From the Superintendent

April 30, 2026

Dear Winnetka Families,

We look forward to partnering with families and staff to welcome our youngest learners to Full Day Kindergarten, launching in Fall 2026. In October 2025, we shared this communication with families on the program, which will be held at Crow Island, Greeley and Hubbard Woods Schools. We hosted an information night for Kindergarten families in January 2026; slides from that presentation may be viewed here. Additionally, our Student Services leadership team conducted a webinar for families interested in learning more about early childhood services available to all students requiring special education or related service support. That February 2026 presentation may be viewed here.

Registration for 2026/2027 has been open for Kindergarten families since December 2025; however, registration for students in all grade levels opened in March 2026. It is vital that all new and existing families planning to attend The Winnetka Public Schools in Fall 2026 complete registration as soon as possible to ensure we are adequately staffed and best prepared to support your children in the coming school year. Please visit the District website for further details on registration.

We are committed to making the transition to Kindergarten a positive experience for your child. In the meantime, please take a moment to review the following dates and resources:

Kindergarten Open House

Join the Winnetka elementary principals and Kindergarten staff for an informational session focused on Kindergarten in The Winnetka Public Schools. Topics include a review of a typical Kindergarten school day, an overview of the curriculum, and an exploration of the philosophy of Kindergarten education in The Winnetka Public Schools.

May 27, 2026 at 6:15 p.m.

Location: Your Family’s Respective Elementary Building

Kindergarten Class Placement Reflection
Families are invited to participate in this optional opportunity (if they have not already done so) to describe attributes of their incoming Kindergarten student which may be helpful with class placement. For families with twins, please fill out one form for each child. Please complete the reflection form by June 15, 2026.

Kindergarten Connection

Monday, August 17, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 18, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Location: Each school will send a link to sign-up for a time for your child to come to our Kindergarten Connection in August. During this time, your child will get to work in a small group and one-on-one with teachers. This is critical to building relationships and helping the school create balanced homerooms that can support all students. Keep an eye out for communication from your school to sign up for this event.

Kindergarten Meet and Greet Day

Location: Your Family’s Respective Elementary Building

Transitioning to Kindergarten can be a significant change for some students. With this in mind, our Kindergarten team will host a brief meet and greet time before school officially begins. Students will have an opportunity to preview their classroom, meet their teacher and classroom associate, and become acquainted with some of their future classmates. These sessions will be split into smaller groups to ease students’ transition into Kindergarten and ensure a touchpoint between teacher and child. Specific times will be communicated by teachers after class placements are released.

First Day of School:

August 26, 2026
Half day for all students–8:37a.m. - 11:20 a.m.

Regular Start and End Times:

8:37 a.m. (supervision starts at 8:20 a.m.)-2:45 p.m. (Mondays)
8:37 a.m. (supervision starts at 8:20 a.m.)-3:15 p.m. (Tuesdays through Fridays)

Common Questions About Full Day Kindergarten

Why are The Winnetka Public Schools introducing Full Day Kindergarten Programming now?

IL Law requires full day Kindergarten based upon research that shows students who experience full day programs have a stronger foundation for social emotional, literacy and numeracy performance later.
Extending our school day reflects the District’s commitment to providing young learners with the time, support, and resources they need to grow socially, emotionally, and academically.
Full-day Kindergarten will allow time for deeper learning, improved access to related arts, additional creative play, and foster continued meaningful connection with teachers and peers.

What is the difference in the instructional minutes captured in the full day Kindergarten program?

The total length of the Kindergarten day will match grades 1-4.
Recess/Choice time weekly minutes extended from current 125 to 150 minutes, providing more time for student-directed play
Social Emotional Learning time weekly minutes extended from current 70 to 80 minutes, allowing time for implementing lessons classroom community building and feelings words
Math weekly minutes extended from current 150 to 300 minutes, creating the needed instructional time for new math programming
Related Arts weekly minutes extended from current 130 to 240 minutes

Increase in Kinetic Wellness from one time per week to three times per week, providing more opportunity for movement and play
Addition of Spanish three days per week, expanding our World Language program to our youngest learners