Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

I am sure many of our students and staff feel accomplished after a successful first week of school, and deservedly so! Each classroom has already started building routines and establishing classroom community: two pillars of successful learning and growth.

This past Friday, we held our first monthly all-school assembly (kindergarten will join us beginning in October). During our assembly, we invited students to reflect on their summer and the start of the school year. We also reviewed expectations for the playground and hallway in addition to discussing the Greeley Values. These values will be shared at our upcoming Go to School Night.

Go to School Night will take place on Wednesday, September 20th from 6:00-7:30pm this year. The night is intentionally structured to accommodate our growing number of families. Please see below for information on how the evening will be set up:

6:00-6:30pm

Grades K-2: Child's last name A-L

Grades 3-4: Child's last name M-Z

6:35-6:55pm

Principal's welcome message in the auditorium (will begin promptly)

7:00-7:30pm

Grades K-2: Child's last name M-Z

Grades 3-4: Child's last name A-L

We also recognize that some families may have children in more than two grades or multiple children in Grades K-2, for example. Please contact your child's teacher if you need to alter which session you attend.

Lastly, thank you to our PTO and other parent volunteers who helped us get the school up and running. We are incredibly grateful for those who decorated our lawn, brought welcome coffee for parents on Tuesday, beautified our grounds, or helped in any other way. Thank you for making Greeley a truly collaborative community!

Sincerely,

Joshua Swanner

Principal

The Panorama Student SEL Survey will be administered in grades 3-8 this week as part of our District-wide goal to support SEL for all students. The survey will provide data to help inform our efforts to support the well-being of all students. The survey focuses on five areas: sense of belonging, engagement, emotion regulation, positive and negative feelings, and supportive relationships.

Please mark your calendars for picture day. Stuart Rodgers will be here on Wednesday, September 20. Please note: Your student(s) primary contact email will be provided to Stuart Rodgers to expedite review/selection of photographs taken. Please complete this form by September 13, if you do not give District 36 permission to provide the parent/guardian primary email to Stuart Rodgers.

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

• For the safety of community members, dogs are not allowed on the immediate sidewalk around Greeley. If you are walking with your dog(s), you must be across the street.

• Everyone should be crossing the street using the crosswalks. Please join our staff in reminding children that it is unsafe to cross the street anywhere except the designated crosswalks.

• Last Name Pickup Signs - Please affix the sign to your visor or dashboard. These signs make pickup run faster and smoother for everyone.

In order to prevent traffic-related incidents from occurring in our community, it is important to be vigilant as a bike rider, pedestrian, or driver when traveling through town. Our principals review bike and pedestrian safety practices with students at the start of the school year. We ask that you also take a moment to review the following information with your family:

• Illinois law prohibits the use of cell phones or other electronic devices while driving in a school zone, even if it's hands free. It is dangerous and is enforced as a moving violation by the police.

• Please do not use pick up and drop off time to check texts, etc. This potentially endangers others.

• Please remind your students that they should not be using cell phones or other electronic devices while biking.

• Crossing guards are present at busier intersections near our schools to assist with safety. Please respect the authority of the crossing guards and follow their directions

• Please talk to children to ensure that they understand the importance of using caution and following all traffic signals.

• Note that there are not stop signs at every intersection, especially on Oak and Elm Streets, which are heavily used thoroughfares to Crow Island, Skokie, and Washburne.

• We STRONGLY recommend that all students who bike, skateboard, or scooter to school wear a helmet, regardless of age.

• Students should bike on the sidewalk wherever possible, and be respectful to pedestrians. Also, children are expected to walk their bikes through crosswalks and while traveling in Winnetka business districts.

• When riding on sidewalks, students should be cautious approaching driveways to be sure there is not a vehicle exiting.

• In order to prevent theft or damage, please encourage your child to securely lock their bike to the bike racks available at school.

• Each elementary school also has specific traffic procedures and parking restrictions that are enforced by police. We encourage you to review these procedures and contact your building administrator if you are unclear.

• The speed limit in our school zones is 20 miles per hour during school days. For the safety of all, please follow the posted speed limit.

• Recommended safe routes to each neighborhood school are as follows:

• Crow Island School

• Greeley School

• Hubbard Woods School

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 and math starting September 11. There are three platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, and NWEA MAP. Specific information about assessments, including how parents will receive their child’s results, will be shared at Go To School Night.

To view the calendar for the 2023/2024 school year, please click here.

Crow Island, Greeley & Hubbard Woods

Wednesday, September 20 - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Skokie

Wednesday, September 13 - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Washburne

Thursday, September 14 - 6:00-7:30 p.m.

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.

The District offers regular sessions for families to learn more about a variety of topics. Please view the fall schedule here, and mark your calendar for this upcoming event in September:

“The Winnetka Experience: Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and Progressive Education”

September 20, 2023

Time: 9:30AM

Location: Washburne RC

Interested:

RSVP here

Jeff Knapp (Assistant Superintendent of Professional Learning and HR) and Beth Carmody (Principal at Hubbard Woods School) will present on the Portrait of a Graduate, Portrait of an Educator, and the impact that these along with Progressive Education have with students and staff to help drive the Winnetka Public Schools District 36 as a local and national leader in talent development. A panel discussion of Winnetka teachers will bring to life how Progressive Education is displayed across our schools.

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

• Week of 9/11: Panorama Student Survey (Grades 3-4)
• Week of 9/18: MAP Testing (Grades 3-4)
• Wednesday, 9/20: Picture Day
• Wednesday, 9/20: Go-to-School Night; 6:00-7:30pm
• Monday, 9/25: No School

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