Walking Club is back and is offered to all students during their lunch recess to get moving and earn feet! 

• When: Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch recess.
• Where: Outdoor loop when recess is outdoors and in the gym when recess is indoors. Volunteers will be onsite to supervise and guide students on their path. 
• How: Each student will receive a note card that volunteers will mark at the end of each lap. Five laps = a foot charm (that can be kept on the walking club bracelet). We will accept $1 donations to cover the cost of the bracelet. Students will keep their bracelet until the end of the year while they continue to collect charms! 

Volunteer to help Mrs. Bennett in art class with the student art projects that will be sold at the Informal Art Show.

Help is needed to mount the artwork and to assist the students with documenting their reflections on their artwork. Sign up here:  

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAAF22A5F58-informal

Carsonie's: 1725 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington

February 8, 9, and 10 from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

15% of their sales will go toward Wickliffe PTO. This includes take-out or dine-in orders at any time of those three days! 

Mention the Wickliffe PTO to make sure sales are applied to our fundraiser.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR: The Spring Flower Sale starts on February 22!

We can order the amazing plants from Foertmeyer and support our school. Flower pickup is scheduled for May 6, 2022.  All the details coming soon!

Coming soon! Our inaugural Informal Art Show will be held 6-8 p.m. on March 1, 2, and 3 at Wickliffe. This is a family-friendly event where you and your family can see your child’s individual artwork displayed and purchase it to bring home at a later date. If purchased, it will be framed and ready for display at home. The cost will be $30 for each child’s artwork.

Without our usual Informal Affair event, the Informal Art Show is now our biggest fundraiser this year. We need our Wickliffe community to come together and make this art show a success for our school!

In order to make this event as safe as possible, masks will be required. Additionally, we have organized the event so that families can be more spread out:

• March 1 - Families with last names starting with A through I
• March 2 - Families with last names starting with J through Q
• March 3 - Families with last names starting with R through Z

If your last name falls on a night you are unable to attend, please feel free to attend the night that works best for your family. And if you are unable to attend any of the three nights, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you still want to buy your child’s framed artwork.

There will be raffles for teacher experiences, business donations, and beverage wagons! Raffle tickets will be available to buy on the nights of the event, but you can also purchase raffle tickets early. The PTO will be selling raffle tickets on the website starting February 14. So, be on the lookout if you want to purchase tickets ahead of time to avoid the line at the event.

We look forward to seeing you and your families at the first-ever Informal Art Show! All proceeds benefit our children. We are excited to continue to provide fun-filled events with the goal of raising money for the cultural art and educational enrichment programs for our Wickliffe students.

Chef Mike is looking for an adult helper every day during school lunch to help the students through the lunch line. If you are interested in volunteering please sign up through this link: 
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4FAAAF22A5F58-lunch

"Helping Chef Mike is rewarding and fun!" - parent volunteer

The City of Upper Arlington Parks & Rec Department has a new financial assistance program called PLAY UA. This webpage has more information regarding specific departments (aquatics, recreation & activities, senior center and tennis): https://upperarlingtonoh.gov/parks-recreation/play-ua-financial-assistance-program/. Residents can apply now and be eligible for discounts on Parks & Rec programming.

It's Golden Apple season in Upper Arlington! The Golden Apple Award is an annual recognition of special teachers, staff, and/or administrators for each school in Upper Arlington!

The nominations window continues through March 1. Nominations can be submitted by students, colleagues, parents, community members, etc. Awards will be announced in late March/early April. 

Thank you for all you do for Upper Arlington's students!

2022 UACA Golden Apple Awards (PDF)

Did you know that you are amazing?! We only have FOUR more volunteer slots available for the Wickliffe PTO After School Discovery student dismissal! 

Could you please take a look at the remaining spots on the Sign-Up Genius and see where you might be free to help? (It is a quick 35-minute time commitment.)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0549a9a72ca2fc1-winter 

Food for Thought:

As we engage in Black History Month, I wanted to start by sharing an NPR article that provides the historical context for how this important celebration that “honors the sacrifices and contributions of African Americans who have helped shape this nation” began. 

And, here is a video created by PBS Kids, the children's programming aired by the Public Broadcasting Service. It features Amanda Gorman, before she was the inaugural poet, facilitating critical conversations with children and a trusted adult about the importance of talking about race and racism.

Our second foundational principle reminds us that “we raise social consciousness by encouraging the school community to examine and act upon complex issues within a democratic society.” I hope that both the article and video provide you with valuable information for having honest conversations in your homes like we are having at school, not just this month but throughout the year about “the rich cultural heritage, triumphs and adversities [of Black Americans] that are an indelible part of our history.”

Until next week,

Felice (and the rest of the counseling team)