Greeley Greeting

Dear Families,

I hope you all enjoyed a restful and relaxing weekend after our very first full week of school!

Today marks the start of Latinx/Hispanic Heritage Month, and we are excited to celebrate together as a school community. To honor this month, we invite our Greeley students to help create a special display that both celebrates and informs. Students who would like to participate can stop by the front desk to pick up a page featuring a flag, an influential figure, or a meaningful quote to color and contribute to our display.

We can’t wait to showcase their work and share photos of the final display as it comes together—another wonderful way for our students to learn, create, and celebrate!

With gratitude and partnership,
Principal Kopinski

September

Monday, 9/22: No School (Institute Day for staff)
Tuesday, 9/23: No School (Rosh Hashanah)
Wednesday, 9/24: Picture Day
Thursday 9/25: Greeley Go to School Night 6:00-7:30 pm.
Wednesday 9/24-Friday, 9/26: Greeley Safety Week

October

Thursday, 10/2: No School (Yom Kippur)
Friday, 10/24: Kindergarten Monarch Migration, 9:15am
Wednesday, 10/29: Greeley Ghost Walk and Ghost Dance
Thursday, 10/30: Parent Teacher Conferences (No School)
Friday, 10/31: Parent Teacher Conferences (No School)

November

Wednesday, 11/5: Picture Retake Day
Monday 11/24-Friday, 11/28: Thanksgiving Break (No School)

Greeley School Google Calendar

Head Custodian Annoucement

Please join us in warmly welcoming our new head custodian, Joel Velazquez!

Joel comes to Greeley from Crow Island School, where he served as the assistant head custodian for the past four years. He is already off to a great start learning our building and is dedicated to keeping our school safe, clean, and welcoming for students and staff.

We are excited to have Joel as part of the Greeley community!

Drop Off Safety Reminder

Parents, thank you for helping us keep arrival safe and smooth for all of our students. For everyone’s safety, please remember that Woodland Ave, Hawthorn, and Edler are not car drop-off zones.

The only designated, safe drop-off area is the cutout on Fairview Ave. Using this space helps ensure a safe and efficient arrival, while also modeling for our students the importance of following school rules.

We truly appreciate your partnership and cooperation in keeping our Greeley community safe!

Morning Arrival Procedures

Parents are warmly welcome to stay on the blacktop with their children until 8:20, when our staff begins supervision. At this time, we ask that parents leave the blacktop so that we can safety supervise students.

At 8:30, the outdoor bell rings, and students walk into the building with their teachers. By about 8:33, all students are typically inside and ready to begin the day.

If your child arrives on the blacktop by 8:30, they will enter with their class as usual. For safety, students in grades 1–4 who arrive at the front of the school after classes have started entering are asked to go through Door 1. This ensures they can quickly and safely join their classmates inside, rather than being left at the back without supervision.

A reminder: students are considered tardy if they are not in their classroom and seated by the second bell at 8:37.

Memory Books

We are excited to share that this year every Greeley student will receive a Memory Book! The cost of the Memory Book was already included in student fees, so there is no additional payment required.

Go to School Night

Please join us on Thursday, September 25th 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:

6:00 - 6:40 p.m.

Grades K-2: Child's last name A-L
Grades 3-4: Child's last name M-Z

6:50 - 7:30 p.m.

Grades K-2: Child's last name M-Z
Grades 3-4: Child's last name A-L

Additionally, a principal presentation will be provided from 5:30-5:50 in the auditorium for any interested families.

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!

Fall Family Fun Night

The PTO is excited to invite you to our Jerseys & Jeans Fall Family Fun Night on Friday, September 26th, from 5:00–7:00 PM at the Greeley Gymnasium and Playground. It’s going to be a festive evening filled with music from DJ Gator, fun sports activities led by Hi-Five Sports, and plenty of delicious food!

To add to the fun, we’re encouraging everyone to dress on theme: channel your inner Taylor Swift with denim and sparkle, or show your team spirit in your favorite sports jersey!

Please remember to place your food orders through the PTO link by Friday, September 19th.

Food Order Form

Transportation Change Communication

Please be sure to copy your child’s teacher, our entrance monitor, Katie Dreher (katiedreher@winnetka36.org), and our secretary, Dana Rah-Khem (danarahkhem@winnetka36.org), on any messages about transportation or dismissal changes. This helps us ensure that, if the teacher is absent, the office team can relay the information to a substitute and make sure your child gets safely to the right place at the end of the day.

Attention Grade K and 2 families-Health Forms Due

This is a friendly reminder that all medical forms required by the State of Illinois are overdue. You can find additional copies of the forms on the district website here.

Please see the information below:

State of Illinois Health Examination:

Kindergarten & Grade 6

Eye Examination:

Kindergarten

Dental Examination:

Kindergarten, Grade 2 & Grade 6

Please submit forms here.

Winnetka Parent Institute

Learn, Communicate, Partner: Generative AI Literacy for Parents, Caregivers and Community (Amanda Bickerstaff, AI for Education CEO)

September 22, 2025

Time: 5:00 PM

Location: Skokie Auditorium

In this session, parents, caregivers, and community members will explore the transformative world of Generative AI in education and discover how AI is reshaping learning. We'll address common myths, discuss ethical considerations, and provide strategies for supporting your child's AI literacy. Through interactive demonstrations and focused discussion, you'll learn to effectively partner with your children as they navigate AI-enhanced learning environments and leave equipped with the knowledge and confidence to embrace educational technology while fostering responsible AI use at home and in the classroom.

Interested:

RSVP here

Feedback Link

Benchmark Assessment Window Opening Soon

Benchmark assessments are valuable tools that provide a snapshot of student progress at a point in time. These assessments help teachers to identify areas where students are excelling and where they may need additional support. They can also inform instructional decisions by providing data that can be used to tailor teaching to meet each student's unique needs and strengths. Benchmark assessments are an important component of progressive education, which recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different rates. By using benchmark assessments to inform instruction, teachers can provide a more individualized approach to learning that supports each student's academic growth and personal development.

This year students in Grades K-8 will participate in academic benchmark assessments of literacy, math and social emotional learning starting September 25-October 10. On October 20, results will be emailed home, available in the PowerSchool Parent Portal, as well as online via Otus.com.

Math Pilot Announcement

As part of the districtwide math curricular review, select classrooms will be participating in a math pilot this year.

Purpose of the Pilot
Our goal is to build a vertically aligned and coherent math system that supports all learners through rigorous, standards-aligned resources. The pilot allows us to evaluate high quality instructional materials in real classroom settings, considering how they meet student needs and align with our progressive teaching and learning values.

What to Expect
Families whose students are in pilot classrooms will receive direct communication with a general timeline. While one unit will be taught using a pilot resource in place of the current one, students' daily experience will remain consistent. All participating teachers receive training and will ensure instructional supports are in place for students as needed.

How We Will Evaluate Resources
We will consider student engagement and understanding, teacher usability, standards alignment, and feedback from students and families.

Timeline
Feedback collected during the pilot will help inform a final recommendation to the Board of Education in Spring 2026. The selected resource or resources will be implemented districtwide in the 2026–27 school year.

If you have general questions about the pilot, please reach out to patrickdawson@winnetka36.org.

September Observances

As part of The Winnetka Public Schools ongoing commitment to equity by fostering connection and belonging, and in alignment with our progressive tenet of building a collaborative community, our schools will take time each month to recognize the contributions of people from diverse backgrounds. Observances will look different across schools and grade levels, and may include activities such as art, music, book studies, research projects, sharing cultural holidays and celebrations, and other school activities.

For the month of September, we are celebrating Latinx Heritage Month as well as Patriot Day, which occurred this week.

Families can learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month here.
You can access our library collection via Destiny here: Destiny collection

To see what is coming up each month, you can refer to our monthly observance calendar here

Open Houses

The Winnetka Community is Invited to Open Houses at all Campuses on Saturday, September 20

Referendum-funded construction is complete at all five campuses, the highlights of which include a new gym and classrooms at Crow Island, a beautiful multi-purpose room at Hubbard Woods, and many more essential improvements to our historic schools. Please join us for community open houses at all campuses on September 20 from 9 a.m.-11:00 a.m. A ribbon cutting will take place at 9 a.m. at the new Crow Island gym.

Important Deadlines for Optional Programs and Services - September 30, 3025

All registrations are available through RevTrak: https://winnetka.revtrak.net/

Registration for the following optional fees, programs, and services closes on September 30:

Kindergarten Stay & Play
iPad Insurance
Elementary & Skokie Milk Fees

Bus Registration

Reopens: Monday, September 15
Closes: September 30

The District offers optional, parent-paid bus service. To encourage ridership, the School Board has approved a 50% fee reduction for this school year.

Flat fee: $550 per student (AM only, PM only, or Round Trip)
Register via RevTrak: https://winnetka.revtrak.net/

Right Club – Before/After-School Care
The District partners with Right at School to provide: