Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley families,

In the coming week, our teaching teams will be spending time closely reviewing information from our recent benchmark assessments and classroom artifacts of learning. This thoughtful work helps us plan next steps and make informed decisions to support student growth in all areas of a child’s school experience—including math, literacy, social-emotional skills, attendance, and behavior. These conversations ensure that instruction and support remain responsive to students’ strengths and needs as we move through the rest of the year.

We are also looking forward to the fun and excitement of Valentine’s Day celebrations in classrooms. These moments of joy, connection, and community are an important part of our school culture and provide students with opportunities to practice kindness and friendship.

Finally, we encourage all families to stay engaged with our PTO One School, One Book opportunity. Reading together at home and talking about the story helps strengthen connections between school and home and builds a shared experience for our students. We love seeing students’ enthusiasm and conversations grow as the story unfolds.

Warm regards,
Principal Kopinski

February

Monday, 2/16: Winter Benchmark Assessment Results Released to Families (Powerschool, OTUS)
Monday 2/16 to Friday 2/20: Greeley PTO Spirit Week (OSOB themed)
Monday 2/16 to Wednesday 2/25: Robots Due and Raffle Entry
Thursday and Friday, 2/26 and 2/27: Parent Teacher Conferences (No School)

March

Friday 3/6: End of Trimester 2
Monday, 3/9: Start of Trimester 3
Thursday, 3/12: Greeley PTO STEAM Night
Wednesday 3/18: Progress Reports Released to Families in Powerschool
Friday, 3/27: Half Day for Students (11:30am Dismissal)-Teacher Institute PM
Monday 3/30-Friday, April 3: Spring Break

April

Monday 4/6: School Resumes
Tuesday, 4/7: Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Testing Begins for Grades 3-4
Tuesday, 4/7: District Chorus Concert 7-8pm
Wednesday 4/22: Greeley Strings Concert 6:30-7:30pm
Tuesday, 4/28: 5th Grade Orientation at Skokie School (4th Grade Families) 5:30-7:00pm

Greeley School Google Calendar

Lighthouse Moment from the Classroom

Last week, members of our Building Leadership Team—one volunteer staff representative from each team—spent time visiting classrooms across the school. As they observed learning in action, they looked for examples of our shared school goals coming to life through students’ and teachers’ work. The team then came together to reflect on what they noticed, celebrate strong practices, and consider thoughtful next steps. These takeaways are shared with grade-level and department teams to support ongoing learning and growth across the school.

Later in the day, staff leaders engaged in professional learning focused on strengthening our practices as a professional learning community (PLC), ensuring that teachers continue working together in meaningful and effective ways to support every student.

Each week, these team conversations focus on student learning—what’s going well, where students may benefit from extra support or enrichment, and how we can continue to grow together. This collaborative work keeps our focus where it belongs: providing a strong, supportive learning experience and helping every student succeed.

OSOB Reading Calendar

Related Arts Spotlight

Last week in art, Mrs. Balogi’s class listened to the book “I Love Lunar New Year” by Eva Wong Nava, and learned about the upcoming holiday! Together as a class we talked about Lunar New Year traditions such as cleaning the house to sweep out the ‘old’ to prepare for the ‘new’. We also discussed the significance of the color red, and how it symbolizes good fortune, prosperity, and happiness. We created Lunar New Year Lanterns together during class, and they turned out wonderful!

Lizzie Ramirez, Greeley Art Teacher

Valentine's Day Reminders

If your child is participating in a Valentines exchange, please ensure they bring one for each of their classmates. Teachers can provide a “first name list” to ensure accurate class counts.

Many teachers in our younger grades prefer that students only write their own name on each Valentine to make it easier for your child to distribute Valentines. Please see classroom newsletters for specific information from your child's teacher.

Avoid sending in any food (including candy) to come with Valentines. The district has a no food policy to support our students who have a variety of food allergies.

You can send in small items with a Valentine’s that are non-food related.

From Washburne to New Trier: (Paul Waechtler, Principal)

A D36 Parent's Guide to the New Trier Transition

February 11, 2026

9:30 A.M.

Washburne RC (in person event)

Carleton Washburne School, 515 Hibbard Rd.

Join Paul Waechtler, Principal at the New Trier High School Freshman

Campus, who 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:

RSVP here.

Updated e-Learning Plan

The Winnetka Public Schools intends to renew its e-Learning Plan, which outlines how instruction and student support will be provided on days when in-person learning is not possible (such as during severe weather or other emergencies), in accordance with guidance from the Illinois State Board of Education.

The proposed e-Learning Plan is available for parent and community review here.

Parents and guardians are invited to submit comments or questions regarding the plan by February 9, 2026 to patrickdawson@winnetka36.org.

The Board of Education is scheduled to consider approval of the e-Learning Plan at its meeting on February 24, 2026.

Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2026/2027

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2026/2027 is now open on the District website and via this link. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2026, are eligible to enroll. 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 visit the District website or contact the Registrar at 847-446-9400.