News from the Nest — November 11, 2022

Posted November 11, 2022

Vol. 7, No. 12

REMINDER:
Our GLOW Dance Fall Fundraiser Is TONIGHT!!

Just a reminder that everyone is invited to our GLOW Dance fundraiser TONIGHT (Friday, November 11) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in our cafeteria! We’ll have a special guest appearance by DJ Cyn (who is back from last year’s auction)!

Admission to the dance is FREE! We will have food, glow toys, and other fun available for sale by purchasing raffle tickets at the door. We can’t wait to see you there!

Adopt-a-Family Program:
Sign Up by November 16 to GIVE or RECEIVE Help in December!

McKinley-Thatcher is excited to announce that we are running our annual Adopt-a-Family assistance program this December! Each December, McKinley families give and receive help over Winter Break through our annual Adopt-a-Family program.

Families in need of assistance sign up to receive a food box and/or complete a wish list for household goods, clothes, and gifts for children.
Families who’d like to give help “adopt” a family in need and fulfill their wish list by purchasing the items on it.

How Do I Participate?

If you’d like to RECEIVE help over winter break, please complete this form to sign up for a food box, to complete a wish list, or both!
If you’d like to GIVE help over winter break, please complete this form.
Families may also sign up by completing the blue form in our November 11 Friday Folders.

What Is the Signup Deadline?

Families MUST SUBMIT THEIR SIGN-UP FORMS BY WEDNESDAY, 11/16 in order to participate in the Adopt-a-Family program!

It is VERY difficult for us to accommodate late sign-ups, so please submit your form by the deadline. If you do sign up after the deadline, we will do our best to include you in the program but may not be able to do so.

Have Questions?

Contact Ms. Ingrid Hoff (she/her), McKinley’s community liaison, at Ingrid_Hoff@dpsk12.net or (720) 424-5605.

Save-the-Date:
Winter Food Drive Is Coming Soon!

It’s time to get ready to donate to our annual December Food Drive!

What: donate canned & other shelf-stable food to our school.
When: bring donations after fall break – we’ll share exact dates soon!
Why: to support McKinley families in need + the class who donates the most wins an Ice Cream Sundae Party!
More info coming home next week!

In Other News!

Mark your calendars: we have NO SCHOOL from Monday, November 21 to Friday, November 25 for our fall break!
We are happy to announce that, after working closely with DPS, we have identified a solution for our dead field: McKinley has been approved for a large amount of extra funding, which will allow us to install a brand new AstroTurf (synthetic turf) field! We will be one of the first elementary schools to get this done, and we’re thrilled to be able to give our students a mud-free area to play year-round!

The construction will begin this winter and will take several months. Our field will be closed during the construction process – we will communicate more details about this to our families soon.
DPS is excited to invite families of Multilingual Learners to an in-person Multilingual Education Districtwide Advisory Committee (MLE DAC) meeting on Wednesday, November 16 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Wyatt Academy. At this meeting, families will receive information and resources about DPS’s Strategic Roadmap, Multilingual Education Family Engagement, and hear from a DPS guest speaker! For more information & to register, click here.
We’re excited to share information about the Denver Indian Center (DICI), which is an urban cultural gathering center for the American Indian and Alaska Native community of the Denver Metro area! The DICI aims to meet the unique needs and challenges facing the Native community, to support Native youth and community by providing guidance for economic empowerment and self-reliance programs that empower families and honor elders, and to offer a space where Native culture can be preserved and celebrated.
Changes to Some of Our Annual November School Events: due to space limitations and out of respect for our indigenous community members, we are not hosting a Thanksgiving meal or Turkey Trot event for families this year. DPS Food Services will offer a Thanksgiving-themed lunch for students only on Thursday, November 17 and our classrooms may conduct Thanksgiving-themed learning, but we will focus on a culturally responsive way to learn about this time in American history. We will be replacing our Turkey Trot with another family fun-run event later in this school year. Please contact our office if you have questions about our plans. Thank you for understanding!
Fundraise for McKinley-Thatcher while supporting a neighborhood business and enjoying some great wine at the same time! Pearl Wine Company (PWC), a South Pearl St. staple, is hosting their annual anniversary wine tasting on Saturday, November 12 (tomorrow!) from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. 100% of the proceeds from each tasting ticket purchased through our special McKinley-Thatcher link come back to our school. Visit PWC’s website for more information and to buy a ticket to support McKinley!

Upcoming Events

Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.

Fri., 11/11 – GLOW Dance Fall Fundraiser, 5:30pm-7:30pm in our cafeteria
Sat., 11/12 – Pearl Wine Company Anniversary fundraiser, 6:00pm @ History Colorado
Sun., 11/13 – Girls on the Run 5K, 8:00am-12:00pm @ City Park
Tues., 11/15 – 5th Grade Mini Field Trip: Grant Beacon Middle School
Tues., 11/15 – 2nd Grade Field Trip: Morrison Natural History Museum
Weds., 11/16 – DEADLINE: Adopt-a-Family sign-up forms DUE!
Weds., 11/16 – 3rd & 4th Grade Field Trip: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Wed., 11/16 – 1st & 5th Grade: CogAT testing
Weds., 11/16 – Multilingual Education Districtwide Advisory Committee, 5:00pm-7:00pm @ Wyatt Academy
Thurs., 11/17 – Kindergarten: NNAT testing
Thurs., 11/17 – 3rd & 4th Grade: CogAT testing
Thurs., 11/17 – LAST DAY: Girls on the Run
Fri., 11/18 – November School Value Assembly, 7:45am-8:15am
Mon., 11/21 to Fri., 11/25 – NO SCHOOL: Fall Break