News from the Nest — December 12, 2025

Posted December 12, 2025

Help Us Pack & Distribute Food Drive Donations!

We’ve collected so many generous donations to our food drive this week, and now we need your help to get them where they need to go! Please use the SignUpGenius links below to sign up to help organize and pack donations, as well as to help families pick up donated items. 

Food Drive Volunteer Opportunities

  • Monday, December 15, 7:30 AM – 9:30 AMSign Up HERE!
    • Check in at the office and get a visitor badge. 
    • Organize, sort, and pack donations.
  • Monday, December 15, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PMSign Up HERE!
    • Check in at the office and get a visitor badge. 
    • Support families collecting items after school.

All Families Are Welcome to Take Home Food & Toys!

Food drive items will be available to any McKinley family that would like to take food home for Winter Break! Food bags will be distributed on Monday, December 15 at 2:30 PM – simply come to our front lobby. Any and all families are invited to take as many bags as they would like on this day. We’ll also have food bags available for Discovery Link (DL) families when they pick up their students from DL.  

Special this year, McT is partnering with Second Star to the Right and other Pearl Street businesses for a toy drive! Toys will be available for pick up with food and other items.

Raise Money for Our School While Grocery Shopping!

Connect your King Soopers account to our McKinley-Thatcher Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to help raise money for our school! Once you link your card, all you have to do is shop at King Soopers and swipe your Shopper’s Card (or just check out if you are shopping online) to have a percentage of your spending donated back to our PTA, at no added cost to you.

For instructions on how to link your account for donations, see our flyer here or in your child’s December 12 Friday Folder.

Our Yearbook Committee Wants Your Photos!

Our Parent-Teacher Association Yearbook Committee would love pictures you’ve taken at school events and happenings, including things like specials, library time, staff appreciation, snow days, field trips, PE Nights, Discovery Link, Movie Night, Glow Dance, International Night, and more!

To share photos, visit this link or scan the QR code on the flyer in your child’s December 12 Friday Folder. 

Other School News

  • Mark your calendars: we have NO SCHOOL from Monday, December 22 to Monday, January 5. This is our winter break! School resumes on Tuesday, January 6.

  • 2026-2027 SchoolChoice Round 1 Is Open: Round 1 of the 2026-2027 SchoolChoice application is open from December 2, 2025 to January 20, 2026! McKinley-Thatcher families with students who will be attending ECE, kindergarten, or 6th grade next school year should please submit a SchoolChoice application by the January 20 deadline. Families with incoming ECE-4 students must also submit a Universal Pre-K application as soon as possible. For more information about SchoolChoice, visit our website here!

  • Volunteer with Free Book Friday: our school librarian, Ms. Goldberg, is looking for volunteers to help out with Free Book Friday, a recurring book giveaway organized by school staff for the McKinley-Thatcher community! To see more information and to sign up, visit our SignUpGenius here.

Community News & Resources

  • Holidays en Comunidad: families are invited to the Holidays en Comunidad event on Thursday, December 18. This event offers food baskets, local resources, winter gear, and toys for children. Items are free while supplies last. To receive a toy, a child must be present, or you may bring a school ID or birth certificate. The event runs from 9:00 AM until supplies last and is located at 3131 W. 14th Ave., Denver, CO. 

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.

  • Wednesday, 12/17 – ECE In-School Field Trip: Gingerbread Storytelling with the Children’s Museum of Denver
  • Thursday, 12/18 to Friday, 12/19 – 5th Grade Overnight Field Trip: Balarat
  • Friday, 12/19 – December School Value Assembly, 7:45 AM 
  • Monday, 12/22 to Monday, 1/5NO SCHOOL: Winter Break
  • Tuesday, 1/6School RESUMES

Upcoming DPS & Community Events

  • Thursday, 12/18 Holidays en Comunidad (free food baskets, local resources, winter gear, and toys for children)