News from the Nest — Friday, January 10, 2025

Posted January 10, 2025

REMINDER:
SchoolChoice Round 1 Opens on Wednesday, January 15!

Round 1 of the 2025-2026 SchoolChoice Application Window will open at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15 and run until Tuesday, February 18.

Due to our transition to an enrollment zone SchoolChoice model, families with students who will be entering ECE and kindergarten next school year must apply for a spot during Round 1. To learn more about the SchoolChoice process, visit this website. To read about our transition to the enrollment zone model, check out our November 22 Principal’s Update.

Current McKinley students in kindergarten through 4th grade do not need to complete a SchoolChoice application for next year. These students are guaranteed a spot at McKinley until they graduate!

Help Us Celebrate Martin Luther King Day!

New this year, our school has established a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. The DEI Committee aims to promote a school environment where community members of all backgrounds and identities feel valued, included, and celebrated. This semester, our DEI Committee is working to help our school celebrate important cultural moments and heritage months. 

As we approach Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 20, we are launching a project to engage students in reflecting on Dr. King’s powerful vision of equity and community.

We’re inviting students to create a drawing or write a short paragraph that represents their personal dream for a kind, inclusive community. This artistic opportunity allows children to express their hopes for understanding, respect, and unity in a creative and thoughtful way.

Project Details:

  • Check your child’s Friday Folder to find our MLK Day activity sheet or see the digital version here. Help your child complete the activity sheet by drawing and / or writing about their dream for an equitable and kind community. Return completed work to your child’s teacher or our main office. 

  • Completed submissions will be displayed on our MLK Day bulletin board by the cafeteria!

  • Submission deadline: Friday, January 17

Your support in encouraging students to participate is incredibly valuable. Dr. King’s legacy is about hope, progress, and the power of individual vision – we want to help our students explore those themes. Thank you in advance for your support in this meaningful project!

Other School News

  • In case you missed it: here is our January 2025 school lunch menu in English, Arabic, Dari, Spanish, and Vietnamese!

  • Save-the-date: registration for our spring after-school enrichment classes opens on Thursday, January 16 at 6:00 a.m. and ends on Tuesday, January 28 at 10:00 p.m. To see registration instructions and our enrichment class catalog, please click here!

  • Mark your calendars: we have NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 20 in honor of Martin Luther King Day.

Community News & Resources

  • None at this time! 

Upcoming School Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

Upcoming DPS & Community Events

  • None at this time!