Greeley Greeting

September 22, 2026

Principal's Message

Dear Greeley Families,

The Gaga Pit is officially installed, and we are so excited to put it to use! This week, students will learn and review our Greeley Gaga Ball rules, and then the pit will officially open for play. We can’t wait to see our students enjoying this fun new addition to the playground!

A quick reminder that Picture Day is tomorrow! Pictures will take place rain or shine, so students should come ready for their smiles regardless of the weather.

We are also looking forward to welcoming parents and caregivers to Greeley this Thursday for our Go to School Night! Please see the information below for an overview of the evening’s schedule and organization so you can make the most of your time with us.

Go to School Night is designed to help parents and caregivers learn more about the general education classroom experience, including classroom routines, curriculum, and what students can expect throughout their school day. All of our teaching staff will also be in the building and would love to say hello, so please feel welcome to stop by and connect with them. You’ll also find many of the staff members who support students across our school at tables throughout the hallways—be sure to stop by, introduce yourself, and learn more about the many people who make up our Greeley community!

We look forward to seeing parents and caregivers on Thursday evening!

Warmly,

Principal Kopinski

Upcoming Dates

September

Thursday 9/17-Wednesday 9/30 Fall Benchmark Assessment Window Open
Wednesday 9/23: Greeley Picture Day
Thursday 9/24: Greeley Go to School Night 6:00-7:30 pm (Parents and Caregivers Only Please)
Friday 9/25: Greeley Spiritwear Day, PTO Fall Family Fun Night 5-7pm

October

Thursday 10/1: Hearing and Vision Screening, Parent Teacher Conference Portal Opens
Friday 10/2: Greeley Spiritwear Day
Wednesday 10/7: Winnetka Parent Institute 10:30am at Skokie School (Exploring Innovamat: A Fresh Approach to K–4 Mathematics)
Friday, 10/16: Kindergarten Monarch Migration
Monday 10/19: Benchmark Assessment Data Released (Powerschool and Otus)
Thursday and Friday 10/22-10/23: Parent Teacher Conferences
Tuesday 10/27: PTO Pumpkin Showcase
Friday 10/30: Greeley Ghost Dance

November

Tuesday 11/12-Thursday 11/14: PTO Bookfair

Greeley School Google Calendar

New Information

Lighthouse Moment

Last week, while visiting our classrooms, I had the opportunity to see different components of our new math program, Innovamat, being utilized. In Ms. Marasigan's first grade room, students engaged in a small group game on the floor with the teacher, while students who had completed the lesson worked on a short formative learning check independently on their iPads. Students were highly engaged in both activities, and Ms. Marasigan was able to collect student performance data through both activities to help inform her instruction. When asked about the new math materials, students shared that it was "really fun" and "a little bit tricky but in a good way."

Hearing and Vision Screening Notice

Hearing and vision screenings will be conducted at Greeley beginning October 1. Screenings will be completed as required by the State of Illinois for eligible students.

For details about screening requirements, eligible students, and additional information, please review the Hearing and Vision Screening Letter.

If your student wears glasses, please ensure they bring them to school on the day of screening. Questions can be directed to the school nurse, Mary Kathryn Janda, at marykathrynjanda@winnetka36.org.

Winter Sharing: Survey Results and Next Steps

Below are the results of the parent input survey sent last week regarding this year's Winter Sharing.

Themes of the additional comments:

Keep the event simple and joyful.
Ensure the time commitment for a family on each evening is no longer than one hour between all performances.
Share the selected dates of event(s) as soon as possible so families can plan ahead.

As an outcome of this feedback, the Greeley team will coordinate the date(s) for Winter Sharing in December, similar to our Spring Sing format. Each grade level will attend one performance. We will have those night(s) identified in next week's newsletter, with specific timings by grade level so families and staff can plan ahead.

A Message from The Director of Safety & Security

The Fall 2026 Safety Bulletin includes important seasonal information regarding bike and traffic safety, emergency protocols, Halloween, and more.

Parent Input Needed by October 2!

The Winnetka Public Schools is reviewing how instructional technology is used across our K–8 classrooms, including during the school day and for learning at home, and we want to hear from parents and caregivers.

Your feedback through this brief anonymous survey will help District leadership better understand families’ perspectives and experiences as we work to establish clear, consistent expectations across grade levels and strengthen the resources and guidance we provide to families.

If you have multiple children enrolled in The Winnetka Public Schools, please respond based on your eldest child’s experience. Please complete the survey by October 2, 2026.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Reminder: Prepare for Fall Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up

Fall Conferences will be held on:

October 22 - 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
October 23 - 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

**This is proactive communication to ensure that parents have the necessary access and any login troubles can be resolved in advance of the window opening on October 1.

What is ParentsMeeting?

Parents Meeting is the online scheduling system used by The Winnetka Public Schools for parent-teacher conference registration. Through Parents Meeting, families can view available conference times and select appointments with their child’s teacher(s).

When can I sign-up for conferences?

Fall conference sign-up will open on Thursday, October 1 at 12:00 p.m.

Please Try Logging in Now

Attempting to log in ahead of time gives you an opportunity to resolve any access issues before conference scheduling begins.

School-Specific Links

Crow Island: https://crowislandelementary.schoolcloud.co.uk/
Greeley: https://greeleyelementary.schoolcloud.co.uk/
Hubbard Woods: https://hubbardwoodselementary.schoolcloud.co.uk/
Skokie: https://theskokieschool.schoolcloud.co.uk/
Washburne: https://carletonwashburne.schoolcloud.co.uk/

When logging in, please enter your information exactly as it is in PowerSchool. You can check this by logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal and clicking on “Account Preferences” to view your information. This includes using the email address registered in PowerSchool.

If you are able to access the system successfully, no further action is needed until conference sign-up opens on October 1.

If you experience difficulty logging in, please complete a Help ticket.

Add the Notification Email Address to Your Contacts

To ensure you don't miss any communication regarding your conferences, please add the email address noreply@schoolcloud.co.uk to your email contacts.

Important Dates

• September 18: Parents Meeting follow-up

• October 1 at 12:00 p.m.: Fall conference sign-up opens

• October 21 at 12:00 p.m.: Fall conference sign-up closes

Additional information about conference scheduling, including school-specific details and instructions, will be shared as we get closer to October 1.

Thank you for taking a few minutes now to confirm your access. Doing so will help ensure a smooth conference sign-up experience for all families.

Repeated Information

Picture Day is Coming to Greeley!

Please see the flyer below. November 4, 2026 will be our retake day.

Go to School Night

Teachers are looking forward to welcoming adults to Go to School Night on Thursday, September 24th. Please see the flyer below for how we will organize the evening to ensure families can attend multiple presentations for their children.

The Ability Challenge Parent Survey

The Ability Challenge Parent Survey: Parents/guardians of students receiving special education services are invited to complete this survey.

As part of our ongoing work to strengthen our support for students, Winnetka School District 36 has partnered with The Ability Challenge (ABC) to conduct a comprehensive strategic plan analysis aligned to their THRIVE Framework for Quality Special Education.

We invite you to complete this anonymous survey. Your responses will be available only to our partners at The Ability Challenge. They will provide the district with updates about completion rates, and the overall trends will help inform findings of their analysis. Individual responses will not be identifiable or able to be attributed to any single respondent.

We thank you for your participation and partnership in helping us serve all students equitably and well in Winnetka.

Winnetka Parent Institute: October 7, 2026

Exploring Innovamat: A Fresh Approach to K–4 Mathematics

10:30 am -11:30 a.m. - The Skokie School Resource Center

*Please note - this is an in-person event*

Join us for an interactive introduction to Innovamat, our new K–4 mathematics resource. Parents will experience math learning as our students do—exploring problems, sharing strategies, and building understanding through discussion and discovery, all while learning how Innovamat’s spiraled approach develops confident, flexible mathematical thinkers.

RSVP here