Greeley Greeting

Dear Families,

Last week, we had the pleasure of welcoming many of you to our Greeley Strings concert and Arbor Day tree planting ceremony. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces at the Carlson event as well! Be sure to check out the photos from these special moments below.

Please take a moment to review the important traffic reminder from our Director of Safety and Security, along with details about our upcoming final benchmark assessments for the year.

We look forward to seeing you again soon at our Spring Sing events!

Warmly,
Principal Kopinski

Breakfast with the Office Staff-We loved starting our day with the PTO Parent Party raffle winners!

The Greeley Strings Concert was fantastic! A big thank you to our students and Ms. Cai for the wonderful show, and to our families for their support of the arts!

April

• 4/29 Parent Coffee Talk

May

• 5/5-5/23 Spring Benchmark Window
• 5/6 Greeley Spring Sings for Grade 1 and Grade 2
• 5/7 Greeley Spring Sings for Grade 3, 4, and K
• 5/22 Kindergarten Open House, 6:15pm (For Incoming K families)
• 5/26 Memorial Day (No School)
• 5/30 Otus parent portal opens

Benchmark assessments are valuable tools that provide a snapshot of student progress at a point in time. These assessments help teachers to identify areas where students are excelling and where they may need additional support. They can also inform instructional decisions by providing data that can be used to tailor teaching to meet each student's unique needs and strengths. Benchmark assessments are an important component of progressive education, which recognizes that students learn in different ways and at different rates. By using benchmark assessments to inform instruction, teachers can provide a more individualized approach to learning that supports each student's academic growth and personal development.

Academic benchmark assessments for literacy and math will occur three times this year for students in grades K-8. The Spring Benchmark Assessments start on May 5th and conclude on May 23rd. There are four platforms the district utilizes to gather student learning information; aimswebPlus, mCLASS, NWEA MAP, and SSIS. Benchmark data will be available in Otus beginning May 30, 2025. In order to allow for the data uploads to take place and to provide parents with consistent access to student data, please be aware that the Otus Parent Portal will be inaccessible May 5-30.

Building Data Team meetings to review the Winter Benchmarking data will occur June 9-13.

Otus Parent Resources

Please be aware that access to the Otus Parent Portal will be turned off on June 30, 2025 in order to prepare for the next school year. Communication will be sent out at the start of the year notifying parents when the portal will be accessible again.

Please hold the date of Wednesday, May 21st after school for the second grade Bike Rodeo! More information to come.

Dear Greeley Families,

As we work together to ensure the safety of all students, staff, and families during drop-off and pick-up, we kindly ask for your cooperation in following our traffic guidelines. We understand the area around Greeley is naturally congested and offers limited space for traffic, but your support is essential in keeping our school community safe.

Key Reminders for Drop-Off and Pick-Up:

• On Elder Lane (west of the school):
  If you’re waiting in the queue, please be sure to park between driveways along the curb and move up only as the line advances. Do not block driveways or use them to turn around. It’s important we respect our neighbors and maintain clear access to their homes.
  
  

• Avoid stopping in the westbound traffic lane on Elder:
  Stopping in this lane is not only illegal, but it could also prevent emergency vehicles from getting through. Please stay within the curb lane and avoid creating unsafe traffic conditions.
  
  

• Do not stop on Fairview, just north of Hawthorne:
  Even a brief stop can create backups on Fairview that ripple onto Elder Lane. Please keep traffic flowing by avoiding this area during drop-off and pick-up times.
  
  

• Observe all posted signs around the school:
  There are designated areas where parking, standing, and stopping are not allowed. Following these restrictions helps us keep traffic moving safely and smoothly.
  
  

We truly appreciate your help in creating a safe and respectful environment for everyone around Greeley. To support your understanding of these guidelines, please review the map linked below.

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to safety.

Warmly,

Ray Finnerty
Director of Safety and Security

Lindsay Kopinski
Principal, Greeley School

Kindergarten-2nd Grade Literacy: Connecting our Teaching and Learning to Progressive Education

May 14, 2024

9:30 A.M.

Location: Skokie Community Room

Families are invited to a session highlighting literacy instruction in The Winnetka Public Schools. Dr. Becky Mathison, Assistant Superintendent for Innovation, Teaching & Learning, and District educators will lead a discussion on the literacy research and neuroscience that underpins the foundational skills and knowledge-building approach to acquiring basic literacy. Together, we will explore how early childhood literacy efforts in The Winnetka Public Schools align with current best practices, as well as the Tenets of Progressive Education:Whole Child Approach, Experiential and Meaningful Learning, and Collaborative Community. Parents will leave with a greater understanding of what to expect in Kindergarten through 2nd grade, as well as how to best support their budding readers at home.

Interested:

RSVP for this event here

Feedback Link

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 (you or) 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.

Rehearsals are underway, and we’re looking forward to welcoming you back to the Greeley auditorium for our Spring Sing Performances in early May! Please see the updated schedule below:

Tuesday, May 6

• Grade 1 6:00–6:30 PM

• Grade 2 6:40-7:10 PM

Wednesday, May 7

• Kindergarten: 5:30–5:55 PM

• Grades 3: 6:00–6:25 PM

• Grade 4: 6:30-7:00 PM

With our growing school population, and an auditorium capacity of about 300 seats, we kindly ask that each family limit attendance to no more than four guests per student. This will help ensure that every student has loved ones in the audience cheering them on. We expect a full house!

Thank you for your support and cooperation—we can’t wait to celebrate our students' hard work and talents with you!

It’s time to order your 2024-25 Greeley Memory Book! Please use the link below. Order now through May 1. If you have any questions or problems, or if your child would like a book but the cost is a financial hardship, please email greeleymemorybook@gmail.com

School Hours:

8:20am | Morning supervision begins

8:30am | School Doors open

8:37am | School promptly begins

2:10pm | Extended day kindergarten dismissal (Monday-Friday)

2:45pm | Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play kindergarten dismissal (Mondays only)

3:15pm | Grades 1-4 & Stay and Play kindergarten dismissal (Tuesday-Friday)

Office Email: gordonschreiber@winnetka36.org

Location: 275 Fairview Avenue Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: (847)-446-6060