Photos from recent Sunprint Workshop now online

Photos: Lucas Elementary sixth-grade students took part recently in a Sunprint Workshop with Iowa City Community School District art educator Rebecca Kobos. Art produced during the workshop, which was funded by the Lucas PTO, will be on permanent display at the school this summer. Arts Educators of Iowa named Kobos the 2006-2007 Art Educator of the Year. 

A Note From Jude Jensen

Dear Lucas Families:

You may have heard the news that I have been displaced from Lucas Kindergarten next year. I have loved being at Lucas for the last 9 years. My Lucas family includes many terrific parents and talented teachers, as well as, those wonderful Lucas children. I will sure miss watching them grow up but I have faith that they will be well taught and cared for by the wonderful Lucas staff and, of course , by you. I hope to see you and the kids around town.

Leaving Lucas may not be my choice but I am sure that because I have learned so much from you and your children and my co-workers that wherever I land, I can do well. Please stay connected at school to help Lucas be the best it can be. Thank you for the honor of teaching your children.

Sincerely,

Jude Jensen

May Newsletter now online!

The May 2011 Lucas News newsletter, the last of the school year, is now online. To view it, click here.

City High Girls Soccer Elementary and Junior High Appreciation Night

City High Girls Soccer invites you to Elementary and Junior High Appreciation Night Tuesday May 24th at 4:15 p.m. YOU are welcome to attend the final home game for the City High Girls Soccer team vs. Dubuque Senior High School FOR FREE if you are an ELEMENTARY or JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT! 

Be sure to get to the game early because members of the Varsity team will be throwing out autographed prizes to students in the crowd, including autographed soccer balls!

Stick around after the game for another autograph session and picture taking session before senior night festivities.

Game field is located behind Longfellow Elementary School.

May 2011 City High newsletter to elementary schools now online

The May 2011 issue of City High Principal John Bacon's newsletter to elementary schools, "The Littlest Hawk," is now available online. You can view it here.

Job Description: Lucas On Campus Director

Iowa City Before-and-After-School Program Director: Seeking a self-motivated, energetic, detail-oriented person to lead and administer a nurturing, child-centered before-and-after-school program at Lucas Elementary School.  Letter of application, résumé, and 3 references due by June 4 to LucasOnCampus@gmail.com.

This salaried position requires 30 to 35 hours per week.  The Lucas On Campus (LOC) before-and-after-school program operates from 7 – 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 – 5:30 p.m. MTWF.  Thursday hours are 7 – 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 – 5:30 p.m.  Between 50 and 70 children are expected to enroll for the 2011 – 12 school year.  The Director also leads one staff meeting per month and participates in one LOC Board meeting per month.

Responsibilities of the LOC Director position include the following:

• Administer program in accordance with state and federal rules and regulations.
• Coordinate fiscal management of the program with the Lucas On Campus Board of Directors.
• Supervise program staff through hiring, scheduling, discipline, and evaluation.
• Maintain an orderly physical environment that is conducive to optimal growth and development of children.
• Establish open and consistent communication with staff, parents, the Board of Directors, and the building principal.
• Follow DHS and school procedures to safeguard the health and safety of the children in the program.
• Establish a safe, supportive, and consistent environment that affords respect and fair treatment for each child.
• Plan and conduct daily activities for the program that contribute to the growth and development of the children attending.
• Perform administrative functions, including planning and record keeping.

The Lucas On Campus family says, 'Thank you, Mrs. D!'

After 23 years of providing a safe, fun, and educational place for Lucas students before and after school, Fran Dolezal has decided to take a well-earned retirement at the end of this school year. Under the guidance of Mrs. D, hundreds of kids over the years have gotten fresh air time outside, gone on field trips, put on plays, decorated wacky cakes, gotten homework done, learned about healthy foods, learned to finger knit, made thoughtful gifts, helped to set up for school events, and countless other activities, all while building strong and lasting friendships. We are thankful for all she’s given to the Lucas community, and we wish her the happiest of retirements. Please take a minute to stop by the gym before or after school someday soon to wish her well!

The Lucas On Campus Board and Friends

Australian circus-works dance group C!rca visits Lucas

Below are photos from a May 13, 2011visit to Lucas by the Australian group C!rca, which worked with kindergarten and first graders. 

According to C!rca's Website, the dance company "creates circus that moves the heart, mind and soul. We discover, cultivate and present works and experiences from the living heart of circus – vital, challenging and delightful. We believe circus is a rich artistic territory that can deeply touch audiences and participants. To achieve this, we progress with ceaseless inventiveness (in all aspects of our art and operations) guided by safe danger and fuelled by love and respect."

More about C!rca is available at its Web site.

A

Family Resource Center Parent Survey now online

Lucas Families

The school district is conducting a Family Resource Center Parent Survey and would like your opinion. To take the confidential survey, click here. It takes a few minutes to complete.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Yolanda Spears
Lucas Family Resource Center Director

Update (May 23, 2011): Some people were having trouble with the link above. If it still doesn't work, copy and paste this URL into your browser's address window:

http://research.zarca.com/survey.aspx?k=SsXSSQsSQsPsPsP&lang=0&data=

Draft Minutes from May 9 PTO Meeting Now Available

The draft minutes from the May 9 PTO meeting -- the last of the school year -- are now available. To view them, click here.

Spring Greens Day is June 1st

On June 1st, all ICCSD schools will serve fresh, locally-grown salad greens for lunch for the first time! The greens will be served as salads and sandwich fixings for student and staff lunches.

During Spring Greens Day students will find educational materials on their lunch table that tells them about the farmers that grew the salad greens and provides interesting facts about lettuce. Volunteers will be visiting schools during lunch to talk to students about fresh, local foods.

Farm to School has been working with ICCSD food services director, Diane Duncan-Goldsmith, and three local growers to coordinate this event. Derek Roller of Echollective Farm in Mechanicsville and Andy and Melissa Dunham of Grinnell Heritage Farm in Grinnell are growing a total of 330 pounds of lettuce to serve to approximately 6400 students. James Nisly of Organic Greens in Kalona will be washing, cutting, and packaging the greens in his licensed processing facility so that the greens can be served “ready-to-eat” in the cafeterias.

The salad greens are being purchased with an Iowa Farm to School Grant from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS).

The ICCSD Farm to School chapter, a project of the Johnson County Local Food Alliance, is one of several Iowa Farm to School chapters across the state. The goals of Farm to School are to get kids thinking about where their food comes from and how it’s grown, help kids make healthy food choices, connect local farmers with schools, add local foods to school lunches, and provide students with hands-on activities such as school gardens and in-class cooking demonstrations. More information about the ICCSD Farm to School chapter is available at http://sites.google.com/site/iccsdfarmtoschool/

DEED meeting postponed until May 21

The DEED meeting originally scheduled for Saturday, May 14 at the First Avenue Hy-Vee has been postponed until Saturday, May 21, at 8 a.m.

Students can enroll in Elementary Orchestra program this fall

Attention 3rd Grade Students and Parents!

At the beginning of their 4th grade school year students will have the opportunity to enroll in the Elementary Orchestra program! Instrument demonstrations and program information will be presented during the first week of school. There will also be an informational meeting for parents of interested students.

Lauren Trolley

Register by May 25 for 'Let's Play' Music Summer Camp!

Music teachers are teaming up to put together one of the first, FREE summer music camps at Lucas Elementary School, and they are inviting students from Lucas, Lemme, Mann and Wood Elementary Schools to register for this exciting event!

The "Let's Play" Music Summer Camp takes place from Monday, June 20 through Friday, June 24 at Lucas Elementary School, 830 Southlawn Drive, Iowa City. Students will participate in three sessions each day: Orff Schulwerk/Xylophones, World Drumming, and Movement/Dance. 

On Friday, the last day of camp, there will be a sharing session for parents in which the kids will share and perform what they have been working on all week. The times for these sharing sessions are:

Grades 2-3:  8:15 to 11:30 a.m.

Grades 4-6: 12:30 to 4 p.m.

Students will be placed in a group on a first come, first served basis. This camp is free! Once the classes are assigned, more information and required forms may be sent home. All forms must be completed and returned if your child is to participate by MAY 25th! Online applications are due May 27th! No Exceptions

Print, fill out and send to Lucas the following form. Or you can fill out a registration form online by going here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Name of Student (First)_____________________________(Last)__________________________

School ___________________________________________ Grade:___________

Email: ______________________________________ Phone Number: ____________

Indicate the transportation plan for your child after each class (e.g. parent will pick up, child will walk, etc.): ________________________________________________________________

____ Yes, I plan to attend my child’s sharing session on the last day.

Would you be willing let another child in your neighborhood ride with you and your child so they can make it to summer camp? ____ Yes ____ No

Child’s Signature: __________________________________ Date:_________

Parent's signature: __________________________________ Date: _________

New calendar available for summer youth programs

Looking for activities for kids this summer? Check out the summer calendar prepared by Johnson County Social Services.

The calendar provides tons of ideas for free and reduced-free activities, including sports camps, music lessons, public library hours, and other great information.

Click here to download the PDF.

DEED meeting Saturday, May 14 at Hy-Vee

Lucas Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams is meeting for coffee and doughnuts at the First Avenue Hy-Vee at 8 a.m. this Saturday, May 14. 

DEED will be discussing upcoming events. 

New members are always welcome! If you're a DEED member and know of a dad whose child is starting kindergarten this fall, please invite them. 

Lucas Family Science Night is May 26!

Lucas Family Science Night will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 26, featuring the University of Iowa Department of Physics and Astronomy's Hawk-Eyes on Science outreach program.

Dale Stille, instructional resource specialist, and professor Vincent Rodgers will conduct exciting demonstrations on magnetism, lasers and electricity. 

Come up close to watch or volunteer to see how they work! This is a fun and engaging presentation for all ages!

More information about Hawk-Eyes on Science can be found here.

Lucas Art Show

Don't forget the Lucas Art Show is tomorrow, Tuesday May 10, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room.

Lucas Coin Drive a Big Success

We want to thank the Lucas community for another successful Coin Drive. Our school collected $877.31 last week in pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and dollars. That is an increase of $275.05 over last year. Great job! Also, a special thank you to all of the Lucas staff, teachers and PTO volunteers who supported this effort, including Ann Kessler, Brooke Hill, and Ruthina West.

School Dining Account Payments

School Dining Account Payments: Please remember these are not charge accounts, and balances need to be checked at least once a week.  Payments sent to school for student school dining accounts must be clearly labeled with the student's full name and teacher.  Families are encouraged to pay with checks or money orders, not cash.  The Food Service Department Is not responsible for cash payments sent to school.  If purchasing for more than one child, list the information for each child on the payment, we do not need separate checks.  Balances stay with a child as long as they are in our district, regardless of full, reduced, or free status.  A $12.00 fee is charged to your child's meal account for each insufficient fund check.   A web site is available to access information about your student’s accounthttp://fs-pos.iccsd.k12.ia.us/.  If you are not already using this site, please contact Jackie Andresen at andresen.jackie@iccsd.k12.ia.us or 319-688-1254 to obtain your password and ID.  

Online Payments Are Easy And Convenient!

Parents can make online payments from home or work, 24/7.   If their child’s meal account balance is low, it only takes a few minutes to add money by using their VISA or MasterCard credit or debit card.  Web store payments are immediately posted to your student’s School Dining account.             

To make online payments:

·         Visit our district website www.iccsd.k12.ia.us or http://iowa-city.revtrak.net Log-in ID and password are needed.

·         On the district web site click on Menus & Nutrition

·         Under Important Links for Parents, click on Lunch Account Program, or click on “On Line Payments”, bottom left of district home page.  This accesses the web store where payments can be made

·         Please Note: When making online payments, only MasterCard and VISA (credit and debit cards) are accepted.  Credit card payments cannot be made at school.

Finally, a $2.00 fee will be applied at checkout for the convenience of making your online payment.

Reminder: Last PTO Meeting of the Year is Monday, May 9

Just a reminder that the last PTO meeting of the 2010-11 year is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, May 9 in the Lucas Art Room. As always, free childcare will be provided.

Ahead of the meeting, please take a moment to review the minutes from PTO's April 11 meeting. Click here to view.

Thanks!

Stephen and Melinda Pradarelli

Lucas Coin Drive This Week!

The Lucas Mighty Hawk Coin Drive kicked off today and will continue all week long! Don't forget to bring your coins to school.

Monday is pennies
Tuesday is nickels
Wednesday is dimes
Thursday is quarters
Friday is dollar bills

In the past, we have collected as much as $800 in one week for our school with this fundraiser. Your spare change can make a real difference.