Spotlight on Running Clubs

Lucas students know how to go the extra mile!  

Girls on the Run is a national organization that has had a presence in eastern Iowa for ten years and at Lucas since 2014.  Participants include girls from grades 3-6. This season recently wrapped up with a 5k run and a community impact project.   This year, the Girls on the Run members raised nearly $100 for hurricane recovery through a hot cocoa, tea, and coffee fundraiser.

Let Me Run is a similar group for boys in grades 4-6.  It is also a national organization, though it is new to eastern Iowa, and this is the first year Lucas students have participated.  The Let Me Run team also culminated their season by running in their first team 5k.  According to the Let Me Run website's purpose statement, "We hope to reduce the challenges associated with a lack of emotional expression in pre-teen and teenage boys, which can lead to stress, sickness, disease, addiction, and violence."

Both groups offer financial assistance to help cover membership fees--in fact, nearly 60% of Girls on the Run participants receive some financial assistance, and over $86,000 in scholarships was awarded last year in the Eastern Iowa Council.  Ms. Keninger is participating in Team 10 Cubed, which is a group dedicated to raising money to support the Girls on the Run scholarship fund.  She and the other Team 10 Cubed members will run ten 10k runs in ten months.  Let Me Run's scholarships are funded entirely by donations.  If you would like to donate or know of a local business, civic group, or faith community that would like to support Let Me Run, visit LetMeRun.org/Donate.

The spring season for Girls on the Run will begin at the end of February, and you can find promotional materials and registration forms in the main office or from Ms. Crowe, Ms. Goodwin, or Ms. Keninger.  The start date for the spring season of Let Me Run has not yet been determined, but if you are interested in learning more, visit LetMeRun.org.  Let Me Run registration forms will be available online.  Keep an eye out for details on the Lucas PTO Facebook (facebook.com/LucasElementaryPTO) and in Peach Jar emails. 

Questions?  Contact Ms. Keninger (keninger.chelsea@iowacityschools.org) for Girls on the Run or Eva Schoen (egschoen@gmail.com) for Let Me Run.

Run for the Schools update

Did you know that schools receive money from Run for the Schools based on participation, both from runners and volunteers? Take a look at this year's totals from all over the district. Thank you for helping our music and PE programs--next year let's do even better!

Run for the Schools participation totals 2017

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

When is "fun" spelled B-E-E? At the annual Lucas Spelling Bee--sign up now!

Spellers, start your engines...er, brains! The annual Lucas Spelling Bee is right around the corner, and you won't want to miss it. This is a fun way to challenge yourself and your friends in a friendly, non-intimidating competition.

The 2017 Spelling Bee will be held on Tuesday April 25 (grades 1-2, and 5-6) and Thursday April 27 (grades 3-4) from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on both nights.

This is a team spelling bee in which groups of 2-3 students will work together to spell words in both a written and oral round.  Members of the winning team from each of the bees will have their names added to the plaque in the front hallway at Lucas. It’s an exciting Lucas tradition!

To participate, please sign up via this online form by Wednesday, April 12.

Then start reviewing the spelling lists provided for each grade level:

1st & 2nd grade lists

3rd & 4th grade lists

5th & 6th grade lists

Note that the challenge of this event comes from learning words at a higher grade level. Thus the 1st & 2nd grade list includes 3rd grade words; the 3rd & 4th grade list includes 5th grade words; the 5th & 6th grade list includes 7th grade words.

We will make every effort to ensure that each team includes members from both grade levels in the bee.

Spelling Bee Rules

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Kenyon at mgkenyon8@yahoo.com

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/

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.

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

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

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.)

Get in the Little Hawk spirit with tailgate Sept. 20 and Homecoming parade Sept. 25

Bring the family out for the DEED tailgate Friday, Sept. 20, 5-6:30 p.m. in the parking lot at Our Redeemer Church, corner of 1st. Ave. and Court St. The DEED (Dads Engaged in Engineering Dreams) dads will be grilling up hot dogs and serving dinner for all (vegetarian option also available.) Whether or not you attend the City High football game, this is a great opportunity for Lucas families to get together for fun and food!

Hold on to that Little Hawk spirit throughout the week and join us for the City High Homecoming parade on Wednesday, Sept. 25. There are two ways to join the fun:

• As a participant--meet in the Mercer parking lot after 5:15 and look for others wearing Lucas t-shirts. The parade starts at 6 p.m. This event is sponsored by DEED; all students must be accompanied by an adult to walk in the parade. 
• As a spectator--park yourselves along First Ave. between Bradford and Court and cheer on the Lucas contingent and the rest of the marchers. If you choose this option, please consider supporting the City High Ambassadors "Pack the Pick-up" effort to gather food donation for the Crisis Center Food Bank. Exchange non-perishable food for candy as the group makes its way along the parade route.

Regardless of whether you walk or watch, the City High PTSO invites you to share treats at the end of the parade on the Hoover Elementary playground.

City High Principal John Bacon writes to future Little Hawks

As principal of City High, I want our elementary and junior high school students to be excited and proud to be a future Little Hawk. 

Click here to read full newsletter

Help Target help Lucas; "Give with Target" campaign supports schools one click at a time

Have you voted yet in the Give with Target campaign? This may be the easiest way ever to help raise money for Lucas.


The Target Corporation is giving away $5 million to schools through this campaign through Sept. 21. Every vote we get equals $1. Will you help us get up to 100 votes before the end of the day Saturday? Just click the link above to be taken to our voting page and encourage your friends and family members to do the same.

Then vote again on Sunday. Everyone can vote once per week (new week starts each Sunday.) Don't delay--last year Target reached the $5 million cap well before the official end date.

Girl Scout information night is Sept. 5 at Lucas

Attention all girls! Would you like a club just for you and your friends? Do you like crafts? Games? Songs? How about cookies, trips, or horses? 

All of this and more is available to every Girl Scout, even if you don’t want to be in a troop!  Girl Scouts will be visiting Lucas on Thursday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m. in the multi-purpose room to answer questions and help you get involved in scouting. Ask your teacher or the office for one of the colorful stickers that Girl Scouts provided us.  See you at Girl Scout night!”

 

Meet your teacher, share a popsicle with the principal Aug. 19

It's that time of year again--back to school! To get the year started off right, come to Popsicles with the Principal on Monday, Aug. 19, any time between 4-5:30 p.m. Check the class lists at the front door to find out who your teacher is and head off to your new classroom to drop off your school supplies. Then visit Principal Merriweather in the front drive and meet up with your friends for a cool popsicle treat.

You'll have opportunities to connect with PTO leaders to become involved with our events happening throughout the year. We'll also have information about the next phase of our Lucas Outdoor Education Playscape Initiative, which includes enhancements for the 3-6 playground.

If you have not already done so, you can pay your book fee at this event. And while you have your checkbook handy, why not Make a Mighty Difference with a donation to our PTO annual fund drive?

We're looking forward to a great year and hope you'll join us in support of our Lucas Might Hawks!

Take (the family) out to the ballgame with DEED Aug. 24

Please join us for Lucas Elementary night at the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Saturday, August 24 at 6:35 p.m. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and students who attend the game may be selected to participate in on-field activities and contests. The night will end with a spectacular fireworks show!

Lucas Elementary families can buy tickets at a special reduced rate of just $7. Tickets can be purchased using this flyer, by calling the Kernels ticket office at (319) 896-7560, or online at the URL below: (Please select the special Lucas elementary area of Section 112 when ordering tickets online.)

If we sell 200 tickets, then the Kernels will send us a fundraising check for $200. What a fun way to Make a Mighty Difference!

https://www.ticketreturn.com/prod2/Buy.asp?EventID=92625&promocode=rlucas

NOTE: After you click on the link above and the page loads, click on the + sign next to club seating and the special Robert Lucas Elementary price of $7 will be given as an option. This special link will be active until Friday, August 23, at midnight. 

DEED chair Joe Bell can answer any questions and will be available at the Aug. 19 Popsicles with the Principal event at school.