News from the Nest — January 8, 2021

Posted January 8, 2021

Student smiling in the library

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Vol. 5, No. 17

Updates & Reminders: In-Person Learning Resumes on Monday, 1/11!

We are so excited to welcome our in-person learners back into our building on Monday, January 11, and to continue serving our remote learners at home! We know that the return to in-person learning means a lot of changes for our families, and we appreciate your patience and understanding with this process. If you missed our return to in-person learning information, please read it on our website.

If Your Family Traveled or Participated in a High-Risk Activity after 1/1/21

We’d like to request that any families who participated in any COVID high-risk activities on or after Friday, January 1, 2021 consider a 10-day isolation period before returning to school in-person. High-risk activities include traveling to a different community, spending time with people outside of your household, or engaging in a group event such as a party.  This isolation period is not required, but keeping children home until you are sure that no one in your family has developed any symptoms of COVID-19 will help us keep our students and staff as safe as we can. Again, this decision is optional, and we thank you for your support!

Discovery Link After-School Care Resumes on Monday, 1/11

McKinley-Thatcher’s Discovery Link will return with reduced capacity to regular after-school programming starting on Monday, January 11! Families who have already registered and attended programming before winter break just need to add days to their SchoolCareWorks calendar. Watch a how-to video.

Families who have registered but not yet attended programming must get approval before accessing their SchoolCareWorks calendars. Families who have not yet registered, get started. Check the bottom of the Discovery Link page for how-to videos. Registration is first-come, first-served. If a day is not available on the calendar, it is full or it is a day when DPS is not in session.

Please contact Patrice Mason-Dawan, Discovery Link Program Supervisor, at 720-728-9342 or Patrice_Mason-Dawan@dpsk12.org with any questions. Thank you!

Extra News

  • DPS will continue to offer FREE breakfast and lunch for ALL students through the end of the school year!
  • We are excited to announce that we will be publishing a brand-new McKinley-Thatcher website this month! Our new website will have all our same information and layout displayed in a new and more user-friendly format.
  • Just a reminder that our PTA is excited to offer our ECE through 2nd grade families access to free, virtual enrichment activities through a wonderful organization called Celebrate the Beat (CTB). Through our partnership with CTB, our ECE through 2nd grade families can sign up to participate in CTB’s virtual program for early learners, 10 weeks of at-home virtual enrichment activities featuring dance, yoga, music, & more! Activities are shared weekly as follow-along lessons on YouTube and are available to McKinley families from January 25, 2021 to April 10, 2021. Watch this sneak peek of the program, check out CTB’s other work, and register here!
  • Mark your calendars for our upcoming PTA events!
    • McKinley Monday @ Divino — Mon., 1/11, all day
    • January Restaurant Night @ Birdcall — Tues., 1/12, all day
    • January PTA meeting on Zoom — Thurs., 1/14, 7 p.m. (Zoom link will be posted on ClassDojo!)
    • Chipotle Restaurant Night @ Chipotle — Wed., 1/20, 4 to 8 p.m.
  • Reminder: there is NO SCHOOL (no in-person or remote learning) on Monday, 1/18 or Tuesday, 1/19.
  • ECE families, please mark your calendars: ECE’s last day of school is Thursday, 5/27. The last day of school for kindergarten through 5th graders is Friday, 5/28.

Upcoming Events

  • View the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.
  • Mon., 1/11 – In-Person Learning BEGINS for ECE-5th grade (remote learning continues for 100% remote families)
  • Mon., 1/11 – McKinley Monday @ Divino
  • Tues., 1/12 – January Birdcall Restaurant Night
  • Thurs., 1/14 – January PTA meeting on Zoom, 7 p.m.
  • Fri., 1/15 – ECE & 5th grade families: SchoolChoice Round 1 BEGINS.
  • Fri., 1/15 – ECE-2nd grade families: DEADLINE to register for Celebrate the Beat enrichment.
  • Mon., 1/18 – NO SCHOOL: MLK, Jr. Day
  • Tues., 1/19 – NO SCHOOL: McKinley Staff PD Day
  • Wed., 1/20 – Restaurant Night @ Chipotle, 4 to 8 p.m.
  • Thurs., 1/21 – January CSC meeting on Zoom, 5 p.m.