Wizards Newsletter

Good Afternoon! I hope this message finds you well! I have a few important updates to share with you about the month ahead:

Please note that there will be no school on the following dates:

We encourage families to take these days as opportunities to reflect, celebrate, and spend time together. Also, you can ask your child(ren) what they learned about our winter holidays so far this year!

The forecast predicts colder temperatures for next week. Please ensure your child comes to school dressed warmly, with a coat, hat, gloves, and appropriate footwear. We will continue to monitor the weather closely and adjust outdoor recess plans as needed to prioritize safety and comfort.

As always, thank you for your partnership and support. Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

⭐Wickham Clothing Closet Needs Your Help!

We are running low on essential items for our school’s clothing closet and could really use your support. We are in desperate need of new boys’ underwear (sizes 5T-S) and boys & girls pants suitable for Kindergarten through 2nd Grade. If you are able to donate, please consider bringing these much-needed items to Wickham. Your generosity helps ensure that all our students have what they need to feel comfortable and ready to learn.

Reporting Absences

Families, please remember to report your student's absences through the Absence Request Section in Infinite Campus. You can also email your student’s teacher AND the office at macleod.emily@iowacityschools.org and schepanski.susan@iowacityschools.org, or call us at 319-688-1175. Including both the teacher and office ensures the absence is properly recorded.

Winter Gear Reminder

With winter weather upon us, we want to remind families that we have plenty of extra gloves, hats, coats, and more available for students to borrow. If your child forgets their gloves or other winter gear, there’s no need to make a special trip to Wickham. Morning item drop-offs can be very disruptive to classrooms and office operations, so we encourage students to borrow what they need from school. Let them know we’re happy to provide what they need to stay warm!

Thank you for helping us keep things running smoothly!

Lastly, thank you to everyone who donated or purchased something from our Office Holiday Wishlist last month! We are so appreciative of the support!

- Emily (macleod.emily@iowacityschools.org) & Susan (schepanski.susan@iowacityschools.org)

January 20th- No School/District Closed for MLK Day

January 29th- No School/District Closed

February 6th- Preschool Registration (4-6 PM at City, Liberty or West High)

Linked here is our 2024-2025 District Calendar!

Imagine it. Explore it. Achieve it. Preschool starts here!

We’d love to welcome your little one to our preschool family! Our teachers are certified in both general and special education, and we offer free half-day programming for 4-year-olds in all of our elementary schools, with full-day options also available.

Preschool registration for the 2025-26 school year opens Feb. 6, 2025. Register on-site between 4 & 6 pm at City High, Liberty High, or West High School. Online registration is also available beginning at 4 pm on Feb. 6.

The Honey Den Gummy Fundraiser!

Wickham Elementary PTO is partnering with The Honey Den in West Branch for a gummy fundraiser. Don't miss out on this SWEET opportunity to support Wickham PTO. There are 4 different mix selections with options to purchase 1-pound ($13) or 2-pound ($25) quantities. Please place your order via the Wickham PTO Store by February 4th, 2025 at 5pm.

All orders will need to be picked up by the purchaser on February 10th, 2025 between the times of 3:30 pm-6 pm. Volunteers will be at Wickham Elementary in the front entrance handing out orders.

Ingredients of the gummies are available upon request. Please email wickhampto@gmail.com with any questions!

🔬2025 STEM FAIR Registration is Now Open!

Wickham students! Do you love science or engineering? Do you have questions about the world around you or problems needing a solution? Then the STEM Fair is for you!

Date: Wednesday Feb 26th, 2025

Time: 6:00PM to 7:30PM

Set up: 5:30 p.m.

Deadline to Register: 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb 10

All Wickham students in grades K-6 are invited to participate! All you have to do is find a question you want to answer or a problem you want to solve and follow the directions in this Google document! 🔬On Wednesday February 26th, 2025 all staff, students, and families are invited to see all the presentations in the gym from 6pm to 7:30pm. Concessions will be available for sale: Pizza $2 per slice, Bottled Water $1, and cookies $1.

Volunteers Needed for continued support moving into 2025 and the following school year:

Wickham PTO will have two executive board openings for the 2025-2026 school year:

Clubs Coordinator: Our current secretary is the liaison between club parent volunteers and the PTO. We are looking for a parent to help coordinate Chess, Math, Chinese language, and Drama clubs for next school year.

VP of Communications: This person ideally will have experience in an email service (we currently use Mailchimp) and in social media (Facebook). This person will also communicate with Wickham's Secretary weekly to have PTO information included in the Principles S'more. The current volunteer holding this position will be moving to the president role, so she will be available for training and to help with the transition.

Co-Treasurer: Our current Treasurer will have children in 5th grade next year, so we would like to have a parent volunteer who will take over the treasurer role in 2026-2027 and be a part of the executive board next year (2025-2026) to make the transition seamless. Treasurer's role is to keep the budget, pay invoices, pay reimbursements to teachers, and more fun that has to do with $$$!

The PTO Executive Board will provide direction, funding, historical information, marketing, and volunteer support for all events. You will not be left to figure it out all by yourself! Please consider volunteering. We are a fun, easy-going group and we really do help each other out when in need! Please reach out to a current executive board member or email wickhampto@gmail.com if you have questions or would like to volunteer. We will hold elections in April or May of 2025.

Would you like to receive PTO newsletters?

We share information on events, meetings, & volunteer opportunities. Interested? Please sign up by clicking below!

Family Movie Night: January 25th!

Join us for a fun-filled evening featuring "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory!" Bring the whole family and enjoy a night out together.

• Doors Open: 6:30 PM
• Movie Starts: 7:00 PM

What to Bring:

• Folding chairs, blankets, and your favorite snacks
• A limited number of mats will be available for families
• Popcorn will be provided!

This event is open to all ages—no need for your child to attend Wickham Elementary to join the fun!

• Date: Saturday, January 25
• Time: 6:30 – 9:00 PM
• Cost: FREE
• Location: Kate Wickham Elementary (Gym)

Please Note: All children must be accompanied by an adult.

It’s time for the MidWestOne Bank Art Show! This is an optional project. All entries must be submitted to Ms. Lasansky by February 14, 2025. Each year, MidWestOne Bank selects 50 featured artists, and the chosen artwork will be professionally framed through their partnership with Blick Art Materials in Downtown Iowa City.

ALL entries will be displayed at the MidwestOne Bank Downtown location, and everyone is invited to the open house on April 3, 2025.

Important Instructions:

• Projects must be mounted on a separate sheet of construction paper at home.
• The entry form must be filled out, signed, and attached to the back of your artwork. (See the entry form for full instructions.

I am very excited to see all the entries!

- Ms. Lasansky

Your voice matters! As we continue to implement Level One of High Reliability Schools (HRS), we're capturing feedback from families to improve how our school functions. Share your thoughts and help us create the best environment for our students by clicking the box above!

Looking for information on Securly, our web filtering tool?

Find all the information here www.IowaCitySchools.org/Securly.

It is the policy of the Iowa City Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status in its educational programs, activities, or employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Eric Howard, Director of Equity and Employee Relations, 1725 N. Dodge St., Iowa City, IA 52245, 319-688-1000, howard.eric@iowacityschools.org.