Wickliffe Family Update

Dear Wickliffe Families,

What a busy and wonderful week we had! We celebrated Earth Day with a special ceremony and the installation of our new Peace Pole, enjoyed a fun evening of Family Bingo on Friday, and ended the week with families coming together to plant 12 beautiful new trees on the playground Saturday. Thank you to everyone who helped make these events so meaningful and memorable!

It’s hard to believe we are already in the final stretch of the school year. With just one month left, the weeks ahead will be filled with classroom celebrations, school-wide events, and so many special moments. This is truly a joyful time of year full of excitement and reflection.

Warmly,
Angela

April 28-29: 5th Science State Test

May 1: Town Meeting - Blair / Hamilton

May 5 - 13: Spring Book Fair

May 9: Town Meeting @ 8:30 AM – Golden Star Choir School Performance

(We kindly ask that only parents of 4th and 5th grade choir members attend due to limited space.)

May 9th: Wickapalooza @ 6:00 PM – Featuring the Golden Star Choir!

May 16th: Town Meeting - Gifford / England

May 23rd: Town Meeting - Peterson / Kernen

May 27th: Field Day

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

(This event is for 5th grade families only)

May 29: Town Meeting

May 29: Last Day of School (Early Dismissal @ 1:00)

I want to thank all those who joined us on Wednesday evening for our progressive conversation. Your willingness to show up—to listen, to speak, and to share your hearts—was appreciated. While the conversation was emotional at times, it was also incredibly important. Opening our doors for dialogue is how we continue to grow as a school community.

It was powerful to hear your passion and love for Wickliffe, and I want you to know that our entire Wickliffe staff shares that same deep commitment. Even as we navigate changes and challenges, we remain grounded in the progressive values that make Wickliffe so special.

I’ve been reflecting on our time together and want to share a few key takeaways:

• We need more opportunities for conversations, both when things are going well and when challenges arise.

• Strengthening our relationships as co-educators is essential. Let’s think about ways we can engage in this together—both as a school and as a larger community.

• Reimagine multi-age/multi-year experiences.

• With the implementation of Amplify CKLA next year, we will look for ways to invite you into the process—showcasing materials and keeping you informed of our progress.

• Communication matters, and we’ll keep working to ensure that you feel informed and connected to what’s happening in our school.

I know that words on a page can only go so far, but please know that our district and I are fully committed to continuing this important work—with our staff, with your children, and with all of you. Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and your belief in our school.

Thank you to The Urban Tree Project for donating 12 trees to our playground yesterday! We are also so appreciative of the families and students who came out to help dig holes and properly plant the trees. It was a wonderful day, and we are excited to care for these trees in the months ahead as we watch them grow and thrive.

Mrs. Oberlin's 4/5 class is collecting used shoes in good condition for Soles for Souls. We learned about corporate philanthropy from Teresa Eigel, the Director of Community Engagement from DSW shoes. There is a donation cart in the Town Square! Bring us your shoes!

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 28-29: 5th Science State Test

With math testing (and science for 5th graders), students can use the text-to-speech feature to hear information read to them. If they wish to use this feature, however, they need to provide their own (non-bluetooth) headphones

Student advisory is partnering to help raise funds for Brother Wolf. Beginning April 28, we will have collection jars in each neighborhood and in Town Square to collect coins...so save up and bring in your spare change to help Brother Wolf rebuild and care for their furry friends!

Thanks!

Student Advisory

Before the Town Meeting on Thursday, May 1st, 2025, there will be another Dog Treat Sale! These treats were lovingly handmade by Wickliffe families and will be available for $3 per bag (5 treats per bag).

• All proceeds will go to Brother Wolf Animal Rescue in North Carolina, which was heavily impacted by Hurricane Helene.

• Donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated!

Learn more about the organization here: www.bwar.org. Thank you so much for your continued support!

🚨 NEW DATES: May 5, May 12, May 19: 5th Grade only outdoor lunches

May 9: Golden Star Choir Town Meeting and Wickapalooza

May 15: 5th Graders to have lunch at Hastings

May 28: 5th Grade Graduation Town Meeting/Cookie Reception

May 28: 5th Grade Party after school (3 pm - 5 pm)

Our 5th Graders will be eating lunch outside on the dates below.

• May 5: 5th Grade Lunch Outside

• May 12: 5th Grade Lunch Outside

• May 19: 5th Grade Lunch Outside

WANT TO VOLUNTEER? Please click the link below:

Sign-up for parent volunteers for the 5th grade outdoor lunches

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

Staff Appreciation Week - Week of May 5th - 9th

We will be honoring our staff for the tremendous work they do for our kids and greater community everyday during this week. Volunteers are needed! Sign-up here:

• Sunday, May 4th - Decorate with chalk, posters, etc for our teachers. Families, please meet outside the school from 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm to help decorate the sidewalks and bring posters to hang up around the school. Please bring chalk to share.
• Monday, May 5th - PTO will provide breakfast for the staff. All students/families, bring 1-2 flowers to add to a vase for your teacher. PTO will provide flowers for the rest of the staff.
• Tuesday May 6th - No school
• Wednesday, May 7th - PTO will provide a massage therapist for the staff to enjoy a short chair massage throughout the day
• 05/08 - PTO & Families to provide a Staff Appreciation Potluck Lunch Families - Please sign up here to bring in food, drinks, & dessert for the teachers that day.
• Throughout the week - Please sign up here to cover lunch duty recess for the staff!

Spring Book Fair - May 5th - 12th

Spring book fair is coming, but with a twist! New this Spring, we will be using Literati for our fair. Look for a backpack flyer with more information this week. In the meantime, check out our Literati Book Fair website. Lastly, please consider helping with classroom visits. Sign up here!

Wickapaolooza - Friday, May 9th - 6-8:30 pm

Wickapalooza is held outside on the school grounds with family friendly activities for our whole community including bounce houses, face paint, photo tent, tie dying, the book fair, food trucks, crafts, music and more! Click here for more information!

• Outdoor Activities for all families 6-8:30 pm
• Golden Star Choir Performance 6-7 pm in the gymnasium for 4/5 families

Earth Day Tree Planting

A huge THANK YOU to everyone that came out to Wickliffe on Saturday 04/25 to help plant trees donated by the Urban Tree Project. We appreciate your support!

Upper Arlington Schools currently offers an online learning opportunity for students in grades 6 through 12 through the UA Online Academy. The UA Online Academy provides a unique blend of online coursework, live virtual class meetings and periodic in-person interactions. Families will have the opportunity to enroll in the UA Online Academy for the 2025-2026 school year.

To enroll in the UA Online Academy: The enrollment window for the 2025-2026 school year opens Monday, May 5, 2025. If your student is ready to commit to participation in the Online Academy for the 2025-2026 school year, please complete the UA Online Academy Enrollment Form. Please note that this will be at least a semester-long commitment through December 2025.

The deadline to open enroll is Monday, May 12th at 8:00 am. If you have any questions, please contact mrjordan@uaschools.org or onlineacademy@uaschools.org.

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”.