Wickliffe Family Update

Dear Wickliffe Families,

As we wrap up 2024 and head into winter break, I want to express my gratitude for your partnership and support this year. Our students have worked hard, grown tremendously, and brought so much joy to our school community.

I hope this break is filled with rest, laughter, and special moments with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming students back on January 7th for a fantastic start to the new year!

Wishing you a safe and wonderful holiday season,
Angela

December 23 - January 3: No school, winter break

January 7: Wickliffe Wolves Around the World planning committee meeting

January 8: Coffee & Conversation With Dr. Hunt: The New Strategic Plan ~ 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at Kingsdale Market District

January 10: Town Meeting

January 20: No school for students or staff; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 22: Early dismissal (1:00 Dismissal)

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

January 27: Town Meeting

January 27: Coffee and Conversation with Dr. Hunt

Any first graders new to Upper Arlington and any current first-grade students who showed a need as kindergarten students during the 2023-2024 school year on the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition (CTOPP2), will be given the CTOPP in January. This assessment assists us in identifying each student’s level of phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid naming ability. These are some of the foundational skills for reading. The purpose of this assessment is to screen our new students for phonological awareness weaknesses so that as a district we can intervene early and put appropriate supports in place for our students.

If these assessment results indicate a literacy need for more specific, targeted instruction, your child’s teachers will provide instruction to help support your child in developing these important skills and will be communicating this with you in February.

If you have any questions, please contact your principal or Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) Lead. Thank you for your ongoing support.

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, which can be taken care of on the Wickliffe PTO website.

We are excited​‌ to​‌ announce that the nomination period for the 2025 Golden Apple Awards is just around the corner. This prestigious award can go to any faculty or staff member in our schools. The nominee may be an outstanding teacher, administrator, nurse, custodian, secretary, aide, paraprofessional, counselor, resource officer, etc. They all make a difference in the lives of our children and are worth celebrating for their contributions to our community.

Nominations will run from Monday, January 6, to Friday, February 28, and can be submitted on the Upper Arlington Civic Association's website at www.uaca.org. Our site will be updated shortly to prepare for this year's awards and the submission form will go live on the morning of January 6.

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!

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!

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

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. Thank you!

Next PTO Executive Meeting - Monday, January 13th

DEIB Wickliffe Wolves Around the World Planning Mtg. Jan. 7 @ 8 PM

We will be checking in on planning, continue to reach out to community partners, and draft participation sign up. We hope to have the sign up ready to send out by the end of January. Here are our notes from our last meeting, and here is the link to join the zoom call- Meeting ID: 446 650 7269

Passcode: wickliffe

Please feel free to invite anyone you may know who'd like to help with planning!

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.

What's topping your kids' holiday wish lists this year? Chances are it has a screen, Internet access, and games. With a little planning -- and kids' assistance -- you can balance your family's tech activities with much-needed face time.

As an extension of the 2024 Digital Safety Week, Screenagers viewing, and Thanksgiving Digital Wellness Activities, we wanted to provide families with some Digital Wellness tips and strategies to consider during the Winter break. These two weeks are an opportunity to exhibit a healthy balance with device use.

Here are some ideas to try from CommonSense Media:

Be jolly -- but firm. Let your kids know that you'll be enforcing stricter time limits to create more quality family time. And tell them that the rules will apply to the grown-ups as well.

Make a list (and check it with your kids). Don't go cold turkey. Schedule some daily tech time for yourself and your kids. Get their input on which devices they absolutely can't live without, and allow some limited use.

Plan a device-free dinner. Put the phones and tablets in a basket and don't check 'em til the dishes are done.

Make setup fun, not frustrating. No matter how easy to use companies make new devices, there's always some (often frustrating) setup time. Truth be told, kids often figure out thorny tech glitches faster than parents, so involve your kids in the process. Use that time to discuss responsible use of the new device.

Try some tech togetherness. Unplugging for its own sake isn't the point. Family time is. Plan a night of video games, movies, or maybe preselected YouTube videos that you can all enjoy together.

Combine on- and offline activities. Document your family memories and consider compiling them into journals, cards, and scrapbooks. This is a perfect time to share your own holiday memories with your kids.

If no creatures are stirring … don't check your email. Remember, your kids learn their media habits partly from you.

By January 5th, discuss questions with your students related to this activity, such as:

• Did you feel more present with your family?

• What was the most challenging part of the break for you?

• What was the one offline activity we did that you enjoyed the most?

• Can you help our family create a plan to make this a more frequent practice?

If you do this with your family and feel comfortable to share, please share an anonymous feedback about the process. The Excellence and Engagement Office is committed to supporting families with exercises like these to help create a healthy digital balance for our students.

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”.