A warm welcome to our new 2026-2027 families!

News from the Nest — May 1, 2026

Posted May 1, 2026

REMINDER: Fishing Day with Mr. J Is TOMORROW (Saturday, May 2)

Our annual Wash Park Fishing Day with Mr. J, our PE teacher, is TOMORROW (Saturday, May 2) from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM! Meet Mr. J on the north side of Smith Lake – you’ll see park ranger tents. Kids can borrow a fishing pole or bring their own. Hope to see you there!

REMINDER: Celebrate Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week NEXT WEEK (May 4 to 8)

Join our Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) as they celebrate Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week from NEXT WEEK (Monday, May 4 to Friday, May 8)! Click here to see each day’s planned celebrations. Families can choose a day or two (or all five!) to show our teachers & staff members how much they are loved and appreciated. Participation is optional.

3rd-5th Grade Families: You’re Invited to Our 3rd – 5th Grade Student Learning Showcase!

Our 3rd through 5th grade families are cordially invited to our 3rd – 5th Grade Student Learning Showcase on Wednesday, May 13 from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM! During our showcase event, students will present key aspects of their learning from their grade level classes, as well as from STEM (science, technology, engineering, & mathematics), art, and drama, to their families.

Event Details

  • Who: 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students and their families.
  • What: Students will present key aspects of their learning to their families.
  • When: Wednesday, May 13, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
    • Students should arrive in time for their grade level performance (see below). Families can visit classrooms before and after performances!
  • Where: Performances are in the cafeteria, while other work is displayed in your child’s homeroom classroom, the library, and the main hallway.
  • Why: Join us to celebrate our students and their successes this year!
  • How: No RSVP is required, but students cannot attend alone, so please come with your children!

Musical & Dramatic Performances

Each grade level will give a short musical or dramatic performance with Ms. Katherine, our drama teacher. All performances will be held in the cafeteria. Students should arrive in time for their grade level performance (see below!).

  • 5th grade: 4:00 PM to 4:15 PM (students line up at 4:00 PM) 
  • 3rd grade performance: 4:20 PM to 4:35 PM (students line up at 4:15 PM) 
  • 4th grade performance: 4:45 PM to 5:30 PM (students line up at 4:40 PM)
    • Please note that the 4th grade performance is 45 minutes long in order to allow all students to perform their Shakespeare skits. 

K-5th Grade Field Day Is Friday, May 15!

We are excited to host our Kindergarten — 5th Grade Field Day on Friday, May 15 from 8:15 AM to 10:45 AM on our field and playground!

  • Who: K-5th grade students & their families
  • What: K-5th Grade Field Day
  • When: Friday, May 15 — 8:15 AM – 10:45 AM
  • Where: McKinley field & playground
  • Why: families are invited to join us for Field Day activities!
  • How: no RSVP necessary; families can head straight to the field when they arrive.

Field Day visitors, please note: you do not need to sign in at the main office on Field Day. Instead, families can head straight to the field at 8:15 AM for our opening ceremony. If you plan to take your student home early after Field Day, you must check them out from the main office. Thank you!

We Need Your Help to Make Field Day a Success!

We are looking for many volunteers to help run our Field Day activity stations! If you can help out from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM on Friday, May 15, please sign up on our SignUpGenius here. Thank you!

Other School News

  • 3rd-5th Grade Families: Talent Show auditions are still open! Please click here to see Talent Show information on our website.

  • Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) May Fundraisers:
    • NEXT WEEK: PTA’s May fundraiser with Lava Island in Englewood is next Thursday (May 7) from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM. On this day, 20% of admission proceeds go back to our school when you mention McKinley-Thatcher at check-in!

      Please note      : tickets must be purchased in-person on May 7 and guests must mention McKinley-Thatcher when checking in at the venue.

    • Save-the-Date: PTA’s May fundraiser with Stir-Pan Creamery (1221 S. Pearl St.) is Thursday, May 14 from 2:00 PM to 9:30 PM. 25% of all purchases will go back to our school – just mention McKinley-Thatcher when you pay!

  • Help shape next year’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)! Our PTA is conducting a short survey here (Google Form) and they want to hear from every family, especially if you’ve never been to a meeting, never volunteered, and / or don’t plan to. Those are the voices we’re missing most, and they’re the ones that will help us change what isn’t working. The survey is anonymous, short (about 5 minutes), and due by Monday, May 18.
  • PTA 2026-2027 Leadership Team Nominations Now Open! Do you know someone who would be a perfect fit for our PTA team? Or are you ready to jump in yourself? Feel free to read some bulleted lists of responsibilities for these roles here (Google Doc), and then please submit your nominations via our Google Form here. We’re accepting nominations until Thursday, May 7, with voting to happen at the May 8 PTA meeting.
  • Save-the-Date: all families are invited to join our principal, Ms. Sonia Geerdes, at 4:30 PM on Wednesday, May 20 for a community meeting to learn about the changes to McKinley-Thatcher’s special education programming beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. Specifically, we will be sharing information about our transition from the Cross-Categorical special education model to a Multi-Intensive Autism classroom, as well as the effect of this change on our Mild / Moderate special education support.

Community News & Resources

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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.

Upcoming DPS & Community Events