Greeley Greeting

September 14, 2026

Principal's Message

Dear families,

It's going to be another fun and busy week ahead at Greeley!

This week, registration opens for our After School Sports Club for grades 3–4 and Pokémon Club for grades 2–4. Be sure to check out the details below if your child is interested in joining.

A few other things to have on your radar: Picture Day is coming up next week, along with our PTO Fall Family Fest! You’ll find everything you need to know below.

We’re also looking ahead to one of our favorite Greeley traditions—Winter Sharing. We’d love to hear from families as we plan this year’s event. Please take a moment to complete the very short survey below so we can better understand what matters most to our community.

Finally, if you missed Friday’s message about bike safety, I’ve included it again in the "Repeated Information" section.

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,
Principal Kopinski

Upcoming Dates

September

Thursday 9/17-Wednesday 9/30 Fall Benchmark Assessment Window Open
Monday, 9/21: No School (Yom Kippur)
Wednesday 9/23: Greeley Picture Day
Thursday 9/24: Greeley Go to School Night 6:00-7:30 pm (Parents and Caregivers Only Please)
Friday 9/25: Greeley Spiritwear Day, PTO Fall Family Fun Night 5-7pm

October

Thursday 10/1: Hearing and Vision Screening, Parent Teacher Conference Portal Opens
Friday 10/2: Greeley Spiritwear Day
Wednesday 10/7: Winnetka Parent Institute 10:30am at Skokie School (Exploring Innovamat: A Fresh Approach to K–4 Mathematics)
Friday, 10/16: Kindergarten Monarch Migration
Monday 10/19: Benchmark Assessment Data Released (Powerschool and Otus)
Thursday and Friday 10/22-10/23: Parent Teacher Conferences
Tuesday 10/27: PTO Pumpkin Showcase
Friday 10/30: Greeley Ghost Dance

Greeley School Google Calendar

New Information

Lighthouse Moment

Last Friday, Mrs. Glenn arranged an opportunity for our third and fourth grade students in a virtual author visit with Joey Spiotto, author of Max, A Little Axolotl and Max, A Little Axolotl: Breaking Out. Students engaged in a fun draw-along as part of the author visit. Thank you, Mrs. Glenn and classroom teachers for engaging our students in this authentic learning experience.

Winter Sharing: We Want Your Input

As we begin planning for this year’s Winter Sharing, we would love to hear from our families about what you value most for this special Greeley tradition.

Over the past several years, Winter Sharing has evolved in response to family feedback—from grade-level performances during the school day to last year’s whole-school evening celebration at Skokie School. As we plan for this year, we want to make sure our decisions continue to reflect the priorities of our broader Greeley community.

Please take a moment to complete our short survey. Your feedback will help guide our planning, and I will share the results in a future Greeting.

Thank you for helping us make Winter Sharing a meaningful celebration for our students and families!

Winter Sharing Survey

Go to School Night

Teachers are looking forward to welcoming adults to Go to School Night on Thursday, September 24th. Please see the flyer below for how we will organize the evening to ensure families can attend multiple presentations for their children.

PTO Family Fun Fest-Reminder to Order Your Food Soon!

Have you ordered your pizza and/or taffy apples yet? If not, the link is below.

https://greeleypto.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/404310

Repeated Information

Important: Check Bikes Before Riding

We want to make you aware of a concerning bike-safety issue that has been reported in the community. There have been reports of someone loosening the front-wheel quick-release lever or axle hardware on parked bicycles. If a rider gets on a bike without noticing that the front wheel is unsecured, the wheel could shift or detach, creating a serious risk of a fall and injury.

The police have been notified. We ask students and families to take a few moments to check bicycles before riding:

Make sure the front and rear wheels are firmly attached and do not wobble.
Check that any quick-release lever is fully closed and secure.
If your bike has axle nuts, make sure they are tight.
Check brakes, handlebars, and tires before riding.
If anything looks loose, damaged, or unusual, do not ride the bike; ask an adult for help.

Tampering with someone else’s bicycle is not a harmless prank. It can cause significant injuries and will be taken seriously. Please remind your child not to touch, move, or interfere with another person’s bike for any reason.

We appreciate your partnership in helping students travel safely to and from school.

Picture Day is Coming to Greeley!

Please see the flyer below. November 4, 2026 will be our retake day.

The Ability Challenge Parent Survey

Parents/guardians of students receiving special education services are invited to complete this survey.

As part of our ongoing work to strengthen our support for students, Winnetka School District 36 has partnered with The Ability Challenge (ABC) to conduct a comprehensive strategic plan analysis aligned to their THRIVE Framework for Quality Special Education.

We invite you to complete this anonymous survey. Your responses will be available only to our partners at The Ability Challenge. They will provide the district with updates about completion rates, and the overall trends will help inform findings of their analysis. Individual responses will not be identifiable or able to be attributed to any single respondent.

We thank you for your participation and partnership in helping us serve all students equitably and well in Winnetka.

Winnetka Parent Institute: October 7, 2026

Exploring Innovamat: A Fresh Approach to K–4 Mathematics

10:30 am -11:30 a.m. - The Skokie School Resource Center

*Please note - this is an in-person event*

Join us for an interactive introduction to Innovamat, our new K–4 mathematics resource. Parents will experience math learning as our students do—exploring problems, sharing strategies, and building understanding through discussion and discovery, all while learning how Innovamat’s spiraled approach develops confident, flexible mathematical thinkers.

RSVP here

Registration Opens Tomorrow: After School Sports Club (Grades 3 and 4)

Hello 3rd and 4th grade families!.

Mr. Roy and Mr. Dunafin are excited to announce that the Fall Session for After School Sports will be starting soon!

Registration is opening Tuesday, September 15th at 9am and will close on Monday, October 5. Use the button below.

The activities will include Kinetic Wellness's favorite games and new exciting activities specific to this class. We will meet each group once a week after school for ten sessions. This class will run on Wednesday for 4th grade and Thursday for 3rd grade, from 3:15-4:00 p.m.

The first classes of the first term will take place on September 23 (4th) and September 24 (3rd) and the term ending the week of December 7.

We look forward to another fun season of sports!!

Gotta Catch ’Em All at Pokémon Club! (Registration Opens Tomorrow)

Calling all 2nd, 3rd, and 4th graders! Join Mr. Dunafin and Mr. Urquhart for a fun, teacher-supervised space to connect with fellow fans, show off your collection, and dive into the world of Pokémon.

Registration will open on Tuesday, September 15th at 9am. Use the button below.

Club Details

Dates: Tuesdays, September 22 – December 8
Time: 3:15 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: Room 128 (Auditorium)
Who: Grades 2–4
Dismissal: Fairview cutout at 4:00 pm

What We'll Do

Trade & Talk: Show off card collections, talk strategy, and trade cards safely with friends.
NEW THIS YEAR – Learn to Play: Master the official rules of the Pokémon Trading Card Game and test your skills in friendly matches.
Bonus Activities: Enjoy Pokémon books, play themed board games (Monopoly, Memory, Sorry!), and learn step-by-step Pokémon drawing skills.

Space is limited to 20 students, so register early to secure your spot!