The 36 Mix: July/August 2026

Dear Winnetka Families, Staff and Community,

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer and finding time to relax, recharge, and create lasting memories with your loved ones. I would like to extend a very warm welcome to the new families and staff members joining The Winnetka Public Schools community! We look forward to getting to know you in the coming weeks.

As we look ahead to the 2026/2027 school year, I want to provide a brief touchpoint before you begin receiving more detailed back-to-school communications from your building principals in August.

A few friendly reminders for families:

• Please complete any required student health forms before the start of school (details below)

• Take a few moments to review our updated visitor procedures and policies so you're familiar with expectations before the school year begins (details below)

Key Dates:

• First Day for Staff: Monday, August 24

• First Day for Students: Wednesday, August 26 (Half Day)

• Kindergarten Connection: Monday, August 17, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. and Tuesday, August 18, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Each school will send a link to sign-up for a time for your child to come to this event in August.

This summer our custodial, Buildings & Grounds, and Maintenance teams have been hard at work completing essential projects to maintain our historic buildings, cleaning, and preparing our learning spaces to welcome everyone back. We are incredibly grateful for their dedication and the pride they take in caring for our schools. When we return to campus you’ll also find that several spaces in our schools have been refreshed with new flooring and paint, including the Washburne and Greeley Resource Centers.

I'd also like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the many teachers and support staff who made this year's Adventures in Learning program such a success. More than 400 students spent their summer exploring their interests, strengthening academic skills, and making unforgettable memories. Activities ranged from fishing, archery, and high ropes, to literacy enrichment, science experiments, gymnastics, culinary classes, hockey, dance, LEGO building, animal care, and even a special Fourth of July parade celebrating America's 250th birthday. Adventures in Learning reflects the creativity, curiosity, and joy that defines learning in Winnetka.

Additionally, many Winnetka staff participated in a Summer Institute event in late June, generously funded by The Winnetka Public Schools Foundation. The Summer Institute is hosted every other summer as a means to engage in extended professional learning on topics like progressive education, imaginative play, literacy, etc. Other staff members have engaged in professional learning opportunities at educational conferences nationwide.

Enjoy the remaining weeks of summer. On behalf of our Administrative Team and School Board, we look forward to welcoming you back to campus in late August.

Most Sincerely,

Dr. Kelly Tess
Superintendent
The Winnetka Public Schools

• Campus Safety & Security
• New Required Process for Volunteers in Our Schools

• Personal and Instructional Technology

• Registration & Health Forms for 26/27
• The Winnetka Public School Receives 17 National Communication Awards

In our continued commitment to ensure that our campuses are safe for students and staff to learn and work we are making some adjustments to our daily operations to improve security:

• Outdoor play at all five campuses will be restricted to fenced or otherwise protected areas at the rear of our buildings.

• Decorative safety bollards will be installed in phases to increase traffic safety during arrival and dismissal. Bollards are sturdy, reinforced posts designed to help prevent unauthorized vehicles from entering pedestrian areas while allowing students, staff, and visitors to move safely throughout campus. The bollards selected for our schools have been chosen to complement each building's architecture and historic character, blending seamlessly into the landscape while providing an important security enhancement.

• Supervising staff will be easily identifiable in reflective vests while outdoors with students at any time.

• Food delivery services like DoorDash and UberEats will no longer be permitted to enter our buildings, reducing the number of unidentified visitors to our campuses as well as the time it takes away from our office staff. Parents may drop off of forgotten lunches up until 10:30 a.m. on school days.

We know these changes create periods of adjustment for everyone; however, we have an obligation to prioritize safety over convenience and ensure our campuses are as secure as they can be for our students, staff and visitors. We appreciate your partnership in adjusting to these changes.

Volunteers play an important role in supporting our students, staff, and schools. It is important that we take every reasonable step to ensure that visitors to our campuses and anyone engaging with our students (this includes field trips) are safe to do so. The Winnetka Public Schools will be using Raptor VolunteerSafe to manage volunteer applications, approvals, and background screening requirements across the District in order to ensure safe engagement of volunteers on our campuses and with our students. All those interested in volunteering for the schools in some capacity this school year, must engage with VolunteerSafe before they are approved to volunteer.

This new system will help us streamline the volunteer process, continue to follow The District’s Volunteer and Chaperone Guidelines and maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone on our campuses.

Through VolunteerSafe, volunteers will be able to:

• Complete and submit a volunteer application online

• Receive approval notifications electronically

• Complete required background screening requirements

• Manage volunteer information in one secure location

• Be approved for the school year to volunteer to support school events, field trips, or other volunteer opportunities

All volunteers, regardless of when you plan to volunteer in the district, will need to complete the volunteer application process and pay a $6.30 processing fee (paid during the registration). If you do not complete the Volunteer Safe application prior to September 1st you will not be cleared to volunteer in our buildings during the 26/27 school year. If you have an interest in volunteering this year, please complete this initial interest form and you will receive a follow up email with the linked application.

We appreciate your partnership and commitment to making sure our campuses, students and staff are as safe to work and learn as possible. Together, we can continue creating a safe, welcoming, and engaging environment for all students.

Beginning in the Fall of 2024, The School Board approved the introduction of Yondr Pouches in grades 5-8, eliminating the use of personal technology on our middle school campuses. Personal technology includes items such as cell/smart phones, airpods/earbuds, smartwatches, etc. While our K-4 schools do not utilize Yondr Pouches, access to personal technology is not allowed on any of our school sites during school hours and will be enforced. Students are not to engage with personal technology during instructional hours and will be subject to disciplinary consequences for using personal technology, including but not limited to parents reclaiming devices in the main office, and/or loss of privileges. Parents may call the main office of their child’s school to relay any messages during the school day.

When it comes to instructional technology, these are tech devices that are issued by the District for student use. While we have an educational obligation to ensure our students are appropriately exposed to technology to equip them with the skills and discernment to be responsible users, we are also a school district rooted in a deep history of progressive education, which places a high value on experiential and meaningful learning through hands-on, imaginative, social and highly engaging learning experiences. We are committed to ensuring that these two educational responsibilities (technology and progressive education) co-exist in our classrooms. As a result, we will be seeking staff and family feedback on the use of instructional technology. We will use this information to help us shape clearer guidelines and communication for staff and families on the use of instructional technology in the classroom. Keep an eye out for opportunities to learn more and share your feedback.

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.

Please review this information on Medical Forms required by the State of Illinois for the 2026/2027 school year.

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:

• $565 flat fee: NOW – 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.