Greeley Greeting
Monday, January 30, 2023
A Message from the Principal
Dear Greeley Families,
It certainly felt like we were getting away with decent winter weather this year, but it seems we will always have to contend with some bitter-cold days in the Chicagoland area. This week is no different, so I wanted to provide an update on our district's cold weather protocols.
A feels-like temperature of 10 degrees or below triggers a very specific safety response by our schools. Lunch recess must be held indoors on these days, and morning or afternoon recess times must be greatly shortened if students go outside. Additionally, we do not want our students to wait outside in the cold before school starts. When the temperature is 10 degrees or below, we will let students in at 8:20am, when our supervision begins. Please note that we cannot let students in before this time.
Lastly, I wanted to share that our front entrance monitor, Meredith Park, is currently on leave. In the meantime, we are grateful to have Leslie Jenner step into the position. Leslie can be reached at lesliejenner@winnetka36.org with any attendance-related questions. We will be sure to notify families of Ms. Park's return.
Wishing you all a safe and warm week,
Joshua Swanner
Principal
ONE SCHOOL, ONE BOOK RETURNS TO GREELEY!
January Winnetka Wire
Winnetka Voices Podcast Episodes
NEW! Episode #3:
Supporting Literacy Needs & Fostering a Love of Reading
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, is joined by Dr. Becky Mathison, the District’s Director of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, Ms. Missy Parks, second grade teacher at Crow Island School, and Anna Karwowska, Youth Services Manager of The Winnetka-Northfield Public Library. Topics addressed include how we've seen students' needs evolve following the result of the pandemic, how the District approaches supporting students in their reading skills, and tools that may help parents and caregivers support an interest in reading at home.
Listen here:
Episode #2:
Prioritizing Social Emotional Learning & RULER in our Schools
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, is joined by the District’s Social Emotional Learning coaches, Sachiko Kawata-Burke, Jennifer Knudson, Danielle Leitner, and Allison Szczecinski. The SEL coaches discuss the role they play in supporting students and teachers, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. The coaches also share the concept behind RULER, a research-based tool from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, that is currently being implemented in our schools.
Listen here:
iHeart Radio
Premiere Episode:
Fostering Post-Pandemic Growth & Resilience for our Children
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, speaks with Ms. Carly Andrews, Executive Director of The Alliance for Early Childhood, on how we can best support our childrens’ social and emotional needs, academic growth, and socialization in the wake of the pandemic.
Listen here:
Click here for resources and events from The Alliance for Early Childhood.
Winnetka Parents Institute
UP NEXT:
From Washburne to New Trier: (Paul Waechtler, Principal)
A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition
March 7, 2022 (confirmed)
9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.
Carleton Washburne School, 515 Hibbard Rd.
Paul Waechtler, Principal at the New Trier High School Freshman
Campus, and Lori Worth, 8th Grade Transition Faculty, will discuss the New Trier freshman placement process and the efforts made to ensure a smooth transition to high school. A Q & A will provide an opportunity for parents to learn more about how to best support their child(ren) as they prepare for their New Trier experience.
Interested:
If you missed it:
View the Acceleration in Winnetka 36 Presentation here.
Director of Innovation, Teaching, and Learning Dr. Becky Mathison hosted this information session about the acceleration policy. The acceleration policy provides the opportunity for parents, students, and licensed educational professionals to request that accelerated programming be examined for an individual student. The policy identifies acceleration as: early entrance in Kindergarten, early entrance into 1st grade, single-subject acceleration (any subject), and grade-level acceleration. The content included a review of the purpose of the acceleration policy and a preview of updated procedures this year. Please note that the New Trier Math program and Washburne accelerated math are not a part of this policy. Thank you to the parents and community members that attended the WPI event about the acceleration policy on January 25.
Attendees were provided a draft copy of the acceleration request form in order to provide feedback before the form goes live on March 6. If you would like to provide feedback, please review the draft of the form here. Feedback that is specific and aligned to a particular question would be most helpful. Consider which items need to be changed, looked at further, or improvements. Please share your feedback with Dr. Becky Mathison at beckymathison@winnetka36.org by Friday, February 10.
Adventures in Learning Summer 2023
Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2023-2024 School Year
Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2023-2024 is now open on the District website and via https://registration.powerschool.com/family/gosnap.aspx?action=30658&culture=en. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2023, are eligible to enroll.
The new student registration process is completed in three steps:
Complete new student pre-registration forms online beginning November 16, 2022.
Provide the original or certified copy of your child(ren)'s birth certificate and a parent photo ID. The certified copy can be submitted in person at the District Office. If you have the original birth certificate, you may bring it to the District Office to be photocopied. The District Office is at 1235 Oak St., Winnetka.
Provide proof of residency and paper registration forms. For your convenience, all required residency documents may be uploaded during online registration. Click here to view the list of documents that will meet these requirements as well as the other forms required for registration (Registration Forms & Information).
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 contact the District Office at 847-446-9400.
Painting our Portrait
Composting in District 36
Composting is in full swing at Greeley, Hubbard Woods and Washburne Schools. A plan is underway to introduce composting at Crow Island and The Skokie School.
Please note that items that are not on the lists below are not eligible for composting. This includes dog waste, scrap wood, and yard waste. While leaves and other organics are compostable, this service is not intended to take the place of the current Winnetka community systems and home composting solutions. If you notice composting bins are full, the District is unable to accept the materials and kindly requests that you do not place items outside of the bins for health and safety reasons. We also ask that residents abide by the hours designated for our schools. Further information on hours and bin locations is available on the Village website.
Food Products:
• Baked goods
• Bones
• Breads
• Candy
• Cereal
• Coffee grounds
• Dairy products
• Egg shells
• Fish/seafood
• Flower/plant cuttings
• Fried food
• Fruits
• Grains and grain products
• Meats
• Vegetables
• Spices/herbs
• Sugars/syrups
Paper Products:
• Blue painters tape (it’s paper!)
• Cardboard (pizza boxes!)
• Coffee filters
• Sugar/salt/pepper packets
• Egg cartons (paper only)
• Microwave popcorn bags
• Napkins
• Newspaper
• Paper food packaging
• Paper towels and wrap
• Tea/tea bags (no staples)
• Untreated wood products/sawdust
New Trier High School Wants to Hear from Elementary School Families!
New Trier High School is always seeking to improve its communication with community members. The District is asking all community members to take the time to fill out a
brief online survey about communications preferences: https://bit.ly/newtriersurvey
The survey includes questions specific to parents with children in New Trier Township elementary schools. It should take only a few minutes to complete. The survey link will close on Friday, Feb. 10.
New Trier encourages all sender school families to take the time to complete this very brief survey. Thank you!
Parent Education Sessions from District Partner Family Action Network (FAN):
For upcoming events, access FAN’s website here.
FROM OUR PARTNERS AT THE ALLIANCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD:
READ: Alliance’s Fall/Winter Newsletter
READ: Alliance’s Let’s Play Guide 2022-2023 and NEW Let’s Play! Information
REGISTER: Let’s Play! Let’s Play! Cardboard Design Experience on Saturday, January 28, 10:00am-12:00pm, Joseph Sears School, 542 Abbotsford Rd, Kenilworth, IL 60043
Join The Alliance for Early Childhood and partners Joseph Sears School, Kenilworth District 38 and Winnetka-Northfield Public Library to think outside of the box and get creative at our Cardboard Design Experience. Children will bring their own design ideas and we will provide the cardboard and tools for their creations to come to life. Intended Age Audience: All ages are welcome.
REGISTER: Virtual Parent Series: Using Connection, Compassion, and Co-Regulation to Address Challenging Behavior in Young Children with Cari Ebert, February 9, 7-8:30pm
Dealing with a child’s challenging behavior is one of the toughest parts of parenting. Traditional discipline techniques revolve around the use of punishments and rewards, which may be effective in the short term, but are often ineffective in the long run. Join Cari Ebert as she explores the power of using a relationship-based discipline approach based on connection, compassion, and co- regulation to support young children during times of distress. Facilitated by Cari Ebert, Pediatric Speech Pathologist, MS, CCC-SLP. More details here.
REGISTER: Let’s Play! Let’s Play! Winter Woods Exploration Saturday, February 11, 10:00am-12:00pm, Crow Island Woods, 1140 Willow Rd, Winnetka
Bundle-up and head outside to join The Alliance for Early Childhood and Community Partner BackYard Nature Center to engage in imaginative, child-directed, outdoor free-play in the woods. All ages are welcome.
REGISTER: Virtual Parent Series: Attachment and Your Young Child’s Mental Health: How You Can Make a Difference with Kate Blaker and Sarah Eastburg in Conversation with Carly Andrews, February 23, 7pm
From the moment children are born they seek a secure attachment with caregivers, and this attachment becomes the secure base for their future development. Renowned psychiatrist Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk writes that “children whose parents are reliable sources of comfort and strength have a lifetime advantage - a kind of buffer against the worst that fate can hand them.” Join Kate Blaker and Sarah Eastburg in conversation with Carly Andrews as they discuss the role of attachment between parent and child and explore what being "securely attached" means, how parents can support secure attachments with their children, and the effects of secure attachment on the family’s mental wellness. Facilitated by Kate Blaker, M.A.T, NBCC, LPC, and Sarah Eastburg, LSW. More details here.
Follow us on Social Media!
Please follow the District via the following social media platforms in order to see day-to-day happenings and more.
Facebook and Twitter: @Winnetka36
Instagram: @WinnetkaPublicSchools
- Thurs. 2/9: NO SCHOOL - Conferences
- Fri. 2/10: NO SCHOOL - Conferences
About Us
School Hours:
8:30am | Doors open
8:37am | School promptly begins
2:10pm | Kindergarten dismissal
2:45pm | Early Release (MONDAY ONLY)
3:15pm | Grades 1-4 and Stay & Play Kindergarten dismissal
Email: GordonSchreiber@winnetka36.org
Website: https://www.winnetka36.org/greeley
Location: 275 Fairview Avenue, Winnetka, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 446-6060