Originally delivered on 3/2/2021 7:01 am

SUBJECT: Wickliffe PTO Weekly - What to Watch for this Week (3.2.2021)

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What to Watch for This Week:

Hello Wickliffe families,

It was wonderful seeing our students back together for all-in learning! Thank you to all our teachers and staff, for making the first day back to school a success, for all our students on the school based pathway.

This week, we'd like to highlight:

  • Adopt A Teacher/Staff Member: March is here! Thank you to everyone who has adopted a staff member this month! If you haven't yet, please take a minute to sign up.
  • Spring Flower Sale: starts on March 23rd! Please lookout for this flyer that will be coming home with your child, or by email for OA families. It outlines a couple of changes from previous flower sales - we recommend using one order code per household to make pick up easier; and, all rewards will go directly to our school, rather than awarding individuals prizes, per district wide rules. Catalogs and more details on ordering, coming soon!
  • Kindergarten registration for 2021/2022 is open! Families are encouraged to complete the registration process by March 10th for staffing and planning purposes. Click here for all the info.

Don't miss Counselor's Corner, for the counseling team's update on all the groups that are available in March, for all students (OA and in school). And, to benefit from Dr. Kassoy's food for thought on the power of poetry as a coping strategy. The wonderful article Dr. Kassoy shares, explains the impact poetry has on the brain, it's healing power, and gives ideas to get your child (or you) started.

Please check the calendar for other important dates, including photo retakes tomorrow (3/3), and the whole school virtual town meeting on Friday (3/5).

And finally, a big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in our Steven's Catering restaurant fundraiser, we raised over $400 for our school!

Have a great week!

Kelley Swiney and the whole PTO.

News and links to our website:
Adopt A Teacher/Staff Member!

We want to show the teachers and staff at Wickliffe how much we appreciate all of their hard work and support during the school year! We invite you to sign up and adopt a teacher or staff member for either a month or for the rest of the school year. Up to 3 families can sign up to adopt the same teacher/staff member. 

During the time you have adopted the teacher/staff member let them know that you are thinking about them! Send them encouraging e-mails, mail them a card, drop off a small treat at the Front Office, etc. 

You do not need to spend a lot of money adopting the teacher/staff member just let them know you and your family are thinking about them and are thankful for all of the hard work!

Sign up to adopt a teacher or staff member
The teachers/staff members completed a survey about their likes, favorite candy, etc. Click here to find out more about your teacher/staff member.
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Spring Fundraising Campaign: Flower Sale

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The spring flower sale starts on Tuesday, March 23rd!

We have again chosen Foertmeyer and Sons Greenhouse to help us raise our funds for this year's campaign. After Spring Break, your student's web sale code will be sent directly to your email. You can share that link with your friends and family so that they can purchase their flowers online! Each student will also receive a catalog. Please use one student code per household. Also, per district wide rules, all Foertmeyer rewards will go directly to our school, rather than awarding individuals prizes.

Please lookout for this flyer that will be coming home with your child, or by email for OA families. 

Note: Flower pickup is scheduled for May 13, 2021 at the old Macy’s building. More details coming soon!

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Reminder: Car Line Arrival/Dismissal Update

Beginning March 1st, to ease congestion at pickup/drop off, the car line for 4th and 5th graders (and their siblings) has been moved to the cutout on Eastcleft Road

Drop off/Pick up Reminders (for Eastcleft & Wickliffe Side lot)

  • Pull all the way up to the front of the drop off lane.
  • Do NOT allow your child to exit the car outside of the drop off and pick up zone, as it slows the car line.  
  • Children must exit/enter on the right side of the car.
  • Do not pull around cars after you drop your child off. Please stay with the flow of the car line. 
  • Parents stay in the car during drop off.
  • Students should be ready to get out of the car as you pull forward (masks on, backpacks, lunch boxes).
  • Please keep your child in the car until you see an adult on duty. 

Thank you all for your patience and understanding, we all want our children to be safe during pick up and drop off.

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School Lunches

There is currently no charge for elementary students to buy school lunch through the end of the school year due to a USDA National Waiver.

  • IN-SCHOOL: Beginning the week of March 1, students in the school based pathway will no longer need to pre-order school lunches. Teachers will take a count each morning of the students getting lunch from the cafeteria. Parents can view the lunch menus by clicking here, or by downloading the "Web Menus by Isite" app from Google Play here or the App Store here.
  • ONLINE ACADEMY: the meal pickup services will continue. Updated information and details will come from Ms. Evans, and on the UA Nutritional Services webpage here.

If you have any questions, please contact our Nutritional Services department at (614) 487-5244, or by emailing ihunt@uaschools.org.

Click here for more information

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Kindergarten Registration for 2021/2022

REMINDER--Kindergarten registration is now open! Please register by March 10th!

Wickliffe is excited to offer a full-day kindergarten program, beginning with the 2021-2021 school year. Registration is now open for children who will be 5 years of age on or before September 30, 2021. 

We encourage families to complete the registration process on or before March 10 for staffing and planning purposes. You can learn more and begin the registration process at www.uaschools.org/kindergarten.aspx.

Please share this information with friends and neighbors who may be interested in having their rising Kindergartener join our Wickliffe community.

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Teacher Appreciation

Thank you to all who have donated snacks and drinks for the teachers and staff members. The teachers and staff real enjoy and appreciate the treats and drinks! We need your help to keep it going!

If you would like to contribute individual prepackaged food and drinks, our amazing teachers would really appreciate it. Please sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/teacher_appreciation

  • Please drop your items off at Kelley Swiney's porch at 3942 Newhall Rd (or order online and have the snacks delivered to Kelley's address).
  • Requested items include: candy, chips, cookies, nuts, trailmix, soda, San Pellegrino flavored water, La Croix, cold brew coffee.

If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Waddell at jenniferawaddell@yahoo.com. Thank you for your support! 

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Counselors' Corner
Counseling Team Updates

Here are the new (or continuing) groups starting in March! Please remember these are for all students (OA and in school).

  • Change: Exciting, But Tricky

    • We will be having a 4-week group to help ease the transition back to all-in learning. This group will start on Tuesday, March 2nd. Topics of discussion will include what is in and out of your control, adaptable/flexible thinking, reviewing strategies for regulating emotions/managing worry, and re-establishing and re-defining friendships. 

  • BIPOC Student Affinity Group 

    • Ms Choi, a member of the counseling team, will be facilitating a group for students who identify as students of color and are interested in diversity, inclusion, and racial justice. This idea was suggested by an amazing student who reached out to Ms. Choi, our OSU school counseling doctoral student, who is from the Republic of Korea.  This group embraces Wickliffe's 3 C's  (community, compassion, and civility).  As minority students may meet barriers of bias and prejudice, developing their racial identities is critical as they grow up. This group will help children of color connect with one another, process their thoughts and feelings in regard to being a minority student, discuss coping skills, and act as a group to start a change.

  • IDEA Mentors

    • This is an ongoing group that meets twice a month and we always welcome new mentors. Our vision is to develop informed and engaged anti-biased future citizens using the power of peer culture to develop role models who will be ambassadors within our classrooms, on the playground and other common spaces, to make courageous conversations a part of our school culture. 

  •  Morning Mindfulness

    • This group will resume on Tuesday, March 23rd. Participants will engage in mindful movements, guided breathing practices, and guided body scans to promote awareness. We will practice and discuss how they can feel empowered to use these strategies in their day-to-day lives. Mindful Mornings will take place from 8:30-9 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays

  • Middle School: The Ins and Outs

    • Stay tuned for details.

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Dr. Kassoy's Food For Thought

I am so grateful that the PTO has given me an opportunity each week to share an idea, an inspiration, or a parenting tip. Please reach out to me at fkassoy@uaschools.org if you have a topic of interest.

As we continue to explore ways to help our children (and ourselves) adapt to the ongoing changes in lives, I have been interested in providing new tools and strategies (or uncovering old ones) to help our Wickliffe students. This week, I uncovered an old way. 

Thanks to Amanda Gorman, poetry has reemerged as a vehicle for self-expression. 

This article from National Geographic, titled "'Tell your story': The power of poetry to help kids cope", provides an overview of the power of poetry; from the impact of poetry on the brain to the healing power of poetry. The article's author, Virginia Pelley, illuminates these ideas and provides 6 ways parents can help foster creativity in their children.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/tell-your-story-the-power-of-poetry-to-help-kids-cope

Tell_your_story_The_power_of_poetry_to_help_kids_cope.pdf

Until next week,

The Counseling Team (Felice, Rebecca, Megan, Jihyeon, and Syd)

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Calendar
Wednesday, March 3
Picture Make-up / Retake Day (Cohort 1)
Friday, March 5
11:15a All School Town Meeting Webinar
Wednesday, March 10
Registration for School Deadline (Rising Kindergarteners)
Monday, March 15
SPRING BREAK (March 15-22)
Tuesday, March 23
Students back to school (after Spring Break)
Spring Flower Sale begins
Wednesday, March 31
Restaurant Fundraiser - Chocolate Cafe
Friday, April 2
NO SCHOOL
Monday, April 5
6:30p Monthly PTO Meeting
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