Lucas dental screening featured in Press-Citizen

Check out today's Press-Citizen for a front page story and photos about a dental screening program at Lucas (and other ICCSD schools) sponsored by MidWestOne Bank and the University of Iowa College of Dentistry.

Will you answer the call? Seeking volunteers for Lucas events

Are you looking for ways to become more involved in the Lucas community? Why not volunteer at a school event?  Requests for volunteers are sent out as needed, and you may respond according to your own availability.

To be added to the notification list for volunteer opportunities, please contact Nancy Cassady at ncassadyim@gmail.com. Upcoming opportunities include preparing food for the teacher lunch during conferences on Feb. 26, greeting incoming Kindergarten parents as they arrive for registration, also Feb. 26, assisting during picture day (school hours), helping out on Fun Night (evening) and more.

Still on the fence? Check out our Facebook page to read your fellow Lucas parents' thoughts on the importance of participating in school events. We hope to see you soon!

Registration for Fall 2013 Kindergarten is Feb. 26

All elementary schools in Iowa City will hold Kindergarten Registration on Tuesday, Feb. 26, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. If you have any five-year-old (or soon-to-be five) friends or neighbors who will be starting Kindergarten at Lucas in August, please encourage them to stop by the school with a birth certificate or passport to show that the child will be 5 years old by Sept. 15, 2013. Children do not need to accompany the parents; their Kindergarten introduction will come later this spring when Lucas holds its Kindergarten Roundup on April 18.

Last call for yearbook! Orders due Feb. 14, photo submissions by Feb. 28

The Lucas yearbook is a fun way to look back on your child's year as well as a reference and resource.  Don't miss out on the memories--order your yearbook by Feb. 14! The cost is $8 ($6 for families that qualify for free and reduced-price lunch programs.) Submit your payment to the main office. Include child's name, grade, homeroom. Make checks payable to Lucas Elementary PTO. Yearbooks will arrive this spring.

What is in the yearbook? Lucas children and staff learning and having fun together. The yearbook has candid pictures of the City High homecoming parade, Halloween, classroom and outdoor learning and fun, and club, activity, and group pictures. Each student's school portrait appears on his/her class page, regardless of whether your family purchased copies from the photo vendor. Note, that students whose parents or guardians have requested that their photos not be shared will not be included in the yearbook.

We are also still looking for group photographs for the yearbook. We'd like to include as many activities and groups as possible. Please send digital images via email to junnicole88@gmail.com or burn multiple images onto a labeled CD or USB drive and leave in the PTO mailbox. Important: do not reduce the image size! Photo deadline is Feb. 28, 2013.

History in the making (and celebrating!) PTO will discuss Lucas 50th anniversary Monday night

Iowa's first governor, Robert Lucas, would be 175 this year, but his namesake school in Iowa City is a relative spring chicken at age 50. Still, we think it's cause for celebration, and PTO will discuss plans at our monthly meeting Monday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m. in the art room. Childcare will be available, as always, in the Kindergarten room.

Other agenda items include updates on yearbook, playground expansion, and Family Fun Night. All are welcome!

Lucas students invited to Jump Rope for Heart Feb. 26

Lucas students are invited to participate in the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart event on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Students are not in class that day as teachers will be conducting parent-teacher conferences.

The event will be held in the gym, with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders jumping from 9-10:15 a.m. and 4th, 5th, and 6th graders jumping from 10:45 a.m.-noon. Students will participate as teams of six and parent volunteers are needed to keep the teams focused an on task. Please contact Lucas P.E. teacher Chad Lowry if you are available to volunteer.

Students do not have to raise donations for the American Heart Association to participate in this event. More information is included in this parent letter or by contacting Mr. Lowry.

Time to bring in the Box Tops!

It's time for another Box Tops for Education collection! You can attache those little box tops you've been saving to this flyer or put them in an envelope and send with your student to school. Special thanks to anyone who sends them already counted in batches of 50 and labeled as such.

There will be three classroom parties for the highest number of Box Tops collected in K-2nd grade, 3rd-4th grade, and 5th-6th grade.

In our last collection (October) we raised more than $1,700 for Lucas!