Wizards Newsletter

Hello Wickham Families,

My apologies for this newsletter arriving on a Sunday. We experienced a technical issue on Friday and were not able to send it as planned. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

This newsletter contains important, time-sensitive information regarding Dance Marathon's daily themed details and PTO clubs that open for registration today at noon, so please be sure to read through the entire newsletter carefully.

Our Dance Marathon donation collection begins Monday, which will be Penny Collection Day, and students are invited to wear apparel representing their favorite sports team. Additional collection details and daily themed attire are outlined below, all leading up to the dance celebration in the gym on Friday.

I hope your family stayed warm this weekend! The weather is expected to remain very cold next week, so please be sure students come to school with all of their winter gear. An extra hat or pair of gloves in backpacks is always a good idea.

Thank you for your continued support!

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!

We have so many exciting and important things coming up over the next few weeks! Dance Marathon's Spirit Week and money donations are happening next week, Preschool Registration will take place on February 5th at West High, and Wickham’s Got Talent is right around the corner (be sure to check out the PTO section for more details!). We also have Readers Are Leaders Day coming up in mid-February, along with conferences, spring picture day, and so much more!

Please be sure to regularly check our Important Dates section so you don’t miss anything coming up! We promise, there’s a lot to look forward to! 🎉📅

When relaying important information about your student, please remember that some communication should also be shared directly with the office. This includes things like attendance changes, extended absences, dismissal changes, or general school-related questions.

While teachers do their best to respond, they are often unable to check email throughout the day while teaching. Including the office on these emails helps ensure that someone is able to respond to you in a timely manner! Office emails:

Susan Schepanski: schepanski.susan@iowacityschools.org

Emily MacLeod: macleod.emily@iowacityschools.org

Wickham Elementary’s Mini Dance Marathon is coming up!
We will be hosting our Mini Dance Marathon during school hours on Friday, January 30th. Throughout the week, students are invited to participate by dressing up for our themed days and donating a different denomination each day.

All funds raised will support special projects and services for patients and families at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.

If you’re unable to send cash to school or prefer to donate online, you can do so using this link:
https://events.dancemarathon.com/participants/1271498

Thank you for helping us dance for a great cause!

Week of January 26th- Dance Marathon Week!

Monday- Pennies / Sports Day

Tuesday- Nickels / Student & teacher Swap Day

Wednesday- Dimes / "Anything But a Backpack Day"

Thursday- Quarters / Character Day

Friday- Dollars / Blackout & Neon Day

February 5th- Preschool Registration Evening at West High

February 5th- Wickham's Got Talent (More details coming)

February 17th- No School, District Closed

February 20th- Readers are Leaders Day

February 25th- Kindergarten Field Trip

February 25th- Conferences (3:10 PM - 7:10 PM)

March 2nd- Halverson Spring Casuals

March 4th- Conferences (7:40 AM - 7:40 PM)

March 4th- Kindergarten Registration Opens

Linked here is our 2025-2026 District Calendar!

We’d love to welcome your little one to our preschool family! Our preschool teachers are certified in both general and special education, and we offer free half-day programming for 4-year-olds at all of our elementary schools, with full-day tuition options also available at all locations.

Preschool registration for the 2026-27 school year opens Feb. 5, 2026. 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. 5.

Learn more at www.IowaCitySchools.org/Preschool

Math Club
Math Club will be meeting on Friday mornings in the Library from 7:10am to 7:50am. Spring session will be February 13 - May 22.
This club is open to all 1st thru 5th grade students. 25 spots are available.
Given the limited spots, please only sign your child up for this club if they are very interested in math. Math Club will be led by an adult supervisor, Cade Benson, and two former Wickham now West High students - Catherine & Adam.
Cost of Math Club is $45. Fees will go towards paying the coach and maintaining supplies for the club. Scholarships are available.

Registration will open on Sunday, January 25 @ 12pm. Visit the Wickham PTO website at https://www.wickhampto.org/store to register.

Chess Club

Chess Club will be meeting on Monday afternoons in the Wizard Room from 3-3:45p. Spring session will be February 9 - May 18.

This club is open to all 1st to 5th grade students. There is a limited number of spots available.
Beginners are welcome but please only sign your child up for Chess Club if your child is very interested in playing chess. Students will get to play chess during every meeting and Coach Eric will be there to give them instruction.

Cost of Chess Club is $25.75. Club fees will go towards paying the coach and maintaining supplies for the club. Scholarships are available.

Registration will open on Sunday, January 25 @ 12pm. Visit the Wickham PTO website at https://www.wickhampto.org/store to register.

Please email Wickham PTO at wickhampto@gmail.com if you have any questions.

We invite all parents and caregivers to get involved with our Parent Teacher Organization by attending our monthly meetings, volunteering at school events, and supporting the many activities that enrich our students’ experience.

It’s time for the MidWestOne Bank Art Show! This is an optional project. All entries must be submitted to Ms. Lasansky by February 20, 2026. 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 9, 2026.

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.)

We are very excited to see all the entries!

Ms. Lasansky and Ms. Goeken

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