Wizards Newsletter

Good Afternoon, Families!

As we near the end of the long, chilly month of January, I wanted to share a few important updates and reminders with you.

This week, we are wrapping up our screening assessments in reading and math. We’re excited to share these results with you during our second round of conferences in February and March.

Please note:
There will be no school on Wednesday, January 29, in observance of Lunar New Year.

Additionally, we are thrilled to announce our upcoming Mini Dance Marathon event, scheduled for Friday, February 7, from 2:00–2:45 PM. (This event is for students and staff only.) The University of Iowa Dance Marathon provides financial and emotional support to pediatric cancer patients and their families at the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital. This incredible organization hosts family events, builds connections, and raises funds to help ease the financial burdens associated with pediatric cancer diagnoses. We are honored to fundraise for this impactful organization each year. Please see below for details about our dress-up days and fundraising activities.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Wickham Elementary will be hosting our Mini Dance Marathon during school hours on Friday, February 7th. This is a student only event- not open to families or the public. Throughout the week, students can participate by dressing up and/or donating money to benefit the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

We will be collecting a different denomination each day, and the funds raised will help support special projects providing emotional and financial aid for pediatric oncology and bone marrow transplant patients and their families.

💛 Here's the schedule for the week:

Monday, February 3rd – Pennies & Pajamas

• Wear your comfiest clothes or pajamas!

Tuesday, February 4th – Nickels & Iowa Colors

• Dress in black and gold/yellow to show your Hawkeye pride!

Wednesday, February 5th – Dimes & Disney Day

• Put on your favorite Disney attire—ears and more!

Thursday, February 6th – Quarters & Class Colors

• Show off your class spirit by dressing in your assigned color:

PK: Pink, KG: Red, 1st: Orange, 2nd: Green, 3rd: Blue, 4th: Purple, 5th: White, Staff: Yellow

Friday, February 7th – Dollars & Neon Colors

• It’s Mini Dance Marathon Day!
• Dress in neon colors and bring glow sticks or glow necklaces to dance the day away!

Thank you for supporting this wonderful cause and helping us make a difference! 💛

There will be a digital donation option that will be sent out to all families as soon as we receive it!

⭐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 29th- No School/District Closed

February 2nd- PTO Dine to Donate Night at Cookies & Dreams (4 PM - 8 PM)

February 3rd-7th: Wickham's Mini Dance Marathon

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

February 10th- PTO Honey Den Fundraiser Distribution (3:30 PM - 6 PM)

February 26th- STEM Fair (6 PM - 7:30 PM)

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.

Cookies and Dreams Fundraiser!

Wickham Elementary PTO is partnering with Cookies and Dreams in Coralville for a cookie fundraiser. Don't miss out on this SWEET opportunity to support Wickham PTO. Cookies and Dreams will donate 20% of sales back to Wickham PTO. This event will be on February 4th, 2025 between 4 and 8 PM. Stop by the Coralville Cookies and Dreams location to place your order, mention that your purchase supports Wickham Elementary PTO, and show the above graphic at checkout.

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

🔬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.

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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.