Wickliffe Family Update

Dear Wickliffe Families,

Last week was a great week at Wickliffe, and we ended with a wonderful fall parade! It was such a joy to see our students’ creativity and excitement and to celebrate together as a school community.

As a reminder, there is no school for students on Tuesday, November 3, as it is Election Day. Our staff will spend the day engaging in professional learning.

We are gearing up for November and the next few weeks of learning and connection before Thanksgiving break. As we begin this season of thanks, I want to express my gratitude for your partnership and support of our students and staff. The care and encouragement you share help make Wickliffe a place where our children feel a sense of belonging and can grow.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful week!

Angela

November 2nd: Full Scale Emergency 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 3rd: No School for Students - Election Day

November 3rd: Bear Essentials Shopping Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., UAHS

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 5th: Bear Essentials Shopping Hours: 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., UAHS

November 8th: Diwali

November 11th: Town Meeting - Veteran's Day - Szabrak and Woyce

November 12th: Field Trip to The Works - 4th Grade

November 17th, 18th, 19th: Mindful Mentors @ 7:30 a.m.

November 19th: Bear Essentials Shopping Hours: 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m., UAHS

November 20th: Coffee and Conversation: Gifted Education, 9:00 a.m. at The Bob Crane Community Center

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

November 25th-27th: No School - Thanksgiving Break

• As we do every year, with support from the Upper Arlington Police and Upper Arlington Fire Departments, we practice various safety drills each month to make sure all students and staff know what to do in the event of an emergency.

• Wickliffe will conduct a full-scale emergency evacuation drill on Monday, November 2, from 12:45–1:45 p.m.
• UAPD will assist with traffic as we walk to our location.
• This type of drill is required to be conducted every two years as part of our emergency preparedness procedures.
• If you are planning to pick up or drop off your student during this time, please plan accordingly, as access and normal arrival and dismissal procedures may be impacted.
• Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we practice keeping our students and staff safe!

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.

During its October on-site meeting at Wickliffe, the UA+Ed Board of Trustees experienced the project firsthand. Each UA+Ed board meeting begins with an Impact Moment, an opportunity to learn about the meaningful difference a recent grant is making in Upper Arlington Schools.

Katie Coplin shared the story behind the Peg Wall, from its original inspiration to the collaborative construction process. She then got board members up, moving, and engaging with the wall themselves. Rather than simply hearing about the grant’s impact, trustees had the opportunity to experience the possibilities it offers.

It was a fitting demonstration of what UA+Ed grants make possible: ideas that bring people together and create meaningful experiences for students and staff.

HERE is the link to our Impact Story on the Peg Wall.

• Wickliffe's Peer Mediators led a recent 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.
• 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!
• Town Meeting Slides

We are seeing an increase in student illness over the past week, along with more reports of GI symptoms and fever. As a gentle reminder, students are asked to remain home from school until they are fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications. With any GI illness, students are asked to remain home until 24 hours have passed since the last episode of vomiting/diarrhea.

Warmly -

Janice

Janice Walsh, MSN, RN (she/her)

Licensed School Nurse

Clinic Schedule:

Windermere Clinic - Tuesdays, Fridays, and every other Monday

Wickliffe Clinic - Wednesdays, Thursdays, and every other Monday

Click the link to see what your child explored, created, and practiced during Mindful Mentors this week!

Upcoming Meetings:

Tuesday, November 17th

Wednesday, November 18th

Thursday, November 19th

• Our Lost and Found bins are filling up fast!
• Please help reduce the number of items being stored by remembering to label your student's coats, jackets, lunch boxes, etc. with their first initial and last name.
• See below for photos of some of the lost items looking for their owners.
• Many thanks to our PTO, staff, and student volunteers for organizing these items!

• 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.

November Menu Link

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.

• 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!

As we approach Election Day, UA Schools wants to ensure our community has access to clear, factual information about Issue 7, the combined operating levy and bond issue on the November ballot. The school district’s role in this election is to share the facts, answer questions and help residents understand what is being proposed.

To help with that, we have put together a video version of the Issue 7 presentation that we have been sharing out in the community. The video provides an overview of the proposed issue and offers answers to common questions, with bookmarks to help you navigate directly to the topics most relevant to you.

To find additional factual information and answers to frequently asked questions, please visit the district website, www.uaschools.org/issue7.

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 once again partnering with the Tri-Village Packers to provide food support for students during school breaks.

📅 The deadline to sign up for Thanksgiving break food support has been extended to November 9! Families can complete this form to receive grocery items for their children during the days out of school over Thanksgiving break (November 25-29). The same form can also be used to sign up for winter break food support (December 21-January 4) through November 20.

The food will be provided at no cost for children who would benefit from the support. Information submitted through the form will remain confidential unless a family requests 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”.