Greeley Greeting

Dear Families,

This week, we are excited to begin a new Greeley tradition leading up to Thanksgiving Break. Thanks to the thoughtful leadership of our newly formed Service Committee—Aileen Scommegna, Cathy Schroeder, Allyson Schwarz, and Yue Cai—and in partnership with the Volunteer Center, we have organized meaningful service activities for all K–4 students to participate in this Friday.

Beginning at 8:45am, we will begin the day with an all-school assembly to introduce the service opportunities and set the tone for our shared work. Students will then engage in their service activities throughout the day. We’ll come back together in the afternoon for another all-school assembly to celebrate the impact of our efforts through photos, student reflections, and stories. We will conclude our day with one of our favorite annual traditions: the schoolwide Turkey Tango, led by our music teacher, Mr. Urquhart.

Please take a moment to ask your child(ren) how they were able to give back during our Day of Service—we hope they come home feeling proud of the difference they made.

Warm regards,
Lindsay

November

• Friday, 11/21: End of Trimester 1
• Monday 11/24-Friday, 11/28: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

December

• Monday, 12/1: Trimester 2 begins
• Thursday, 12/10: Trimester 1 Report Cards Released
• Wednesday, 12/17: Winter Sharing Performance, 6-7:30pm at Skokie School
• Monday, 12/22-Friday, 1/2: Winter Break (No School)

Registration opens today for the following teacher-led clubs. With the exception of Memory Book Club, all clubs take place after school. See the flyers in the "Repeated Information" section below for more information.

Tuesdays: Bracelets and Beads (K-4), Cooking Club (K-4), Pokemon (2-4)

Wednesdays: Arts & Weaving Club (K-4), Sports Club (4), Memory Book Club *before school* (3-4)

Thursdays: Battle of the Books (Grade 4), Bracelets and Beads (K-4), Sports Club (3)

Please see the PTO newsletter from Sunday for more information on how to register.

Two of the Winnetka Parent Institute offerings so far this year have been focused on the tenets of Progressive Education. If you missed it, check out the following presentations to learn more about instructional philosophy that roots our work and shapes the opportunities we design for our students.

• Experiential & Meaningful Learning presentation and video.

• Whole Child Approach presentation and video.

Join us for the third installment focused on Collaborative Community:

December 10, 2025

9:30 A.M.

https://winnetka36.zoom.us/j/87477059974?pwd=LaBSpD0VjkfHeEnEFP5RqzzgacBqHy.1

Meeting ID: 874 7705 9974

Passcode: 328845

RSVP for this event here

Congratulations to Ms. Laning’s Fourth Grade Class, Ms. Weiner’s Third Grade Class, and Ms. Cornyn’s Class for demonstrating exceptional leadership in the lunchroom over the past two weeks! These classrooms have earned the coveted Wooden Spoon Award for their consistent commitment to our RISE expectations—Respect, Inclusion, Safety, and Excitement.

This new recognition system is part of our strategic aim to strengthen schoolwide consistency in behavior expectations, enhance safety, and foster a strong sense of belonging at Greeley. Our associates work collaboratively and intentionally to notice and celebrate individual students during third- and fourth-grade lunchroom who consistently model these important values.

We are proud of our students and associates for leading the way!

Please help us maintain safe traffic flow by dropping off all car riders at the front of the school in the Fairview cut-out. This area is designed for cars to pull out of traffic so children can unload safely. Once students exit the car, they may walk through the kindergarten playground or along Elder—both of which are supervised by staff—to enter the 1–4 playground safely.

We know this may add a few extra minutes to your morning, and we truly appreciate your partnership. Your child’s safety is always worth the time.

Our Greeley students are getting ready to shine at this year’s Winter Sharing, hosted at Skokie School! Here are some important logistics from the Greeley School Office:

• The all school concert event is Wednesday, December 17th from 6:00-7:30
• Parking is tight. Please plan to arrive early, and consider carpooling to ease traffic flow.
• Please enter at the main door and through the lobby, located on Glendale Ave.
• Students will remain with their families until Mr. Urquhart calls for students to join him on stage, approximately 5 minutes before show time. The show will begin with everyone performing. There is no supervision provided before the concert.
• Because the auditorium offers ample seating, families are welcome to invite as many loved ones as they’d like to attend, and there is no need to register.

The Related Arts team recently visited Skokie to plan seating, staging, and a few festive touches:

• All students will enter and exit through the audience to ensure plenty of smiling faces and waves to loved ones.

• Kindergarteners will sit at the front of the auditorium on the carpeted area to enjoy the show and then stand to perform.

• 1st–3rd graders will watch from the balcony when not performing, supported by staff to help ensure a smooth transition. There will never be more than two grade levels in the auditorium at one time, and students will be supervised by staff volunteers.

• 4th graders will be seated along the aisles, serving as warm and welcoming hosts for guests in their rows. These seats will be marked off, so please do not sit in an aisle seat.

• The lobby will be transformed into a winter wonderland featuring student artwork, thanks to our Art program. Families will also find photo opportunities on both lobby staircases to capture a special holiday moment!

Hello 3rd and 4th grade families!. We are excited to announce that the Winter Session for After School Sports will be starting next month!

Registration will open on November 17 and will close on January 9.

The activities will include Kinetic Wellness's favorite games and new exciting activities specific to this class. We will meet each group once a week after school for ten sessions. This class will run on Wednesday for 4th grade and Thursday for 3rd grade, from 3:15-4:00 p.m.

The first classes of the first term will take place on December 10 (4th) and December 11 (3rd) and the term ending the week of February 16.

We look forward to another fun season of after school sports!!

School Hours:

8:20am | Morning supervision begins

8:30am | School Doors open

8:37am | School promptly begins

2:10pm | Regular Extended Day Kindergarten dismissal (Monday-Friday)

2:45pm | Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play kindergarten dismissal (Mondays only)

3:15pm | Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play kindergarten dismissal (Tuesday-Friday)

Office Email: danarahkhem@winnetka36.org

Location: 275 Fairview Avenue Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-6060