Wizards Newsletter

One more week of school! It’s hard to believe how quickly this year has gone by.

As we wrap up the year, I want to thank a few staff members who will be leaving Wickham. Patrick West, our interim secretary, will be returning to the Technology Department at the CFI. Mady Hess will be stepping away from second grade for now, and Rochelle Triggs, our school psychologist for the past 14 years, will be retiring. Thank you all for sharing your time, talents, and care with our students and for being such an important part of this special community.

We are also excited to welcome staff members into new roles next year:

• Barbara DeGroot will be joining us from Lincoln to teach 2nd grade.
• Julie Besgrove will be joining us from Van Allen as a 2nd grade teacher.
• Maci Welter will be moving from 1st grade to 4th grade to teach our additional section.
• Nick Robinson will be joining us from Van Allen as an additional special education teacher.

We will see the families of our 5th grade students on Thursday, June 4th, from 12:00–1:30 PM for the 5th Grade Celebration. Please fill out the following form if your 5th grade student will be leaving with a parent after the ceremony. If you are planning for your younger student(s) to attend the celebration and/or leave with your family afterward, please complete the remainder of the form—one form per younger student.

Lastly, I want to give the PTO a huge thank you for all of their hard work organizing the End of the Year Picnic. Thank you as well to Mr. Cronk, Mr. Hanrahan, Ms. Titze, Ms. O’Donnell, and Mr. Lowry for volunteering to be dunked in the dunk tank! Combined, they endured an impressive 518 throws and allowed me to have a year off from the tank. 😀

Please remember that Wednesday, June 3rd is the last day for PM preschool and Friday, June 5th is the last day of school for everyone else with a 2 hour early dismissal at 12:55 PM.

Have a wonderful 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!

📅🍎 Registration for the 2026-27 school year is open! We encourage you to take advantage of this early opportunity to register your student(s) for next year.A quick reminder: all families need to complete online registration each year through Infinite Campus. You can get started by using the link below. Just be sure to select the school year “26-27” when prompted. If you need help with the registration process, please contact our enrollment team at (319) 688-1000 or by email at enroll@iowacityschools.org.

• Registration instructions for RETURNING families to the District

• Registration instructions for NEW families to the District

📣 Not Returning to Wickham Next Year?

If your family is planning to move or your child will not be attending Wickham Elementary for the 2026-27 school year, please let us know by clicking the link below and filling out a short form. This helps us plan ahead for staffing and classroom placements. NOT RETURNING NEXT YEAR FORM. If you have any questions, feel free to email Patrick West at west.patrick@iowacityschools.org.

June 3rd- Last day of school for PM preschool

June 4th- 5th grade Celebration (12:00-1:30 PM)

June 5th- Last day of school for all students, including AM and full-day preschool, 2 hour early dismissal at 12:55

Linked here is our 2025-2026 District Calendar!

End of Year Picnic

We had a great turn out at the End of Year Picnic yesterday evening. It was a hot one, but kudos to our Wickham Wizards for still showing up and bringing the positive energy! It made the dunk tank even more exciting (if that's even possible).
Special thanks to:
Mr. Cronk, Mr. Hanrahan, Ms. Titze, Ms. O'Donnell & Mr. Lowry for volunteering to get dunked! We know it's a big ask, and we truly appreciate your commitment and willingness to continue this fun end-of-year tradition.
Everyone who volunteered to sell tickets, food, and manage the dunk tank. These events are put on by PTO, but volunteer help is essential to keep them going.
Kona Ice for the shaved ice & Costco for slinging 30 pizzas!
Our custodians who help with setup and cleanup after these events. Their behind the scenes work is imperative in making nights like this happen. If you see them, tell them thanks for all they do!
And lastly, thank you to our Wickham community for joining us! It's a joy to be part of such a connected group of parents, caregivers, teachers and students and we look forward to bringing this event back again next year! Have a wonderful summer and we hope to see you in August at Meet the Teacher Night!

Save the Date - Meet the Teacher Night

Before Summer ramps up, we want you to get this date on your calendar! Meet the Teacher Night at Wickham will be Thursday, August 20th from 5:30PM to 6:30PM. All families will be able to see their student's classrooms, meet their teachers, and get school supply boxes (if you ordered). Students and families will receive ice cream provided by Wickham PTO. Please stop by our table to make your Wizard Drive Donation and grab your ice cream!

As we continue conversations around student technology use and screen time, we are asking families to provide feedback through our Screen Time Survey.

This survey is intended to help us better understand family perspectives regarding Chromebook use during the school day and at home, communication around technology expectations, and possible future considerations related to student screen time practices.

Please provide your feedback here:
https://iowacityschools.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_2t4VV3nHmJFEpPU

If you have multiple children and your responses would differ for each child, you are welcome to complete the survey more than once.

Your feedback is important and will help guide future conversations and decisions in these areas.

Thank you for taking the time to share your perspective.

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Good morning, West High families and supporters—

Summer is one of the best opportunities for students to grow, stay active, and build meaningful connections, and West High is excited to offer a wide variety of camps and clinics for students of all ages.

These camps provide much more than skill development. They give kids the opportunity to:

• Build relationships with future teammates, coaches, and mentors
• Stay engaged and productive during the summer months
• Learn new skills while having fun in a positive environment
• Gain confidence through activity, teamwork, and competition
• Become more connected to the West High community and programs

Our coaches and student leaders work hard to create experiences that are energetic, welcoming, and beneficial for every participant—whether they are trying a sport or activity for the first time or continuing to develop their passions.

By participating, families are also directly supporting West High programs and helping strengthen the opportunities available for our students throughout the year.

You can view all available camps and registration information here:
West High Summer Camps & Clinics Registration

We hope your family will take advantage of these great opportunities and be part of another outstanding summer at West High!

Warmly,

Coach Craig

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Dear Families,

We would like to notify you of the 2026-27 Pay-to-Ride school transportation program, which is available to families who do not qualify for mandatory transportation under the State of Iowa's requirements.

Iowa Code 285.1.a. The Board of Directors in every school district shall provide transportation, either directly or by reimbursement for transportation, for all resident pupils attending public school, kindergarten through twelfth grade, except that:

1. Elementary pupils shall be entitled to transportation only if they live more than two miles from the school designated for attendance.
2. High school pupils shall be entitled to transportation only if they live more than three miles from the school designated for attendance.

The Pay-to-Ride program details are available on our District website at www.IowaCitySchools.org/PayToRide. If you have any questions before applying, please don’t hesitate to contact our Transportation Department via email at Davis.Esme@iowacityschools.org.

Payment and Fees for Service

• Pay-to-Ride fee:
• $700 per student, per year, round trip
• $415 per student, per year, round trip, for students who qualify for reduced-price lunch.
• $0 per student, per year, round trip, for students who qualify for free lunch.
• Full payment must be made no later than June 5, 2026, to be included on a bus roster for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
• Applications submitted after June 6 through September 7, 2026, will be included on a bus no later than September 28, 2026, if space is available. Efforts will be made to make placements earlier; however, a date prior to September 28 cannot be guaranteed and remains subject to available space.
• After September 7, 2026, applicants will be notified no later than 10 school days from submission if space is available.
• Applications will be accepted after the due date as long as capacity remains on existing routes. (Note: Students will only be assigned to existing bus stops and routes; buses will not be rerouted to accommodate requests.)
• Students are not eligible to ride until payment is received and the application is approved.

Application Process

1. To apply for Pay-to-Ride busing, please complete the Pay-to-Ride application available at www.IowaCitySchools.org/PayToRide
2. Payment can be made online at https://www.myschoolbucks.com or by check made payable to Iowa City Community School District

If you are interested in participating in the Pay-to-Ride program, please complete the application and submit payment no later than June 5, 2026, to be considered for a bus roster for the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Sincerely,

Esme Davis
Transportation Manager

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