Crow Island Parent Newsletter
September 29th, 2025
Dear Crow Island Community,
Thank you for joining us at Go to School Night this past Thursday. It was wonderful to see such a strong turnout and to watch many of you connect with your child’s teacher and learn more about their daily classroom experience. I truly enjoyed meeting so many of you and sharing some of the exciting initiatives and events we have planned for the year ahead. If you weren’t able to attend, you can view my presentation here.
As a reminder, there will be no school on Thursday, October 2, in observance of Yom Kippur. Looking ahead, both Safety Week and Walk, Bike and Roll to School Week will begin on Monday, October 6. Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Anna
September
Tuesday, September 30 | MAP Test – Reading (3rd & 4th Grade)
October
- Wednesday, October 1 | MAP Test – Math (3rd & 4th Grade)
- Thursday, October 2 | No School – Yom Kippur
- Monday, October 6 | Safety Week Begins
- Monday, October 6 | Walk, Bike and Roll to School Week Begins
- Tuesday, October 7 | Fire Drill
- Wednesday, October 8 | Vision & Hearing Screening
- Thursday, October 9 | Lockdown Drill
- Friday, October 10 | Tornado/Shelter Drill
- Thursday, October 16 | PTO Runathon @ Crow Island Woods
- Friday, October 17 | PTO Runathon Rain Date @ Crow Island Woods
- Wednesday, October 22 | Picture Retakes
- Wednesday, October 29 | Halloween Parade & Ghost Walk
- Thursday, October 30 | Fall Conferences
- Friday, October 31 | Fall Conferences
November
- Friday, November 7th| Kindergarten Butterfly Migration + Outdoor Performance at 1:30 PM
- Monday, November 24th- Friday, November 28th | Thanksgiving Break- No School
December
- Wednesday, December 3rd | PTO Book Fair (3:30-8:00 PM)
- Thursday, December 4th | PTO Book Fair (8:00-10:00 AM)
- Thursday, December 18th | Winter Sing
- Friday, December 19th | Sack Supper
- Saturday, December 20th | Winter Break Begins
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.
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.
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
Crow Island Strings Program
We are very excited that our new strings teacher, Emily Zwijack, has officially joined our team. In-school strings lessons are beginning for 2nd-4th graders this week and morning strings lessons are beginning the week after for 3rd and 4th graders! Please reach out to Ms. Zwijack with any questions at emilyzwijack@winnetka36.org.
Crow Island Run-a-thon
The Annual Crow Island Run-a-thon is on Thursday, October 16th.
Run-a-thon is the PTO’s largest fundraising event of the year and is a school tradition dating back to 1985! Students are encouraged to run or walk 30 laps and raise money from family and friends to support their participation. You are invited to attend the event at the Crow Island Woods to cheer on your child.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Misericordia Special Olympics Track & Field Team. Donation forms for students and more information about Run-a-thon will go home in backpacks in early October.
Run-a-thon Schedule (all events will be at the Crow Island Woods):
- 1st and 2nd Grades: 9:15–9:45 AM
- 3rd and 4th Grades: 10:00–10:30 AM
- Kindergarten: 10:45–11:15 AM
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.
Arrival & Dismissal:
Please take a few minutes to review our Arrival & Dismissal procedures. 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.
Health Forms:
Kindergarten Parents- Please upload your child’s health documents HERE. As a reminder, these forms were due by the first day of school (September 2nd).
2nd Grade Parents- As a reminder, all second grade students are required to provide a copy of their most recent dental exam. Please see the attached link for form and additional information. Please use the following link to upload your child's dental form.
You can find more information about district health policies here.
Spirit Day:
Crow Island Spirit Day will be on FRIDAYS this year! Our first Crow Island Spirit Day will be on Friday, September 5th. Get your Crow Island Spirit wear from our PTO Store here!
After-School Programs:
Right At School
The District has partnered with Right At School, headquartered in Evanston, to provide after-school care for students. The Right At School Program will be offered all days school is in session. After School programming is available until 6:00 P.M. Registration is now open.
Discovery Clubs by Right at School
Crow Island's PTO, in partnership with the District, offers extracurricular activities called Discovery Clubs, specialty programming for Crow Island students after the school day ends. These seasonal Clubs are offered in three sessions - fall, winter and spring. Crow Island PTO works with the Discovery Club provider, Right at School, to offer an array of programming focused on STEM, arts and movement with offerings across age groups. The fall session begins on September 22 and runs through December 5, and registration opens Monday, September 8. Preview the activity offerings here on the PTO website.
After School Sports
Crow Island After School Sports is live on the District Web Store. Registration opened at 9am on Tuesday, September 2nd. This is open for 3rd and 4th grade students.
Monthly Observances
As part of The Winnetka Public Schools ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, and in alignment with our progressive tenet of building a collaborative community, our schools will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people from diverse backgrounds. Observances will look different across schools and grade levels, and may include activities such as art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities.
For the month of September, we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month as well as Patriot Day.
Families can learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month here.
You can access our library collection via Destiny here: Destiny collection
To see what is coming up each month, you can refer to our monthly observance calendar here
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.
Contact Us
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