Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

This Monday marks our first Greeley Greeting, a weekly newsletter that goes out to families on the first school day of each week (typically Monday). In addition to this schoolwide newsletter, you should all receive regular contact from your child's teacher with updates and any important news.

On a different note, we are quite excited to welcome students and their families back to our school, starting with Teacher Meet & Greets at 10:45am this Thursday. Meet and Greets, as well as PTO Popsicle Playdates, are a great way to prepare students for their first half-day on September 5th. Please see the below calendar for dates/times for the popsicle playdates. This calendar will be featured in each week's communication.

We are also excited for families to see some of the improvements at Greeley School. This includes physical updates like lighting, an auditorium refresh, and a new secured front vestibule, as well as outdoor improvements. A special thank you also goes out to our PTO Grounds Committee for all of their hard work (and keen eye) in beautifying our school grounds.

This time of year is always filled with multiple emotions for students, families, and staff alike. Please do contact your child's teacher(s) if you feel there are any important considerations they or the school needs to be aware of to make the start of the year successful.

Sincerely,

Joshua Swanner

Principal

The following information on pick-up and drop-off procedures is for new and returning families alike. Your help and support in following these procedures is the number one pathway to a quick and safe process.

• Cars must enter the drop-off/pick-up line on Fairview Ave. from Elder Ln (both eastbound and westbound)
• When pulling into the "cut-out" on Fairview, please be sure to pull all the way up (this helps us move a greater volume of vehicles)
• Please do not get out of your car; we have staff to open doors for children and help them out
• Staff are also on hand to assist and direct children safely in the morning
• Please use the above procedures only unless special arrangements are made with the school
• When walking, make sure to cross on the corners of Fairview Ave., where a crossing guard is stationed to ensure the safety of our families
• Each year, these procedures are reviewed in collaboration with the Winnetka Police Department. We are proud of the speed at which we can safely get families on their way, but we also recognize these times may vary due to inclement weather, special events, etc. If you are having difficulties with this process, please reach out to the main office to discuss at (847) 446-6060.

Note: The first few days of school are often some of the busiest in terms of traffic. Families are quite welcome to take photos, visit the school grounds, etc. Be sure to park and walk to the school if this is the case.

Families new to the Greeley Community are invited to join us for a tour of the school on Thursday, August 31st at 3:30pm. Please join us at the front of the school on the corners of Hawthorn and Fairview. Tours will be led by the principal, Joshua Swanner, and Parent Teacher Organization volunteers.

Note: Greeley School remains under construction, with teachers gaining access to the building later than a typical school year. With this in mind, portions of the building may still need work or cleaning at the time of the tours. Adjustments to the tours may need to be made.

As staff prepares for our first week of school, we are also thinking of the upcoming forecast predicting higher temperatures. Each year, Greeley School develops a plan to use air-conditioned spaces that classrooms can rotate through. This plan will be implemented if needed. Additionally, we strongly encourage all families to make sure their children come to school with reusable water bottles. We have multiple refilling stations and will provide students with regular opportunities to stay hydrated.

• Wednesday, 8/30: 1st Grade Popsicle Playdate; 10:00-11:00am (Indian Hill Park)
• Wednesday, 8/30: 2nd Grade Popsicle Playdate; 1:00-2:00pm (Indian Hill Park)
• Thursday, 8/31: 3rd Grade Popsicle Playdate; 1:00-2:00pm (Village Green Park)
  
• Thursday, 8/31: 4th Grade Popsicle Playdate; 2:00-3:00pm (Village Green Park)
  
• Thursday, 8/31: Teacher Meet & Greets; 10:45am
• Thursday, 8/31: New Family School Tours; 3:30pm
  
• Thursday, 8/31: Kindergarten Popsicle Playdate; 4:00-5:00pm (kinder playground)
• Friday, 9/1: No School
• Monday, 9/4: No School (Labor Day)
• Tuesday, 9/5: School Re-Opens; Half-Day (11:20am dismissal)
• Tuesday, 9/19 - Thursday, 9/21: 3rd and 4th Grade MAP Testing
• Wednesday, 9/20: Picture Day
• Wednesday, 9/20: Go-to-School Night; 6:00-7:30pm (more information to come)
• 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