Principal's Message

Dear Greenbriar families,

We are officially 100 days smarter here at Greenbriar! We had fun celebrating the 100th day of school yesterday with some 100-themed activities. Some classes took the opportunity to dress up and think about what their lives will be like when they're 100 years old.

We also had a blast celebrating World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday. Students got to Zoom with authors, watch astronauts reading from space, and listen to read alouds from lots of Greenbriar and District staff members. Big thanks to Mrs. Sanchez for organizing these great experiences.

I'm excited to share that Student Council has organized a spirit week for February 21-24. Participation in these spirit days are optional for students but we hope everyone will have an opportunity to join in on the fun. Here's the schedule:

• Tuesday, February 21: Bring a stuffy (Krieger or other) to school!
• Wednesday, February 22: Crazy hat/hair day!
• Thursday, February 23: GREEN out! Wear as much green as possible!
• Friday, February 24: PJ day!

The IL 5Essentials survey is open until March 31st. We invite parents to take a few moments to provide anonymous feedback about your experience as a member of the Greenbriar community. All parents are invited to fill out the survey (if a student has two parents, both may fill out their own survey). Click here to access the survey. We need 20% of parents responding to receive a report from the state.

Students in 4th & 5th grades are required to take the IL 5Essentials survey as well. They will complete the survey at school during a time designated by their teachers in the next three or four weeks.

Have a great weekend!

Ginny

AUTHOR VISIT FOR 4th & 5th

Author Jeff Miller will be visiting with our 4th and 5th grade students on February 10th. Please click here to download the order form for his book. Orders are due by February 7th.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES *repeat*

Conferences will be held on February 15th and 16th. As in the fall, we will offer parents the opportunity to meet with teachers in-person or via Zoom. The conference scheduler is now open. Please note, if you will be out of town on the 15th and 16th and would like to have a conference, please select the Zoom option or contact your child's teacher to schedule a phone call during the allotted conference times.

PTO MEETING Feb 14^th 

Come celebrate Valentine's day with us! Our next PTO meeting is in the Greenbriar Teacher’s Lounge at 8:45 a.m. on 2/14!  You can join in person or via this Zoom link.

GREENBRIAR BINGO NIGHT ON FEB. 28TH-BUY YOUR CARDS & PIZZA NOW!

Join us for a fantastic family fun night at Greenbriar from 6–7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28!  This special night is open to all Greenbriar family and friends! We will have a fun night full of prizes, special bingo callers, and will be selling pizza and snacks. Feel free to come when you want and leave when you want! Please note: this is not a drop off event! 

Pre-Register now for Bingo Cards/Buy Pizza Slices: Log into your PTO account to buy pizza slices and to pre-register and purchase bingo cards in advance at a discount. Each card offers unlimited play for the duration of the event. Click here to get started! 

Volunteer/Donate: In order to make this night successful, we are asking for your help. Volunteer for the event and/or donate prizes using this link!! We still need a few volunteers to make the event a success!

All details & links can be found on the Greenbriar PTO homepage. Click here to visit our website.

FAMILY SERVICE INITIATIVE

Join the Greenbriar community in our annual event to come together and give back! This is a wonderful opportunity to talk to Greenbriar students about the power of sharing with those in need, and caring for our community in a variety of hands-on ways.

This year’s projects will be a combination of at-home projects as well as at-school collections.

• Quilt squares: Once again, we welcome families to decorate fabric squares with cheerful, hopeful imagery and messages. Project Linus makes these squares into quilts, and distributes to babies and kids through hospitals and other social service agencies. Quilt squares kits are available for a $10 donation per kit. More information and purchase process on Paperless PTO: https://www.greenbriarpto.com/Grt/index.cfm
• Bernie’s Book Bank Collection: Students are encouraged to collect their gently loved, no-longer-read children’s books (birth through sixth grade), to share with kids across Chicagoland. Book donation guidelines can be found here.
• Cradles to Crayons Collection: Families can get a head start on spring cleaning by donating gently used everyday essentials for children newborn to age 12. See here for what Cradles to Crayons Chicago needs most now.
• Canines 4 Comfort Collection: Canines 4 Comfort – rescue and training organization of everyone’s favorite canine buddy, Krieger – is collecting new or gently used blankets for many rescue dogs, in partnership with The Penny’s Purpose, which provides blankets to rescue dogs, veterans, and people facing illness or surgical recovery. To donate, please check out these online wishlists.
• Amazon Smile wishlist can be found here.
• Chewy wishlist can be found here.

Collection bins for Bernie’s, Cradles and Canines donations will be in the Greenbriar vestibule from February 21 – March 10.

SCIENCE NIGHT, MARCH 15TH *repeat*

Calling All Scientists!! We are very excited for Science Night to come back to Greenbriar. 

Join us for Science Night, Wednesday March 15th from 6-7pm at Greenbriar's gymnasium.

Showcase your love for science with the project of your choice or double the fun and do a project with a friend. Open to all grades. More information was sent home via the Science Night Flyer or on the PTO homepage. Please spread the word & sign up here!

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

To double check your orders, click on this link, 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].

District 28 and our school principals invite you to participate in the Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This opportunity allows you to share your views on important elements of school effectiveness.

Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at your child’s school and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

The Illinois 5Essentials Survey will be conducted through March 31. To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.

For more information about the Illinois 5Essentials Survey, or to view previous years’ Reports, please visit https://www.5-essentials.org/illinois. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact UChicago Impact Client Services at 1-866-440-1874 or [email protected].

It is time to begin thinking about the 2023-24 school year, especially for our kindergartners. Children who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023 should be enrolled for the 2023-24 school year. 

All registration will be conducted online beginning at 8 a.m. Feb. 6 until midnight Feb. 10.

To begin the process, please visit the kindergarten registration webpage. There you will find complete instructions on preparing documents and completing forms necessary for registration. If you have any questions about kindergarten or the registration process, please contact Diane Gillis. If you know of someone with a child of this age within District 28 boundaries, please share this information with them.

District 28 invites local non-profit organizations and community government agencies to promote events for families and children. Each week, some event are highlighted in the newsletter. View the complete list of events on the Virtual Backpack web page. To submit an event, please email the web-friendly flier to Terry Ryan, Communications Director. All fliers are subject to approval.

Northbrook Cultural Fair Feb. 26

The Northbrook Community Commission Presents a Cultural Fair from 3 to 5 p.m. on February 26 at the North Suburban YMCA, 2705 Techny Road.

The event will bring together a variety of cultural organizations in the area to celebrate the cultural backgrounds of Northbrook residents. Come out to enjoy dances, musical acts, art displays, food (samples), and arts & crafts! Admission is free and open to all ages.

Lunch & Learn: Social & Friend Drama

More than ever, our kids are navigating drama amongst peers and friends. It's difficult to escape due to technology and social media, and it can have a significant impact on their mental health. Join CATCH and learn how to help your child navigate different scenarios, when to step up, and when to step back. for a Lunch & Learn online conversation at noon on February 21. Register today.

Jr. Football & Cheer Registration Open

Registration is now open for Northbrook Jr. Spartan Football and Cheer Spring 2023 programs, including 7-on-7, Co-Ed Flag, Girls Flag, and Cheer. Learn more by visiting Jr. Spartan website.

Spring Softball for 2nd through 9th grade

Registration through Feb. 17th for the Northbrook Girls Softball Spring 2023 House League Season! NGSA’s House League accepts girls in 2^nd through 9^th grade regardless of experience or ability. The main priorities of the league are having fun while participating in low-pressure softball instruction. Visit our website for information and registration.

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