News from the Nest — December 19, 2025

Posted December 19, 2025

REMINDER:
NO SCHOOL from December 22 to January 5!

We have NO SCHOOL from Monday, December 22 to Monday, January 5. This is our winter break! School resumes on Tuesday, January 6.

Participate in Our Annual Winter Reading Challenge!

Students are invited to join in our annual Winter Reading Challenge during winter break! Our challenge information is coming home in your child’s Friday Folder today (Friday, December 19). 

To complete the challenge, kids get to read in a lot of fun ways and in fun places in order to fill their cocoa cup with marshmallows! Kids may turn their completed cocoa cup papers into the office by Monday, January 12, 2026. All completed cocoa cups will be entered into a raffle for fun prizes the following week!

Here’s a digital version of the cocoa cup paper (PDF file), in case you need it!

Show Your Eagle Pride!

Check out the McKinley-Thatcher Parent-Teacher Association’s (PTA) 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

  • Save-the-date: our Parent-Teacher Association’s January restaurant fundraiser is at Illegal Pete’s DU location on Wednesday, January 14. We’ll share more information after winter break! In the meantime, check out this and other upcoming fundraisers on our PTA’s website here.

  • 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

  • None at this time!

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.

  • Monday, 12/22 to Monday, 1/5 – NO SCHOOL: Winter Break
  • Tuesday, 1/6 – School RESUMES

Upcoming DPS & Community Events

  • None at this time!