News from the Nest — September 6, 2024

Posted September 6, 2024

Join Us for Back-to-School Night on Thursday, 9/12!

All McKinley families are invited to join us for our annual Back-to-School Night event on Thursday, September 12 from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.! Back-to-School Night is an opportunity to sit down with your child’s teachers to learn more about classroom rituals and routines, curriculum, and school policies. It’s also a great chance to ask questions!

Teachers will offer two identical presentation sessions. Families can attend the one that works best for them, and families with multiple students can attend both! Please arrive on time for your desired session to avoid disrupting the presentation.

  • Session #1: 4:00 p.m. to 4:40 p.m.
  • Session #2: 4:45 p.m. to 5:25 p.m.

We’re also offering interpretation services for families and free childcare for McKinley students. For more information on these services, please visit our website here.

Translated Versions of McKinley’s 2024-2025 School Year Calendar

Please see the 2024-2025 year-long calendar for our school in English, Arabic, Dari, Spanish, and Vietnamese. We’ll send home paper versions of both the English and translated calendars in next week’s Friday folders!

A Message from Our School Librarian: Library Book Check-Out Policies

We are excited to inform you that students will soon begin checking out and taking home books from the school library! If you have questions or need more information about any of the policies below, please email our school librarian, Karen Goldberg, at MaryKaren_Goldberg@dpsk12.net.

  • Students will have an opportunity to come to the library to check out a book on a regular basis according to their weekly classroom schedule.

  • Students in kindergarten & 1st grade may check out 1 book. Students in grades 2, 3, 4 & 5 may check out 2 books.

  • Students will start with checking out one book per week. This initial step will help them practice essential library routines and develop their skills in selecting and caring for books. Once they demonstrate proficiency in these routines, we will transition to allowing 2nd through 5th graders to check out two books at a time.

  • If a student has overdue books, they will be unable to check out another book until the overdue book is returned. Reminder notices will be sent home in Friday Folders if a student has an overdue book for an extended period of time.

  • Students are expected to bring their books back to each scheduled library class. If a student is absent on their library day, they can return books the next week.

  • Books may be renewed as needed. It is sometimes necessary to limit the check-out period of popular book titles that many students are waiting to enjoy.

  • If a book is damaged or lost, you will be responsible for paying the replacement fee of $20. Please do not buy a replacement book from an outside vendor – this actually makes it more difficult to get the book into our library circulation. Books must meet specific requirements and be barcoded and inventoried before they can be used in DPS libraries. Paying the $20 fee allows us to complete all of the required processes and get the book into our kids’ hands the quickest!

Other School News

  • In case you missed it, here’s our September 2024 lunch menu in English, Arabic, Dari, Spanish, and Vietnamese!

  • Mark Your Calendars: we have NO SCHOOL on the following days in September!
    • Friday, 9/13 – McKinley Planning Day
    • Friday, 9/27 – DPS Planning Day

Community News & Resources

  • DPS Discount Days: DPS community members can receive a 15% discount on tickets to the DCPA’s production of Hamlet when they use discount code DPSFUND at checkout on the DCPA website here. $5 from each ticket purchased will be donated back to Denver Public Schools Foundation!

Upcoming School Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

  • Thursday, 9/12 – Back-to-School Night, 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • Friday, 9/13 – NO SCHOOL: McKinley Staff Planning Day
  • Tuesday, 9/17 – 2nd Grade Field Trip: Bear Creek Park
  • Thursday, 9/19 – ECE ONLY: ECE Health Forms DUE!

Upcoming DPS & Community Events

  • None at this time!