News from the Nest — May 22, 2026
Posted May 22, 2026
REMINDER: NO SCHOOL on Monday, May 25
We have no school this coming Monday, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day. School resumes on Tuesday, May 26!
REMINDER:
Last Day of School Is Friday, May 29 for K-5th Grade
Please note that our ECE students have a different last day of school than kindergarten through 5th graders!
- Wednesday, May 27 – ECE ONLY: Last Day of School for ECE (half-day with dismissal after continuation)
- Friday, May 29 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL for K-5th Grade (half-day with dismissal at 11:30 AM)
- Friday, May 29 – Last Day of School Party, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on our playground. See more information below!
Celebrate with Us:
PTA’s Annual Last Day of School Party Is Friday, May 29!
All members of the McKinley-Thatcher school community are invited to attend our Parent-Teacher Association’s (PTA) Last Day of School Party on Friday, May 29 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on our playground!
Please note: children may NOT attend the party alone. Please pick your child up at our 11:30 AM dismissal, then accompany them to the party.
To help us celebrate the end of the school year, we’ll have the following activities (and more!) for families:
- Explore Denver Fire Department Truck #16 – 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
- Enjoy Sweet Cow Ice Cream’s MooMobile ice cream truck.
- Our PTA is sponsoring a free single scoop + one topping for each student!
- Enjoy Blackjack pizza, available for $2 per slice (cash or mobile wallet payments).
- Find some McKinley-Thatcher staff celebrities in our dunk tank.
- Check out some great summer resources & organizations that will be on-site:
- Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Cherry Creek State Park – hands-on activities & visuals for kids.
- Denver Public Library Bookmobile – free books, sign up for library cards, and yard games.
- Denver Parks & Recreation – free swag + information about the MY Denver Card and summer programming.
- Denver Roller Derby – information about the Roller Derby Jr. league and other derby fun.
- Grant Beacon Middle School (GBMS) – connect with GBMS principal Jillian Watson (12:00 PM to 12:30 PM).
- WeeCycle – program information, resources for families, and volunteer opportunities for families with young kids this summer. WeeCycle is also running a donation drive for gently used baby gear – click here to see information about accepted donation items!
- The ZAG Project – a non-profit organization on a mission to promote joy.
Sign Up to Volunteer!
Our PTA needs volunteers to make this event a success! If you’d like to help out, please sign up to volunteer using this Google form.
McKinley-Thatcher’s 2026-2027 School Year Calendar Is Now Available!
Please click here to see our school’s 2026-2027 school year calendar in English (PDF file). We will share translated versions of the calendar in August.
Please note that we have four no school days that are specific to McKinley-Thatcher. These days are in addition to district-wide no school days, and are intended to provide our staff with extra professional development and planning time.
McKinley-Thatcher Staff Planning Days
These days are shown in yellow on the calendar linked above.
- Monday, November 2 – NO SCHOOL
- Friday, February 12 – NO SCHOOL
- Monday, March 1 – NO SCHOOL
- Monday, April 5 – NO SCHOOL
Other School News
- Reminder from Nurse Jen: it’s time for medication pick-up! If you have any medication for your student at school, please plan on picking it up no later than 12:15 PM on Friday, May 29. To pick up medications, come to the front office and the school nurse will meet you to sign them out. Colorado’s state guidelines state that medications are not permitted to be sent home with your child. Any medication not picked up by 12:15 PM on May 29 will be destroyed per school district policy.
For questions or concerns, please contact our school nurse, Ms. Jennifer Iltis, at (720) 424-5606 or Jennifer_Iltis@dpsk12.net. Thank you!
- Free Summer Healthcare for DPS Students & Siblings: Denver Heath’s School-Based Health Centers will continue to see Denver Public Schools (DPS) students and their siblings for free at certain locations during the summer. The health centers offer free medical and dental care, run by Denver Health Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. For more information, check out their summer flyer here (PDF file).
Community News & Resources
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, 5/25 – NO SCHOOL: Memorial Day
- Tuesday, 5/26 – 4th Grade Walking Field Trip: End-of-Year Picnic @ Wash Park Playground
- Wednesday, 5/27 – ECE ONLY: Last Day of School (half-day with dismissal after continuation)
- Wednesday, 5/27 – ECE Continuation, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
- Wednesday, 5/27 – 5th Grade Continuation, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
- Thursday, 5/28 – Staff vs. 5th Grade Kickball Game
- Friday, 5/29 – K-5th Grade: LAST DAY OF SCHOOL (half-day with dismissal at 11:30 AM)
- Friday, 5/29 – K-2nd Grade End-of-Year Awards Assembly, 7:45 AM
- Friday, 5/29 – 3rd-5th Grade End-of-Year Awards Assembly, 9:30 AM
- Friday, 5/29 – PTA’s Last Day of School Party, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM
- Monday, 6/1 – Main Office CLOSES for summer break, 3:00 PM
Upcoming DPS & Community Events
