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Principal’s Update — July 30, 2025

Posted July 30, 2025

Dear McKinley-Thatcher families, 

Our team is hard at work getting ready to welcome students, families, and staff back for the new school year! I love this time of year and I am filled with excitement and anticipation for all that lies ahead. It’s going to be another great year! 

Important Reminders for School Families 

  • ONLINE School Registration Window: Tuesday, August 5 to Sunday, August 10 
  • Open House / Meet Your Teacher Event: Thursday, August 14, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM 
  • FIRST DAY of School for K-5th Grade: Monday, August 18
  • ECE ONLY: First Day of School: Tuesday, August 19
    • ECE classes will have a special half-day schedule on Tuesday, August 19 & Wednesday, August 20. We’ll share more information about this during registration! 
  • School Hours:
    • 7:15 AM – playground & cafeteria open 
    • 7:25 AM – first bell (students enter the school building)
    • 7:30 AM – tardy bell
    • 2:30 PM – dismissal
  • Office Hours: our main office is open from 7:15 AM to 3:15 PM. 
  • Back-to-School Night: mid-September – more information will be shared after school starts!

We will share more information about our school registration and other upcoming events via email and ClassDojo this week!

New McT Homework Policy 

At McKinley-Thatcher, we believe in promoting a healthy balance among school, family, and play.  Research shows there is little to no academic benefit from traditional homework in the elementary grades. Children do benefit from unstructured play, family time, outdoor activity, and adequate rest, and we want to help prioritize these things for all families. In line with current research on child development and best educational practices, our new school-wide homework policy is: 

Welcoming Our NEW Staff Members and Staff Members In NEW ROLES

  • Grant Bearfield – Kindergarten – Grant is coming to McT from the International School of Denver and brings 12 years of experience teaching grades K–4. He is excited to join McT because of our strong community and collective dedication to supporting the growth of the whole child.

  • Anna Poppy – Kindergarten – Anna is joining team McT after several years teaching kindergarten in Wyoming.  She is excited to use her skills teaching early literacy to make a difference for McT students. 

  • Christie Beal – 1st Grade Literacy – Christie is coming to McT after teaching for several years in Thailand and completing a teacher residency at Lincoln Elementary this spring. She just completed her Master’s in Elementary Education at MSU Denver.

  • Rebecca Schroeder – 1st Grade Math/Science/Social Studies – Rebecca is staying at McT and will be moving up to the 1st grade team this year.

  • Beth Fellows – 4th Grade Math/Science/Social Studies – Beth is coming to McT from Ellis Elementary and has been teaching for 8 years. This will be her 4th year teaching 4th grade! She is excited to be part of the amazing and inclusive community at McT!

  • Morgan Huibregtse – 5th Grade Math/Science/Social Studies – Morgan has 9 years of teaching experience in DPS (teaching both 3rd and 5th grades). She is excited to join a tightknit community like McKinley-Thatcher.

  • Ashlee Ricci – 5th Grade Literacy – Ashlee is joining team McT after several years teaching 2nd and 4th grades in California.  She is excited to use her expertise teaching English learners and her literacy skills to support the students at McT.

  • Cameron Thorstad – Special Education (4th & 5th grade) – Cameron is coming from Castro Elementary and has 24 years of experience teaching, six of those as a classroom general education teacher. For many years, he has been a special education teacher working with K-8 grade students.

  • Nicole Eby – School Counselor – Nicole has been a school counselor for the past several years in Bennett, CO.  She is excited to work with elementary age students again after supporting high schoolers the past few years. 

  • Shannon McKinney – School Psychologist – Shannon has been the school psychologist at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy (K-12) for the past six years, and has been in education for almost 20 years. She is very excited to join our community and share her love for art and animals with McT students, staff, and families. She has guinea pigs and a therapy dog in-training who will be joining Team McT, too!

  • Tenly Williams – Health Tech Para – Ms. Tenly is joining the McT team after working at Lincoln Elementary as an instructional para. She lives in the neighborhood and will be a perfect addition to our office staff!

Summer Air Conditioning Renovation Project

This summer, our school received a much-needed upgrade to its air conditioning system, thanks to the 2020 DPS School Bond. Although this enhancement was a later addition to the bond program, it has made a significant impact on our campus. We are deeply grateful to the voters who supported this initiative. Prior to the upgrade, our AC system was aging and being closely monitored due to the risk of major failure. Your continued support through the DPS Bond has helped ensure a safe, comfortable learning and working environment for our students, staff, and community. Thank you for investing in the future of our school!

As we approach our first day of school, I encourage you to stay connected through ClassDojo, our school website, and email for important updates and events both now and throughout the year.

Thank you for your continued support and trust. I look forward to a fantastic school year filled with growth, discovery, and success for all of our students.

Sonia Geerdes
Principal