Wickliffe Family Update

Dear Families,

We had a great first week back from Spring Break, and it's hard to believe we are in the final months of the school year! These last two months always fly by with so many activities and events, and we’ll continue to keep you updated as we know how busy this season is for our families.

This week, our Jam Club featuring our 4th and 5th graders performed on Wednesday, and WOW—it was truly amazing! We were all blown away by the skill, enthusiasm, and talent of our students. It was a proud moment for everyone. A huge thank you to Mrs. Zelnik and Mr. Ours for their dedication and support in making this club such a special experience.

A few important updates and reminders:

• Spring state testing begins this week for our 4th and 5th grade students. They will take the ELA test on April 3rd and 4th.
• Interim reports are now available in the Parent Portal. If you need help accessing them, you can find instructions here.
• Registration for new students for the 2025-2026 school year opens on April 1, 2025.
• Next week (March 31 - April 4) is Paraprofessional & Educational Aide Appreciation Week! Our school relies heavily on these incredible staff members, and we are so grateful for everything they do to support our students and teachers each day.
• On Friday, April 4, we also celebrate National School Librarian Day, recognizing the amazing work of Mr. Stevenson and Mrs. Young in fostering a love of reading and learning in our students.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

Warmly,
Angela Evans

April: 2: Town Meeting - Oberlin

April 3-4: 4/5 ELA State Testing

April 8-9th: PTO Art Show
April 9-10: 3rd ELA State Testing
April 14-15: 4/5 Math State Testing

April 16: Town Meeting - Jentgen and Williams

April 22: Earth Day Celebration and Peace Pole Installation @ 2 PM
April 24-25: 3rd Math State Testing
April 28-29: 5th Science State Test

May 1: Town Meeting - Blair / Hamilton

May 9: Golden Star Choir School Performance @ 8:30 (5th grade families only invited as space is limited)

May 9th: Wickapalooza (in the evening and Golden Star Choir performance)

May 16th: Town Meeting - Gifford / England

May 23rd: Town Meeting - Peterson

May 27th: Field Day

May 28th: 5th Grade Graduation (8:30); 5th Grade Party (3:00)

May 29: Town Meeting

As you plan your spring schedules, please mark the dates below for when our school will be administering state tests to our 3rd–5th grade students.

• April 3-4: 4/5 ELA State Testing
• April 9-10: 3rd ELA State Testing
• April 14-15: 4/5 Math State Testing
• April 24-25: 3rd Math State Testing
• April 28-29: 5th Science State Test

Wednesday, April 2nd is Autism Acceptance & Awareness day.

We invite you to wear rainbow or tie dyed clothes to school on Wednesday, April 2nd to Show our acceptance and celebration of autistic individuals.

Prescription Medication Reminder

Any prescription medication administered at school requires written authorization from the student’s physician as well as written parental permission. Per Ohio Revised Code, the Prescribed Medication must be received by the health office in the container in which it was dispensed by the provider or pharmacist (we cannot accept medication in baggies). Medication authorization forms and other health forms can be found on the district website at: UA Health Forms. Should you have any questions, please contact the Wickliffe Health Office at 614-487-5150.

Communicable Illnesses

Our health clinics track communicable illnesses and work with local public health agencies to mitigate potential outbreaks. If your student is diagnosed with or treated for a communicable illness/condition (strep, pinkeye, influenza, COVID-19, lice, etc.), please report those to the school nurse at wickliffehealthclinic@uaschools.org, or wickliffeattendance@uaschools.org. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure Wickliffe is a healthy learning environment for all of our students!

What: Earth Day Celebration and Peace Pole installation

When: Tuesday, April 22nd at 2 pm.

Come join us in celebrating our hopes for peace and serenity on Earth. We will gather just inside the stone wall at the corner of Cimmaron and Wickliffe to sing songs and share poems in our celebration. You may sign up using this link to show your interest in attending and/or sharing.

There will be an informational meeting regarding 6th Grade Camp on April 9th from 6-7 PM in the Hastings auditorium. All parents of incoming 6th grade students to Hastings Middle School are encouraged to attend. During the meeting the following information will be discussed in further detail:

• Dates for camp are September 10-12 and September 15-17 depending on the house your child is assigned.

• Activities and accommodations at Camp NuHop

• Payments and paperwork due by August 21st

• Prescription medications and paperwork also due to Nurse Flegee by August 21st

Please contact Dana Flowers dflowers@uaschools.org with any questions.

Dear 5th Grade Families,

If you are considering applying for open enrollment to a middle school other than your assigned residential school, please remember that the deadline to submit your request is April 15.

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to complete the process before the deadline.

Let us know if you have any questions!

Watch this space for dates and information when it is available.

• 5th Grade only outdoor lunches
• May 1, 8, 15, & 22
• May 9: Golden Star Choir Town Meeting and Wickapalooza
• May 28: 5th Grade Graduation Town Meeting/Cookie Reception
• May 28: 5th Grade Party after school (3 pm - 5 pm)

See information below on Upcoming Safety Lessons in April. Have a great Spring Break!

Dear Wickliffe families,

As noted in the recent district update, Upper Arlington elementary school counselors will be delivering classroom lessons in April on how to stay safe and speak up, in compliance with the annual requirement of Senate Bill 288. In addition to the district-approved Second Step curriculum, we will also be using the books Your Body Belongs to You by Cornelia Spelman and No Means No by Jayneen Sanders.

Below is a brief overview of the general topics that will be covered during these lessons:

• Safe and Unsafe/Unwanted touches:

• Safe touches are positive and caring, while unsafe/unwanted touches hurt your body or make you feel uncomfortable

• How to say no assertively to unwanted touches

• The Touching Rule: No one should touch your private body parts

• Intuition:

• Use your intuition to recognize unsafe and unwanted touches

• Reporting to an adult:

• How to tell a trusted adult if unwanted touches happen

• Identify caring adults to talk to about unwanted behaviors

• Demonstrate how to report to an adult
  
  

After the lesson, please look for a detailed letter sent home with your child. This letter will provide talking points, suggested questions to ask your child, and additional resources to continue this important conversation at home.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I look forward to partnering with you to teach your child about staying SAFE, STRONG, AND FREE.

Best regards,

Kaitlyn Karam

School Counselor

Happy March Wickliffe Families!

Below you will find the links to the parent letters that will be going home after each counseling lesson! As always if you have any questions or concerns please reach out to me at kkaram@uaschools.org or extension 6503.

K/1 March Lesson- Tattling vs Reporting

2/3 March Lesson- Friendship Boundaries

4/5 March Lesson- Mental Well- Being

Upper Arlington has an exciting partnership with Hazel Health which will be offering free virtual mental health counseling for all students. Here is a link to the flyer. Please reach out with any questions or if you are interested in learning more!

Please let me know if you need anything as we go through the month!

Take good care,

Kaitlyn Karam

Email- Kkaram@uaschools.org

Phone-(614) 487-5150 ext. 6503

We’re a few weeks away from the Wickliffe Art Show, a FREE two-night family event April 8-9 from 6-8 p.m. at Wickliffe! Enjoy student music performances, mingling and raffle packages including the infamous staff experiences! All proceeds benefit staff grants and other events and school enrichment funded by the PTO. Email Chi at chi4osu@gmail.com to contribute a business or family donation for the raffle.

Pre Orders Are Open! Skip the checkout line and pre-order your student(s) one-of-a-kind masterpiece today. Art will be framed and available for pick up late April. Thanks for your support!

Volunteering Opportunities for the Art Show: Transforming our school into an art gallery hop is an all-hands on deck effort! Help is needed to create a great experience for our students. Needs include: supporting Mrs. Bennett with final art assembly, event set-up/tear down, staffing welcome, raffle and art check-out stations, and more! Help Mrs Bennett with Art

Attention all 4th and 5th grade parents/caretakers: If your child is interested in joining the Golden Star Choir, please fill out the Google form here: https://forms.gle/Jf7d7iiGDuBi42eu8 There is a $10 choir fee to help with shirts & props, this can be paid by clicking on account -> forms on the PTO website.

With the upcoming State testing right around the corner, we need to ensure that Student iPads are as up-to-date as possible. All Software Updates have been approved by the technology department and can be installed by opening the Settings App -> Tap on General -> Software Update -> Update Now.

*iPads must be connected to Wi-Fi and charged to more than 50% or plugged in while the update runs.

Unfortunately, the Progress Report icon in PowerSchool has been eliminated. This was out of Upper Arlington’s control. In order to access your child’s IEP progress report, your child’s intervention specialist or speech language pathologist will share the report after each reporting period. You should receive the 3rd quarter progress report via SameGoal by March 25th.

We are excited to announce an international educational travel opportunity in June of 2026 that will be open to current 8th, 9th and 10th grade students. Kim Brown and Cynthia Ballheim from Upper Arlington High School will be leading a Central Europe tour through Berlin, Dresden, Prague, Krakow and Budapest.

We will be offering a parent information session where you can learn all about this tour including itinerary specifics, academic opportunities, costs and enrollment options — and meet the tour leaders. The session will be held Wednesday, April 2 at 7 p.m. in the first floor North Learning Commons at Upper Arlington High School, 1625 Zollinger Road. Please RSVP for the session here: https://bit.ly/4krwpgf.

This spring, the district is offering a family engagement opportunity through the You Belong UA Family Book Read. In this second year of the event, we are inviting families to journey through Nic Stone’s book Clean Getaway together and then gather with us at the Amelita Mirolo Barn for a family “book talk” from 6:30 - 8 p.m., May 1, 2025.

New this year, UAHS students in our Teaching Professions Pathway will facilitate the book talk for students and families on May 1. This activity is a part of their curricular experience, and we hope to welcome families in support of their learning.

Families can read about Clean Getaway in several locations:

• https://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/clean-getaway

• https://readingmiddlegrade.com/clean-getaway-nic-stone-review/

• Richland Library Review

• GoodReads

• UASchools Catalog Description

Let us know that you will be reading with us! Click here if you will be reading the book and to RSVP for the May 1 event. RSVPs are requested by April 18, 2025.

If you have questions or would like additional support to obtain Clean Getaway, please email kmanderson@uaschools.org.

Attendance Information - Click link for full details

• If your child will be absent from school, please email wickliffeattendance@uaschools.org. Please state a reason for your child’s absence. If you are emailing your child’s teacher regarding attendance, simply copy the attendance email - no need to send separate emails.

• There is a link to the attendance email in the Upper Arlington Schools app

• District Attendance Policy

• Please obtain a medical excuse for ANY visit to a doctor, dentist, therapist, etc that occurs during a school day.

Planned Absence Form - Forms should be completed 10 school days in advance of the first date of the planned absence whenever possible. Otherwise, the absence may be unexcused.

District Website Link

• 2024-2025 School Year Calendar

• A-E Calendar

Drop off/Pick up information

Instagram Account ~ @wickwolves

Lunch Menu

Lunchroom Helper - click here to Volunteer

Nurse Notes

Any prescription medication administered at school requires written authorization from the student’s physician as well as written parental permission. Per Ohio Revised Code, the Prescribed Medication must be received by the health office in the container in which it was dispensed by the provider or pharmacist (we cannot accept medication in baggies). Medication authorization forms and other health forms can be found on the district website at: UA Health Forms. Should you have any questions, please contact the Wickliffe Health Office at 614-487-5150.

Our health clinics track communicable illnesses and work with local public health agencies to mitigate potential outbreaks. If your student is diagnosed with or treated for a communicable illness/condition (strep, pinkeye, influenza, COVID-19, lice, etc.), please report those to the school nurse at wickliffehealthclinic@uaschools.org, or wickliffeattendance@uaschools.org. Thank you for partnering with us to ensure Wickliffe is a healthy learning environment for all of our students!

PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://ps-uar.metasolutions.net/public/home.html

If you need assistance logging into PowerSchool, you may reach out to: familytechhelp@uaschools.org

Technology Family Support

• Check out this resource for K-5 families.

• WOSU Digital Wellness

• CommonSense Media Activities

Transportation Services

Email: schoolbusquestions@uaschools.org

UA Flyer Connection

Wickliffe PTO

Links to Previous Updates:

All of our updates can be found on the Wickliffe website under “school news”.