Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

As we head into another exciting week at Greeley, there is much to look forward to in our learning community! Our students are preparing for this year’s Spring Sing, and Mr. Urquhart has included important information below about this special performance honoring our nation’s upcoming 250th birthday. We also want to make families aware of an upcoming safety drill this Friday so you can help prepare your child with calm, supportive conversations at home. Our kindergarten students are putting their compassion into action through a meaningful service project, and Ms. Glenn has an important update regarding library books as we begin looking ahead to the close of the school year.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership in making Greeley such a caring and connected school community.

Warmly,
Principal Kopinski

May

• Wednesday, 5/6 through Wednesday, 5/20: Spring Benchmark Assessments
• Thursday, 5/21: Spring Sing Grades K, 3, 4 5:30-7:00
• Monday, 5/25: No School (Memorial Day)
• Tuesday 5/26: Spring Sing Grades 1 and 2, 6:00-7:00pm
• Wednesday, 5/27: Kindergarten Parent Open House, 6:15-7:15p, (Incoming K families)

June

• Monday 6/1: Spring Benchmark Assessment Results Released to Families (Powerschool and Otus)
• Friday, 6/5: Skokie Shadow Day for Grade 4 students
• Friday, 6/5: Half Day for Students (11:20am Dismissal)-Teacher Reporting Day
• Tuesday, 6/9: Greeley Field Day
• Wednesday 6/10: Greeley Field Day Rain Date
• Thursday, 6/11: Progress Reports Released to Families, 4th Grade Video and Party 1:30-3:00pm
• Monday 6/15: Last Day of School, Half Day for Students (11:20am Dismissal)-Teacher Reporting Day

This Friday, May 22, Greeley will participate in a lockdown drill during our midday lunch and recess period (11:40 a.m.–12:05 p.m.) to practice our Standard Response Protocol (SRP) in a less structured setting. Below, you’ll find additional information about the SRP used in Winnetka Public Schools.

I am intentionally sharing details about this drill in advance so families have the opportunity to talk with their children beforehand, reinforce safety expectations, and help prepare them for what to expect in a calm and supportive way.

What can students expect?

Students will continue with their regularly scheduled lunch or recess activities when the drill begins.

• Students in the lunchroom will remain seated at their tables and continue eating lunch silently until the drill concludes. Doors will be locked, interior window shades will be drawn, and lights will be turned off to simulate an unoccupied space.
• Students participating in outdoor recess will practice moving quickly and calmly to designated sidewalk locations, where they will line up and follow staff directions as part of our reunification protocol. Because this is a drill, students will remain on school property. Police personnel will be present to support the exercise.

How families can help

Your partnership is an important part of helping children feel safe and prepared. Here are a few ways you can support your child:

• Talk about the importance of safety drills and practicing emergency procedures.
• Let your child know the school informed you about the lockdown drill in advance. Children often feel more secure when they know school and home are working together to keep them safe.
• Check in with your child after the drill and invite them to share how they felt.
• Let your child’s responses guide the conversation. Some children may want to talk in detail, while others may prefer not to discuss it—and both responses are completely okay.
• Consider discussing how similar safety skills can be helpful in other public settings, such as community events, concerts, malls, or other large gatherings.

Thank you for your partnership as we continue working together to support strong safety practices and a secure learning environment for all students.

Spring Sing 2026 is ALMOST HERE!

Our students at Greeley have been working very hard on their Spring Sing Performance: Honoring America’s Semiquincentennial. Here is some information to help you prepare to support your student and their performance this week Thursday (5/21) and next week Tuesday (5/26):

Each grade will have its own separate performance.

Students are expected to be arriving at Greeley 5-10 minutes before their performance time. Students will go to KW to wait for their performance. Parents and families who arrive early are welcome to look at the art displayed around the hallways while the other performance concludes.

After the performance(s)- students will exit the theatre into KW and then go to the hallway by the multi-purpose room (cafeteria). Audience members will be asked to exit the theatre to their left hand side, find their student in their class lines (in the hallway of MPR), and exit the building towards the playground. By doing this we will be able to fill the auditorium with the next grade level’s families and keep as close to the scheduled times as possible.

**parents who are staying for students in both grade levels can stay in the auditorium**

Location of Classes for Spring Sing:

Below I will give you a “preview” of where the students will be standing and performing throughout their Spring Sing. Please view this graphic of the Greeley Auditorium so you can understand which direction your child will be.

(from Left to Right)

Kindergarten: Jaksic, Schaefer, Scommegna, Zaia

1: Newton, Barc, Hanley, Balogi

2: Pierce, Drexler, Graf, Fritzsche

3: Cornyn, Roy, Weiner, Lieberman

4: Ross, Laning, Peterson (all 4th grade classes will be center stage during their song)

I hope this information can help you find a great seat in our auditorium to best enjoy your child’s performance. I am so excited to show you all of their hard work and dedication.

Thursday’s (5/21) show is for Kindergarten (530 pm), Third Grade (6 pm), and Fourth Grade (630 pm)

Next Tuesday’s (5/26) show is for First Grade (6 pm) and Second Grade (630 pm)

If there are any questions that you may have- please feel free to email Mr. Urquhart at brianurquhart@winnetka36.org

Looking forward to some wonderful performances!

Gratefully,

Brian Urquhart

Greeley Music

Greeley is excited to welcome back former students from the Class of 2026 later this month! Our alumni will return to watch their fourth-grade video, take part in a celebratory parade through the halls as our current students clap and cheer them on, and enjoy an after-school reception in the library to reconnect with former classmates and teachers. We look forward to sharing photos from this special tradition with our Greeley community!

Kindergarten students have been hard at work on a meaningful service project, creating plant kits to help expand habitats for monarch butterflies! Please refer to your child’s teacher newsletter for classroom shopping dates. Proceeds from this project will benefit the Lincoln Park Zoo gorillas.

Thank you for supporting our kindergarten team and helping us foster a culture of service, compassion, and environmental stewardship within our school community.

Annual Online Registration is now open here. Details such as the Snapcode needed for Registration were sent to families via email. If you did not receive this information or have any questions, please contact Maria Perez, District Registrar, at 847-446-9400 or mariaperez@winnetka36.org. Please register at your earliest convenience in order to ensure the District can best plan for staffing needs for the upcoming school year.

Additionally, please note the following:

50% Discount on Bus Transportation for 2026/2027

The District is offering optional, parent-paid bus service with a 50% reduced flat fee, approved by the School Board. Registration is completed separately via Revtrak.

Transportation Fees & Deadlines:

• $515 flat fee: April 14 – July 10, 2026

• $565 flat fee: July 11 – August 1, 2026

One flat fee applies whether your student rides AM only, PM only, or round-trip. No additional discounts are available for one-way service or multiple riders.Registration is open through August 1, 2026.

Please review this information to plan for the 2026/2027 school year.

ATTENTION all rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, reptiles, birds and other small animals! Winnetka's Adventures in Learning/Animal Care Class is back and looking for animals to get some love and attention from our teachers and students. If your child's small animal is due for a brief break this summer, please email Anna at animal.care.adventures@gmail.com. We can also attempt to arrange adoptions if it is time to pass your pet on to another loving family.

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