Crow Island Parent Newsletter
December 1st, 2025
Dear Crow Island Community,
I hope you all had a restful and wonderful Thanksgiving. It’s hard to believe December is already here—and that Winter Break is just three weeks away! Over the next few weeks, students will dive into lots of learning and begin preparing for our annual Winter Sing on Thursday, December 18th.
In this week’s newsletter, you’ll find photos from our wonderful Thanksgiving Assembly, along with more details about the Winter Sing. We’re excited for all that’s ahead!
Wishing you a wonderful week.
Sincerely,
Anna
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
January
- Monday, January 5th | School Resumes
- Monday, January 19th | MLK Day- No School
- Wednesday, January 21st | Winter MAP Reading Test- 3rd and 4th grade
- Thursday, January 22nd | Winter MAP Math Test- 3rd and 4th grade
- Thursday, January 29th | Pioneer Room Open House (9:30 AM)
- Thursday, January 29th | Math Night (5:30-6:15 PM: 1st and 2nd Grade, 6:30-7:15 PM: 3rd and 4th Grade)
Book Fair is this week!
The Crow Island Book Fair is on Wednesday December 3rd from 3:30–8:00 PM and Thursday December 4th from 8:00–10:00 AM. Come see this wonderful tradition where the Crow Island lobby transforms into a bookstore with hundreds of titles available for purchase. Each child will create their own wish list, making this a perfect holiday shopping stop. Teachers will have wish lists to help fill up their classrooms, too.
To complete your holiday haul on Wednesday only, 4th grade volunteers will be available to gift wrap your books, and the PTO will be selling exclusive Crow Island Spirit Wear.
The Book Fair is a great time to give back, too! We will be supporting Bernie's Book Bank, so clean out your bookshelves and drop any unwanted books in the foyer for a new family to enjoy.
The PTO is still looking for a few volunteers to help out during the fair; sign up here if you are interested!
**Please note - book fair visitors should not park in the circle during drop off and pick up times.**
For questions please contact the Book Fair Chairs, Jaime Garrigus (jaime.garrigus@gmail.com) or Sara Peters (saraepeters1@gmail.com).
Winter Sing Details
We are looking forward to seeing you all at this year’s Winter Sing on Thursday, December 18th! Children will perform at each performance time, but as always, students may sit together with their families during their family's performance time when they are not onstage. You are all invited to join us at the time assigned to your last name:
Performance Times:
9:00- Last Name A-G
10:30AM- Last Name H-O
1:00PM- Last Name P-Z
For capacity reasons, please plan to attend during your assigned time. However, if you have an unavoidable conflict with your assigned time, please email your preferred time to Kanella Roumeliotis at kanellaroumeliotis@winnetka36.org, in addition to your child(ren)’s homeroom teacher.
In this year’s sing, we are celebrating our district wide theme of “belonging”. Each grade will sing songs within the theme of belonging, in addition to our tradition of singalong songs. In addition to the sing, we will have a donation drive for Betsy’s Blankets in partnership with the PTO. Stay tuned for more information on how to contribute!
Please look for more information coming your way in the weeks to come.
Best,
Carey Crows
Monthly Observances: Human Rights Month
December is National Human Rights Month, a time to reflect on the importance of treating all people with dignity, kindness, and respect. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the values of fairness and equality that help create welcoming communities for everyone.
After School Sports (3rd/4th Grade)
*NEW*: Crow Island After School Sports with Mr. Sweene and Mr. Wilson is now on the District Web Store. Registration opens at 9am on Tuesday, December 9th. Please note that Crow Island After School Sports is different timeline (January 6 through March 11) from Discovery Clubs through Right At School.
Registration for winter Discovery Club programs is open and will remain open through Friday, December 5th. The session begins the week of December 8th and will end February 25th.
While some of these programs do fill up quickly, there is a waitlist option that often does allow for enrollment even if a class appears full. Please add yourself to the waitlist! Instructions for doing so can be found on the PTO website.
School Spotlight: Crow Island Thanksgiving Assembly
On Friday, November 21st, our school community came together for one of our beloved Crow Island traditions- the Thanksgiving Assembly. Our incredible Related Arts team organized and led a joyful celebration filled with student performances, including singing, ukuleles, dulcimers, and more. Our RC director Ms. Maneck also read aloud a selection of students’ “feathers of gratitude,” which were very sweet and heartfelt.
We were honored to welcome residents from Misericordia and to present them with a check made possible by our amazing Run-a-thon in October. Every student joined in by singing the beautiful songs taught by Mrs. Crows, and our staff lit up the stage with the classic “Turkey Tango,” which was a big hit!
Thank you to the many students and staff who helped make the assembly so special, and to our PTO for their generous support of Misericordia. It was a wonderful reminder of the joy, gratitude, and community that make Crow Island such a special place.
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.
Spirit Day:
Crow Island Spirit Day will be on FRIDAYS this year! Get your Crow Island Spirit wear from our PTO Store here!
Morning Drop-off Reminders
As a reminder, please note the following regarding morning drop-off:
- Supervision begins at 8:20 AM. Students should not arrive at school unsupervised until 8:20 AM.
- Due to the number of students and the varying age levels, students should not bring balls to use in the morning on the playground.
Winnetka Parents Institute- DECEMBER 2025:
Progressive Tenets in Action: Collaborative Community (Virtual Webinar)
December 10, 2025
9:30 A.M.
Location: Virtual
Join the third in a three-part series that will explore the District’s Progressive Education Tenets. Learn about what a Collaborative Community means and how it comes alive in our classrooms.
Interested:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/87477059974?pwd=LaBSpD0VjkfHeEnEFP5RqzzgacBqHy.1
Meeting ID: 874 7705 9974
Passcode: 328845
Following the event a link will be provided to the taped presentation on the website.
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