CORRECTION: Hawkeye Women's Basketball Game is Saturday (not Sunday) January 8

Please note that both the Robert Lucas Newsletter and a post to The Mighty Hawk Messenger blog inadvertently stated that the DEED-sponsored Lucas Day at the Hawkeye Women's Basketball Game was Sunday, January 8. In fact, the game is SATURDAY, January 8 at 3 p.m. Please note the chance. For more information see the corrected blog post here.

Iowa City School District adds two staff members

From today's Gazette, news about the hiring of two new administrators by the The Iowa City School District. David Dude will be the district's director of information services and Kathryn Moreland its community relations coordinator. The school board still must approve the hires, which typically is a formality. Read the entire story here.

Join us for Lucas Day at the Iowa Women’s Basketball game January 8!

This is a corrected notice. 

Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams (DEED) is sponsoring Lucas Day at the Iowa Women's Basketball game at 3 p.m. Saturday (not Sunday, as originally reported), January 8, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes take on Ohio State.

Tickets for this fun, family event are just $5 per person. To get this price, orders are due to DEED member Joe Bell by Monday, January 3. Send your payment to Joe at 5 Dunuggan Court, Iowa City, Iowa, 52240.

You can pick up tickets from Joe outside the Lucas school office between 3 and 5:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 7.

For more information, contact Joe at 354-2281 or jk.bell@mchsi.com.

Go Hawks!!!

Lucas December newsletter now online

The December 2010 Robert Lucas Newsletter is now available online. Be sure to check it out as it's filled with lots of great news, including:

* Great news about Lucas' receiving more computer-wired Smart Boards for classrooms.
* Information about Lucas lunch hours
* Dates for upcoming Conversations with the Principal

And much, much more!

Thank You to First Presbyterian Church

Lucas was blessed to receive three bags of beautiful hand-knitted gloves, scarves and hats from the Prayer Ministry Folks with First Presbyterian Church of Iowa City. These items will be greatly used by many of our students in need. Thank you First Presbyterian Church!

Holiday Gift Bag and Tissue Paper Donations

Lucas is conducting a special school project that is in need of holiday tissue paper and gift bags of all sizes. These items are needed by this Friday, December 17. If you have bags and tissue paper you can donate, please send them to school with your child. Your child can give them to their teacher. If you have questions, or want to know more, contact third grade teacher Laurie Martin at Martin.Laurie@iccsd.k12.ia.us.

Lucas Elementary clarifies student lunch times for parents

Some of you may be aware that a number of Shimek Elementary School parents are unhappy about the amount of time that school gives students to eat lunch — 15 minutes. The parents are meeting with Iowa City School Superintendent Steve Murley at 6 p.m. tonight to discuss the issue and to ask that the time be extended to 20 minutes, the time alloted by other schools in the district.

In light of the meeting, some Lucas parents have called our school to find out how much time Lucas students are given to eat lunch. Lucas students get 20 minutes for lunch, followed by a 20 minute recess. Lucas Principal Julia Burton said students can be given extra time to finish their lunches if needed.

For more information on the Shimek meeting, see the Press-Citizen article at http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20101212/NEWS01/12120314/Murley-parents-to-meet-about-lunch-period.

Movie Night CANCELLED!!!

The Lucas Elementary School DEED Movie Night, scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. today, Saturday, December 11, has been CANCELLED because of the Blizzard Warning in place tonight through tomorrow morning. Stay warm, dry and safe!!!

DEED to decide at noon Saturday whether to cancel Movie Night

A winter storm is forecast to bring sleet, ice, snow and very cold temperatures to Eastern Iowa Saturday and overnight into Sunday. So at noon Saturday, DEED will determine if Movie Night should be canceled for safety reasons. If Movie Night is canceled, Lucas will make a Blackboard Connect phone call home alerting families, and information will be posted on this blog, so please check back here for updates.

Meanwhile,  stay safe, warm and dry!

Share your hopes and dreams for Lucas during conversations with the principal

Lucas community members:

If you are interested in visiting with other parents and with Lucas Principal Julia Burton regarding your hopes and dreams for Lucas Elementary School, please come to one of the following focus group meeting times:

Tuesday, December 14 @ 7 p.m. in the multi-purpose room

Wednesday, January 12 @ 8:30 a.m. in the multi-purpose room

Monday, January 24 @ 12 p.m. (noon) in the art room

If you are not able to attend any of these sessions but you still have ideas you would really like to share, email Principal Burton at burton.julia@iccsd.k12.ia.us

Last reminder -- Toy Story 3 is Saturday night!

One more reminder to join Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the gang as Lucas Dads Engagement in Engineering Dreams hosts a free Movie Night featuring "Toy Story 3" this Saturday night!

Doors to Lucas open at 5:45 p.m., and the movie starts at 6:30 p.m. Hot dogs are for sale for just 25 cents (while supplies last), and free popcorn and lemonade will be provided. Be sure to bring your own lawn chairs and blankets! And remember, all children must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.

Hope to see you there!

Sick of Paying $25 for Peanut Brittle to Support Lucas? We are too!

PTO to Vote January 10 on Ending Fall Fundraising Sale

Each fall Lucas students sell things like chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and holiday wrapping paper to raise money for our school.

The problem is, just $4 of every $10 in sales actually goes to the school. The rest—a full 60%—goes to the company that provides the items students sell during the PTO fall fundraiser. So you end up with expensive treats and merchandise you may not want, and Lucas ends up with a lot less money to pay for field trips, visiting authors, playground equipment and technology for the classroom.

Kinda takes the “fun” out of fundraising, doesn’t it?

The Lucas PTO Fundraising Committee agrees and believes there’s a better way. At the Monday, January 10 Lucas PTO meeting, the committee will recommend that Lucas end the fall fundraising sale in 2011 and launch a campaign in its place to ask the Lucas community for direct, tax-deductible donations--so 100% goes straight to our school!

If you want to make your voice heard on this important issue, please attend the meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. in the Lucas Art Room. As always, free childcare will be provided.

Meanwhile, look for FAQs and other information about the proposed “direct-ask” campaign on the PTO’s blog, The Mighty Hawk Messenger, at http://themightyhawkmessenger.blogspot.com (click the Fundraising link in the left-hand column). Or contact PTO Co-Presidents Stephen and Melinda Pradarelli at 319-341-6106 or pradarelli@mchsi.com.

Signed,

The PTO Fundraising Committee: Brooke and Ben Hill, Joey Young, Dave Snyder, Steve and Melinda Pradarelli, Renee Speh, and Ruthina West.

Join the Conversation at the Monday, January 10 PTO Meeting at 7 P.M.!

DEED movie night Saturday to feature 'Toy Story 3'!

Lucas Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams invites Lucas families to watch "Toy Story 3" in the Lucas gym starting at 6:30 p.m. this coming Saturday, December 11.

Doors open at 5:45 p.m. Come early and enjoy a hot dog (just 25 cents each!). Free popcorn and lemonade will also be provided.

The floors are hard, so be sure to bring lawn chairs, blankets or pillows to sit or lay on during the movie. And parents, please remember: all children MUST be accompanied by an adult.

Also, any dads (whether members of DEED or not) who can help with setting up the movie or preparing and serving the goodies, please let us know right away! We'll be setting up and testing the movie equipment at 2 p.m. Saturday, and then return to Lucas at 4 p.m. to start popping popcorn and prepping the hot dogs.

Questions? Contact Joe Bell at jk.bell@mchsi.com or 319-354-2281.

Hope to see you there!