News from the Nest — April 28, 2023

Posted April 28, 2023

Vol. 7, No. 32

NEXT WEEK:
McT Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week + National School Principals’ Day

Our PTA is holding the McT Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week from Monday, May 1 to Friday, May 5! Each day of the week, PTA has a special theme that families can follow to celebrate our amazing teachers and staff. 

(Please note that McKinley’s appreciation week is the week before DPS is holding the district-wide Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week. Families can celebrate the McT week and/or the DPS week!)

McT Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Themes

Choose a day or two (or all five!) to participate in, then show your teachers & favorite staff members that they are loved and appreciated.

  • Monday, 5/1 – You make us BLOOM
    Bring a flower – fresh, fake, potted or hand-drawn, or something with a floral print!
  • Tuesday, 5/2 – Teachers are NOTEWORTHY
    Write your teacher a note to explain how they have impacted your life this year.
  • Wednesday, 5/3 – SUPPLY them with Thanks
    Pick up any supplies your teacher is running low on for your class.
  • Thursday, 5/4 – My Teacher’s a TREAT
    Treat your teacher to their favorite snack or beverage, homemade treats, or candy.
  • Friday, 5/5 – Thanks are in the CARDS
    Bring your teacher a gift card for a local store, restaurant, massage, or a note to
    tell them about your favorite school memories.

AND, Monday, May 1 Is National School Principals’ Day!

Join us in celebrating McKinley-Thatcher’s wonderful leaders, Ms. Sonia Geerdes and Mrs. Courtney Waring, on Monday, May 1 by taking a moment to recognize their hard work. Families and students are welcome to give flowers, cards, or even just a simple “thank you!” to our school leaders. Thank you for helping us show our appreciation!

REMINDER:
DPS Safety Survey CLOSES @ 5:00pm TODAY!

School safety has been on many of our minds as tragic events have unfolded in our district and across our country. As you may be aware, on March 23, the Board of Education tasked DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero with developing a districtwide long-term operational safety plan. During the April 17 Board of Education meeting, Dr. Marrero provided a high level overview regarding the timeline for developing this plan and opportunities for engagement with our stakeholders. We know your voices as parents/guardians are critical to the development!

With that in mind, DPS launched a written survey to gather initial perspectives on your feelings of safety and security as well as your thoughts on what should be the safety priorities for our long-term operational safety plan. This survey closes today, Friday, April 28 at 5:00pm, so please take a moment to complete it if you haven’t done so already. Students can complete the student version of the survey here. Both surveys are available in DPS’s nine most-spoken languages!

REMINDER:
Pre-Register for Our May 9 School Budget Town Hall!

Please join us on Tuesday, May 9 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in our cafeteria for a town hall meeting with Evan Mellman, DPS Director of School Financial Services, and Katie Hechavarria, DPS Executive Director of Finance. Evan and Katie will give us an overview of the school budgeting process and answer questions about our school’s financial future!

To help ease the burden of attending an evening event, we are offering a free pizza dinner for families and free childcare for McKinley students. We are also happy to provide interpretation services! To sign up for childcare and/or to request interpretation services, please pre-registration here. Please register by Wednesday, May 3 to request interpretation!

This event is proudly sponsored by our Collaborative School Committee (CSC)!

What’s a Town Hall Meeting?

A town hall meeting gathers people together so that all members of a community can receive important information and updates as well as ask questions and share their thoughts and opinions!

In Other News!

  • Attention all students and families! DPS has labeled 95% as the new attendance goal for all students. We will be working towards that goal all of next school year and want to start getting in the groove this May. SO! There are 23 days of school left…ANY student who misses only 1 day of school (or 0 days) from now until the end of the year will participate in a DONUT PARTY on Wednesday, May 31. We can’t wait to see you at school every day this month!

  • K-5th Grade Families: you’re invited to our K-5th Grade Learning Showcase on Wednesday, May 10 from 4:00pm to 5:30pm! All kindergarten through 5th grade students will have examples of their work from STEM, art, music, and other classes on display in the classrooms for families to see. Kindergartners, 1st grades, and 2nd graders will also give a live music performance! Keep an eye on your email and next week’s Friday Folders for full details about our showcase. We hope to see you there!

  • Please save-the-date for two upcoming events!
  • Please click here to see our May 2023 lunch menu!

  • We have the following community news to share!
    • We are excited to share the givingSPREE fundraising campaign, hosted by South Platte River Environmental Education (SPREE)! SPREE, part of the Greenway Foundation, has been introducing Denver area youth to the South Platte River through school excursions, day camps, and more for over 40 years. Each of McKinley’s classrooms receive a free SPREE field trip every year, and SPREE relies on donations to provide these experiences at no cost to our school. Donate to givingSPREE this April and help keep Denver youth playing outside!

Upcoming School Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

Upcoming DPS & Community Events