News from the Nest — October 16, 2026
Posted October 16, 2026
Important Reminder: Recording & Social Media at School Events
With so many fun events coming up this fall and winter, we are reminding families about the guidelines for the use of photography, videos, and social media that involve McKinley-Thatcher students.
Our school is committed to protecting every child’s privacy, safety, and ability to participate comfortably in school events. Families and guests must follow the guidelines below when attending school-sponsored activities.
- Recording video or audio, photographing in a way that captures identifiable students, or livestreaming is not permitted at any school event without prior written consent from all guardians of students who may appear in the recording.
- School event videos and photographs may not be posted, shared, or distributed on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or similar services.
- School event videos and photographs may not be posted or shared anywhere on the internet, including websites, messaging platforms, public or private online groups, and cloud-based pages. You MAY share photos and videos in our school’s ClassDojo chats.
- Families and guests should avoid recording or sharing content that identifies students, including names, faces, voices, uniforms, or other personal details.
These guidelines apply to all school-sponsored events and activities, including but not limited to:
- Performances and concerts
- Assemblies
- Field trips
- Classroom parties
- Sporting events
- School gatherings and celebrations
2026-2027 School Picture Ordering
We are excited to announce that Bloom School Pictures has our students’ Picture Day galleries ready for families to view! Please visit Bloom’s website here to view your student’s gallery and order pictures.
For instructions about accessing your student’s gallery, as well as signing up for Picture Retake Day on Thursday, October 22, please visit this post on our website.
School Halloween Celebration: Thursday, October 29
Our school Halloween celebration is coming up soon on Thursday, October 29! Please note that our celebration is being held on Thursday, October 29 because we have no school on Friday, October 30.
Halloween Celebration Schedule: Thursday, October 29
- School-Wide Costume Parade: 7:45 AM to 8:00 AM on our track.
- Families are welcome to stay and watch the parade.
- Students should wear their costumes to school in order to participate in the parade.
- Classroom Parties: classrooms will also hold Halloween parties, which are for students only.
Costume Information
- Wearing a costume is optional.
- Costumes must be school-appropriate.
- No masks of any kind may be worn at school. Shoes must be worn at all times.
- No fake weapons may be brought to school. No fake blood may be used.
- All costumes, accessories, make-up, face paint, etc. must be applied at home. Spray cans for hair color or special make-up may not be used in the school building.
- If students are dressing as someone of a gender different than the one they identify as, it must be done respectfully and as a specific character or entity.
What If My Family Does Not Celebrate Halloween?
We will have an alternative activity available in the library for students who are not participating in our Halloween celebration. If you prefer that your child not participate, please return the form that was included in our October 16 Friday Folders or click here to complete our digital form.
School News
- Mark your calendars: we have no school on Friday, October 30 and Monday, November 2. School resumes on Tuesday, November 3.
- Friday, October 30 – district-wide staff planning day
- Monday, November 2 – McKinley-Thatcher staff planning day
Upcoming School Events
- Monday, October 19 – 5th Grade Field Trip: Overland Pond Park
- Thursday, October 22 – Picture Retake Day
- Thursday, October 22 – 3rd Grade Field Trip: Denver Museum of Nature & Science
- Friday, October 23 – Monthly School Values Assembly
- Thursday, October 29 – School Halloween Celebration
- Friday, October 30 – NO SCHOOL: DPS Staff Planning Day
- Monday, November 2 – NO SCHOOL: McKinley-Thatcher Staff Planning Day
Click here to view the McKinley-Thatcher school calendar.
PTA News
- Thank you so much to everyone who came to PTA Movie Night last week! We couldn’t do these free community-building events without the incredible help of our volunteers and donors, so we are sending a special thank you. We are so grateful and we appreciate our McT community!
Want to support more of these programs? Click here to donate or click here to express interest in volunteering at future events! It’s truly a team effort and successful because of our community’s generosity, and the PTA is so grateful for your support.
- Mark your calendars for another double-header restaurant fundraiser on Tuesday with Sexy Pizza & Pearl Wine Co:
- Visit Sexy Pizza between 11AM and 11PM, and 15% of all sales that day will go back to McKinley-Thatcher! Treat your co-workers for lunch, have a pizza party with your sports team, buy a gift card for a teacher or one to use on your next babysitter night…there are a lot of great excuses to order pizza that day! You do not need to mention a code as the giveback applies to all orders that day.
Then head a few doors down to our friends at Pearl Wine Co between 11AM and 9PM to purchase wine, beer and liquor to bring home and enjoy with your pizza…(and be sure to stock up for later while you’re there!). Mention McKinley-Thatcher when you pay, and they will also donate 15% of all sales back to our school. Visit our website for details.
Upcoming PTA Events
Community News
- Denver Public Schools families are invited to the third annual “Boo at CU” event, hosted by the University of Colorado School of Medicine, on Thursday, October 29 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. This family-friendly event is designed to provide a fun and safe Halloween experience for children and their families. For more information, and to RSVP, please see the event flyer in English here (PDF file) and in Spanish here (PDF file).
- Spooky Spokes Bike Ride: join Platt Park People’s Association (3PA) on Sunday, October 25 for a spooky and safe group bike ride around Platt Park to visit each entry for the 4th Annual Scarecrow Contest! This will be a guided group ride held at a slow pace for all ages with dedicated volunteers making sure no one is left behind. For more information, including event times, click here.
Upcoming Community Events
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!
