Crow Island Connections

Dear Crow Island Families,

The time has finally come! Our first day of school is right around the corner, and we could not be more excited to welcome our students back to Crow Island. Our incredible teachers and staff have been working hard to prepare for Meet the Teacher on Tuesday and our first day of school on Wednesday. I hope you were able to enjoy the beautiful weather and soak up the final days of summer!

We can’t wait to welcome our students back into the building and kick off another great year of learning, growing, building friendships, and making memories together.

This week’s newsletter includes a lot of important information as we prepare for the start of school, but I especially want to highlight the arrival and dismissal information below. Please take a few minutes to review it carefully, as there are a few changes this year that will help us keep arrival and dismissal safe, efficient, and as seamless as possible. Also, please keep in mind that the construction on Willow Road may slow traffic down as well.

Most notably, with the start of full-day kindergarten, we will have many more students dismissing at the end of the school day. Please note that all Kindergarten and 1st grade walkers will be picked up on the 1st grade blacktop near the Crow statue. As we all adjust to our new routines, I appreciate everyone’s patience and grace during the first few weeks. Our staff will be out in full force to help things run smoothly, and we know our routines will quickly fall into place.

There is nothing quite like the energy of a new school year, and I cannot wait to have our hallways and classrooms filled with Crows again. I look forward to seeing everyone this week and officially kicking off another wonderful year at Crow Island!

Sincerely,
Anna

August

• Tuesday, August 25th | K–4 Meet & Greet with Teachers, 10:45–11:30am

• Wednesday, August 26th | First Day of School, 11:20am Early Dismissal

• Thursday, August 27th | PTO Hot Lunch Program Begins

• Friday, August 28th | Boo-Hoo/Yahoo Kindergarten Parent Coffee, 8:40–9:10am

• Friday, August 28th | Welcome Back Assembly, 1:00pm

September

• Thursday, September 3rd | Back-to-School Bash, 5:00–6:30pm, Back Playground

• Monday, September 7th | No School, Labor Day

• Wednesday, September 9th | Picture Day

• Thursday, September 17th | Fall Benchmark Assessments Begin for K–4 Students

• Monday, September 21st | No School, Yom Kippur

• Thursday, September 24th | Go to School Night, 6:00–7:30pm

• Tuesday, September 29th | MAP Reading Assessment, Grades 3–4

• Wednesday, September 30th | MAP Math Assessment, Grades 3–4

Morning Arrival Information:

• Supervision starts at 8:20am; do not drop off before 8:20am.

• Instruction starts at 8:37am

• Where students go before school:

• Grades

• Kindergarten | Kindergarten Playground

• 1st Grade | 1st Grade Blacktop

• 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Grade | Back Playground

• At 8:37 staff will have students get into line by classroom and enter the school.

• If it is raining or extremely cold: Students will enter through the main entrance or S6 (backdoor) and go straight to the auditorium.

Morning Arrival Locations:

• Car Drop-Off:

• Kindergarten, 1st Graders, and 2nd Graders with younger siblings in the Circle drive. 2nd Graders will need to walk through the Kindergarten playground and down Glendale to the blacktop after drop-off.

• 3rd Graders, 4th Graders, and 2nd graders without younger siblings on Glendale Avenue near the back playground

• If you have multiple age kids, go to the youngest drop off location.

• Read and follow the traffic directions below.

• Walkers:

• If crossing Willow Road, ensure you cross where the officer is located.

• Bikers:

• If crossing Willow Road, ensure you cross where the officer is located

• Once on school sidewalks all bikes are walked

• Grades 3 and 4 can ride bikes to school on their own (2nd grade is allowed towards the end of year after bike safety). Lock up bikes in the racks located near the back playground.

• Bus:

• The bus will be on Willow Road in front of the school grounds.

• Students will go to their assigned grade level location

*IMPORTANT* WHAT’S NEW?

KINDERGARTEN:

• Kindergarteners will meet their teachers on the Kindergarten playground for arrival each day.
• For the 1st week of school, your teacher will be holding up a poster board with their name on it!
• On the first day, if you are walking, you may escort your child to their teacher where your child will drop their backpack off, give you a quick hug goodbye, and then go play with their friends.
• At that time, parents will need to leave their kindergartener in the safety of the wonderful kindergarten teachers. The longer you stick around the harder it will be ;).
• After the first day, please prepare a sweet goodbye and allow your child to enter the playground on their own. Their teachers will be there to welcome them with open arms and a smiling face!
  
• Please note- if you are dropping off your child by car, you will drop them off in the circle drive and not be allowed to exit your car. Crow Island Staff will be there to greet your child and walk them to the Kindergarten Playground.

2ND GRADE

(Car dropoff) 2nd Graders with younger siblings: Drop off at the circle drive

(Car dropoff) 2nd Graders without younger siblings: Drop off off on Glendale Avenue near the back playground

Afternoon Dismissal Information:

• Grades K - 4th

• Monday: 2:45pm

• Tuesday - Friday: 3:15pm

• Where students go after school:

• Kindergarten:

• Pick-up: Circle Drive

  • **NEW**Walkers: *First grade blacktop near the Crow Statue**

• 1st Grade:

• Pick-up: Circle drive

• Walkers: **NEW** On the 1st grade blacktop

• Bus: Staff will take students to the bus.

• 2nd Grade:

• Pick-up: Circle drive

• Walkers/Bikers:

• Released to walk/bike home.

• If a walker is meeting a parent; they meet at the Crow statue.

• If students are crossing Willow road they should cross where the officer is located.

• Walk bikes until off of school property

• 3rd & 4th Grade:

• Pick-Up:

• Glendale Avenue near the back playground; unless there is a sibling in Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd Grade (then the student goes to Circle drive).

• Walkers/Bikers:

• Released to walk/bike home from school

• If students are crossing Willow they should cross where the officer is located.

• Walk bikes until off school property and school sidewalks

• Bus Riders:

• Students are placed on the bus by staff

• Bus waits on Willow Road west of the crosswalk

*IMPORTANT* WHAT’S NEW?

• **NEW**Kindergarten and 1st Grade Walkers: Pick up your Kindergarten and 1st Grade Walker on the 1st Grade Blacktop near the Crow statue. This will help with congestion and spread out our walkers and car riders**

  
  

• Please keep in mind that we will have more students being picked up due to the new full day kindergarten.
• Expect possible longer dismissal times during the first few weeks of school as we adjust to this change.
• To help keep the dismissal process running smoothly, all students being picked up by car will sit on the circle drive stairs by class. This will allow students to quickly get to their pick-up position when their car is in the circle.

• Drivers turning left off of westbound Willow must go straight down Glendale. They may not turn into a circle.

• Glendale south of Willow is one-way during this period from the mouth of the circle to the south. You still may exit the circle, return to Willow and turn right.

• Glendale north of Willow is one-way southbound from Ash to Willow during drop off and pick up. This area of Glendale is for cars waiting to get into the pick-up line on Willow road.

• Note the designated parking areas and signs. Cars parked on Glendale will be ticketed by police. In addition, if you are parking to pick-up, avoid parking north of Willow on Glendale. That area is for cars waiting to turn onto Willow to get in the pick-up line. If you are parking, please utilize Ash or other tree streets and walk over to campus.

• Be aware of crosswalks - children crossing the street will not always be aware of you - be aware of them and stop before the crosswalk.

• Cell phones should NOT be used while on school property or in a school zone – they allow drivers to be distracted from observing children around them.

  
  

  Also, please remember that our staff who serve as crossing guards, morning supervision monitors, and door openers are working tirelessly to make sure students are getting to school safely. Please be sure to always show them respect and kindness every day!

In our continued commitment to ensure that our campuses are safe for students and staff to learn and work we are making some adjustments to our daily operations to improve security:

• Outdoor play at all five campuses will be restricted to fenced or otherwise protected areas at the rear of our buildings.

• Decorative safety bollards will be installed in phases to increase traffic safety during arrival and dismissal. Bollards are sturdy, reinforced posts designed to help prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering pedestrian areas while allowing students, staff, and visitors to move safely throughout campus. The bollards selected for our schools have been chosen to complement each building's architecture and historic character, blending seamlessly into the landscape while providing an important security enhancement.

• Supervising staff will be easily identifiable in reflective vests while outdoors with students at any time.

• Food delivery services like DoorDash and UberEats will no longer be permitted to enter our buildings, reducing the number of unidentified visitors to our campuses as well as the time it takes away from our office staff. Parents may drop off of forgotten lunches up until 10:30 a.m. on school days.

We know these changes create periods of adjustment for everyone; however, we have an obligation to prioritize safety over convenience and ensure our campuses are as secure as they can be for our students, staff and visitors. We appreciate your partnership in adjusting to these changes.

Personal and Instructional Technology Beginning in the Fall of 2024, The School Board approved the introduction of Yondr Pouches in grades 5-8, eliminating the use of personal technology on our middle school campuses. Personal technology includes items such as cell/smart phones, airpods/earbuds, smartwatches, etc. While our K-4 schools do not utilize Yondr Pouches, access to personal technology is not allowed on any of our school sites during school hours and will be enforced. Students are not to engage with personal technology during instructional hours and will be subject to disciplinary consequences for using personal technology, including but not limited to parents reclaiming devices in the main office, and/or loss of privileges. Parents may call the main office of their child’s school to relay any messages during the school day.

When it comes to instructional technology, these are tech devices that are issued by the District for student use. While we have an educational obligation to ensure our students are appropriately exposed to technology to equip them with the skills and discernment to be responsible users, we are also a school district rooted in a deep history of progressive education, which places a high value on experiential and meaningful learning through hands-on, imaginative, social and highly engaging learning experiences. We are committed to ensuring that these two educational responsibilities (technology and progressive education) co-exist in our classrooms. As a result, we will be seeking staff and family feedback on the use of instructional technology. We will use this information to help us shape clearer guidelines and communication for staff and families on the use of instructional technology in the classroom. Keep an eye out for opportunities to learn more and share your feedback.

Friday at Crow Island is Spirit Day! Show your school spirit and check out our new spirit wear store- sponsored by the PTO!

A few important things:

• The shop is pop-up style and will only be open for short periods throughout the year.
• Once the shop closes, all orders will be printed and shipped directly to you. Please allow approximately two weeks for delivery.

Crow Island 101 Document:

Our Crow Island 101 Guide is a helpful, at-a-glance resource for families. Many parents like to keep a copy in their kitchen for quick reference. You can view it here: Crow 101 Document.

Health Forms Due Soon

Families of students entering Kindergarten and Second Grade: Please remember to submit the required health forms before the first day of school. The link below outlines which forms are required for each grade level.

Health Forms Information

You can drop off these forms at Crow Island or upload them using the links below:

Kindergarten Forms (Health, Eye, Dental)

2nd Grade Form (Dental)

*NEW Families Only (not entering Kindergarten): NEW 1st-4th grade families form

Arrival & Dismissal:

Please take a few minutes to review our Arrival & Dismissal procedures for this year. These routines help ensure a safe and smooth start and end to each school day for all students.

Hot Lunch Program:

Crow Island has a hot lunch program run through a third party collaboration with our PTO called Marla's Lunch. You can register and sign-up here: Marla's Hot Lunch. Hot lunch will begin on Thursday, August 27th.

School Supplies:

• If you pre-ordered supplies last spring, they will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom.
  
  

• If you did not pre-order, you can view the supply list here: Crow Island School Supplies and bring items to the K–4 Meet & Greet on August 25.

Please join us on Tuesday, August 25, from 10:45–11:30 a.m. at Crow Island for our Meet & Greet! This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to meet their teacher, see their classroom, and begin getting excited for the new school year. Our teachers and staff are looking forward to welcoming their new students and families, and it's also a great chance to connect with other families in your child's class.

If you did not purchase a PTO school supply kit, you are welcome to bring your child's school supplies with you to the Meet & Greet. If you did purchase a PTO supply kit, your child's supplies will already be delivered and waiting in their classroom before the event. School Supply Lists can be found above.

The District has partnered with Right At School, headquartered in Evanston, to provide before- and after-school care for students. The Right At School Program will be offered all days school is in session. The Before School Session begins at 7:00 A.M. and is held at Greeley School. Students who choose that option will take a school bus to Crow Island each morning from Greeley to Crow Island. After School Session is available until 6:00 P.M. Registration is now open.

Please note that after care does not begin until the first full day of school (Thursday, August 27th). Please make sure that you have arranged for transportation home on Wednesday, August 26th at 11:20am.

Email:

annatrilla@winnetka36.org (Principal)

christinedemas-hall@winnetka36.org (Administrative Assistant)
Website: https://crowisland.winnetka36.org/
Location: 1112 Willow Road Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-0353
Instagram: Winnetka Public Schools