Wizards Newsletter

Hello Wizard Families-

Thank you to all the families who joined us for conferences over the past two weeks. We truly value the partnership between home and school, and conferences are such an important opportunity for families and teachers to connect about student growth and progress. Working together helps ensure that every child receives the support they need to succeed.

In several classrooms, teachers implemented student-led conferences, and it was wonderful to hear how students were able to share their own successes and learning with their parents. What an important life skill for students to reflect on their growth and communicate about their learning!

We are excited to welcome Patrick West to our Wickham staff as a building secretary for the rest of this school year. You may now direct office emails to him (west.patrick@iowacityschools.org or Susan Schepanski (schepanski.susan@iowacityschools.org).

A few upcoming calendar reminders:

• Friday, March 13 is a two-hour early dismissal. Students will be dismissed at 12:55 p.m., and there will be no PM preschool that day.

• Spring Break will take place March 16–20. There will be no school during that week, and students will return on Monday, March 23.

Lastly, I want to share that I am continuing to recover from my concussion and will be in the building half-time for a bit longer. Central office administrators will be covering the building when possible during the other half of the day. Thank you for your patience and support while I continue to heal.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and restful weekend!

Your voice matters! As we continue to implement Levels One & Two 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 BELOW!

Please join us in welcoming Patrick West, who will be filling in for Emily Macloed until the end of the 25/26 school year. Patrick joins us from the Technology Department and has been with the district since 2021. We are excited to have him join us and look forward to the knowledge and enthusiasm he brings to our team.

What is it? A Discovery Fair is similar to a Book Fair but the theme is STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). There will be books, kits, and more that celebrate the STEAM fields.

When is it? The Discovery Fair will start Thursday March 26th, right after school (1:45 pm). This is to coincide with the PTO’s Science night. The Discovery Fair will be open until 7:45 pm on Thursday. The fair will also be open during the school day on Friday March 27th for students who were not able to make it on Thursday night, or for students who just want to visit the fair again.

Are eWallets still available? Yes, eWallets are available for this fair. If your student plans to shop on their own at the Discovery Fair, then eWallets are a great way for them to do that. Find out more about eWallets at https://www.scholastic.com/bf/wickhamelementaryschool

Do you have any questions? If you have any questions please contact Michael Schlitz at schlitz.michael@iowacityschools.org.

March 13th- 2 Hour Early Release at 12:55 PM

March 26th- PTO STEAM Fair (6:00 PM - 7:30 PM)

April 3rd- NO SCHOOL, District Closed

April 13-17- ISASP testing for grades 3-5

April 15th- Kindergarten Round-Up (5:30 PM - 6:30 PM)

Linked here is our 2025-2026 District Calendar!

Wickham students! Do you love science, technology, engineering, art or math? Do you have questions about the world around you or problems in need of a solution? Then the STEAM Fair is for you!

When: Thursday, March 26, 2026

Time: 6:00PM to 7:30PM with Set-Up at 5:30PM.

Deadline to Register: 8:00PM on Monday, March 23rd. Click on https://forms.gle/7a7M1irFemzg6FZz7 for student sign-up.

All Wickham students in grades K-5 are invited to participate! All you have to do is find a question you want to answer or problem you want to solve. Click on https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nPiTwI2ufWvYPpYcs57ozwcnX2_LG1sh/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=101269658339518406279&rtpof=true&sd=true to see the STEAM Fair Information Packet.

On Thursday, March 26th, 2026 all staff, students, and families are invited to see all the presentations in the gym from 6:00PM to 7:30PM.

Concessions will be available for sale: Pizza $2 per slice, Bottled Water $1, and cookies $1.

Parents & Caregivers: We need your help! Please consider signing up to volunteer on the night of the STEAM Fair by visiting https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NGDupCJtjVt-Ydy4S0l8j7SJxuPOQZgv8zT2yamaSpw/edit?usp=sharing

We are excited to share that this year the Scholastic STEAM Discovery Book Fair will also be open in the library during this time! Students will be able to shop the book fair for books, kits & other products related to STEAM.

Visit Pizza Hut at 2439 2nd ST Suite 7 on Tuesday, March 10th between 12:00 AM - 11:30 PM to enjoy a delicious meal while supporting Kate Wickham Elementary PTO.

With 20% of your orders being donated, you can savor every bite knowing you're giving back!

RSVP & get all the details here: https://grouprai.se/s320462

· In-restaurant/Phone Orders - Let the Pizza Hut team know you are ordering to support Wickham PTO before completing your order. This makes sure every dollar counts!

· For Online Orders – Add your code SF to your cart before completing your purchase.

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 (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its 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:

• Laura Cottrell (Executive Director of Educational Services & Student Success) for programming at cottrell.laura@iowacityschools.org
• Nick Proud (Chief Human Resources Officer) for employment at proud.nick@iowacityschools.org, 2255 N. Dubuque Road, Iowa City, Iowa 52245, (319) 688-1000; or
• If you are unsure how to proceed or would like assistance in discussing your options, you may also contact Janet Abejo-Parker at ombuds@iowacityschools.org or (319) 688-1312