News from the Nest — November 5, 2021

Posted November 5, 2021

News from the Nest logo

Vol. 6, No. 11

Coming Soon:
December Food Drive & Adopt-a-Family Program

We’re excited to announce that we are running our annual Food Drive and Adopt-a-Family program this December!

December Food Drive

Our annual food drive begins on Monday, November 29 and runs through Friday, December 10. Our drive is a competition to see which classroom can collect the most canned, dried, and other shelf-stable food in order to win a special prize! Once our drive begins, we’ll have collection boxes outside each classroom door and posters up in the main lobby to help us track donations. At the end of our drive, we box up all the food and hand it out to school families for Winter Break!

Adopt-a-Family Program

Each December, McKinley families give and receive help over Winter Break through our annual Adopt-a-Family program. Families in need of assistance may complete a wish list for household goods, clothes, and gifts for children. Families who’d like to give help “adopt” a family in need and fulfill their wish list by purchasing the items on it.

How Do I Participate?

If you’d like to receive help over winter break, please complete this Google form to sign up for a food box, to participate in our Adopt-a-Family program, or both!

If you’d like give help over winter break, please donate to our December Food Drive and/or complete this Google form to sign up to fulfill a family’s wish list or donate money to help us buy Walmart gift cards for families in need. 

Questions?

Contact Ingrid Hoff, McKinley’s community liaison, at Ingrid_Hoff@dpsk12.org or (720) 424-5605.  

School Pictures Are Now Available for Order

Our School Picture Day galleries are now available to families to view and order! To order, please visit the McKinley page on the Bloom School Pictures website and use your student’s DPS student ID number as their gallery password. Families can look up their student’s ID using this tool or by calling our office at (720) 424-5600. If your student missed Picture Day in October, they will be able to participate in our retake day in the spring. 

REMINDER:
Please RSVP for Our November 13 Blue Ribbon Celebration

Everyone in our school community is invited to join us at our Blue Ribbon Celebration, which is coming up soon on Saturday, November 13, 2021 from 11:00am to 2:00pm! We’re hosting our celebration in honor of our 2021 National Blue Ribbon School Award, the community who made it possible, and of Mrs. Lynn Blackledge (fondly known as Mrs. B!) in special recognition of her 29 years of service to our school. 

RSVP here to join us! We’ll have tons of bounce fun, including an obstacle course, jousting, and soccer, as well as circus performers, food for sale, and free Blue Bell ice cream for everyone!

In Other News…

  • Original Works Art Fundraiser: ordering your student’s artwork on a variety of products through Original Works helps raise money for our art program. Your student’s custom flyer and ordering instructions are coming home in Friday Folders today! The online ordering deadline is November 17.

    Questions?
    More information can be found at originalworks.com/parents.

  • During November, we’re teaching and learning about our third school value, challenge yourself!

  • Mark your calendars: we have NO SCHOOL from Monday, November 22 to Friday, November 26. This is our Autumn Break!

  • Just a reminder that we have two PTA events coming up on Tuesday, November 16: our Birdcall Restaurant Night (flyer coming next week!) and our monthly PTA meeting at 7:00pm on Zoom. Please also save-the-date for PTA’s December meeting & a special social event on Tuesday, December 14!

  • 5th grade families: Grant Beacon Middle School students and teachers will be visiting our 5th graders in class on Monday, November 8 to share information and answer questions about middle school!

Upcoming Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

  • Mon., 11/8 — Grant Beacon MS visits our 5th graders, 1:40pm
  • Sat., 11/13 — Blue Ribbon Celebration, 11:00am-2:00pm, RSVP & details here!
  • Tues., 11/16 — Birdcall Restaurant Night (flyer coming next week!)
  • Tues., 11/16 — VIRTUAL PTA meeting, 7:00pm on Zoom
  • Weds., 11/17 — Original Works fundraising orders DUE!
  • Fri., 11/19 — November Student Recognition Assembly, 7:45am on Google Meet
  • Fri., 11/19 — 2nd Grade Field Trip: Morrison Natural History Museum 
  • Mon., 11/22 to Fri., 11/26NO SCHOOL: Autumn Break