Crow Island Connections

Dear Crow Island Community,

We had a great Safety Week last week at Crow Island. Our students did a fantastic job participating in all of our drills, and we loved welcoming the Winnetka Police and Fire Departments for High-5 Friday. We also enjoyed a special assembly on Tuesday led by the Fire Department focused on fire safety.

Our 2026 Run-a-thon was a huge success! Thank you to everyone who volunteered or came out to cheer on our students. We had beautiful weather, incredible energy, and so much Crow Island spirit on display. It was a wonderful event that truly reflected the strength of our school community. A big thank you to our PTO and KW teachers, Mr. Sweene and Mr. Wilson, for organizing this fantastic day.

Looking ahead, Picture Retake Day is this week, and we’re all excited for our Crow Island Halloween celebration on October 30! Please see the details below for more information. We can’t wait to celebrate together.

Sincerely,
Anna

October

• Wednesday, October 14th | Picture Retake

• Thursday, October 22th and Friday, October 23th | Fall Conferences- no student attendance
  
• Friday, October 30th | Halloween Parade and Ghost Walk

• Monday, November 2nd | No School- Institute Day
  

• Tuesday, November 3rd | No School- General Election Day

• Friday, November 6th | Kindergarten Butterfly Migration + Outdoor Performance @ 2 PM

• Monday, November 23rd- Friday, November 27th | No School- Thanksgiving Break

We couldn't have asked for a better day for our annual Crow Island Run-a-Thon! The weather was perfect, and it was wonderful to see our students running, cheering each other on, and having so much fun. This beloved Crow Island tradition dates back to 1985 and continues to be one of our favorite events of the year!

As part of this year's event, we raised money to support Misericordia. We also continued our fun Run-a-Thon raffle, with students from each grade level randomly selected to win gift cards to The Book Stall!

A huge thank you to our PTO and our amazing KW teachers Mr. Sweene and Mr. Wilson for organizing such a fantastic event and to all the families who came out to cheer on our runners. It was a great day for our Crow Island community!

Crow Island Halloween

Friday, October 30, 2026

We are looking forward to celebrating Halloween at Crow Island! Please see below for information about our costume parade, Ghost Walk, classroom celebrations, and costume guidelines.

Costume Parade & Ghost Walk: 1:00 PM

The entire Crow Island community of staff, students, and families will come together to celebrate Halloween!

Costume Parade Route:

Students will parade out the back door onto the blacktop area, turning left onto Glendale toward Willow Road, then west on Willow before heading back toward school at the Crow Statue.

Parents and families are invited to watch the parade from the sidewalk along Willow Rd. in front of the school, along Glendale, or along the fence near the blacktop.

After the Costume Parade

Kindergarten

Kindergarten students will head to the amphitheater for the Ghost of Crow Island.

Grades 1–4

After the parade, students in grades 1–4 will continue through the Ghost Walk in the Crow Island Woods (near the 1st grade playground) before heading to the outdoor amphitheater.

Parents and families will walk from their parade viewing locations along Glendale Ave. to the outdoor amphitheater, where families, students, and staff will come together for the Ghost of Crow Island! The outdoor festivities will end around 2 PM, and families will be able to head home as students head inside to continue the fun.

Classroom Celebrations: 2:00–2:30 PM

All grade levels will celebrate Halloween in their classrooms from 2:00–2:30 PM.

Room parents and class photographers are invited into classrooms to help facilitate the celebrations. Room parents should plan for the following:

• A craft or game(s) for students to enjoy in the classroom

• No food or candy is permitted

  
  

Costume Guidelines

Students may bring their costumes to school and will have time to change before the parade and Ghost Walk. Please keep the following guidelines in mind:

• No fake blood or weapons

• Costumes should be school-friendly (nothing too scary)

• No masks

• Please keep costumes simple, as students will be changing into them independently

  
  

We are looking forward to a fun afternoon celebrating together!

Picture make-up day will be held on Wednesday, October 14th. If you would like your child to have their photo re-taken, please email Christine Demas-Hall (christinedemas-hall@winnetka36.org ) as soon as possible.

We are looking forward to seeing you all at this year’s Winter Sing on Thursday, December 17th!

Children will perform at each performance time, but as always, students may sit together with their families during their family's performance time when they are not onstage. You are all invited to join us at the time assigned to your last name:

Performance Times:

9:00- Last Name P-Z

10:30AM- Last Name A-G

1:00PM- Last Name H-O

Please reach out to Ms. Trilla or Ms. Crows with any questions!

We have been notified that Western Utility LLC d/b/a Hylan will be performing fiber optic installation work in our area. While the times are not during school hours, please plan accordingly.

Project Limits:

Willow Road from Euclid Ave to Glendale Ave

Willow Road from Locust Rd to Birch St.

Dates and Times:

October 12th- 20th

Work Hours:

• Monday 9:00 AM- 2:30 PM
• Tuesday-Friday 9:00 AM- 3:00 PM

Reminder: Prepare for Fall Parent-Teacher Conference Sign-Up

Fall Conferences will be held on:

• October 22 - 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

• October 23 - 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

What is ParentsMeeting?

Parents Meeting is the online scheduling system used by The Winnetka Public Schools for parent-teacher conference registration. Through Parents Meeting, families can view available conference times and select appointments with their child’s teacher(s).

When can I sign-up for conferences?

Fall conference sign-up opened on Thursday, October 1 at 12:00 p.m.

School-Specific Links

• Crow Island: https://crowislandelementary.schoolcloud.co.uk/

• Greeley: https://greeleyelementary.schoolcloud.co.uk/

• Hubbard Woods: https://hubbardwoodselementary.schoolcloud.co.uk/

• Skokie: https://theskokieschool.schoolcloud.co.uk/

• Washburne: https://carletonwashburne.schoolcloud.co.uk/

  
  

When logging in, please enter your information exactly as it is in PowerSchool. You can check this by logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal and clicking on “Account Preferences” to view your information. This includes using the email address registered in PowerSchool.

If you experience difficulty logging in, please complete a Help ticket.

Add the Notification Email Address to Your Contacts

To ensure you don't miss any communication regarding your conferences, please add the email address noreply@schoolcloud.co.uk to your email contacts.

Important Dates

• October 1 at 12:00 p.m.: Fall conference sign-up opens

• October 21 at 12:00 p.m.: Fall conference sign-up closes

Additional information about conference scheduling, including school-specific details and instructions, will be shared as we get closer to October 1.

Each October, we take time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions of individuals with disabilities in our schools, workplaces, and communities. It is an opportunity to highlight the importance of inclusion, respect, and equal opportunity for all.

You can refer to our monthly observance calendar here

Crow Island 101 Document:

Our Crow Island 101 Guide is a helpful, at-a-glance resource for families. Many parents like to keep a copy in their kitchen for quick reference. You can view it here: Crow 101 Document.

Arrival & Dismissal:

Please take a few minutes to review our Arrival & Dismissal procedures for this year. These routines help ensure a safe and smooth start and end to each school day for all students.

Hot Lunch Program:

Crow Island has a hot lunch program run through a third party collaboration with our PTO called Marla's Lunch. You can register and sign-up here: Marla's Hot Lunch.

Email:

annatrilla@winnetka36.org (Principal)

christinedemas-hall@winnetka36.org (Administrative Assistant)
Website: https://crowisland.winnetka36.org/
Location: 1112 Willow Road Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-0353
Instagram: Winnetka Public Schools