Halloween Party and Parade are Friday

Don't forget Lucas students will be celebrating Halloween tomorrow! Students in grades K-2 will be wearing costumes and parading through the school. An all-school Halloween dance will be held after school from 3 to 4:30 p.m. In order to attend the dance, students must have returned permission slips plus $2! Costumes are allowed, but they cannot be gory or suggest violence. If you have a question about your child’s costume, please call the school. We want this celebration to be enjoyed by all students.

PTO Fliers

PTO Chairs and Volunteers: When you create event fliers to put into teachers' mailboxes for distribution schoolwide in students' backpacks, can you also give a copy of the flier to Elise Denniston in the front office. This will help her stay up-to-date on information in case parents, teachers, or students ask her about a particular event. Thanks!

Our friends at City High would like to encourage Lucas families to help support an online contest sponsored by State Farm. The school stands to win $17,500, money that it would love to use toward ongoing improvements at Bates Field as part of its "Stand Up for City High" campaign.

Once you are registered, you can vote daily until Nov. 24. (PS: More info about the Bates Field fundraiser itself is available here.)

Here are the details:

City High is in the top running to receive $17,500 from “Friday Night Feats,” a national online contest sponsored by State Farm Insurance that highlights key moments in high school football. The contest asks users to vote for the top video at http://fridaynightfeats.com/fnf/. Voting continues until Nov. 24. Users must register and confirm registration via email, then log into the site and choose “heartland” from among the zones that are available on the web page. The video is titled “Last Chance Field Goal" and you can access it directly by clicking here.

The school made it to the contest’s second round and is consistently a top vote-getter, based on a video clip from the City-Xavier game on Sept. 17. City won the matchup 26-24, thanks to a 27-yard field goal by Drew Cornwell with several seconds remaining in the game.

School supporters are currently raising funds for improvements to Bates Field facilities. Proceeds from the contest can be used for any purpose, according to State Farm.

DEED seeking babysitters for November 6

Dear parents of babysitters:

On Saturday, November 6, during the University of Iowa Hawkeye football away game against Indiana (kickoff time is 11 a.m.), Lucas Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams (DEED) is organizing an Adults Afternoon Out at Blackstone restaurant, where Lucas parents can watch the game on TV, eat, hang out and get to know one another better. To make it easier for parents to attend this event, DEED is gathering the names of qualified babysitters to share with parents who are in need of someone to watch their children. DEED will not post this information on the Web but rather share the list of babysitters, along with contact information, with parents who request it. It will be up to the babysitters to work out arrangements with parents, where the childcare will take place, the hourly fee, etc.

If you have a babysitter in your family who might be interested in providing this service, please contact DEED member Joe Bell at jk.bell@mchsi.com or 319-354-2281.

Thank You for Two Very Successful PTO Fundraisers!

The PTO is proud to announce that the Lucas community helped us increase our fundraising dollars for both the Fall Fundraiser and the Family Supper and Basket Auction.

Fall Fundraiser with The Chip Shoppe

Lucas students helped to raise more than $21,313.50 during the Fall Fundraiser with our partner, The Chip Shoppe. The portion of that money that goes directly to Lucas to fund PTO programming is $10,013.20. That is $2,224.40 more than last year!! Thanks to everyone who participated and a big thanks to Brooke Hill for organizing the fundraiser.

Basket Auction and Family Supper

This year the PTO made $1,819 during the Basket Auction. That is $103 more than last year. Thank you to our organizers, Ashley Cahoon and Cathy Fehr, and to the parents, teachers and room parent leaders who helped create so many beautiful baskets. We also served 461 meals during the Family Supper, exceeding our budget expectations and making it a great community-building event. Thank you to Ania McComas and Emily Spellman and a host of other volunteers for running a very smooth and fun-filled event!

Family Supper and Basket Auction is tonight!

We hope to see all of you at the annual Family Supper and Basket Auction tonight at Lucas Elementary School!

The Family Supper runs from 5:30 to 7p.m. in the Lucas multipurpose room and features food from Carlos O'Kelly's. Each meal includes beef tacos, refried beans, chips and salsa, dessert and a drink. Dinner tickets will be sold at the door and cost $5 for a two-taco dinner and $4 for a one-taco dinner. Payment of cash or checks will be accepted at the door, with take home containers available.

The Basket Auction runs from 5 to 6:45 p.m. in the gym. Families can bid on a wide range of fun baskets, whose themes this year include Art Supplies, Give Thanks, Read ‘n’ Feed, Ice Cream Sundae Toppings, Family Night, Movie Night, Baking and Holiday Treats, Hawkeyes and many others.

If your family created its own basket, or has craft or food items it wants to donate to the cause, please drop the items off in the teacher's workroom after 3 p.m. today.

Proceeds from both activities benefit Lucas Elementary students. Please join us!

Volunteers needed to hand out Fall Fundraiser orders October 20

Orders from the Lucas Fall Fundraising effort will be distributed from 3-7 p.m. Wednesday, October 20, and volunteers are needed to help hand out items.

Volunteers are invited to work the entire shift or select from two timeslots:

3-4:30 p.m. -- 1-2 people
5-7 p.m. -- 2-3 people (including, preferably, volunteers who can speak Spanish and Vietnamese, especially if calls must be made to homes of families who forget to pick up their orders)

Questions? Please contact Brooke Hill at brookemhill@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Reminder to Parents: Basket Auction donations due Thursday

Parents:

This is a reminder that students need to bring donations for baskets that will be auctioned off next Monday to school by tomorrow, Thursday, October 14. If you don't know or remember the theme for your student's class baskets, you can find a list here.

The baskets will be auctioned off as part of the Lucas Basket Auction and Family Supper Monday, October 18. This is an important fundraiser for PTO, so please donate as you're able to help fill up our baskets! Also, if you are a room parent leader, please be in touch with your teacher to discuss when you will pick up the donated items and assemble them into a final basket. Room parent leaders should drop off their baskets with a list of each basket's contents on Monday, Oct. 18 in the Lucas teacher's workroom after 3 p.m.

And don't forget, separate from the baskets, individuals and families are welcome to contribute baked goods, crafts or other items that can be auctioned off to raise money for Lucas Monday. Families can even donate their own baskets of goodies if they'd like. If you plan to donate these kinds of items, please bring them to the Lucas multipurpose room after 3 p.m. the day of the auction.

Questions? Contact Basket Auction PTO Chairs Ashley Cahoon at 351-4024 or Cathy Fehr at trcfehr@aol.com.

Lucas Library in need of vinyl love seat

Connie McCain needs help finding an affordable vinyl love seat for the Lucas library to replace an older piece of furniture. The love seat currently in the library gets lots of use, so the sooner Connie can find something the better.

The PTO has $100 that it will provide to purchase this furniture. But if you have a vinyl love seat you can donate, or spot one in good condition at Goodwill, Stuff Etc., Housewares or similar places, please email Connie at McCain.Connie@iccsd.k12.ia.us

PTO Meeting Tonight at 7 pm.

Please join us for a PTO meeting tonight (October 11) in the art room at Lucas at 7 p.m. We will discuss the results of the Fall Fundraiser and t-shirt sales as well as talk about upcoming events such as the Family Supper and Basket Auction. Child care is provided.

Basket Auction Themes Picked: Donations Due By Oct. 14

Lucas students and teachers have selected some exciting themes for baskets for which they will be gathering items over the next week or so. Parents should have already received a note at home this week that explains what the themes are. (Note that some classes have selected to do more than one basket and may have two themes.) If you didn't receive a take-home sheet, you can always find the list of themes by grade and teacher under the blog's Pages section here.

Please be sure to send one or more items for your student's classroom basket no later than Thursday, October 14. The baskets will be auctioned off during the annual Basket Auction and Family Supper Night on Monday, October 18, and the proceeds will be used by Lucas PTO for the school.

Unless teachers specified otherwise, donated items may include merchandise, food or even gift cards that fit with their themes. Feel free to use your imagination – the more fun, the better!

Once the items are donated, Room Parent Leaders will work with their designated teacher to put the baskets together.

Separate from the room baskets, families are welcome to contribute baked goods, crafts or other items that can be auctioned off to raise money for Lucas. Families can even donate their own specially themed baskets if they'd like. If you plan to donate these kinds of items, please bring them to the Lucas multipurpose room after 3 p.m. the day of the auction, Monday, October 18.

Questions? Contact Basket Auction PTO Chairs Ashley Cahoon at 351-4024 or Cathy Fehr at trcfehr@aol.com.

Thanks again for all your support!

Steve and Melinda Pradarelli
PTO Co-Presidents

Themes by Grade and Class

Kindergarten

D. Smith: Art Supplies

Jude Jensen: Kids in the Kitchen (cookbooks, aprons, hats, colorful cooking tools, fun-shaped pans, sprinkles, etc.) (Please note: Ms. Jensen is separately putting together a basket with the theme of “Cat Adoption Kit.” There is no need for families to donate to this basket unless they want to).

Sanders/Jensen: Halloween

1st Grade

Kessler: Give Thanks. Parents can donate between $2 and $10 or bring in one of the following items:
• Turkey baster
• Can of cranberry sauce
• Can of pumpkin
• French's fried onions for green bean casserole
• Mini marshmallows for sweet potatoes
• Thanksgiving themed kitchen towels, napkins, paper plates, etc.
• Taper candles for the table
• Table runner
• Hy Vee gift cards

Humrich (2 basket themes): Desserts (cookie cutters, mixes, sprinkles, candles, etc.) and Halloween (no candy -- just decorations, flashlights, pumpkins, stickers)

T Smith: Family Games

2nd Grade

Turnquist: Read 'n Feed (Books and Treats)

Hill: Hawkeye Tailgate

Brown: Write on!

3rd Grade

Jeffrey: Ice Cream Sundae Toppings

Martin: Dinner In! (Series of smaller baskets featuring a family meal: Mexican, Italian, Pizza, Soups)

4th Grade

Gugliuzza/Vincent: Sweet Tooth

Wieland: City High

Ryan: Family Night (examples include movies, popcorn and other food; board games, books; pumpkin-carving items)

5th Grade

Moore: Candy

Dixon: Pets

6th Grade

Dostal: Movie Night

Meade: Baking and Holiday Treats

5th/6th Grade

Newell: Hawkeyes

Lucas On Campus (LOC)

Dolezal: Souper

October 16 DEED meeting cancelled, but help needed for two events

The DEED (Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams) meeting scheduled for 8 a.m. Saturday, October 16, at the First Avenue Hy-Vee has been cancelled since a number of people will not be available. However, the dads group does need help supporting two important upcoming events.

First, DEED members are needed to help staff the Basket Auction on October 18 (help keep an eye on the items). The auction takes place in the gym from 5-6:45 p.m. (The Family Supper Night, which takes place the same night in the Multipurpose Room, runs from 5:30-7 p.m.)

Then, on Friday, October 29, during the Lucas Halloween Dance from 3-4:30 p.m., PTO needs help from DEED to pop popcorn and make sure students don't leave early. DEED will also serve as crossing guards to make sure students who need to cross Muscatine Avenue after the dance get across safetly. Joe Bell will begin popping popcorn around 2:30 p.m., and some dads will be needed at 4:30 to make sure kids get on their way home safely.

If you can help with either or both of these activities, please contact Joe at jk.bell@mchsi.com.

Until Further Notice: PTO Will Need to Make Photocopies at The Print House instead of at Lucas

Attention PTO members. We know that many of you need to make photocopies in order to get the word out about various Lucas events. Unfortunately, Julia Burton contacted us today to let us know we will not be able to make copies at Lucas, at least until further notice. If you make photocopies at The Print House please keep your receipt and turn it into Ruthina for reimbursement.

Here is what Julia had to say about the copier:

"Our somewhat problematic copier is becoming more so every day. I have asked staff to limit their copying to class sets. We are averaging one repair a week. So, while I know this is going to be a huge headache, I have asked staff to have any copying of more than 60 at a time to go to the Printing House. I know that PTO is used to running copies here, but we will need to move that to the Printing House or other print shop until we get a copier that is more reliable.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks,

Julia

Lucas Halloween Dance is October 29!

The Lucas Halloween Dance will be held from 3-4:30 p.m. Friday, October 29 in the Lucas gym and multipurpose room. But for students to participate, parents must sign this permission slip and have their students return it with along with the $2 admission fee made payable to "Lucas PTO" by October 26.

The dance will feature great music, great costumes and snacks. Hope to see you there!

September 13 PTO Minutes now available online

In the interest of saving trees, we're now posting the minutes from each PTO meeting on the blog -- in fact, you can find the minutes from our September 13 meeting online now on a new Agendas and Minutes page (the link is in the left-hand column of the blog). Or, you can just click here for a Word document or here for a PDF. (Thanks to Renee Speh for taking such detailed notes, too!)

We encourage you to review these ahead of our meeting at 7 p.m. next Monday, October 11, so we can vote on them. We'll bring one printed copy for folks who need to review it Monday (especially those not on the blog or new to PTO).

Finally, please let Steve and Melinda know if you have any agenda items for next Monday's meeting by this Wednesday, October 6. We'll also post the agenda to the Agendas and Meetings page of the blog when it's finalized, but also bring copies for the meeting.