Welcome to Our New 2022-2023 Families!

Posted April 12, 2022

Welcome to McKinley-Thatcher Elementary! We are excited to have your family join us for the 2022-2023 school year. 

About McKinley-Thatcher Elementary

We are a small school of about 250 students in ECE-4 through 5th grade. Our students represent our neighborhood’s rich cultural background and come from a wide variety of countries and family experiences. We are also proud to be a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School!

Our Unique Program & Instructional Model

Our teachers and staff are committed to offering your child hands-on, individualized learning filled with opportunities for academics, arts, music, technology, physical education, and field trips. At McKinley-Thatcher, we inspire authentic, joyful learners who are ready to explore the world!

We are proud to use an instructional model called “platooning” for our core content instruction. In kindergarten through fifth grade, our teachers specialize in teaching either literacy or math and science. This model allows teachers to develop deep expertise in their content areas, to create more individualized support for students, and to implement more experiential learning opportunities in our classrooms!

Our small size allows us to create educational experiences that meet each child’s specific needs, including differentiated instruction and student-led conferences. All of our students also participate in hands-on learning and unique experiential opportunities with our partners, including South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) and the Denver Zoo. 

McKinley-Thatcher also offers:

• Discovery Link (DL) after-school care for students in ECE through 5th grade. To register for the 2022-2023 Discovery Link program, please visit the registration page on the DL website. Registration opens on Monday, April 18.
• We also partner with Discovery Link to offer after-school enrichment opportunities for students, including Spanish, cooking, science, woodworking, and more!
• Our building houses a state-of-the-art STEM SmartLab, art studio, library, and flexible learning spaces for all of our students.

Important Information for Next School Year

We want to make the transition to McKinley-Thatcher effortless and fun for our new students and families. With that in mind, please mark your calendars for some important upcoming events!

• Monday, May 9, 1:30pm-2:30pm – Kindergarten Round-Up: incoming kindergarten families are invited to join us to meet our kindergarten teachers and learn more about McKinley! (Formal invitation to follow.) 
• Friday, May 6 to Friday, May 13 – McKinley-Thatcher School Auction: support our school by participating in our week-long virtual auction. For more information, visit our website. 
• Saturday, May 14, 10:30am-1:30pm – “We Are All Together Now” School Celebration: celebrate our incredible McKinley-Thatcher community by joining us for the culmination of our week-long auction! This in-person party on our playground has food and fun for everyone. For more details and to RSVP, visit our website.
• Monday, August 8 to Friday, August 12 – School Registration (online ONLY): complete registration paperwork, pay school fees, and receive important school year information through our website.  
• Thursday, August 18, 4:00pm-5:30pm – Open House: join us in our building to meet your teachers and tour classrooms. 
• Monday, August 22 – First Day of School & Welcome Celebration: our first day of school is Monday, August 22. Join us on our playground at 7:15am for our Welcome Celebration!

Stay Connected to McKinley-Thatcher Before School Starts!

We work hard to keep our school website up-to-date with important information for current and new families, so check back in over the summer for the latest news. New families may also sign up to receive our weekly school newsletter, News from the Nest, by sending an email request to McKinley_Thatcher@dpsk12.org.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call us at (720) 424-5600 or email us at McKinley_Thatcher@dpsk12.org. We look forward to meeting you as we build the foundation for a fun and successful school year together. Thank you for choosing McKinley-Thatcher and welcome to our school family!

Sincerely, 

Ms. Sonia Geerdes (she/her)
Principal