Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

Please consider attending our Family Fun Night this coming Friday, October 20th, at 5:30pm. Our amazing PTO has planned an engaging event for all, which will include popcorn, glow necklaces, and a showing of Coco. Families are welcome to bring a picnic dinner as well. Warm clothing and jackets are highly recommended!

On a separate note, I wanted to take a moment to provide an update on Halloween costumes. Students are invited to bring their costumes to school on Halloween Day. In order to maintain a positive learning environment throughout the day, all costumes will be put on following lunch (exceptions with kindergarten may apply). The following expectations are in place for costumes:

• Masks and head covering are prohibited (aside from medical masks)
• Any weapons, including facsimiles, must be left at home. In the event that these are brought to school, the teacher will hold onto them for the duration of the school day
• All costumes should be age-appropriate for elementary school (per school board policy)
• Please consider your child's mobility when selecting a costume; we encourage students to wear articles of clothing that are not overly cumbersome

We are also excited to share details about our annual Ghost Dance (weather permitting)! Our Ghost Dance will be performed by first- through fourth-grade students on Halloween, Tuesday, October 31st. Families are invited to attend and watch our students' performances, which will begin at 1:00pm.

Please note the following:

• We recommend arriving at 12:45pm to get situated
  
• Families line up on the sidewalks surrounding the playground
• The playground area itself is for students and staff only
• Students will promptly return to their classrooms following the performance
• An email will be sent to families should the Ghost Dance be canceled due to inclement weather

We hope to see you at one of our future events this fall season.

Sincerely,

Joshua Swanner

Principal

We are excited about our Digital Citizen Unity Week! Please click the PDF below to view the calendar with included links for additional resources.

We are looking for volunteers to help the kids with this in the lunchroom from 11:30-12:15 for the next month. If you are interested, please follow the sign-up genius link. If you are already volunteering as a lunch parent this month, thank you, and please give others a chance to sign up.

Thank you

If you have ordered a hot lunch on a day that your child will not be at school, you may pick up that lunch at the front desk. Please notify the office (847) 446-6060 by 10 am, and we will hold the lunch at the front desk for you to pick up after 12 pm.

If your child is coming back from or heading to an appointment before/after lunch and you'd like them to bring the food home or your child is leaving at lunchtime for the rest of the day, notify the office by 10 a.m. When a hot lunch is ordered on the same day a home lunch is brought, your student will still receive their hot lunch.

If you do not notify the office, your child's hot lunch will be donated.

Please note: For allergy purposes, any donated lunch given to a child who does not have lunch that day will need approval from the parent to receive this.

Please contact Jen Felderman (jennifer.felderman@gmail.com; 773-513-9444), the PTO Lunch Volunteer Coordinator, with any questions.

Click here to view a message from Carleton Washburne students.

Bullying affects everyone: those exhibiting bullying behaviors, the bullied, and the bystanders. The District's Bullying Response and Prevention Plan creates awareness of what bullying is with “child-friendly” language that illustrates the difference between mean, rude or bullying behavior; establishes and communicates to students, parents and staff methods for reporting incidents related to bullying behavior; develops communication protocols for investigating, notifying and resolving incidents reported; and, builds an ongoing dialog with students on bullying awareness and prevention.

The District 36 approach to bullying is “pro” solution rather than “anti” problem to foster a change of culture through kindness, compassion, respect, reaching out, and helping others. Every October, students discuss bullying prevention in their classrooms/advisories where they are reminded of methods available to them to speak with an adult about their concerns. Students in grades 5-8 are able to report an incident or indicate that they want to talk to an adult from a form on their ipad. Students K-4 are able to report an incident to any adult in whatever form is most comfortable for them. A reporting form is also accessible from the District’s website, along with information on text4help.

Click here for additional information.

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. Please view the fall schedule here. If you were unable to attend “The Winnetka Experience: Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and Progressive Education”view the session here.

Coming Soon:

District 36: Benchmark Assessments

October 19 2023

9:30 A.M.

Location: Skokie Community Room

Join Dr. Becky Mathison, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation, Teaching and Learning, to hear about the standardized academic assessments administered in the areas of reading and math. Learn about what skills are assessed at each grade level, how staff use this information, and when parents can expect to receive assessment results following each of the three benchmarking periods (fall, winter, and spring)

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Following the event a link will be provided to the recorded presentation on the website.

Feedback Link

Fall benchmark assessment results have been mailed home. Information to help parents understand the assessment reports are available on the District website. As a community of learners, we are navigating the way through how to best use this information along with the valuable insight gathered on a day-to-day basis in our schools. Thank you for being our partner in this growth process.

Last year the District strategic plan goal to realign the K-1 literacy program was updated to entail a full curriculum review of literacy programming K-8. The goal of the curriculum review is to ensure there is a guaranteed and viable literacy curriculum based upon current research that builds from Kindergarten through Grade 8. In the spring a group of educators that comprised the District’s Literacy Leadership Committee identified literacy programs to pilot this year and 60 classroom teachers volunteered to participate in the pilot. Participating in the pilot means that the teacher has been trained in the program and will select one existing unit in the literacy curriculum to replace with the pilot curriculum.

Your child’s classroom teacher may have shared this information during the recent Go To School Night events, as well as through their classroom newsletters. While the student learning outcomes in literacy may remain the same this year, the programming, materials and sequence used may be different in classrooms where the pilot is taking place. More information about the pilot will continue to be shared through District communications and regular updates during School Board meetings. A special thank you to the Winnetka Public Schools Foundation Board for approving funding that was used for a large majority of the pilot training that occurred during September.

Per the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is recommended that a person isolates for at least 5 days from symptom onset if symptoms are present or 5 days from positive test date if no symptoms. Day 1 starts the day after symptom onset/positive test date. They can return on day 6 if fever, vomiting, and diarrhea cease for 24 hours and have improvement of symptoms. It is recommended to mask day 6-10.

The Winnetka Public Schools, Village, Police, and Fire Departments work to proactively refine safety practices on an ongoing basis. We are grateful for our collaborative partnership, and have worked together to compile a Fall Edition of our Safety Bulletin as we begin the 23/24 school year. You’ll find general information on a variety of safety-related topics and resources to support the safety of our entire community.

As part of Winnetka School District 36’s ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, the District will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people of diverse backgrounds. The goal of these monthly observances is to provide resources and support for teachers in order to bring awareness and appreciation to the diverse population of students in our community. Observances will look different at all schools and even at different grade levels. Some activities might include art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities. As materials are developed for these observances, we will make them accessible.

September 15- October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

October: Disability Awareness

November: Native American Heritage

December: Human Rights

January: MLK Jr. Day

February: Black History

March - April 15: Women’s History Month

April 15-May 15: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage

May 15 - June 13: Jewish American Heritage

If your student brings their school device home (grades 4-8), consider setting up the JAMF Parent App! The JAMF Parent app will allow you to allow & restrict apps, enable an app lock, set device and location rules, etc. All you need is the JAMF Parent App on your device (Apple/Android) and your student's iPad in front of you. Follow the instructions in this brief tutorial from JAMF on how to set it up and interact with the platform. Additional resources can be found here.

Download the District’s app by searching “The Winnetka Public Schools” on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. The app will serve as a convenient way to report absences, view and manage your school calendars, and see at-a-glance District news.

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

This is your opportunity to “upcycle” your new or gently used goods to16 nonprofits who will gratefully receive your donations at the Indian Hill Metra Train Station Parking Lot in Winnetka (111 Green Bay Road, Winnetka) from 9am-noon.

This annual Volunteer Center (VC) donation drop-off collects nearly 30,000 items each year! See the detailed list on the VC website of the 16 nonprofits and the goods they have requested and start sorting, tagging and bagging them for drop off! Please share with your service groups, businesses, and friends.

Thank you to everyone for all the work you are doing to support the Volunteer Center and this year's Make A Difference Day!

• Friday, 10/20: Kindergarten Monarch Migration
• Friday, 10/20: Fall Family Fun Night; 5:30-7:30pm
• Tuesday, 10/24: Greeley Class of 2023 Book Nook Dedication
• Monday, 10/30: Pumpkin Decorating Showcase
• Tuesday, 10/31: Ghost Dance 12:45 pm (parents gather on the sidewalk)

• Wednesday, 11/1: No School (Institute Day)
• Friday, 11/3: Photo Retake Day

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
Facebook: facebook.com/Winnetka36
Twitter: @Winnetka36