Willow Street traffic map

0. Please Give us a Brake - Crosswalk on Willow Street

   We are concerned that the crosswalk on Willow Street is posing a potentially hazardous situation to walkers that cross at this intersection. We have noticed that very few drivers yield to pedestrians at this crosswalk and that a number are parents of children at the school. We ask your participation in being respectful of children crossing at this location by stopping to allow them to cross when approaching the intersection. The safety guards are there to help minimize conflict but it would be GREATLY appreciated if drivers would take a moment to yield to young pedestrians to ensure they get to school as safely and efficiently as riders. Thanks!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Warm Clothing and Winter Outerwear Distribution

Families in need can now choose among three different locations for free distribution of warm clothing and winter outwear.

When:  Saturday, October 14, 2017, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.

Where:  

Iowa City - The Kingdom Center / The Dream Center

611 Southgate Ave. (corner of Southgate and Keokuk)

Coralville - Community of Christ

2121 South Ridge Drive, Coralville (South of Holiday Road, next to North Ridge Park)

North Liberty - Grace Community Church

2017 Dubuque St NE, North Liberty (near Liberty High)

See attached flyer for all the details.  

Run for the Schools

Run for the Schools 

Sunday, October 15!

​The 20th annual Run for the Schools race, which raises money for the Iowa City Community School District and Regina Catholic schools, is October, 15, 2017.  Races include Half-Mile and Mile Fun Runs, 5K and 10K Run/Walks, and a Half-Marathon Run.  Sign up individually or as a family.  Register by September 30th to get a Run for the Schools T-shirt!

There are 3 ways for you to participate and earn participation credit for your school:

Run or Walk in the race – Register now or get more information at www.runfortheschools.com

Volunteer to help on race day! Volunteer RFTS Sign Up

Make a donation for Run for the Schools to the ICCSD Foundation at Run for the Schools Donation

First PTO Meeting, 6th Grade babysitters, Parent Volunteer Opportunities

Our first Lucas PTO meeting of the year is next Monday, Sept. 12th, at 6 p.m in the Multi­purpose Room (MPR).   All Lucas parents are invited and dinner will be provided, as well as babysitting for children ages 3 and up.

We’ll give a brief overview of what Lucas PTO, describe some of the activities we organize and support, and kick off our fall fundraising effort.

Responsible 6th graders interested in babysitting for PTO meetings during the year can apply here.

Find more information about Lucas PTO on on blog including volunteering opportunities. PTO is a great way to meet other Lucas parents and get to know your school better.  

Monday September 12th at 6pm in the MPR.  Hope you can make it!

Ben Hill, 

Lucas PTO

Last day of school is June 6; 2 p.m. dismissal

Just a reminder that the cold winter with canceled school days has extended our school year until Friday, June 6. Dismissal on the last day of school will be at 2 p.m. We wish you a safe summer and look forward to seeing you Thursday, Aug. 14, for Popsicles with the Principal and Tuesday, Aug. 19, for the first day of school!

Corridor Autism Resources Expo is June 7 at Cedar Rapids Public Library

The Corridor Autism Resources Expo will be held Saturday, June 7, at the Cedar Rapids Public Library, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Educational and information sessions will be held throughout the day in Whipple Auditorium, including presentations by Theatre Cedar Rapids and Frank Varvaris. Dozens of exhibitors will be on hand throughout the day to share information and resources available in our community for those with a family member or individuals on the autism spectrum. For more information see: https://www.facebook.com/events/221626448032526/

Calling all bakers (or shoppers!) Fun Night needs cakes, April 25

Fun Night is right around the corner and our Cake Walks need more cakes!

Whether you bake from scratch, use a box mix, or pick something up from the store, just bring in your well-covered cake(s) anytime before 5:00 on Friday, April 25th to the Lucas office.

All the proceeds from the night will go directly to our students, who will show their appreciation with frosting covered smiles!

 

P.S. If you mix with Betty Crocker, save the Box Tops!

Leave the kids with DEED and enjoy lunch with Lucas moms May 3

The Lucas Dads group, Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams (DEED) is planning a luncheon for Lucas moms, grandmas, mothers-in-law, and other special women of Lucas Elementary. The event is Saturday, May 3, at Blackstone restaurant from noon to 3 p.m. The cost is $15 per person, which includes meal, drink, tax and gratuity. Payment will be collected at the restaurant. For more information, see the event flyer. RSVPs requested by Wednesday, April 30.

The DEED dads are providing babysitting, including pizza lunch for the kids, starting at 11:45 a.m. at River Community Church. Volunteer dads are needed to assist--contact Joe Bell at jk.bell@mchsi.com

If you would like to attend but the cost is a barrier, please contact Ms. Yolanda at 319-688-1472 or stop in her office (next to the art room).

Please send Box Tops labels to school by Feb. 26

Calling all Cheerios eaters! We're looking for your Box Tops by this Wednesday, Feb. 26! And not just Cheerios--Box Tops can be found on all General Mills cereals and a wide array of other products including Kleenex tissues, Betty Crocker baking mixes, Nature Valley granola bars, Gogurt, Hefty products and more!

Clip the small, rectangular Box Top logo from the package and send them to school with your child. Each one is worth 10 cents, so our collective clippings can add up to hundreds of dollars for Lucas. Our extreme gratitude to those who send them sorted into baggies of 50 (which is how we have to send them in for redemption.)

Classrooms with the highest number of Box Tops collected will celebrate with a cookie snack next month.

Kindergarten registration is Thursday, Feb. 27

Do you have a five-year-old or a neighbor who is or will soon be five? Spread the word--Kindergarten Registration is this Thursday, Feb. 27 at all Iowa City Community School District elementary schools from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Parents should bring the child's birth certificate showing the child will be 5 by Sept. 15. Immunization records and proof of residency are also requested. The registration process may take up to 30 minutes. Entering Kindergartners are not required to attend. A separate event to introduce them to the school and teachers will be held later this spring.

PTO meeting is Monday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m.

No late start for the PTO meeting--we'll get started right on time at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10, in the art room. Child care available in the Kindergarten room. Please take a moment to review the minutes from last month before Monday night.

Free Family Night at Mercer Jan. 10 is a sure cure for cabin fever

If you're starting to feel like the walls are closing in, make plans to join us for Free Family Fun Night this Friday, Jan. 10, from 6-8 p.m. at Scanlon Gym/Mercer Aquatic Center. All Lucas families are invited to come release some energy in the gym, where we'll have roller skating (skates provided), a bouncy house, and games. A selection of healthy snacks will be provided in the adjacent activity room.

Parents/guardians MUST stay with students--
absolutely no drop offs allowed!

We are looking for volunteers to monitor the bouncy house in half hour shifts and to assist with snack distribution. Please go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094BA4A72FA75-free to sign up.

Annual fundraiser was a MIGHTY big success!

We end this week with some great news: Not only did we achieve the fundraising goal for the 2013 Make a Mighty Difference campaign, but we exceeded it by nearly $1,000!

The PTO leadership team thanks you for your generosity in 

donating $10,984 and pledging more than 300 volunteer hours!

We especially want to recognize our students who tapped into their own piggy banks to contribute $36 in cash and coin donations. Special thanks also to our business donors including Abundant Playscapes, Alliant Energy Foundation, Alpla, Inc., Century Roofing, Expectations Salon, The Printing House and Plank Family Dentistry.

Your contributions allow us to continue to fund enrichment activities for our students, support special requests from our teachers, and enhance the playgrounds and outdoor spaces around our school. In fact, we are excited to share this image of a new bouncy play structure slated for installation in Spring 2014 on the 3-6 playground (north side of school building):

Please note that you can make a tax-deductible donation to Make a Mighty Difference any time of year by visiting our web page www.makeamightydifference.org. If you would like information about contributing your TIME to support our school, please contact Nancy Cassady, PTO volunteer coordinator, ncassadyim@gmail.com.

A MIGHTY BIG THANK YOU to all who participated in the 2013 Make a Mighty Difference campaign!

Abundant Playscapes
Aguilar-Rosales Family
Alliant Energy Foundation
Alpla, Inc.
Anonymous (9)
John and Marcia Anderson
Renee Baird & Jen Jordan
Jason and Catherine Burke
Sharon Burke
Ann and Chad Campion
Patricia Cantagallo
Brian and Nancy Cassady
Ana Cassady
Century Roofing, Inc.
Mason Chase
Patricia Clinton
Dennis Crall & Aprille Clarke
Mary and R.J. Daughenbaugh
Michael Davis
Kate Degner
Ryan Downing & Jennifer Sherer
Tobi and Damond Drake
Joelle Dickerson
Expectations Beauty Salon
John and Mayuri Farlinger
Dawn Fitzpatrick & Brad McDowell
Mike Frasier & Jennifer Horn-Fraiser
Crystal and Stan Galloway
Kyle and Sarah Galloway
Kristin Giuliani
Gary and Sara Glenn
Amanda and James Goodrich
Jill Graff
Carol Greve
Phillip and Andrea Gugliuzza
Kristopher Halter
Marie Hicks
Marta Hamity
Jody and Shawn Harmsen
Ronald and Beverly Herman
Ben and Brooke Hill
Sarah Holmes & Zara Wanlass
Jennifer Hyduke
Ruthanne Hyduke
Chris and Sheral Jensen
Shella and Brandon Johnson
John and Mary Kenyon
Morgan Langfitt
Megan Lavelle
Leah Lee
Jenilyn Lewis
Maddy Lewis
Timothy Lewis
Les and Nancy Lipschutz
Lucas On Campus
Sarah and Andrew Lynch
Debbie and Joseph Manning
Tara and Rod Martin
Maria and Jesús Martinez
Jun-Nicole Matsushida & Huy Tong
Anna and Rob McComas
Emmy McComas
Karrie Merriweather
Roy and Mollie Miller
Paul and Shelby Myers-Verhage
Carroll Novak
L. Charles & Cathy Novak
Richard and Sun Hee Oberfoell
Debra and Brian Parrott
Mike and Pat Pavelich
Joseph Pavelich
Kevin and Michele Pellinen
Christine and Jay Phillips
Cruz Phillips
Plank Family Dentistry
Steve and Nancy Pohlman
Beatrice Puryear
Jen Reynolds
Sara and Erika Riggs
Heather and Damien Roth
Sara Schwindt
Nicole Scott & Susan Summers
John Shoop
David Snyder
Erin Snyder
Barbara Solomon & Jeff Arnold
Renee Speh & Anthony Miller
Kristen and Clay Surom
Suellen and Will Swain
Joan Taylor
Tim & Julie Taylor
Mary Therese and Tom Teegarden
Sander Tompkins
Andrew and Leslie Veit
Mr. and Mrs. George Veit
Patricia Verhage & James Blanchard
Helene Volkert
Larry and Marilyn Walberg
Claudia Zambrano

Dine out at Shorts Dec. 11 to benefit Lucas PTO

Short’s Burgers Eastside
521 Westbury Dr, Iowa City, IA 52245
(319) 338-7743

Please join us at Short’s Burgers Eastside on Wednesday, December 11, to have a great meal and help support Lucas PTO.

10% of proceeds from all sales on that day, both lunch and dinner, will be donated to Lucas PTO.

You can dine in or carry out. Tell your friends, grandparents, neighbors and co-workers!

Funds raised for PTO help us bring a number of enriching opportunities to Lucas students including visiting authors, class field trips, musical performances and playground improvements.

Hope to see you there!!

PTO meeting Nov. 11 includes presentation from Kindergarten teachers

Our next PTO meeting is Monday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the art room (agenda.) Free childcare is available in the Kindergarten room.

Please take a moment before Monday's meeting to review the October meeting minutes, which include details about last month's report from the first grade teachers, in which they shared information about their curriculum, teaching techniques, goals and strategies. This month, the Kindergarten teachers will offer a report from their classrooms, so Kindergarten parents, if you've been curious about PTO, this is the month to jump in with both feet!

Save the tricks, but share the treats: Make a Mighty Difference for Lucas

As your ghosts and goblins prepare for tomorrow's school Halloween festivities, keep in mind that the Halloween dance is just one of many fun activities the Lucas PTO sponsors for our kids. You can play a vital role in ensuring that these and other opportunities continue by supporting the Make a Mighty Difference fundraiser with a financial or a time commitment.

Lucas parents just like you have committed dozens of hours to creating a fun and memorable afternoon for our students. Additional activities are planned throughout the school year that will need your support. We ask that you consider how you might best support our Lucas community and then make a commitment--either of money or time or both--to Make a Mighty Difference.

On the campaign web page you'll find links donate time and money--both of which are vital for carrying out PTO activities.

Lucas PTO makes a Mighty Difference by funding:

• Technology - Computers, Smart Boards, I-Touch
• Enrichment - Field Trips, Visiting Authors, School of the Wild
• Outdoor Educational Playscape - Outdoor classroom space, Nature based play, Prairie Pocket, School Garden, playground equipment
• Family Activities - DEED events, Family supper, Free Family Nights, Fun Night

Lucas families Make a Mighty Difference by volunteering to:

• Prepare food for teachers on conference nights
• Assist on picture day (helping students move from classrooms to photo room)
• Set-up, serve, and clean-up Family Supper
• Organize games for Fun Night
• and MUCH MORE!

You can donate online by clicking here, or by downloading this form and sending in with cash or a check payable to 'Lucas PTO' to:

Lucas PTO c/o ICCSD Foundation
1725 N. Dodge St.
Iowa City, IA 52245

You can add your commitment of volunteer hours to our tally by filling out this online form or by contacting Volunteer Coordinator Nancy Cassady at ncassadyim@gmail.com.

A mighty big THANK YOU to everyone who has committed time and money so far! Please see our Wall of Fame for a list of donors.

Lucas prairie pocket work weekend scheduled for Oct. 26-27

Channel your inner Pa Ingalls on Oct. 26 & 27 as we work to prepare the Lucas Prairie for spring revitalization. This area on the east side of the school grounds has wonderful potential as a learning space as part of our Lucas Outdoor Educational Playscape Initiative. But it needs lots of Lucas muscle to bring it under control.

We will be working:

• Saturday, Oct. 26, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Sunday, Oct. 27, from noon to 4 p.m.

We are asking all members of the Lucas community to consider committing some time during the weekend to assist with the project. Plenty of tasks for the kids and adults!

What we are doing:

1. Collecting seeds to save for prairie replanting in the spring (we will have a burn this spring prior to seed spreading).
2. Cutting down trees that have grown within the prairie. Applying roundup by painting it directly onto the tree stumps (controlled roundup application) to prevent future growth of trees post burn. The trees are considered weeds in the prairie.
3. Stomping tall grasses and plants to assist with prairie burn prep.

What we need:

1. Volunteers to complete the tasks above. We are asking that volunteers bring their own tools, work gloves, etc. 
2. Girl Scout Troops, Boy Scout/Cub Scout Troops are also welcome and encouraged.
3. Volunteers to bring refreshments (drinks and food)
4. Site cleanup as needed.

If you can help, please contact Lucas Outdoor Educational Playscape committee chair Sarah Lynch at sarahrlynch@gmail.com

Box Tops = $$ for Lucas; send your Box Tops to school by Oct. 22

Those little pink rectangles on your cereal boxes and other packages add up to big $$ for Lucas! Send your Box Tops to school between now and Tuesday, Oct. 22, for our fall collection. The classes with the most Box Tops collected will win a prize!

Students have received a flyer that collects up to 25 Box Tops (just tape, staple or glue them on.) If you have been saving them up for a long time (or just eat a lot of Cheerios!) please send bundles or bags of 50 to assist our parent volunteer in counting/sorting before they can be redeemed.

If you've been sacrificing your Box Tops to the recycling fairies, never fear! Start saving them now for our next collection. Grandparents and other relatives are also excellent sources of Box Tops.

While each little rectangle is worth only 10 cents on its own, when we work together, they add up to more than $1,000 every year for the Lucas PTO budget.

Lucas PTO makes a Mighty Difference by funding:

Technology - Computers, Smart Boards, I-Touch
Enrichment - Field Trips, Visiting Authors, School of the Wild
Outdoor Educational Playscape - Outdoor classroom space, Nature based play, Prairie Pocket, School Garden, playground equipment
Family Activities - DEED events, Family supper, Free Family Nights, Fun Night

Fall fundraiser tops $5,000 on the way to $10,000 by month's end

As we enter the final four weeks of our fall Make a Mighty Difference campaign, we have already raised half of our $10,000 goal. A mighty big thank you to all of our donors!

If you haven't donated yet, now is the time; if you have donated, please tell your fellow Lucas parents why you believe in this effort and encourage them to join you in supporting our school

The Iowa City Community Schools Foundation is assisting us with online donations. You can donate online by clicking here, or by downloading this form and sending in with cash or a check payable to 'Lucas PTO' to:

Lucas PTO c/o ICCSD Foundation
1725 N. Dodge St.
Iowa City, IA 52245

When you contribute to this fundraiser, you can be confident that your full donation is directed to our students and teachers. Ask your friends with students at other area elementary schools about their sales-based fundraisers. Chances are, they will tell you they wish their school had a direct giving campaign like Make a Mighty Difference.

One of the major projects we hope to fund through this year's campaign will be significant improvements to the 3-6 playground.  We also have ongoing commitments to pay for class field trips (Kindergarten to Wilson's Orchard, 4th graders to School of the Wild, and more.)

Lucas PTO makes a Mighty Difference by funding:

• Technology - Computers, Smart Boards, I-Touch
• Enrichment - Field Trips, Visiting Authors, School of the Wild
• Outdoor Educational Playscape - Outdoor classroom space, Nature based play, Prairie Pocket, School Garden, playground equipment
• Family Activities - DEED events, Family supper, Free Family Nights, Fun Night

Celebrate reading at Family Literacy Night Sept. 24

Are your bookshelves bursting? Are you looking for new readers for some of your kids' outgrown favorites? Gather them up and bring to the Lucas Book Swap!

Drop your books in the basket outside the office by Friday, Sept. 20, and then come to Lucas Literacy Night on Tuesday, Sept. 24, to look through other families' offerings and make a selection. The event runs from 5:30-7 p.m.  (A free dinner will be served.)

Also during Literacy Night you'll have a chance to enjoy fun family activities, read stories with a local celebrity, and even get an Iowa City Public Library card. (Bring proof of address and photo ID to receive your library card.)