Goodbye Mr. Turnis

Ken Turnis, the Lucas principal for the last three years, has accepted the position of principal at the newly-established Christine Grant Elementary in North Liberty.   The Mighty Hawk Messenger had the chance to talk to Mr. Turnis about this change.

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  How long were you principal at Lucas, and what did you do prior to working here?

Mr. Turnis:  This is my 3^rdyear at Lucas. My career in education started as a daycare owner/director for 2 years before moving to the San Francisco bay area and teaching middle school for 3 years.  A return to Iowa brought me into Johnston and a 4^thgrade position. 3 years later, I moved into an assistant principal role.  I was in this role until we had all our children in school.  The principal job search led to Iowa City, and we have just loved being in this community!

The Mighty Hawk Messenger: Tell us about this exciting new opportunity at Christine Grant Elementary.  What are you most looking forward to there?

Mr. Turnis:  The opportunity to open a new building extends well beyond the structure.  I am most excited to take the many steps involved in bringing students, families, staff and community together in the creation of a positive culture of learning.

The Mighty Hawk Messenger: What will you miss most about Lucas?

Mr. Turnis:  Relationships.  Becoming a colleague and friend to so many individuals will be the most missed item by far…

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  What advice do you have for students, staff, and families as we welcome our new principal?

Mr. Turnis:  Just to welcome her in the same way that I experienced!    

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  What advice do you have for the new principal as she begins work at Lucas?

Mr. Turnis:  To always be you.  Listening to others, appreciating differing perspectives and ideas, and offering time and support to any needs that arise.  Smiling and laughing while celebrating the many positives that occur each and every day is a necessity!  

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  What is your favorite memory or funny story about your time at Lucas?

Mr. Turnis:  Too many to count!  A few minutes ago, I paused my typing as three primary-aged students came in to tell me about their awesome day!  The positive energy, smiles and act of jumping up and down with excitement….those are the best moments!!

Spotlight on Orff Club

Fourth graders Jacob Turnquist and Carly Drake prepare for rehearsal

What's an Orff, anyway?  Is it an acronym?  Is it an instrument?  Is it something you say when you stub your toe?  Music teacher Nathan Kelley explains that Orff Club, a group of Lucas students who play xylophones and similar instruments, was named after Carl Orff.  Orff was a German composer who believed that children should be their own composers.  This philosophy is the foundation of the teaching approach Mr. Kelley uses in Orff Club.  Carl Orff also inspired the development of children's xylophones like the ones used in school.

Mr. Kelley was the first general music teacher in the district to start a percussion ensemble.  He started Orff Club in 2007 at Lucas and has been leading it ever since.  Orff Club is open to fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students who earn their membership through hard work in class and teacher recommendations.  Mr. Kelley says the goal of Orff Club is to give students the opportunity to play and perform more challenging music than they do in general music class, as well as giving children who love music a chance to learn and work with other music lovers.

Fourth graders Liz Degner, Elizabeth Gugliuzza, and Lukas Schoen prepare for rehearsal.

Orff Club members will soon have some opportunities to demonstrate their skills.  The fourth grade Orff Club will give a demonstration at the music informance on May 9, as well as performing their full show on the last day of school, May 30, at 1:00 p.m.

The fifth and sixth grade Orff Club will perform at the Tiffin Elementary Music Festival, which features elementary music performance groups from the area.  It will take place at Clear Creek Amana High School Auditorium from 6:30-8:30 on May 17th.

Mr. Kelley is proud of the work Orff Club members do, and one of his favorite memories is of the time Orff Club performed at the Iowa Music Educators Conference in Ames.  It is a gathering of music educators from around the state to collaborate and learn.  "It was an honor to showcase Lucas work to so many music educators in Iowa," he says.

Students in fourth, fifth, or sixth grade who are interested in joining Orff Club should keep an eye out for announcements from Mr. Kelley in the upcoming school year.  We're lucky to have this exciting program for our students and Mr. Kelley's leadership!

Order School Supply Packs by 6/15

Thanks for a great STEAM Night

Thanks to all the students and families who participated in our second annual STEAM night, and thanks especially to the parents, teachers, and community partners who worked to make the evening a success.  Not many eggs survived the drop, but a lot of toothpick towers withstood the storm, and the penny boats floated beautifully.  The students also had fun learning about (and touching!) real brains, hearts, and lungs; changing the pH of water just by blowing bubbles in it; inflating balloons through the power of chemical reactions; watching dancing robots; learning about density; and building foil towers to support rocks.

Mr. Turnis got some great videos of our students in action.

Toothpick Towers 1

Toothpick Towers 2

Egg Drop 1 

Egg Drop 2

Robots

Boats

April 2018 Newsletter

The April 2018 Newsletter is now available.

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Get to Know a Mighty Hawk: Mrs. Lovetinsky

We're excited to have several relatively new staff members at Lucas, and we'll get to know them as the year progresses.  This month, we talked to art teacher Amanda Lovetinsky.

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  How long have you been at Lucas, and what did you do prior to joining us here?

Mrs. Lovetinsky:  This is my 2nd year at Lucas.  Before this, I taught art at St. Jude Elementary and LaSalle Middle School in Cedar Rapids.  I was also a counselor and coordinator at the University of Iowa's Wildlife Camps.

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  Did you always want to be an art teacher?  If not, what did you hope to be when you grew up when you were a kid?

Mrs. Lovetinsky:  When I was in 2nd grade I met a friend who taught me how to draw horses.  I have loved drawing and art ever since.  My grandmother and several aunts were teachers.  And I love working with children.  So sharing art has always been something that I enjoy.  Now it is part of my job!

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  What’s your favorite part about working at Lucas?

Mrs. Lovetinsky:  There are so many things I love about working at Lucas.  This year, my favorite part is probably the new art room!  We have so much space to move around and there is room for all of our supplies and art.  I am very thankful for the opportunity to work here. 

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  Who are some of your favorite artists, and why do you admire their work?

Mrs. Lovetinsky:  I have so many artists that I admire.  My top 3 are probably: Czech painter, Alphonse Mucha.  Because of they beautiful way he paints people (and I'm part Czech)! Leonardo DaVinci; because I studied art in Italy, and I love the science and thought in his art.  And Andy Van Schyndle.  When my husband and I started dating we realized we both had artwork by the same artist!

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  In a world with no financial or space limitations, what kinds of art projects would your students do?

Mrs. Lovetinsky:  We would travel all over the world!  We would visit museums, study the artists in their home towns, try making our own work in their style, and eat lots of great food to help us soak up the culture.  (And it would be wonderful to have plenty of chaperones to come with us to help and play.)

The Mighty Hawk Messenger:  What’s something about you Lucas families might not know?

Mrs. Lovetinsky:  I have lived in Iowa City most of my life.  I went to Roosevelt, Weber, Northwest and West.  Besides art, I am also passionate about reading and gardening.  In the next few years my husband and I hope to get chickens for our yard!

Spotlight on Safety Patrol

Safety Patrol member Niko Plum Cuba guards first grader Miles Abbas-Clark and his family during school drop-off time.

Have you ever wondered what's the story behind the kids you see guarding intersections at the beginning and end of the school day?  Read on to learn about Safety Patrol, a group of Lucas sixth graders who have dedicated themselves to ensuring the safety of Lucas students and families.

Safety Patrol is made up of rotating teams.  Members are assigned a week of duty during which they need to arrive at school by 7:25 and stay until 3:05.  After that week is done, another team takes over.  This year there are six teams, so each member only serves one week and then has a five-week break.  In order to remain members, students must not have multiple office referrals or unexcused absences.  Second-grade teacher Mr. Turnquist has been the group sponsor for the last three years, when he took over for Mr. Moore.  He does his best to be supportive of Safety Patrol members, filling in for them in case of illness or other conflicts.  He says that members have been very loyal and responsible overall.

Mr. Turnquist provides training to the Safety Patrol members, showing them the five different points around the school where they will serve.  He uses a rotating schedule, so each member can work a variety of locations.  It also helps him identify the needs that arise due to absences.

Mr. Turnquist rewards the members' hard work with hot chocolate and marshmallows on the Friday of their assigned week during the winter months.  The students also celebrate with a pizza and movie party at the end of the year.

Niko Plum Cuba remembers seeing Safety Patrol members when he was younger.  "[They made] me think, 'Hey, I would like to do that,'" he says.  While he doesn't enjoy getting up at 6:15, he appreciates the hot chocolate after his cold morning assignments.  Katy Harmsen advises future Safety Patrol members to "DRESS WARMLY IN THE WINTER!"

Safety Patrol members do not go out into the street and cannot stop traffic, but they protect pedestrians by holding their arms out and waiting for the intersection to clear before signaling to the students that it is safe to cross.  In certain areas, such as Willow Street, visibility is difficult.  In that location, Safety Patrol members work in pairs, one stationed on top of the hill and the other at the crosswalk.  They then signal to one another to communicate when it the coast is clear for pedestrians.  

Katy doesn't mind the extra work that comes with being assigned to the Willow Street station.  "I like helping at Willow Street because a lot of my friends cross there," she says.  Niko agrees that there are fun aspects to the job, such as the time he sang Star Wars while on duty.  Lila Tallman encourages future sixth graders to join safety patrol, because it's a fun way to contribute to your school.  Sometimes others even pitch in.  Ilan Tallman remembers when "someone in an orange coat [was] pointing out his hand at passing cars and screaming, 'It's a crosswalk!'"

It can also be a dangerous job.  Katy remembers a time when a parent ran over her friend's foot!  Fortunately, the parent was riding a bike and not driving a car.  It can be frustrating to Safety Patrol members when kids (and adults!)  don't follow their guidelines.   Remember, they're doing their best to keep the students safe.  Their motto is "Let's go save some lives!"  Let's all help them in this goal and respect the extra work they put in to support our kids.