Every month during the school year, Wickliffe PTO partners with different restaurants in our area to benefit from their dine and donate programs to raise money for our school. The restaurants donate a percentage of the proceeds from your order when your show them the fundraiser flier. It is an easy and delicious way to support our school!

PICTURE DAY IS ON WEDNESDAY FOR COHORT 1 AND OA!

• HR Imaging will be photographing school portraits at Wickliffe on Wednesday, October 21st for cohort 1 and on-line academy students who didn't attend last Friday's session. 
• ONLINE ACADEMY students: Please check in at the front doors on Wickliffe Road on October 21st from 12:00-12:45 pm to have your child’s school picture taken.
• Picture make-up/retake day is on Thursday, November 12th.

Prepaid portrait envelopes have been sent home, or you can visit hrimaging.com and enter Wickliffe Elementary to order online.   

Due to social distancing, we will not be taking classroom group pictures this fall.  Our hope is to be able to take them in the spring.  If you have questions, please feel free to call HR Imaging at 740.369.4215

The PTO is launching a new committee within the PTO with the hopes of bringing our classes and grades together, even if we can't be together in the way we are used to.  In order to do this we need your help.  Would you be interested in being a representative for your child's class serving on a grade level committee?  If so, please let us know.  Check out the link to our PTO website.  Please know this will not be a time intensive commitment but rather a way to get involved in keeping our classrooms and families connected to the school.

Family Connections

• Different sized wood rounds and small log pieces
• A bag of nice river rocks for one corner of the area
• Pinecones
• Cut sections of bamboo for hollow pieces
• Small shovels, buckets
• A few different sized apple crates or wire baskets 

Donations can be dropped off at school/sent to school with your child. If you have questions please contact Marta Ackley.

One way we are continuing to show our love and support to our teachers and staff is by providing prepacked snacks and drinks throughout the day. Please consider helping by signing up to donate prepackaged food or drinks.

Here is a link to the sign-up genius: Teacher Appreciation - Snack Sign-up

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: Our beautification committee will be organizing a Fall cleanup at the end of this month, with an opportunity for you to volunteer twice ;)

• Friday, Oct. 30 after school
• and then Sunday, Nov. 1st 1-3 pm.

We are removing old flower beds and painting the white fence at the castle. The condition of the fence means we need to prime it first and then paint it, hence the two days. Any and all welcome, dress to get dirty and possibly paint splattered. Thank you!

If you have questions, please contact Marta Ackley.

• Parent Coffees are back! After a great response this summer, we will resume these Zoom gatherings. Please join us on Sunday evening, November 8, from 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM https://zoom.us/j/7191866057 to stay connected and have conversations about current parenting topics. We welcome your ideas and suggestions.

• New Lunch Group - We are offering another fall group called “Worry Warriors” which is designed to help children manage their big feelings. If you have a child who could benefit from being a part of this, please email Dr. Kassoy (fkassoy@uaschools.org).

• Online Academy MeetUp - Join us on Thursday, October 22nd, from 4:15 to 5:00. Please look for an email on this Tuesday with the details for this fun event!

I recently reread an article entitled 'Parenting gracefully through this pandemic? It’s possible'. It was written in the late summer when schools were preparing to go back virtually. Even though we are in hybrid, I thought there were some good reminders that might affirm what we are already doing or remind us of some things we may have forgotten.

So, what is parenting gracefully? As Meghan Leahy, the author of this article says, “to be graceful is to move smoothly, both physically and emotionally, as well as to be gentle and kind. Parenting gracefully through this [pandemic] is no small feat.” She suggests a few simple steps...

• Use family meetings

• Learn to apologize and mean it

• Make as many things visual as possible 

• Lower your standards

I invite you to read this article to learn more about each of these ideas. And I hope you find her suggestions to be helpful.

www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/on-parenting/parenting-gracefully-through-this-pandemic-its-possible

Until next week,

Felice, Brittany and Rebecca (my two fabulous interns)