News from the Nest — October 31, 2025

Posted October 31, 2025

Important Information About November 2025 SNAP Benefits

Due to the federal government shutdown, the United States Department of Agriculture has informed the State of Colorado that November 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits cannot be issued at this time. McKinley-Thatcher Elementary has worked to collect information about this situation and a list of food resources in our community to share with school families on our website here.

We are also working to support families in our community who are affected by the November SNAP benefits disruption.

Donate to Support McKinley Families 

Our main office is organizing a gift card drive to support families in our community who are not receiving SNAP benefits during November. Your generous donations will help provide essential groceries and household items to those in need. Thank you for helping us ensure that our community is supported during this challenging time!

How Can I Donate?

• We are collecting physical gift cards to local stores like King Soopers, Safeway, Target, and Walmart.
• Gift cards of any value are welcome, but amounts in $25 increments are most helpful.
• Gift cards may be dropped off in our main office between 7:15 AM and 3:15 PM. 

Sign Up to Request Assistance from Our School

If your family is affected by the SNAP benefits disruption, please complete this Google form to request grocery store gift cards to help out during November. 

Please note: the availability of gift cards will depend on donations we receive from our community. We will make every effort to help all families who request assistance, but assistance is not guaranteed. We strongly encourage families to identify other local food resources, too! 

New Food Access Resources Have Been Added to Our List!

We have added several new food resources to our list for families. See the full list by clicking here, and check out the new resources below. 

• Check out the Plentiful app, which helps neighbors looking to access charitable food solutions. This app has resources that aren’t visible through the Food Bank of the Rockies locator tool, and also allows you to select appointment times (when available) so you don’t have to wait in long lines!
• Visit the City of Denver’s food resources website here. This site includes information for families in need of food resources, and for families who would like to donate or volunteer their time.
• Check out the City of Denver’s Tasty Food program here. This program serves youth ages 3 to 18 for breakfast, lunch, supper, and / or snacks. No ID or registration required — just show up and eat!

Save-the-Date: PTA’s November Restaurant Fundraiser Is Tuesday, November 11!

Families are invited to enjoy our Parent-Teacher Association’s (PTA) November Restaurant Fundraiser at Sweet Cow (1882 S. Pearl St.) on Tuesday, November 11. On this day, mention McKinley-Thatcher at the register and our PTA will receive 40% of your order total as a donation (excludes merchandise & gift cards)!

Show Your Eagle Pride!

Check out the McKinley-Thatcher PTA’s online merch store for t-shirts and hoodies: click here to shop!

All items are sold at cost and printed on demand so every Eagle can show their school spirit! If you’d like to go the extra mile, we also welcome donations to help fund the PTA’s mission of supporting our students, teachers, and community.

Other School News

• November 2025 lunch menu: please click here to see our November 2025 school lunch menu in English. We will share translated versions of the menu as soon as they are available!
  
  
• REMINDER: registration for the winter session of our after-school enrichments is open now through Monday, November 3! View the enrichment course catalog by clicking here.
  
  
• Information about ordering school pictures: just a reminder that Bloom School Pictures has our students’ Picture Day galleries ready for families to view! Please visit the picture ordering post on our website here for instructions on how to view your student’s gallery and order pictures.

Community News & Resources

• East High School Sports Equipment Drive: from November 1 to 30, East High’s Female Athlete Wellness Club is running a new and used sports equipment drive across our school district to collect gear for donation to children in Costa Rica. If you’d like to donate, bring all types of gear, including lightly used or new footwear, clothing, and equipment (balls, sticks, etc.) to the donation box in our main office anytime before November 30!

Share Your Feedback with Us!

Please let us know how we are doing! Send us a shoutout, an idea you have to help us get better, or a concern that you would like addressed. Responses can be submitted using this Google form. Thank you! 

Upcoming School Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

• Friday, 10/31 – NO SCHOOL: DPS Staff Planning Day 
• Monday, 11/3 – winter after-school enrichment registration CLOSES 
• Thursday, 11/6 – 5th Grade Field Trip: Overland Pond Park
• Tuesday, 11/11 – PTA November Restaurant Fundraiser: Sweet Cow

Upcoming DPS & Community Events

• None at this time!