Crow Island Connections

Dear Crow Island Community,

I hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend and had some time to relax and recharge. For those who observed Yom Kippur, I hope you had a meaningful holiday with family and loved ones.

We are gearing up to welcome parents and caregivers at our upcoming Go To School Night this Thursday, September 24th. The evening will be a great opportunity to visit your child’s classroom, learn about the curriculum, and preview the exciting experiences ahead this year. We’ll begin at 6:00 PM in the gym, where I’ll share school-wide information before families head to classrooms. Please see the schedule below:

Go To School Night Schedule:

6:00 - 6:25: All Parents- Principal Message in GYM *Our related arts team will also be there to introduce themselves!*

6:30 - 7:00:

• Last Name A-L: K-2
• Last Name M-Z: 3-4

7:00 - 7:30:

• Last Name A-L: 3-4
• Last Name M-Z: K-2

Have a great week, and I hope to see you all on Thursday!

Sincerely,

Anna

September

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

• Thursday, September 24th | Go to School Night, 6:00–7:30pm (Parents and caregivers only please)
  
• Thursday, September 24th | MAP Reading Assessment, Grades 3–4 *This is an updated date*
  
• Tuesday, September 29th | MAP Math Assessment, Grades 3–4
  

October

• Monday, October 5th | Safety Week Starts
  

• Wednesday, October 7th | Vision and Hearing Screening

• Thursday, October 8th | PTO Runathon

• Friday, October 9th | High Five Friday

• Wednesday, October 14th | Picture Retake

• Thursday, October 22th and Friday, October 23th | Fall Conferences- no student attendance
  
• Friday, October 30th | Halloween Parade and Ghost Walk
  

I imagine many students have been talking about how much they love KW! I wanted to take a moment to showcase our wonderful teachers, Mr. Sweene and Mr. Wilson, and share a fun activity they led with students last week!

Last week in Kinetic Wellness, we focused on fitness activities and ended the week by playing Star Wars. Star Wars is an exciting team activity that combines movement, teamwork, throwing skills, and friendly competition. To set up the game, we placed scooters, known as X-Wings, around the perimeter of the gym. In the center of the gym, students and teachers build a Mega Star using mats and other equipment, with bins and laundry baskets placed around and on top of it. Students begin on their assigned team and determine the order in which they will take their turn on the X-Wing.

When the game begins, the first student from each team rides their X-Wing around the gym, collects balls, and brings them back to their team’s assigned spot. Once the balls are delivered, teammates take turns throwing them from their assigned spot, trying to land them in the baskets around and on the Mega Star. Every ball that lands in a basket is worth at least 10 points, while special balls and baskets can earn additional points. A Bonus Bin is worth 1000 points, and a Bonus Ball is also worth 1000 points, adding an extra element of excitement and strategy to the game. At the end of the game, each team counts the balls they successfully landed in the baskets and adds up their total points. The scores from every class are then combined to create a running total for the entire day. Students get excited to see how many points all the classes can earn together and look forward to finding out the final score at the end of the day. Today, we beat our goal of 40,000 points with a grand total of 46,790.

Please join us on Thursday, September 24th as teachers share classroom information and curriculum highlights with families.

In order to provide a more comfortable environment as well as accommodate families with multiple children, we have organized our session offerings by your child's last name. Additionally, the nightwill begin with an all-parents meeting in the gym.

Go To School Night Schedule:

6:00 - 6:25: All Parents- Principal Message in GYM *Our related arts team will also be there to introduce themselves!*

6:30 - 7:00:

• Last Name A-L: K-2
• Last Name M-Z: 3-4

7:00 - 7:30:

• Last Name A-L: 3-4
• Last Name M-Z: K-2

If you need to attend a different classroom session, please contact your child's teacher to make arrangements. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Annual Crow Island Run-a-thon is on Thursday, October 8th.

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 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 by September 25.

Run-a-thon Schedule:

• Kindergarten: 12:45 PM- 1:15 PM *THIS IS AN UPDATED TIME!*

• 1st Grade: 9:15–9:45 AM

• 2nd Grade: 10:00–10:30 AM

• 3rd Grade: 10:00–10:30 AM

• 4th Grade: 9:15–9:45 AM

  
  

Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities and more information on how to donate!

Please note: In the event of rain, the event will be moved inside or postponed to October 9th.

We are already looking forward to one of our favorite kindergarten traditions, the Butterfly Migration and Outdoor Sing! This year’s event will take place on Friday, November 6 at 2:00 PM. Please note that the time has been adjusted to accommodate our new full day kindergarten schedule. Parents and families are invited to join us for this special Crow Island event!

If you are picking up a kindergarten student from the kindergarten playground, please enter through the gate and wait on the blacktop area. Don’t be afraid to come on in! Waiting on the sidewalk can create congestion, so we encourage families to enter the playground and wait on the blacktop for their children. Thank you for helping us keep dismissal running smoothly!

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.

Hearing and vision screenings will be conducted at Crow Island beginning Wednesday, October 7th. 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 which is linked below.

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.

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

Parents/guardians of students receiving special education services are invited to complete this survey.

As a part of the district's focus on strategic planning for the future, we are engaging with The Ability Challenge to complete an analysis that will help us better understand the strengths and growth opportunities related to how we serve students with disabilities in Winnetka. Your perspective is very valuable to us because we want to understand how all members of the community experience the support we provide.

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.

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 Now!

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.

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