News from the Nest — May 10, 2024
Posted May 10, 2024
K-5th Grade Field Day Is Friday, May 24!
Our Kindergarten through 5th Grade Field Day is Friday, May 24 from 9:00am to 11:00am on our playground and field. Families are invited to join us for our Field Day activities, either as a spectator or as a volunteer! More details on volunteering will be shared soon.
Please note that, this year, Field Day visitors do not need to sign in at the main office. Instead, families can head straight to the field at 9:00am to meet their children’s classes! Due to space limitations, visitors will not be allowed in classrooms. If you plan to take your child home after Field Day, you must check them out through the main office.
FINAL CSC Meeting of the Year: Tues., 5/14
Can you believe the school year is almost over? Join us this coming Tuesday for our FINAL CSC meeting of the year! We’ll be discussing Ms. Geerdes’ principal evaluation and providing feedback on next year’s CSC. Please join us on Tuesday, May 14 at 5:00pm on Google Meet using this link!
Vision, Hearing, & Dental Screenings for Most Grades: Wed., 5/22
Each year, Denver Public Schools provides the opportunity for a free vision, hearing and dental screening for students in mandated grades (ECE, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, & 5th grade — not 4th grade). Screening is considered best practice to identify students who may be at risk for health concerns affecting their ability to learn. McKinley-Thatcher will hold our annual screening day on Wednesday, May 22 during school hours.
These free screenings are not an assessment or an evaluation and do not replace professional exams. Families of students whose screening results fall outside the optimal range will be notified by a letter in their child’s Friday Folder after May 22.
Please contact our school nurse, Ms. Jennifer Itlis, at (720) 424-5606 only if you DO NOT want your student to participate in these screenings. Families who do not wish to have their child participate may also complete and return the OPT-OUT form that went home in our May 10 Friday Folders. Thank you!
Please RSVP for PTA’s End of School Party: Wed., 6/5
Our school community is invited to join our PTA in celebrating another amazing year at McKinley-Thatcher!
- WHO: the entire McKinley community
- WHAT: PTA’s End of School Party
- WHEN: Wednesday, June 5 (our last day of school!), 11:30am-3:00pm
- WHERE: McKinley playground & field
- WHY: food, fun, & activities including an inflatable obstacle course, a visit from the Denver Fire Station 16 fire truck, pizza, snow cones, snacks, and drinks.
- HOW: click here to RSVP!
Other School News
- REMINDER: all school library books are due today (Friday, May 10). If your child has a lost library book after today, Ms. Goldberg, our librarian, will send an additional reminder home next week.
If a child has a lost library book after May 17, you may be responsible for paying a replacement fee. Please do not buy a replacement book from an outside vendor – this actually makes it more difficult to get the book into our library collection! If you need to have the replacement fee waived due to financial difficulty, please contact our principal, Ms. Geerdes, at Sonia_Geerdes@dpsk12.net or (720) 424-5602.
If you have questions or need more information, please email Ms. Goldberg at MaryKaren_Goldberg@dpsk12.net.
- K-5th Grade Families: Student Talent Show Auditions Are Still Open!
Kindergarten through 5th graders who would like to perform in our May 31 Talent Show may submit their audition videos here! We are accepting audition videos until Sunday, May 19.
Talent Show Audition Guidelines- Auditions will be reviewed based on preparedness of the act.
- Performers can sing, dance, rap, act out a skit, do a comedy routine, demonstrate a special skill or any other fun thing you can think of!
- Acts should be well-practiced, entertaining, age-appropriate, and around 2 minutes long.
- If your act includes music, please choose a song that is appropriate for school!
- Please mark your calendars!
- We have NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day.
- ECE ONLY: Last Day of School for ECE – Tuesday, June 4
- K-5th Grade: Last Day of School for K-5th Grade – Wednesday, June 5
(half-day with dismissal at 11:30am)
Community News & Resources
- ELCSports Summer Camp – Space Still Available! DPS’s Extended Learning and Community Schools Department is proud to launch their first-ever sport-focused summer camp at South High School! These weekly camps will help students build athletic skills and prepare them for ELCSports – DPS’s only district-run elementary sports league!
For more information and to register, click here. If you have any questions, please reach out to elcsports@dpsk12.net.
- YMCA Summer Camps: YMCA of Metro Denver Summer Camp has over 20 locations across the metro area, qualified and caring staff, and lots of specialty options, like art, adventure, cooking, and STEM. YMCA members get a discount on camp costs, and there is also financial assistance available for those who qualify. Join us for a summer of fun, friends and memories!
Upcoming School Events
Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.
- Tues., 5/14 – May CSC Meeting, 5:00pm on Google Meet
- Wed., 5/15 – Multilingual Education Parent Advisory Committee Meeting, 7:30am
- Thurs., 5/16 – LAST DAY: Girls on the Run
- Sat., 5/18 – Fishing Day with Mr. J at Wash Park, 11:00am–1:00pm
- Sun., 5/19 – Talent Show Audition Deadline (submit videos here!)
- Mon., 5/20 – LAST DAY: 3D Printing, Creative Dance, & Movement Madness enrichments
- Tues., 5/21 – LAST DAY: Spanish, Chess Wizards, Lil’ Sprouts, & Omniform enrichments
- Wed., 5/22 – Vision, Hearing, & Dental Screenings (all classes EXCEPT 4th grade)
- Wed., 5/22 – LAST DAY: Art Around the World, Mad Science, Sticky Fingers, & Yoga enrichments
- Thurs., 5/23 – LAST DAY: LEGO Star Wars enrichment
- Fri., 5/24 – K-5th Grade Field Day, 9:00am-11:00am
Upcoming DPS & Community Events
