Welcome to Our New 2023-2024 Families!

Posted April 24, 2023

If your student accepted a spot at McKinley-Thatcher Elementary for the 2023-2024 school year but your plans for next year have changed, please let us know as soon as possible. Thank you!

ECE-4 FAMILIES:
Please click here to read our official welcome letter to families
who accepted spots at our school for the 2023-2024 school year!

Please click here to see our welcome video and other resources for incoming ECE families!

¡Haga clic aquí para ver nuestro video de bienvenida y otros recursos para las familias de ECE!

Haga clic aquí para leer esta información en español.

Welcome to McKinley-Thatcher Elementary! We are excited to have your family join us for the 2023-2024 school year!

McKinley-Thatcher is 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 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!

Events for New Families

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 8, 1:45pm-2:30pm – Kindergarten Round-Up: incoming kindergarten families are invited to meet our kindergarten teachers and learn more about McKinley! (Formal invitation to follow.)
Monday, August 7 to Sunday, August 13 – School Registration (online ONLY): complete registration paperwork, pay school fees, and receive important school year information through our website.
Thursday, August 17, 4:00pm-5:30pm – Open House: join us to meet your teachers and tour classrooms.
Monday, August 21 – K-5th Grade First Day of School & Welcome Celebration: our first day of school for kindergarten through 5th grade students is Monday, August 21. Join us on our playground at 7:15am for our Welcome Celebration!
Tuesday, August 22 — ECE ONLY: First Day of School: the first day of school for ECE students is Tuesday, August 22.

First Week of School Schedule – August 21 to August 25, 2023

We have a unique schedule for our first week of school that we want to share with you now so that you can prepare ahead of time!

Monday, August 21, 7:30am-11:30am — K-5th Grade: First Day of School (half-day class)
- Students will have lunch before going home.
- ECE ONLY: ECE students do not have school on Monday, August 21.
Tuesday, August 22, 7:30am-11:30am – All Grades: half-day class
- Students will have lunch before going home.
- ECE ONLY: Tuesday, August 22 is the first day of school for ECE students.
Wednesday, August 23, 7:30am-11:30am – All Grades: half-day class
- Students will have lunch before going home.
Thursday, August 24, 7:30am-2:30pm – All Grades: full day classes begin!

School Hours, After-School Programming, & Transportation Information

Our school hours are 7:30am to 2:30pm. Our main office is open from 7:15am to 3:30pm.
We offer Discovery Link (DL) after-school care for all students (ECE-5th grade). To register for the 2023-2024 Discovery Link after-school program, visit the DL registration page on or after Monday, April 17.
We also partner with Discovery Link to offer after-school enrichment opportunities for students, including Spanish, cooking, science, chess, and much more!
If McKinley-Thatcher is your boundary school and you live more than one mile from our building, your student is automatically eligible to ride our school bus. Visit transportation.dpsk12.org for information!
- If your student is not automatically eligible, you can request to be added to our school bus route on the DPS Transportation Services website.

Instructional Model

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, create more individualized support for students, and 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 our students participate in hands-on learning and unique experiential opportunities with our partners, including South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE) and the Denver Zoo. Our building also houses a state-of-the-art STEM SmartLab, art studio, library, and flexible learning spaces.

Have Questions or Need More Information?

Visit our school website for the latest news and information for current and new families.
Call our main office at (720) 424-5600 or email us at McKinley_Thatcher@dpsk12.org.
Stop by our building between 7:15am and 3:30pm, Monday through Friday.

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!