Crow Island Parent Newsletter

Dear Crow Island Community,

I hope you all had a relaxing Memorial Day weekend and had an opportunity to reflect on and honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country.

We are looking forward to a very busy and exciting week here at Crow Island! We kick off Portfolio Days with our 1st and 2nd graders today. I know our students are very excited to showcase their hard work and learning to their families. Our 3rd and 4th graders are putting the finishing touches on their portfolios to present on Thursday, while also rehearsing for Spring Sing! Finally, our 1st and 4th grade buddies will visit the Lincoln Park Zoo on Friday, which is always a highlight of the year.

I can’t wait to see many of you throughout the week and, most importantly, celebrate our students and all of the hard work they have put forth this year!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Sincerely,
Anna

May

Tuesday, May 26| Portfolio Day- Gr. 1 and 2
Thursday, May 28| Portfolio Day- Gr. 3 and 4
Thursday, May 28| Spring Sing (3rd- 5:45 PM, 4th- 6:45 PM)

June

Monday, June 1| 4th Grade Instrument Recruitment Visit *This has been updated!*

Friday, June 5| 4th Grade Shadow Day at Skokie (AM)
Friday, June 5 | 11:20 AM Dismissal- Reporting Day Staff
Wednesday, June 10| Field Day
Thursday, June 11 | Field Day Rain Date
Thursday, June 11 | Kindergarten Sing 1:30 PM
Friday, June 12 | Crows on parade/ 4th Grade Video 9 AM
Monday, June 15| Anticipated Last Day of school- 11:20 AM Dismissal - Staff Institute Day
Monday, June 15| Year End Assembly

“Mini Mes” have been a long standing tradition in Kindergarten! Throughout the stages of developing these mini versions of themselves, kindergarteners not only dive into the process of trying to draw what makes them unique but also participate in the creative process of blending paints to create realistic colors. The best part of this project; however, is how kindergarteners celebrate their similarities and differences, what we love about ourselves, and what we love about each other!

Portfolio Day Reminders

As a staff, we wanted to share suggestions for parents as they come to Portfolio Day as well as logistics around parking/entering the building.

Suggestions:

This is a “cheerleader” moment for you. This is a chance for your child to take the lead in showing you their accomplishments. Students have worked hard and have learned so much. Please ask your child questions about their selections. You can provide lots of positive comments and praise the growth they have made :

“Wow, that is a lot of hard work!”
“I like all of the details you added.”
” “You should be proud of your work.”
“Look how much you have grown as a writer/reader/mathematician this year.”
“Tell me more about that”
“What do you like best about that /project/drawing/piece of writing/science experiment?”

Let your child take the lead and go at their own pace. The teacher will be in the room to coach the student to speed up or slow down.

Let your child hold the work and explain it to you.

Avoid evaluating/critiquing your child’s work. This will likely deflate the enthusiasm of your child. If you do have questions you can talk with the teacher at a later time to discuss.

Please silence and set aside your cell phones so you are not distracted. This will help you gain important insight into your child’s experiences at school.

Parking/Entering School:

Parking can be tricky at Crow Island. If the weather is nice, we would encourage you walk. If you are parking, please leverage the following spots:

On Willow Road South and West of the school.
Open spots on Glendale; but avoid blocking neighbor driveways.
In the circle drive, on the right hand side so that cars can still drive through and around the circle.

All visitors need to enter through the front of the school and check-in at the front desk. You will receive a visitor badge after showing your ID.

As always, we are sure that you will enjoy coming to school, and hearing from your child about their work as they reflect on all the growth they have made this year.

Morning Entry Reminder

As a reminder, supervision begins at 8:20 AM every day. Please be sure your child is not unattended on school grounds before 8:20 AM to ensure their safety. Thank you!

1st and 4th Grade Buddies- Lincoln Park Zoo Field Trip on Friday

Our 1st and 4th graders are very excited for our upcoming field trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo. Please have students wear their tie-dye shirts that they made last week. Also, please note that all students will be carrying their lunch and water for the day on Friday. There isn't any spot to store backpacks - so please be sure to empty everything else out so backpacks are manageable to carry!

3rd and 4th Grade Spring Sing Information

3rd Grade Spring Sing: The 3rd Grade Spring Sing, Arcade Error, is on Thursday, May 28th at 5:45PM. Doors will open at 5:30PM, which is when students should go to their homeroom classroom before the show begins.

4th Grade Spring Sing: The 4th Grade Spring Sing (title TBD!) is on Thursday, May 28th at 6:45PM. Doors will open at 6:30PM, which is when students should go to their homeroom classroom before the show begins.

Health Forms for 2026/2027

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

Crows on Parade (4th Graders only)

Exciting news! Your 4th graders will begin working on the annual crow project!

They will paint plaster crow statues in art class, using acrylic paint, which is not washable. Please make sure your child has an art smock.

Students should think of a theme/character, etc. to paint their crow. They should bring their ideas to art class the week of May 11. We will begin that week with a brainstorming session and a first layer of paint for those who are ready to paint.
We are providing paint, paint pens, & hot glue guns for them in art class, however, students are allowed to bring in their own “extra accessories” (i.e. from Michaels or Hobby Lobby) to hot glue onto their crow if they wish, but it is not required!

Please take a look at this slide deck with your children.
This slide deck has ALL of the information you will need, including a schedule of when we are working on the crows.
If you have any questions, please reach out.

The 4th Grade “Crows on Parade” will be held on FRIDAY , JUNE 12!
Teachers will place the crows on the lawn early that morning. You may arrive as early as 8am to take a look, take pictures, etc. They will REMAIN out on the lawn all day.
Please make arrangements to take them home by the END OF THE DAY on June 12th. Thank you!

Sincerely, Mrs. Johnston, Crow Island art teacher

Summer Pet-sitting Opportunity at Adventures in Learning

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.

Register Your Student(s) for the 2026/2027 School Year

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.

Traffic Reminders

When lining up on Willow Road before turning into the circle, please do not get too close to Glendale Ave. Cars that are lining up too close to Glendale are blocking visibility for drivers turning onto Willow Road.
Please be sure that you are not stopping on Glendale Ave. when turning into the circle.
Be sure to wait until there is room to enter the circle before turning off of Willow Rd.
Additionally, when exiting the circle, please do not turn left until there is space to fit your vehicle without blocking Glendale.
Finally, please pull over as far to the right as possible on Glendale when picking up a student from the back playground.

We want to ensure that we are not blocking Glendale in case there were ever a need of an emergency vehicle that needed to get through to the school or neighbor. Thank you so much for your attention to these matters!

Online Registration Open for Incoming Kindergarteners & New Students for the 2026/2027

Do you know any incoming kindergartners for next year? If so, please encourage them to register soon!

Registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to The Winnetka Public Schools in 2026/2027 is now open. Children who will be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2026, are eligible to enroll. Children will not be considered enrolled until both the online and paper portion of registration has been completed and residency documentation is verified. To enroll, or If you have any questions, please visit the District website or contact the Registrar at 847-446-9400.

Note: Many families have started the registration process but still need to submit their forms. Please help spread the word to turn in all required paperwork as soon as possible. Our ability to have four kindergarten classrooms depends on our enrollment numbers!

Monthly Observances: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is celebrated annually to recognize the historical and cultural contributions of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent in the United States. Established in 1978, it honors the diverse cultures of East, Southeast, and South Asia, as well as the Pacific Islands. AAPI individuals have made significant contributions to American society in areas such as science, medicine, arts, sports, government, and law.

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. 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.

Spirit Day:

Crow Island Spirit Day will be on FRIDAYS this year! Get your Crow Island Spirit wear from our PTO Store here!

Crow Island Parent Newsletter

May 26, 2026

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Lighthouse Moment: Kindergarten "Mini Mes" Portraits Lighthouse Moment: Kindergarten "Mini Mes" Portraits

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Lighthouse Moment: Kindergarten "Mini Mes" Portraits