring your child gets a good night’s sleep, eats a healthy breakfast, and arrives at school on time each day can make a big difference. You can also support your child by encouraging a positive mindset and reminding them that this is an opportunity to show what they know and how much they’ve grown.

Keeping routines consistent at home and minimizing stress during testing days can help students stay focused and calm. Most importantly, reassure your child that effort matters most. We are proud of their hard work each and every day!

Safety Reminder from the Village of Winnetka

The Village of Winnetka regulates the use of e-bikes, e-scooters, e-dirt bikes, and other motor-driven vehicles with the goal of sidewalk and roadway safety for all residents. These regulations apply to all village-owned or village-maintained property. Violations may result in a fine of $100 for both the operator and the parent/legal guardian (if applicable).

Please remember:

Any person operating a device on a public road or public sidewalk must follow the rules of the road, including traveling below the posted speed limit.
It is illegal to operate a vehicle with more passengers than the number it is designed/equipped for.
It is illegal to modify a device from its original design to change its speed, method of propulsion or braking, or to remove pedals, chains, or add a throttle.
All individuals riding e-bikes must wear a helmet at all times.
The person operating the device must be able to keep both hands on the handlebars/steering device at all times.

If you have questions about the classification of a device, please call the Winnetka Police Department at 847-501-6034.

Winnetka Parent Institute

MTSS: Tiered support for all learners (Stephanie Larenas, MTSS Coordinator)- (Virtual Zoom Event)

April 8, 2026

9:30 A.M.

Join MTSS Coordinator, Stephanie Larenas, for an informational session in how we support all of our students. Our MTSS practices serve as the foundation of understanding across the district as we provide continued support for students. This three-tiered model ensures consistent teaching and learning for all students, support for students who already understand, and supports for those students who may need additional review. Come learn more about how we gauge student learning and progress, how we respond to student understanding, how we differentiate the need for in-class instruction and intervention support, and how we determine what student progress looks like.

https://winnetka36.zoom.us/s/88101519884?pwd=41SftLug6HIATUxTNArxGuuiFfMGfu.1

Passcode:628458

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Related Arts Spotlight

Greeley Students in 3rd and 4th Grade have studied ukulele, dulcimers, and have strengthened their music literacy skills greatly this semester. This week we performed with instruments and sang a traditional Irish folk song- Rattlin Bog, as well as drummed to Shipping up to Boston by the Dropkick Murphys. Next week, we will begin planning our Spring Sings (4th grades final performance at Greeley!).

4th Grade Chorus has been working hard on preparing for the All District Choir Festival at Skokie School on April 7th (the Tuesday after Spring Break).

Greeley Students in 1st and 2nd Grade learned about a man named Guido D’ Arezzo who was the first person to write music down and give us our understanding of music notation (Staff with lines and spaces). The students ended this week playing a game called “Pass the RIng”- where students had to pass a ring (sneakily) around the circle while one student had to guess where the ring was.

Greeley Kindergarteners learned about the instruments on the orchestra, played a full scale, played a Pizza Rhythm Game, and most importantly learned a fun movement song called Riding on a Rollercoaster.

Friendly reminder to all that our Spring Sings will be held in our auditorium at Greeley.

Thursday May 21, 2026- Kindergarten, Third Grade, and Fourth Grade Spring Sing

Tuesday May 26, 2026- First Grade and Second Grade Spring Sing

If your student is interested in singing these songs for you at home, please feel free to email me (brianurquhart@winnetka36.org) and I will send you the materials/slides to do so!

All the best,

Brian Urquhart (Mr. U)

Acceleration Request Window-Now Open!

Illinois’ Accelerated Placement Act requires public school districts to maintain policies that allow for both single-subject and whole-grade acceleration when appropriate.

To learn more about how District 36 implements its acceleration policy, families may:

View this overview infographic
Visit the district’s Early Entrance and Acceleration webpage
Watch the January 2025 Winnetka Parent Institute session on acceleration

Families who are considering whether acceleration may be an appropriate option for their child are encouraged to begin with this parent reflection worksheet, which is designed to support thoughtful decision-making prior to submitting a request.

The request form for accelerated programming for the 2026–27 school year is now open. The request window runs from March 2 through March 20.

Questions about the acceleration policy may be directed to Dr. Becky Mathison, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, at beckymathison@winnetka36.org.

Request Form for Accelerated Programming

Adventures in Learning Registration-Now Open!

Registration opens March 2 at 1:00 PM for Winnetka residents. Classes fill quickly, so we encourage you to review the Adventures in Learning Program Guide in advance and be ready to register at 1:00 PM.

Important Links:

Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2026/2027

Do you know any incoming kindergartners for next year? If so, please encourage them to register soon!

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2026/2027 is now open on the District website and via this link. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2026, are eligible to enroll. Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been completed and residency documentation is verified. If you have any questions, please visit the District website or contact the Registrar at 847-446-9400.