News from the Nest — May 8, 2026
Posted May 8, 2026
REMINDER:
3rd-5th Grade Student Learning Showcase Is Wednesday, May 13
Our 3rd through 5th grade families are cordially invited to our 3rd – 5th Grade Student Learning Showcase this coming 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 and their technology, art, and drama classes to their families.
To see all of our event details, including performance times for each grade level, please visit our website.
REMINDER:
K-5th Grade Field Day Is Friday, May 15!
Our Kindergarten — 5th Grade Field Day is this coming 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.
Signing Students Out Early
If you plan to take your student home early after Field Day, you must follow the sign-out steps below.
- Enter the building with your student’s class after Field Day is over.
- Sign your student out from their classroom using the Field Day sign-out sheet.
- Leave with your student and their belongings straight from the classroom – no need to stop by the main office.
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!
Spring Book Fair:
Wednesday, May 13 to Friday, May 15
Our Parent-Teacher Association’s Spring Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) Book Fair is running from Wednesday, May 13 to Friday, May 15 after school in our art room. Our fair is a great opportunity to pick up end-of-year gifts and stock up on books for summer break, and every purchase benefits our school!
To see more book fair information, including sale hours, please visit our website here.
Other School News
- May 2026 lunch menu: in case you missed it, please see our May 2026 lunch menu in English, Arabic, Dari, Nepali, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese (PDF files).
- May Fundraiser Next Week: our Parent-Teacher Association’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.
- 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.
- Mark your calendars: we have no school on Monday, May 25 in observance of Memorial Day. School resumes on Tuesday, May 26!
- Last Day of School: please mark your calendars for our last day of school and for our Parent-Teacher Association’s (PTA) end-of-year party!
- 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 – PTA’s End-of-Year Party, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM on our playground. We’ll share more information next week!
- Please note: students may NOT attend the end-of-year party alone. Please pick your student up at 11:30 AM and plan to accompany them to the party. Thank you!
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, 5/11 – 3rd Grade Field Trip: History Colorado
- Tuesday, 5/12 – 2nd Grade Field Trip: Denver Zoo
- Wednesday, 5/13 – 3rd – 5th Grade Student Learning Showcase, 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
- Wednesday, 5/13 to Friday, 5/15 – Spring BOGO Book Fair, after school in our art room
- Thursday, 5/14 – PTA May Fundraiser: Stir-Pan Creamery (PDF file), 2:00 PM to 9:30 PM
- Friday, 5/15 – K-5th Grade Field Day, 8:15 AM to 10:45 AM
- Tuesday, 5/19 to Wednesday, 5/20 – 5th Grade Overnight Field Trip: Balarat
- Wednesday, 5/20 – 4th Grade Field Trip: Grant Frontier Park
- Wednesday, 5/20 – Community Meeting: Special Education Program Updates, 4:30 PM in our library
- Friday, 5/22 – 3rd-5th Grade Talent Show, 1:00 PM
Upcoming DPS & Community Events
