Lucas dads group, DEED, gathering for coffee Saturday

Lucas Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams (DEED) is gathering for coffee and discussion about upcoming events at 8 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 4 in the First Avenue Hy-Vee dining area. If you're a longtime DEED member, or just a dad interested in learning more about our group, stop by and say hi. Among other things, DEED will be talking about the upcoming DEED Movie Night on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Lucas, and Lucas Day at Iowa Women's Basketball Saturday, Jan. 8.

Hope to see you there!

Press Citizen reports on Saturday recycling drive at Lucas

The Press-Citizen sent a reporter to Lucas Elementary Saturday to cover the recycling drive, which was organized by Joe Pavelich, Michelle Bacon-Curry and Nancy Cassady. Great job, everyone!

Lucas recycles to raise extra money for school
Can collection buffers PTO funds

Annabelle Cooper and her brother, Henry, helped unload the bags of empty cans and bottles from the back of their mother Kelly Cooper's van Saturday morning at Lucas Elementary.

Annabelle, 9 and a fourth-grader at Lucas, said she hoped the collection, which was a fundraiser for the school, would help purchase new equipment for the school's playground. Regardless of how the money is spent, however, she said she was glad to be rid of the cans.

"I'm glad to get them out of our garage," Annabelle said.

[Read the full story]

Thank You to Elise Denniston and Kohl's for Family Fun Night Support

A huge thank you to Lucas School Secretary Elise Denniston for connecting us with Kohl's department store. Kohl's has generously offered to give the Lucas PTO $500 for our annual Family Fun Night on April 8, 2010. Kohl's will also provide five volunteers to help staff the event. Thank you to Elise and Kohl's!

United Action for Youth offers free, gently used clothes for teens

United Action for Youth (UAY) is holding a Teen Clothing Drive. On Thursday, Dec. 9, young people ages 12-18 are invited to "shop" for free clothing items between 2 and 7 p.m. at the UAY Youth Center, 355 Iowa Ave.

All clothing items will be distributed free to junior high and high school students. Please invite young people from your program, agency, or school to UAY on this day to receive winter clothing items.

Meanwhile, if you have young adult clothing to donate to the cause, please drop your gently worn, winter clothing off at the UAY Youth Center Wednesday, Dec. 8, to allow for time to launder, sort and organize it for the Dec. 9 event.  (Please, no baby clothes, older adult clothes or clothing items that would not be appropriate for young adults.) For more information, contact Mickey Hampton, UAY volunteer coordinator, at 338-7518, or visit
http://www.unitedactionforyouth.org/.

November 2010 Lucas Newsletter now online

The November 2010 Lucas Newsletter, which is going home in students' backpacks this week, is also available to view online. In this issue, you'll find information about:
-- The next DEED Family Movie Night
-- Important information about an upcoming recyclable bottle and can drive
-- Information about this year's Student Council

And much more!

View the newsletter here, or click the link in the left-hand column of the blog.

Scholastic Book Fair a Success

Connie McCain wanted to share the great news about the Lucas book fair! The school sold $3530.00 in books and received $2218.00 in free books from Scholastic! Great job, Lucas community!

Futon Donation Update

An enormous thank you to a very generous and thoughtful Lucas family who stepped up to donate a futon to a family in need. As one of our Lucas staff members said, "I love it when our Lucas Family comes together!!!"

Seeking Futon Donation

If you or someone you know has a futon that can be donated for a special need within the Lucas community, it would be greatly appreciated. To make a donation or to find out more, please contact Melinda or Steve Pradarelli at pradarelli@mchsi.com or call 341-6106.

Thank you!

November 29 meeting offers tips on dealing with 'cyberbullying'

"Cyberbullying," or using Facebook and other social media sites to harass someone, has been in the news lately after some bullied students took their lives. To learn more about this trend, and what parents can do about it, consider attending a meeting titled "Cyberbullying: What Parents Need to Know" from 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, November 29, in Iowa City Public Library meeting rooms A, B and C.

Dr. Justin Patchin, co-director of the Cyberbullying Research Center, will discuss cyberbullying, how it affects children, why awareness is important, and how parents can get involved.

This free event is co-sponsored by the City and West High Parent Student Teacher Organizations, the Iowa City Community School District and MECCA.

Drop off recyclables at Lucas Saturday, raise funds for school November 20!

Families can drop off their redeemable recyclables (pop and beer cans and bottles, as well as wine bottles) during a Recyclable Collection Drop-off Event from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, November 20, in front of Lucas Elementary, 830 South Lawn Drive. The recyclables will be taken to the Can Shed, and any money raised will be used to support Lucas.

Also, if you’re willing to volunteer during this two-hour event, your help will be greatly appreciated. Please contact event organizers Joe Pavelich at j.pavelich@mchsi.com or Nancy Cassady at cassadyim@mchsi.com to volunteer or for more information about this event.

Minute from Monday PTO meeting available online

The minutes from the Monday, Nov. 8 Lucas PTO meeting are now available.

To view the minutes as a Word document, click here. To view them in PDF format, click here.

October 11 PTO minutes now available

Minutes from the October 11, 2010 meeting of PTO are now available for review either as a Microsoft Word document or as a PDF. Also, a reminder that PTO is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Monday, November 8 in the Lucas Art Room. Childcare will be provided.

Another way to earn $$ through Box Tops for Education

See image below for details and click here to sign up.

A Thank You to All Who Helped Make the Halloween Dance a Success

To all of the Lucas Mighty Hawks out there:

Thank you so much for all the help from our parents and teachers for the Halloween Dance. Some parents who hadn’t volunteered were there to lend a hand too and we thank you. We cannot name you all but it didn’t go unnoticed. We wanted to acknowledge that because of all the help it made for a really fun activity for our kids to be involved in.

It’s great to be a Mighty Hawk.

Michelle Bacon Curry and Nancy Cassady