Principal's Message

Dear Greenbriar families,

At school, we focus on promoting mindfulness and kindness throughout the year in a variety of ways. This time of year with Thanksgiving, gratitude comes to the top of our minds and we encourage our community to focus on intentional acts of gratitude. We know that gratitude is associated with greater happiness (see this Harvard Med School article from last year). Our pack meetings this week focused on gratitude and helping students show gratitude for others in the school.

There are so many ways to get involved and provide support throughout the holiday season. If you're looking for additional ways to give back and focus on showing gratitude, check out Gratitude Generation, an awesome local organization focused on inspiring gratitude in our kids through education and service. They have a variety of in-person and at-home service project options.

Third through fifth-grade parents, please take a moment to read the section below titled "Student Placement Information" as it details the upcoming assessment process for 4th-grade math placement and 6th-grade math and ELA placement.

The next issue of the Gazette will arrive in your inboxes on 12/2.

We are all so grateful for our amazing, supportive Greenbriar community. Thanks to you all and enjoy your Thanksgiving breaks!

Ginny

WINTER ARTS SHOWCASE, NEW SAFETY PROCEDURES FOR DEC. 9th *repeat*

We are looking forward to the return of our Winter Arts Showcase (formerly the Winter Sing) on December 9th. We'll also be hosting the Book Fair and the Cookie Walk on the 9th. To ensure student safety during this busy time, we have a few new procedures for this day.

• All visitors must enter the building through the front doors.
• All visitors will be checked in by staff and PTO volunteers before entering the building. Please have your Winter Sing tickets to show as your entrance pass. These can be hard copy print outs or shown on your phones.
• Each visitor must show a ticket for one of the concerts.
• The building will be open to visitors from 8:45-11:30 a.m. and 12:30-3:00 p.m..
• Visitors will only be allowed in the gym for the Book Fair, the atrium for the Cookie Walk, and the auditorium for the art show and performances. PLEASE do not enter the hallways or try to visit students in classrooms.
• Visitors who only have kindergarteners or 5th graders can check in via the main office to visit the Book Fair or Cookie Walk. The Book Fair will also be open to the public on Thursday night, 12/8.
• Look for more details in the PTO section below about the Cookie Walk and Book Fair!

STUDENT COUNCIL FOOD DRIVE *repeat*

The Greenbriar Student Council is excited to invite all families to donate to the Northfield Food Pantry! The Student Council's Fall Food Drive runs from November 14 until December 2. Members of the Greenbriar community are invited to bring in any of the following items for donation. If you would prefer to donate money directly, you can do so here. 

• Pancake mix
• Coffee/tea/shelf stable beverages
• Canned vegetables (excluding green beans and corn)
• Canned salmon
• Canned fruit (excluding mixed, pears, cranberry)
• Boxed cereal
• Rice mixes (e.g., Rice-a-Roni, Zatarains, Bens)

Thank you in advance for supporting the Northfield Food Pantry! ~Greenbriar Student Council 

Attention Wreath and Coffee Sellers - Pick Up Orders at Village Green - Friday-Sunday between 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Spirit Wear - Update

The majority of spirit wear items have been delivered to your child during the school day this week. However, we are still awaiting the "Greenbriar Love/Heart" and "Greenbriar Round Logo" t-shirt, which should arrive and be distributed during school the week after Thanksgiving.  Thank you for your patience as we experienced some supply delays. We will keep you updated. 

Halloween Candy Collection Results

Thank you to all the Greenbriar families who donated extra Halloween candy for the Helping Hands committee drive. Together, we were able to donate almost 200 pounds of candy to Givenkind. In turn, they distribute all that they collected to Fill-a-heart-for-kids for holiday and birthday celebrations, Blue Star Mothers who send candy to the troops, and the Vernon Hills Food Pantry as special treats.

Kindergarten Event & Donation

Kindergarten parents organized a private event and had a fun night out on November 10th. The event raised more than $900 that was donated to the PTO for staff appreciation events and gifts. Thank you to everyone who came and supported this event and even those who were kind enough to donate, but could not make it. Special thanks to organizers Laura Hochstein, Lori Funk, Hillary Lev, Lizzie Zivin, and Amanda Mishevich.

Winter Arts Showcase Volunteers Needed!

We are thrilled to have our Book Fair and Cookie Walk back in person this year!  We are looking for volunteers to help work the book fair on Thursday 12/8 and 12/9, work the Cookie Walk, and help check in visitors.  There are many volunteer opportunities and we need help to run these events!  We so appreciate all our wonderful volunteers! Click on this link to volunteer!

Cookie Walk Bakers Needed! *repeat*

We are excited to announce the return of the Greenbriar Cookie Walk!  As in years past, Cookie Walk will take place during Winter Sing (Another much anticipated return!).  Families are invited to purchase a box or boxes to be filled with cookies and treats of their choosing.  Proceeds from the event will benefit our children, with any money being donated to playground updates, etc.  In order to make Cookie Walk a success, we need YOU!

We cannot have this event without your help! Please consider baking (or purchasing!) items for our sale. We suggest that bakers provide 4-6 dozen treats, however, any amount will be graciously accepted.  During pick up the week of Winter Sing, volunteers will be outside the flagpole door handing out cookie boxes to bakers.  We ask that all cookies and treats be dropped in the office during the school day on Thursday, December 8.  Please reach out if this will not work for you so we can make other arrangements. Signup using link below! Sign up using this link!

Save the Date for the Book Fair!  *repeat*

The annual Greenbriar Book Fair will take place in the gym on Thursday, Dec 8th from 5:30-8 p.m. and Friday, Dec 9th from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. in conjunction with the Winter Arts Showcase! Thursday evening will feature refreshments, a raffle, story time with Dr. Hiltz and Krieger, and much more! Stop by on Friday before or after your kids' Winter Sing concerts to browse books and enjoy a Cookie Walk, too. This is the perfect opportunity to stock up on gifts for the holidays! More info to come soon; we can't wait to see you there!

Culver’s Dine-and-Share Nov 28th *repeat*

Support Greenbriar PTO when you dine-in, drive-through, or carry out at Culver’s of Northbrook on Monday, November 28th.  Culver’s will donate 25% of sales back to the Greenbriar PTO! Please mention the school when placing your orders! Here's a flyer with details.

Willow Hill Lights Drive-Through *repeat*

Drive thru 1.6 miles of Holiday Lights, see the Abominable Snowman, Rudolph, and maybe catch a glimpse of Santa! Find Frosty the Snowman to enter to win a trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  Open at 5PM nightly Nov. 19- Jan 1st.  

The owner, Kari Knebelkamp worked at Greenbriar for five years & would like to give back to the Greenbriar community. Each ticket sold will give $10 back to our PTO. Click on this link for tickets! Be sure to select Greenbriar School under the "how did you hear about us" tab at checkout! Fundraiser ends 11/30. Please share with grandparents, friends, etc. as there is no limit! 

Not sure if you ordered pizza or a treat? *repeat*

To double check your orders, log into the PTO website, and look under "my account" and then "my orders."

IMPORTANT LINK

Greenbriar PTO: https://www.greenbriarpto.com/

As always, please reach out to Lori or Shelly should you need anything at [email protected].

Dear 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Families, 

Our district provides a continuum of services based on a student's academic needs. This includes placement into advanced courses for students who have demonstrated a consistent need for alternative, above-grade-level curriculum with advanced critical thinking and problem-solving opportunities. Placement testing and the review process are scheduled to begin in December and continue through spring. 

For mathematics: 

• 3rd-grade students will be reviewed for placement into advanced math for 4th grade.

• 4th-grade students can be evaluated for placement into advanced math next year by parent request. A parent nomination form must be printed, completed and returned to the building G/T services coordinator at your child’s school by Friday, January 13, 2023. Parent nomination forms can also be requested from the school office. 



• 5th-grade students will be reviewed for placement into accelerated 6 math and pre-algebra for 6th grade. 

For language arts:

• 5th-grade students will be reviewed for placement into advanced language arts for 6th grade. 



As part of the placement review process, students will be taking the CogAT and MAP assessments. The CogAT, Cognitive Abilities Test, measures a student's learned reasoning abilities most closely related to school success. The MAP test, Measures of Academic Progress, measures a student's content knowledge. Information regarding dates and times for these assessments will be shared by your building principal.

In addition to CogAT and MAP, overall classroom performance is considered for advanced course placement. We will share placement decisions with parents in late spring.

Please visit our website for additional information on the district’s Gifted and Talented Services and District assessments.

Partnerships for Successful School Governance

Each year, the official statewide observance of School Board Members Day is an opportunity to show support for your board of education and the individual school board members who are committed to providing a local voice for your educational decisions. The official recognition day was November 15.

It is a time to acknowledge the board’s role in creating educational opportunities that meet the goals set forth by the community for their children. School Board Members Day is an occasion to recognize board members who serve as unpaid volunteers for the benefit of the students and the community. They act as the front-line education advocates providing a local voice and vision for the district by putting in place the educational priorities of area residents.

Recognize Board President Tracy Katz Muhl, Vice President Michelle Kohler, Secretary Jennifer Gallinson, and members DeShawn Arms, Beth Bazer, Matt Cassidy and Mara Silver-Schack as community partners in education excellence for Illinois School Board Members Day.

COVID Dashboard

The district is maintaining a COVID Dashboard to report average cases per day by school and weekly averages districtwide. This information is updated daily. 

Greenbriar School | Dr. Ginny Hiltz, Principal | 847-498-7950 | [email protected] | Website