Wickliffe Family Update

Welcome Back, Wolves!

We hope everyone had a restful and joyful winter break. It’s been a great week back at Wickliffe, and we were thrilled to see all the kids’ smiles and hear about their winter break fun!

After a long break, our teachers spent the first few days reviewing expectations and helping students rebuild their stamina for full school days. By the end of the week, it was wonderful to see everyone settling back into their routines and finding their rhythm. We’re excited to kick off the second semester and are looking forward to finishing this school year strong!

As we dive into the new year, we are want to share several important updates and reminders:

1. Wickliffe Wolves Around the World
   We are seeking families to participate in our upcoming event in March. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and share the diverse cultures that make our school community so special. Check the details below to see how you can get involved!

2. Golden Apple Award Nominations
   The nomination period for the Golden Apple Award is now open. If you know an outstanding teacher or staff member, be sure to submit a nomination. See the link in the District section for more information.

3. Lunch Volunteers Needed -
   We are still looking for volunteers to assist during lunch. If you’re available, please sign up using the link provided below. Your support makes a big difference!

4. Morning Drop-Off Reminder
   Please remember that students should not be dropped off in the Wickliffe Road parking lot unless prior approval has been granted. This area is reserved for families requiring additional assistance. Detailed guidelines can be found below.

5. Winter Weather Reminders
   With chilly temperatures here, please make sure your child comes to school dressed appropriately in long pants, shoes or boots, a coat, gloves, and a hat. We go outside for recess as long as the “feels-like” temperature is above 19°F.

6. Important Dates to mark on your calendars:

• No School: Monday, January 20 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
• Early Dismissal: Wednesday, January 22, at 1:00 PM

Have a fantastic weekend, stay safe and warm, and we look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday!

Warm regards,

Angela

Now - February 28: Golden Apple Award Nomination period

January 13: PTO Executive Committee Meeting

January 15: Dine and Donate Restaurant Night

January 20: No school; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 22: Early dismissal (1:00 PM Dismissal)

January 26: DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) meeting

January 27: Town Meeting (Mrs. Shivers, Mrs. Santilli)

January 27: Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Hunt

January 27 – February 7: Yearbook Sale

February 3: Town Meeting

February 3: Peter Brown Field Trip (2nd-5th Grade)

February 11: Kindergarten Information Night (6:30 p.m)

We’re excited to announce that children's book author and illustrator Peter Brown will be visiting with Upper Arlington students in grades 2-5 on February 3, 2025! Brown is known for his bestselling books The Wild Robot, The Curious Garden, Mr. Tiger Goes Wild, illustrating the Creepy Carrot series, and more.

During this engaging event, Peter will share his creative process, discuss the journey behind his books, and reveal the inspiration for his whimsical characters.

Students will travel to Upper Arlington High School for Brown’s presentation. If you haven't completed the permission slip form from your child's teacher below, please do so below. Watch for more information from your child’s classroom teacher in the coming weeks.

Thanks to the Upper Arlington Public Library and the Upper Arlington Education Foundation for making this visit possible!

Peter Brown field trip permission form slip

You can find information about the registration process and the upcoming kindergarten information nights at our elementary schools on our website.

Wickliffe's Kindergarten Information Night is Tuesday, February 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Wickliffe Wolves around the World is our annual multicultural celebration.

Please use the following survey to sign up for what you will bring or do to share your family's cultures and traditions at the event (feel free to sign up for more than one!). The more details you can provide, the better we can plan! We will have table space for food, crafts, activities, and displays. Please note in your sign up if you have additional requirements for your submission. If cost is a concern for participating, please email Laura Herrold Johnson at Laura6747@gmail.com, we can help!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0449A4AF2AA0F85-54185558-wickliffe#/

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, which can be taken care of on the Wickliffe PTO website. Please log in to your account. Under My Account > My Forms is where you can access the link to pay the fee. Thanks!

Chef Jim and staff need two volunteers every school day to help with lunch service. This is a fun and fast-paced activity that really helps the lunch periods go smoothly. Plus, it's a great way to see your little one(s) during the day!

Sign-Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAAF22A5F58-54121206-lunch

We are looking for volunteers to lend an extra set of hands in the lunchroom. Duties include helping kids open lunch items, tidying up tables between groups, stacking chairs, and more. Extra help is especially needed between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. during 4/5 and K/1 lunches. If you’d like to spend time during your 2/3 kiddo’s lunch, help is also welcome from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Please consider signing up—we’d greatly appreciate it!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAAF22A5F58-54289124-lunchroom

Please note that students should not be dropped off in the Wickliffe Road parking lot before school unless prior approval has been granted. This area is reserved exclusively for families who require access to the handicapped spaces or need additional assistance with their students. We've noticed that as the weather has chnaged, we have had several families parking or dropping off in the staff parking lot. Please be mindful of this request as we consider everyone's needs in getting into our building efficently.

The preferred drop-off locations for students are:

• The carline on Eastcleft Drive
• The building side of Cimarron Road
• On Eastcleft Dr. or Wickliffe Rd., west of the building (between Kioka and Cimmaron), where students can walk up to the playground from there

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep our drop-off procedures safe and efficient for everyone!

Please encourage your students to check the Lost and Found regularly between now and winter break.

The next donation day is scheduled for January 31. Thank you for helping us keep our Lost and Found manageable!

Here is the latest edition of the Elementary Explorations newsletter.

In this issue you will find pictures and videos from Lesson 7 - Wind-Powered Vehicles, as well as a preview of Lesson 8 - Thaumatropes and Tinkercad.

The Elementary Explorations Team

Hi All! Welcome back! Below you will find the counseling lesson themes and parent information for each grade level! I will send home more information after each lesson but I know sometimes it can get lost in backpacks! As always please let me know if you need anything as we move through second semester!

K/1 Lesson- Conflict Resolution

In k/1 I will teach a skill called “A Bug and A Wish” to handle conflict appropriately. This is an easy framework for younger students to use that empowers them to tell someone else how their actions make them feel. This is how it goes:

“It bugs me when ________________. I wish you would __________________.”

Being able to handle conflicts calmly is such an important life skill!

2nd and 3rd grade lesson- Empathy

In ⅔ we will focus on Empathy. We will talk about what it means to understand what someone else is going through and practice showing we care in different situations!

4th and 5th Grade Lesson- Problem Solving

We will focus on how we can use the problem solving wheel or the peace path when we are having a problem with another person. We will role play different scenarios where the problem wheel or peace path can be used and how each person might solve conflict differently! See the wheel and the peace path below!

If you have a 5th grade girl who submitted an application to ROX please look for the parent permission form in your inbox! We are so excited to get started next Thursday during Lunch and Recess!

Restaurant Night - The Berwick Catering - Place your online order through 01/13/2025!

Order online at link below, now 011/13 @ 11:59pm.

https://the-berwick.com/taste-of-italy-tour-menu

Such an easy week-night meal for your family! You can pick up your pre-ordered meal at Wickliffe Elementary on Wednesday, January 15th from 5:30pm to 6:30pm

Lunch Helper Volunteer Sign-Up January - May 2025

Chef Jim and staff need two volunteers every school day to help with lunch service. This is a fun and fast-paced activity that really helps the lunch periods go smoothly. Plus, it's a great way to see your little one(s) during the day!

Sign-Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAAF22A5F58-54121206-lunch

Golden Star Choir

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, which can be taken care of on the Wickliffe PTO website. Please log in to your account. Under My Account > My Forms is where you can access the link to pay the fee. Thanks!

Upper Arlington Schools has launched an expanded Coffee & Conversation series for the 2024-2025 school year. These coffee chats are an opportunity for the community to learn more about the Upper Arlington Schools and to ask questions.

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Coffee & Conversation events in January!

• Wednesday, January 8 from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. in the upper level meeting room at Kingsdale Market District, 3061 Kingsdale Center — This session will include an update on the new strategic plan.
  
  

• Monday, January 27 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Jones Middle School Learning Center, 2100 Arlington Avenue — This session will include general district updates. Please enter through the main entrance facing the Mallway Plaza.

The Upper Arlington Civic Association is excited to announce that the annual Golden Apple Award nominations for 2025 are here! This prestigious award can go to ANY faculty or staff in our schools. Your votes count! The winner of the Golden Apple at each school is decided by YOU! Any parent, student, colleague or community member can make a nomination. You can also nominate more than one person!

Visit www.UACA.org to fill out a nomination form between January 6 at 7:00 a.m. and February 28 at 11:59 p.m.

Unfortunately, the Progress Report icon for students with IEPs in PowerSchool has been eliminated. This was out of Upper Arlington’s control. In order to access your child’s progress report, your child’s intervention specialist or speech language pathologist will share the report via an email from Same Goal after each reporting period. You should receive the 2nd quarter progress report by January 9th for students in grades 6-12 and by January 22nd for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade.

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”.