Wizards Newsletter

Hello Wickham Families!

As November comes to an end, we are excited to share a few important updates with our families! From the reopening of Wing 3 and our upcoming Thanksgiving break to all the fun field trips, events, and activities planned for December, there’s a lot to look forward to.

We are excited to announce that Wing 3 is officially reopening! Our HVAC construction in that wing is complete for now, and all students will be back in their classrooms starting Monday, November 24th. Arrival: 3rd and 4th grade students will walk around the outside of the building in the morning and then enter through Wing 3 to get to their classrooms. Dismissal: All 3rd graders and 4th grade walkers will dismiss from Wing 3. We’re so glad to have all of our students back in their classrooms!

Thank you again for joining us for Parent-Teacher Conferences. It was inspiring to see so many families dedicated to supporting their children as they develop into confident leaders and lifelong learners. Your involvement strengthens our school community and helps create the positive, collaborative environment where students can truly flourish. We are grateful for your continued partnership.

Have a wonderful weekend. As a reminder, we will not have school on November 26th-28th for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

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 officially made it 59 days into the school year, and we are so grateful for the partnership and support of our Wickham families! Here are few reminders as November comes to an end:

Cooler Weather Reminder
As temperatures continue to drop, please help your student come prepared for outdoor play:

• 0° (and below) temperature and/or wind chill: Indoor Recess

• 1°–49°: Pants, coat, and appropriate head/hand outerwear.
  Boots and snow pants are required to play in the snow.

• 50°–59°: Long-sleeve shirt or jacket recommended; shorts optional

• 60°+: Jacket optional (student choice)

Please label all outerwear so lost items can be returned easily!

Health & Illness Reminder

As we move into the colder months, it’s important to keep our students and staff healthy! You MUST keep your child home if they are experiencing any of the following:

• Fever (100.4°F) – students should stay home until 24 hours fever-free without medication

• Vomiting or diarrhea – students should stay home until 24 hours symptom-free

If your child becomes sick at school, the office will contact you to pick them up. Following these guidelines helps prevent the spread of illness and keeps everyone healthy during the winter months.

Upcoming No-School Days

A reminder that there is no school next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We wish all of our families a safe and restful break filled with warmth, happiness, and time with those you care about. Enjoy the long weekend!

Warmly,
Emily & Susan
macleod.emily@iowacityschools.org
schepanski.susan@iowacityschools.org

Hello Wickham Families,

We are excited to invite you to our annual Winter Sing-Along. This section is to inform you of all the details for the day of the sing-along and to let you know about our music performances scheduled for later in the year. The sing-along, on December 19th, is truly a sing-along. It is not one of our performances or grade-level concerts for the year. It is a time to come together as a community and enjoy singing together.

The sing-along will begin at 10:30 am on Friday, December 19th. Students and staff will be sitting on the floor of the gym singing several familiar and new-to-us songs of winter. It will last approximately 20 minutes and will be a great way to head into Winter Break!

If you plan on attending the Winter Sing-along, please arrive no earlier than 10:10 AM. You will enter using the outside gym door. There will be limited seating for those who are unable to stand for 20-30 minutes. Others will be asked to sit on the floor or stand. When the sing-along is over, we will ask parents to go out the gym door (same door you entered). If you'd like to take your students home after the sing along, you will meet your child(ren) outside the main office or by Wing 1 for preschool and Kindergarten students.

If you know that you will be attending the sing-along and taking your child/ren home when it is done, please fill out this form so we are aware your child will be leaving following the sing-along.

We know that the parking lot will be VERY BUSY so this year we will again be providing a shuttle bus for your convenience. The bus will run from the parking lot at the Brown Deer Golf Course to Wickham and then from Wickham back to the golf course after the sing-along. The shuttle will begin running at 10:00 am and then immediately after the sing-along. If you are planning on taking your child home after the sing-along they can ride the shuttle back to Brown Deer with you!

It has been another wonderful start to the year at Wickham. We look forward to sharing our music with you!

Grade level performances:

Kindergarten - Friday, May 29th at 1:30 pm

1st/2nd - Thursday, April 23rd at 12:45 (no school on the 24th)

3rd/4th - Friday, May 1st at 1:30

5th grade at their FIFTH GRADE CELEBRATION in June, the exact time and date TBD.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Stiegelmeyer

General Music Teacher

November 23rd- Heartlanders Wizard Night (Details Below)

November 26th - November 28th- No School, District Closed

December 5th- 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Stanley Museum

December 9th- 1st Grade Field Trip to the CFI

December 10th- 5th Grade Heartlanders Field Trip

December 15th- 5th Grade Band Trip to West High

December 15th- Holiday Lights at the Lake (Details Below)

December 19th- Winter Sing Along, 2 Hour Early Release at 1 PM

December 22nd - January 2nd- No School, District Closed

Linked here is our 2025-2026 District Calendar!

Naomi's Kitchen Fundraiser
We are excited to announce our partnership with Naomi's Kitchen for our December Fundraiser! Take the night off from cooking and leave the meals to Naomi’s Kitchen. This is a great way to enjoy delicious, prepackaged meals with your family, all while supporting Wickham Elementary PTO. For every order placed, Naomi's Kitchen will donate $20 to the Wickham Elementary PTO. After the 20th order placed, we will receive $25 per order!

How to Order:

1. Step 1: Go to Naomiskitchen.com

   Step 2: Click on “Order Now!.”

   Step 3: Go to the calendar page or scroll down on your phone under "Pick Ups" for Tuesday, December 9. Click on “Click here to order for Wickham Fundraiser”

   Step 4: Choose your Menu & Entrees & Pay online.

Order Deadline:

• Order starting NOW – Naomi’s Kitchen would appreciate early orders to help with preparation.
• The cutoff deadline for orders is Sunday, December 7 @ midnight.

Pick-up Information:

Pick up your order on Tuesday, December 9, 2025 between 12 PM and 6 PM at Naomi’s Kitchen in North Liberty. Address: 25 E Cherry St., North Liberty, IA 52317

Thank you for supporting our school while enjoying a delicious, stress-free dinner!

NO Bake, Bake Sale
Ordering for this fundraiser is now closed.
Pick-up: Tuesday, November 25th from 4:30 PM-6:00 PM at Wickham Elementary.

All items not picked up will be donated.

Mark your calendars! The 2nd Annual Wickham Holiday Lights at the Lake will take place on Monday, December 15th from from 5:30-8:30 PM!

👋Wickham Elementary teachers and staff will be volunteering at the Holiday Lights at the Lake. We would love to have students support their teachers and a good cause by driving through the lights and saying a big "HI" to your favorite teachers!

💰Donations are $10/car and all proceeds go to the Birdhouse Hospice House of Johnson County.

🔗Please use this link to find more info on the event: https://www.holidaylightsatthelake.com

Grab your robes and wands—it’s time for Wands & Wizards Night with the Iowa Heartlanders!

On Sunday, November 23 at 3:00 PM, the Heartlanders take the ice at Xtream Arena for a spellbinding showdown you won’t want to miss. Fans are encouraged to dress as their favorite wizard, wear house colors, or sport Heartlanders gear while cheering on the team in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere full of magic and hockey!

As part of our partnership with the Iowa City Community School District, every PreK-5 student in ICCSD will receive a complimentary ticket. For the game on Sunday, 11/23 we invite Borlaug, Alexander, Weber, Horn, Coralville Central, Wickham Elementary. Every school in ICCSD has been assigned to a game, so if you attend another school that information will be coming soon!

To redeem your student’s free ticket, please visit: Claim Your Free Student Ticket Here. Additional tickets for parents, guardians, and siblings can also be purchased through the same link so the whole family can join the fun.

We look forward to welcoming your family to Xtream Arena for this exciting afternoon of hockey and community spirit. Bring your cheers, bring your energy, and most importantly—bring you! For any questions, please contact the Iowa Heartlanders ticket office at 319-569-4625.

If the above link does not work, try this link as well: https://www.gofevo.com/group/ICCSD25

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