Greeley Greeting

Dear Greeley Families,

We hope you’re settling into the busy and joyful rhythm of December and enjoying this festive season with your families. This week’s newsletter is packed with timely updates and opportunities to stay connected with our Greeley community. Below, you’ll find important information from Mr. Urquhart about our Winter Sharing celebration on Wednesday evening, a request for your feedback on our completed math pilots, and a few helpful tips to support your child’s transition back to school routines after winter break.

You’ll also see several invitations to upcoming events, including a WPI on the topic of differentiation, as well as details about our annual Incoming Kindergarten Information Night, which will be held at Greeley in January for families of future kindergarteners joining us in the full day in the 2026–2027 school year.

As winter break approaches, we wish you safe travels, restful days, and meaningful time together. Thank you, as always, for your partnership—we look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events.

Warmly,
Principal Kopinski

December

Wednesday, 12/17: Winter Sharing Performance, 6-7:30pm at Skokie School
Monday, 12/22-Friday, 1/2: Winter Break (No School)

January

Monday, 1/5: School Resumes
Thursday, 1/15-Friday 1/30: Winter Benchmark Assessments (MAP, mClass, Aimsweb, SSIS)
Monday, 1/19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day (No School)
Thursday, 1/29: Pioneer Room Open House 9:30am (Third Grade Families)

February

Monday, 2/16: Winter Benchmark Assessment Results Released to Families (Powerschool, OTUS)
Thursday and Friday, 2/26 and 2/27: Parent Teacher Conferences (No School)

March

Friday 3/6: End of Trimester 2
Monday, 3/9: Start of Trimester 3
Thursday, 3/12: Greeley PTO STEAM Night
Wednesday 3/18: Progress Reports Released to Families in Powerschool
Friday, 3/27: Half Day for Students (11:30am Dismissal)-Teacher Institute PM
Monday 3/30-Friday, April 3: Spring Break

April

Monday 4/6: School Resumes
Tuesday, 4/7: Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Testing Begins for Grades 3-4
Tuesday, 4/7: District Chorus Concert 7-8pm
Tuesday, 4/14: Winnetka Public Schools Foundation (WPSF) Carlson Event 4:30-6pm at Skokie
Wednesday 4/22: Greeley Strings Concert 6:30-7:30pm
Tuesday, 4/28: 5th Grade Orientation at Skokie School (4th Grade Families) 5:30-7:00pm

Greeley School Google Calendar

Related Arts Spotlight

Greeley Winter Sharing 2025 is almost here!

Mr. Urquhart is so excited to share the hard work and talents of all of the Greeley students next week.

When: Wednesday, December 17th

Where: The Skokie School

Time: Doors open at 5:30, show begins at 6:00 and should be ending around 7:15

There will be a chance to view and appreciate the hard work of Ms. Ramirez and the Art curriculum at Greeley in the Skokie lobby. The art will be accompanied by a jazz quartet and there will be a photo opportunity for families to take a holiday picture prior to the show starting as well as after the show concludes.

Parking might be a tricky task due to the amount of people who are coming. If possible, we would suggest driving one vehicle per family to the event to help with parking spot vacancies.

The hope would be that students arrive with their family, have a moment to take a picture with them and share their artwork, then go into the theatre to get ready for the show and parents/family can find their seat.

Dress Code/Expectation is something nice/semi-formal. Mr. Urquhart will be in a tux, but that is not the expectation. Please no words or large branding on the clothes if possible. At the end of the day, we just want everyone to feel comfortable and confident!

Looking forward to a great evening filled with our entire Greeley Family!

Best,

Brian Urquhart (Mr. U)

Winnetka Parents Institute (WPI):

Differentiation: What is it and how can I tell if my child is having a differentiated experience?

January 21 at 9:30 AM

Location: Washburne RC

Join this session led by the Dept of Innovation, Teaching and Learning to learn a bit about what differentiated instruction is, the conditions needed in order to implement, and what it looks like in action in District 36 classrooms.

RSVP Link

Feedback Link

Incoming Kindergarten Family Information Night with Winnetka Administration

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Register for Kindergarten in 26/27 on-site from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m.

Session from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Greeley School

275 Fairview Ave., Winnetka

This informational session is for Winnetka parents whose children will enter Kindergarten in the 2026/2027 school year. Parents will learn the resources and experiences that await students once they begin Kindergarten in The Winnetka Public Schools.

Families will learn about:

The Transition-to-Kindergarten process, presented by the Principals of Crow Island, Greeley, and Hubbard Woods Schools
A glimpse into a typical Kindergarten day in The Winnetka Public Schools
Supports for student needs that are available through the Department of Student Services, Equity and Inclusion

We look forward to welcoming our incoming 2026–2027 Kindergarten families at this event!

RSVP here.

Feedback link.

Math Pilot: Parent Feedback Requested

As part of our ongoing K–8 math curricular review, we invite you to share your input on the home support resources provided by the Fall 2025 pilot programs. Your feedback will help the Math Leadership Team understand how each tool supports families and which are most useful at home.

Please take a few minutes to complete the brief survey linked below. Your perspective is greatly appreciated. This survey will remain open until January 7.

Survey Link

Bounce Back From Winter Break

In preparation for a smooth and successful return to school after winter break, please click the button below for a few helpful suggestions on how you can support your child as they transition back to school routines.

Bounce Back Tips for Families After a School Break

Erin’s Law

In March 2021 the District began providing state-mandated sexual abuse prevention education for all students in compliance with Erin’s Law. Erin’s Law is prevention-based, bringing sexual abuse education into public schools using age appropriate curriculum. Thanks to Erin’s Law, children are being taught to recognize abuse and learning what to do if they need assistance. Erin’s Law requires all public schools to provide education on sexual abuse prevention for all students, early childhood through 12th grade, annually. This law also requires educators to take part in training classes that cover sexual abuse and how to recognize warning signs.

The Erin’s Law curriculum will be taught in your child’s regular classroom or advisory by a school social worker and/or their classroom/advisory teacher. Elementary students will take part in three to four lessons, each lasting 20–30 minutes, over the course of a few weeks starting in January. All materials and activities are developmentally appropriate for each grade level. Middle School students will participate in one lesson taught by their advisor and/or social worker in March. For more information about the curriculum, please visit the District website.

We understand this can be a sensitive topic for some families and we have resources for you, as parents/guardians, to learn more about this program.

Our elementary school social workers will be holding open office hours on Wednesday, December 17, 2025 from 10-10:30am. The meeting link can be found here; Meeting ID: 819 7168 4256/Passcode: 655079. You may also reach out individually to your school’s social worker if you have specific questions about the program.

Parents have the option to opt their children out of the program as they deem appropriate. The opt-out form must be completed and returned to the building principal by January 9, 2026. Please feel free to contact Dana Ruecker, Assistant Director of Student Services, Equity, and Inclusion, with additional questions or concerns about Erin’s Law.

Erin's Law Opt Out Form

Winter Sharing Update 🎶❄️

Our Greeley students are getting ready to shine at this year’s Winter Sharing, hosted at Skokie School! Here are some important logistics from the Greeley School Office:

The all school concert event is Wednesday, December 17th from 6:00-7:30
Parking is tight. Please plan to arrive early, and consider carpooling to ease traffic flow.
Please enter at the main door and through the lobby, located on Glendale Ave.
Students will remain with their families until Mr. Urquhart calls for students to join him on stage, approximately 5 minutes before show time. The show will begin with everyone performing. There is no supervision provided before the concert.
Because the auditorium offers ample seating, families are welcome to invite as many loved ones as they’d like to attend, and there is no need to register.

The Related Arts team recently visited Skokie to plan seating, staging, and a few festive touches:

All students will enter and exit through the audience to ensure plenty of smiling faces and waves to loved ones.
Kindergarteners will sit at the front of the auditorium on the carpeted area to enjoy the show and then stand to perform.
1st–3rd graders will watch from the balcony when not performing, supported by staff to help ensure a smooth transition. There will never be more than two grade levels in the auditorium at one time, and students will be supervised by staff volunteers.
4th graders will be seated along the aisles, serving as warm and welcoming hosts for guests in their rows. These seats will be marked off, so please do not sit in an aisle seat.
The lobby will be transformed into a winter wonderland featuring student artwork, thanks to our Art program. Families will also find photo opportunities on both lobby staircases to capture a special holiday moment!