Wickliffe Family Update

Dear Wickliffe Families,

What an incredible week for our Wickliffe community! We are excited to share that we reached our $10,000 fundraising goal for this year's Fun Run! Thank you to our amazing families and community members for your generosity and support. It was wonderful to see our students running, walking, rolling, and cheering one another on throughout the day!

A special thank you to our Fun Run Committee members—Gina Forster, Katie Winkel, Carly Deal, and Melissa Imm—for their time, dedication, and hard work in organizing such a wonderful event! We are also incredibly grateful to all of our parent volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly and to the many families who came out to cheer on our students during their scheduled times. The energy, encouragement, and sense of community throughout the day were truly special. We couldn't have done it without you! We will announce our top three classes in this week's Daily Howl.

As we look ahead to this week, we are excited to welcome families into the building for Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 21 and 22. Conferences are an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school. We value the collaboration we share with our families and look forward to meaningful conversations about your child's growth, celebrations, and continued learning. Thank you for being such important partners in your child's educational journey!

A quick reminder that Thursday, October 22, is an early release day, with dismissal beginning at 11:00 a.m. Please plan accordingly.

Thank you again for all the ways you continue to support our students, staff, and school community. We are grateful to be part of such an incredible PACK!

Have a wonderful week!

Angela Evans

October 19th: No School, Work Day for Teachers

October 20th: 8:45-10:50 5th Grade Jesse Weinberger digital safety presentation @ UAHS

(staff and students)

October 21st: Elementary Conferences, 4:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

October 22nd: UAED Board Meeting at Wickliffe, Maker’s Space, 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

October 22nd: Early Dismissal @ 11:00 a.m., No Lunch Service

October 22nd: Elementary Conferences, 12:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

October 22nd: Bear Essentials Shopping Hours, 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

October 23rd: School Picture Make-Up Day and Student Candids

October 26th-27th: 3rd Grade State Testing

October 27th: 12:05-2:00 3rd Grade Jesse Weinberger digital safety presentation @ UAHS (staff and students)

October 27th: Walking Field Trip to Bickford of Upper Arlington - Nocera, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

October 27th, 28th & 29th: Mindful Mentors Meetings

October 27th: Field Trip to Dawes Arboretum, 1st Grade

October 27th: Title 1 Webinar, 6:00 p.m.

October 27th: Restaurant Night at Chipolte - Kingsdale, 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

October 28th: 8:45-10:50 4th Grade Jesse Weinberger digital safety presentation at UAHS (staff and students)

October 29th: Walking Field Trip to Fancyburg Park - Shivers, 9:15 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

October 30th: Town Meeting - Miller

October 30th: Fall Harvest Parade and Classroom Parties, 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

November 2nd: Full Evacuation Drill to Riverside Church, 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.

November 3rd: Deadline to Request Gifted Testing, Grades 3rd - 5th. (See District Updates below)

November 4th: Bring the Farm to You - Apple Cidering, Kindergarten Classes

November 4th: Digital Safety Presentation for Parents and Guardians - UAHS, 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

November 5th: Field Trip to Stratford Ecological Center, 8:30 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., Woyce/Holub

November 11th: Town Meeting - Veteran's Day

November 21st: Wickliffe Social @ Brick House Blue, 6:00 p.m.

Our Lost and Found closet is overflowing again and we have run out of. room to store all of the lost garments. Everything will be put on display outside of the main office Tuesday, October 20th through. Friday, October 23rd. Anything remaining on Friday will be donated to charity.

Please help us return these items to your students by adding a name tag to coats, hoodies, and sweatshirts!

The safety of our students is our top priority. We have noticed that some students are being dropped off in areas that are not safe during morning arrival.

Please remember:

• Students should only be dropped off in the designated car line between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m.

• Students should not be dropped off in either the Wickliffe Road or Eastcleft Road parking lots between 8:00 and 8:15 a.m. This includes pulling into the parking lot and stopping along the curb.

• Students should not arrive at school before 8:00 a.m. The doors are locked, and staff members are not on duty before that time.

• If you arrive after 8:15 a.m., please follow our regular late-arrival procedures.

Exceptions include students who have made prior arrangements with Angela Evans, are attending a special meeting, are reporting for Safety Patrol duty, or are arriving after 8:15 a.m.

Thank you for helping us keep all of our students safe and ensuring that morning arrival runs smoothly!

• During the month of October, students in grades 3-6 from across the district will have the opportunity to participate in presentations during the school day with nationally recognized internet safety expert Jesse Weinberger. A former software programmer and the author of The Boogeyman Exists: And He’s in Your Child’s Back Pocket, Weinberger will provide age-appropriate presentations focused on digital citizenship, responsible technology use, online decision-making, and personal safety. The student presentations will coincide with our annual UA Safety Week. Please see the dates below:

• October 20: 5th Grade–Bus departs 8:50, arrive back @ 10:40

• October 27: 3rd Grade–Bus departs @ 12:05, arrive back @ 1:55

• October 28: 4th Grade–Bus departs 8:50, arrive back @ 10:45

• Weinberger will also offer an evening presentation for adults on November 4 at 6:30 p.m. in the Upper Arlington High School Performing Arts Center. This will be focused on providing parents and guardians with practical information intended to strengthen their understanding of today’s digital environment and support ongoing conversations with their children about safe and responsible technology use.

Parents/guardians of Wickliffe students in grades 3-5 — please complete this permission form ASAP. Please submit one form for each participating child in grades 3-5 in your family. If you do not want your child to participate, we will provide an alternate, supervised learning activity at their school during the presentation time.

The 4th-grade classes at Wickliffe are hosting this year's Harvest Food Drive for the Heart to Heart Food Pantry. We are collecting food now through October 30th.

Items Needed:

• Peanut butter and jelly

• Individual snacks

• Pancake mix and syrup

• Oatmeal

• Dry beans

Please drop off your donations in the boxes located at the Town Square or at the boxes in your neighborhood. Thank you for helping us make a difference!

Wickliffe's peer mediators led this past week's town meeting to launch our new peer mediation program. Fourteen responsible 5th-grade students have volunteered their lunch and recess times over the past six weeks to complete training with Mrs. Shaffer and Mrs. Firestone.

Starting on Thursday (10/22), two fifth-grade students will wear brightly colored vests each day during recess. They will be available to guide students through small- to medium-sized problems using the Peace Path and problem-solving strategies. They will regularly check in with school counselors and recess aides to facilitate conflict resolution at school and will bring problems to adults if they are too large for students to resolve. We're excited to see these fifth-grade leaders launch the peer mediation program next week!

Feel welcome to contact Renee Shaffer or Makayla Firestone if you have any questions!

• Did you know we have over 50 4th- and 5th-grade students participating in patrol this year?! Our students have been doing a wonderful job being role models and keeping Wickliffe safe! I’d love to find small ways to recognize their dedication and keep them motivated! Unfortunately, our funds are limited. We’re currently only able to provide one pizza party as a group celebration and we plan to do that mid-year.
• If you’re willing, we would welcome donations of individually wrapped candy or allergy-friendly trinkets to surprise our patrol members with after their shifts every so often. Individually wrapped treats like Jolly Ranchers, Dum Dums, or stickers, bookmarks, etc. would be perfect!
• Thank you for helping us show these students how much we appreciate their commitment. If you choose to donate, there will be a box labeled in the front office.

Thank you for your support!

Please join us at our Town Meeting on Wednesday, November 11th to honor veterans on Veterans Day. Is there a veteran in your family or do you know of someone who has served or is serving in the military? Please use this invitation to record your veteran's information so we can honor them at our town meeting. Also please send in or email a picture of your veteran to Melissa Szabrak at the following address: mszabrak@uaschools.org If you send in a picture please make sure to label your picture with the veteran's name, and if we need to return it to you. *We will use last years picture if you sent one in already.

We invite veterans, their student and their families to breakfast and coffee served by our PTO in the town square. This year, our breakfast is sponsored by Chris Farrell of Stoneygate IT and will be served between 7:30 and 8:30am. Students will head to their classrooms at 8:10. Then we ask our veterans to join in our school town meeting at 8:30 in seats of honor. At the conclusion of town meeting, they may go back to their student's classroom to introduce themselves and say hello.

• Please remember to bring your driver's license when picking up students early for appointments or illnesses. An adult is required to sign out every student using our SchoolSafeID system.
• If your student will be arriving to school after 8:15 a.m. or leaving before 2:45 p.m., please notify Wickliffeattendance@uaschools.org.
• If your student is an afternoon bus rider, and their dismissal plans change, please remember to notify Wickliffeattendance@uaschools.org and the transportation department. Otherwise, we will be expecting your student to be on the bus, and will need to hold bus departures until we determine the location of your student.
• Please include your student’s full name when sending attendance emails. While your classroom teacher will know your student by only their first name or nickname, the office will need to have a full name in order to efficiently record attendance updates.

Our school receives federal funding through Title I to support reading programs. We invite you to join our annual Title I webinar on Tuesday, October 27 at 6:00 p.m. to learn more about this valuable program. Please click here to join the webinar and gain insight into how Title I benefits our students.

Menu Link

• Our Fall Harvest parade and classroom parties will be held on Friday, October 30th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m..
• More info to come!

• 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!

Monthly Classroom Counseling Lesson Overview:

Kindergarten: In October, kindergarteners will understand that everyone has a personal space bubble. We will practice how to be aware of others’ bubbles, how to ask others to stay out of our bubble and what happens when we pop someone else’s personal bubble. We will also explore the difference between "put ups" and "put downs." Through stories, examples, and practice, students will learn how put ups are words and actions that make others feel good—like compliments, encouragement, and helping hands—while put downs hurt people's feelings.

First Grade: This month we will be focusing on self control. First graders will be introduced the concept of a “self control remote”. In this lesson we will practice the various ways we can control our bodies, while understanding our own emotions. Students will bring home their paper remote so that parents can reinforce the idea of self control at home.

Second Grade: Second graders will participate in a self control assessment. This will allow each student to reflect on their own actions. We will discuss ways to improve self control through our words and actions in order to make good choices.

Third Grade: Third graders will be discussing coping tools/strategies as they relate to the Zones. They will be working to identify which coping tools are calming and which coping tools are energizing!

Fourth Grade: 4th graders will be talking all about healthy friendship!

Fifth Grade: 5th graders will be discussing how to reframe negative thoughts.

We are grateful for the many parents and family members who volunteer to chaperone our field trips each year! If you hope to join your child's class on a field trip this school year, now is a great time to complete your volunteer requirements so you're ready when opportunities arise.

All volunteers must have a current background check on file with Upper Arlington Schools. Background checks are completed at the Mincy Center (1619 Zollinger Road) Monday–Friday from 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. (closed 12:30–1:30 p.m. for lunch).

Thank you for partnering with us to help make field trips safe, fun, and memorable for our students! More information can be found on the UA Schools Volunteering webpage.

• Oct.16-Oct.19- Fall Break, NO SCHOOL
• Oct. 27 - Restaurant Night at Chipolte
• Oct. 30- Harvest Parade
• Nov. 21- Wickliffe Social

• Chipotle at 3090 Kingsdale Center
• Tuesday, October 27, 4:00-8:00 PM
• Use code 2F3B44K for online/app orders, excludes delivery.
• Show them the flyer or email and they'll donate 25% of the proceeds back to the PTO.

• Volunteer in the lunch line with Chef Amber! Sign up here: Lunch Help!
• Checkout our General Volunteer Interest Form if you're interested in open volunteer positions!

Support Wickliffe and Make a Lasting Impact in Our Community

• We're seeking local businesses and community partners who want to make a meaningful difference in the lives of our students, teachers, and families. To learn more, visit our website here!

Check our website for details on the PTO and upcoming events!

Third and fifth-grade students referred for testing will take the CogAT in November. Parents should use this Google Form to request gifted testing. The deadline to request testing is 11/3/26.

All second-grade students will be tested for gifted identification in superior cognitive ability and reading in December. All fourth-graders will be tested for gifted identification in superior cognitive ability in December. Star Math is now used to screen all students in grade 1 and up. Star Reading is now used to screen all students in grade 3 and up.

Please remember that no bikes or scooters of any kind are permitted on tracks, grass athletic fields or artificial turf athletic fields, as they can cause significant damage to these surfaces.

Upper Arlington Schools invites parents and guardians of students in grades K-12 to join internet safety expert Jesse Weinberger for an evening presentation on today’s digital environment and how families can support safe and responsible technology use. The presentation will build on age-appropriate digital safety presentations Weinberger will provide to students in grades 3-6, focused on digital citizenship, responsible technology use, online decision-making and personal safety.

Wednesday, November 4, 2026
6:30–7:30 p.m.
Upper Arlington High School Performing Arts Center

In accordance with the presenter’s event requirements, this session is for adults only. Children and students ages 1–20 will not be admitted to the presentation space. Audio and video recording are also prohibited.

Upper Arlington Schools is partnering with the Tri-Village Packers for their Thanksgiving break and winter break food distribution programs. The Tri-Village Packers will distribute grocery items for the children of families in the Upper Arlington school district for the days out of school over Thanksgiving break (November 25-29) and winter break (December 21-January 4). The food will be provided at no cost for children who would benefit from the support.

To sign up to receive food for Thanksgiving and/or winter breaks, please complete this form by the end of the day on Monday, October 26, 2026. The school district will keep the information you provide in the form confidential unless you request otherwise.

Based on changes in Ohio law and Upper Arlington Schools Board of Education policy, new attendance requirements will be in effect beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. These changes affect how schools track student attendance, when families receive notifications, and when districts must intervene to address attendance concerns.

The biggest change is that all missed time is counted — includes tardies, medical absences, pre-planned absences, non-school-sponsored activities and competitions, and Religious Expression days — toward chronic absenteeism. Parents/guardians may find information about the changes in attendance policy on our website.

Attendance Information

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

• 2026-2027 School Year Calendar

• A-E Calendar

Instagram Account ~ @wickwolves

Lunch Menu

Difficulty accessing your PaySchools Central account? Email psc_help@payschools.com or

call 1-877-393-6628 between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. ET Monday-Friday.

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”.