News from the Nest — September 24, 2021

Posted September 24, 2021

Vol. 6, No. 5

Congratulations, McKinley Eagles!
We Are a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School!

Congratulations to the McKinley-Thatcher Elementary School community! Our school has just been named a recipient of the 2021 National Blue Ribbon School Award! This is an incredible honor, and one of the most prestigious awards given to schools in the United States.

McKinley-Thatcher is one of two schools in the state of Colorado that has been identified as an Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing School, and we are being recognized for our success in narrowing achievement gaps for our students of color. We attribute this incredible growth to holding tightly to our Mission and Vision, to our unique professional development program for our teachers, and to our AMAZING STUDENTS AND FAMILIES!  

Read more in our September Principal’s Update!

News From Our PTA

Our Fall Book Fair is Wednesday, September 29 to Friday, October 1! 

We’ll be selling books at our fair outside in the art room courtyard immediately after school. Please enter the fair through our back alley. The funds we raise through the fair have bought books for our school library, replenished our Reading is Fundamental (RIF) selection, and purchased culturally diverse books for classrooms, so please come support!

Our fair hours are: 

• Wednesday, September 29: 2:30pm-4:30pm
• Thursday, September 30: 2:30pm-6:00pm
• Friday, October 1: 2:30pm to 6:00pm
• Please help out by signing up to volunteer!

Join us for PTA Movie Night on Friday, October 1!

Our PTA is hosting a family Movie Night on Friday, October 1! Come at 6:00pm for fun and food on the playground and 7:00pm for showtime! This is a FAMILY event, so families should plan to stay and supervise their children. Families may RSVP here. We’ll have pizza and other treats for sale (cash only!). Families are asked to bring blankets and whatever else you need to be comfortable seated on the ground.

We’d also like to say a VERY SPECIAL THANK-YOU to Sexy Pizza for donating our pizza!

PTA Is Creating Their Annual Contact Book!

Every year, PTA builds a contact book for each grade level. Families can use the Contact Book to arrange playdates, send invitations to birthday parties, and more! To join the Contact Book, please complete and return the Contact Book form that went home in Friday Folders yesterday or fill out our Google form version here!

In Other News…

• Just a reminder, we have NO SCHOOL on Monday, September 27!
  
  
• Save-the-date for our first Collaborative School Committee (CSC) meeting! We’re holding our first CSC meeting of the year virtually on Tuesday, October 19 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm. Our CSC consists of all our school stakeholders (staff, families, and community members) and serves as a leadership body for school accountability. Everyone is welcome to join us! Families can learn more about our CSC on our website.
  
  
• Save-the-date for our School Picture Days! This year, we will have two picture days: one for ECE-4 through 1st grade and one for 2nd through 5th grade (see our dates below). Bloom Photography also has a new registration process called SMILE CLUB. If you are interested in receiving additional images of your student, email communication about Picture Day, and getting access to online discounts, please head to our school’s Parent Picture Day Dashboard here to register and learn more. Please know that registration is NOT required for your student to participate in Picture Day!
  • Wednesday, October 6 — Picture Day for ECE-4, Kindergarten & 1st Grade
  • Thursday, October 7 — Picture Day for 2nd, 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade
    
    
• McKinley families of Multilingual Learners, you’re invited to the virtual Multilingual Education Districtwide Advisory Committee on Wednesday, September 29 at 5:00pm! Join us on a Zoom virtual meeting to meet our new Superintendent, Dr. Alex Marrero, and receive important information about Multilingual Education Programs, resources for families, and much more. For more information and to register, visit this website or call (720) 423-2040.

Upcoming Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

• Mon., 9/27 — NO SCHOOL (DPS Teacher Planning Day)
• Tues., 9/28 — Kindergarten in-school “field trip” with the Children’s Theatre 
• Weds., 9/29 to Fri., 10/1 — Fall Book Fair, after school in our art room courtyard (enter from the alleyway)
• Fri., 10/1 — PTA Movie Night, on the playground! Pizza & snacks for sale at 6:00pm, movie starts at 7:00pm!
• Wed., 10/6 — ECE-1st Grade Picture Day
• Thurs., 10/7 — 2nd-5th Grade Picture Day