March 2025

McKenny Hawks Are Kind, Safe, Respectful and Responsible

 

 

 

Important Dates:

• 3: Cispus Luggage Drop Off @ 2:45 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
  
• 3: First Day of Running Club @ 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
  
• 4: Cispus Luggage Drop Off @ 8:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.
  
• 5: Walk N Roll
  
• 5-7: 5th Graders at Cispus
  
• 9: Daylight Saving Time
  
• 10-14: Classified Appreciation Week
  
• 10: Registration for Spring Conferences Opens
  
• 11: PTO Meeting McKenny Library @ 6:30 p.m.
  
• 12: PTO Theater Production Sign-Ups Open for 5th Graders
  
• 13: 1st & 2nd Grade to OJP @ 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
  
• 13: Orchestra Concert at OHS @ 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m
  
• 18: WMS 5th Grade Parent Night @ 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
  
• 19: FamOly Concert at OHS @ 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
  
• 20: 4th Grade at the Food Bank @ 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
  
• 21: Registration Closes for Spring Conferences
  
• 21: PTO Movie Night @ 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.,m.
  
• 22: Countdown to Kindergarten at OHS @ 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
  
• 24-28: Spring Conference Week - Dismissal @ 11:35 a.m.
  
• 24-28: Book Fair
  
• 25: Booster Fun Run Sign-Up Open
  
• 31-April 4: Spring Break - No School
  
  
  

McKenny's Running Club - March 3rd

Do you have a student who loves to run? Are you wanting accountability to walk or run yourself? Join the McKenny Running Club!  It’s FREE and open to all McKenny families!  

Running Club kicks off March 3rd! Practices will take place on Monday and Thursday afternoons from 4-4:30, rain or shine. During practices we will meet and stretch in the play shed, and then complete at least one mile on the marked course. Our goal will be to run a full marathon one mile at a time! We will compete in the Capital Marathon Kid’s Run mid May for our culminating event.  

Running Club is not a drop off event- an adult must supervise your student. And it is not mandatory to attend all practices, so come when it works best for your schedule! All family members are welcome, young and old!  

Be on the lookout for more information soon. If you are interested in helping to coach this year, or in helping to clean up the trail before club starts, contact Mindy Swedberg at [email protected]

Walk N Roll - March 5th

Our school hosts a Walk N Roll event one day each month. These are optional days that students can bike or walk to and from school, and once they arrive, can receive special prizes. Please wear helmets when riding, and make sure students are crossing roads safely. Walking or biking to school is not only amazing for your health, but it is also helpful to the environment!

Olympia Junior Programs (OJP) - March 13th (1st & 2nd Grade)

McKenny students grades 1 - 5 will participate in OJP at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts. 1st and 2nd graders will be going March 13th to see "Cuentos: Tales from the Latinx World." Permission slips will be sent home Friday, February 28th; please return them by March 11th for your child to attend. If possible please donate $4 for your child's attendance to the show. Payments can be made with cash (exact amount only, Office does not have change), check, or credit (online or in the office). 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will be attending OJP April 25th and permission slips will be sent home after Spring Break.

WMS 5th Grade Parent Night - March 18th

Washington Middle School’s Fifth Grade Parent Night is on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, from 6-7 p.m. This night is a great opportunity to learn how WMS supports all learners.

You’ll also hear from WMS teachers representing different subjects and electives, and get an insider’s look at the sports and clubs that make WMS unique.

Countdown to Kindergarten - March 22nd

We would like to welcome the students and families from the Class of 2038 to our annual Olympia School District 'Countdown to Kindergarten' event. This exciting and informative event is open to all parents/guardians who have children entering kindergarten for the 2025-26 school year, both in-district and out-of-district families.

Date: Saturday, March 22, 2025
Time: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Doors will open at 9:40 a.m.)
Location: Olympia High School (1302 North Street SE)

Parents/guardians and incoming kindergartners are encouraged to attend, and feel free to invite your friends and neighbors! Families will have an opportunity to:

•  Learn all about transitioning to kindergarten in our district
  
•  Begin the enrollment process
  
•  Interact in a mock kindergarten classroom
  
•  Enjoy activities in our P.E. and arts/music booths
  
•  Talk with transportation and child nutrition staff
  
•  Receive a free book from the South Sound Reading Foundation
  
•  Find out about before and after-school programs from Y-Care
  
•  Learn about transferring to the OSD for out-of-district families
  
•  Speak with Student Support if your child requires special needs accommodations

Spring Conference Week - March 24th-28th

Spring Conference Week is March 25-28 with dismissal at 11:35 a.m. Grab n’ Go lunches will be available for students that request them. Conference Scheduler will be available in Skyward Family Access starting March 4th and will close March 15th. If you have trouble registering please call the office at 360.596.8400.

Lost and Found

Our lost and found is bursting at the seams with various items that have lost their way home. We kindly ask parents and guardians to take a moment to check if any of the items belong to your child. It's essential to label your child's belongings with their name to ensure a swift return in case they get misplaced. Let's work together to reunite these items with their rightful owners!

 

 

News from the PTO

PTO Meeting:

Tuesday March 11th 6:30-8:00pm: Please join us in the McKenny library at 6:30 PM or connect via Zoom for a great evening of planning and discussion. This is a great opportunity to share your ideas, ask questions, and get involved. We hope to see you there—whether in person or on ZOOM. Meeting ID: 881 5468 3334 Passcode: 772214 

Bingo Night: 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Bingo Night!  Whether you were playing Bingo, volunteering, or cheering everyone on, you helped make the night a success. We’re excited to share that the link to the photo booth pictures is now available. Click this link. Be sure to check out the fun memories captured during the night. 

Movie Night:

Join us for The Lego Movie Friday March 21st, doors open at 6:15pm, the cost is $5 for the first student and $4 for any additional. You can sign up to volunteer and purchase tickets at bit.ly/PTOCU. Pre-K and Kindergarten students are required to have an adult stay for the duration of the film. 

Theater:

The McKenny Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is proud to announce this year’s production will be The Little Mermaid Jr.!! Once again this event will be produced by Pacific Northwest Theater Group. Each year the programs allow for 30 students to participate. Sign ups will first open to all McKenny 5th grade student’s on Wednesday March 12th.  If there continues to be availability 4th grade will be offered to sign up and then 3rd grade if there continues to be openings.  Rehearsals are mandatory, and will be held every day after school from dismissal to 5:30pm, beginning April 7th.  Performances will be on Friday May 2nd and Saturday May 3rd. Registration website link and further details to come.

Booster Fun Run: 

We're thrilled to announce the return of the McKenny Fun Run! Our goal this year is to raise $12,000 to fund Art Supplies, add new benches to our playground, and bring the Pacific Science Center on Wheels to McKenny for the 2025-2026 school year. This exciting fundraising event will feature a user-friendly platform, a character-building program, and a fitness-focused activity that includes all of our wonderful students. You can help by inviting family and friends to support our school through your child’s donation page at MyBooster.com. And don’t worry—you can still support us by simply SHARING the fundraiser! Students will also participate in a fun character enrichment program called Castle Quest, where they’ll learn valuable lessons about bravery and living with character. Key dates for the Fun Run are: online sign up at MyBooster.com: 03/25/2025, fundraiser kickoff: 04/08/2025, event day: 04/17/2025.  Stay tuned for more details and be sure to follow our social media pages for updates!

Book Fair: 

The Scholastic Book Fair is returning! The PTO will once again be hosting a book fair during conferences, March 24th - 28th. This is another great way to support our school while encouraging a love of reading. We will need volunteers to help make the Book Fair a success, so if you’d like to be part of this wonderful event check our group page bit.ly/PTOCU later this month to sign up.

 

Don’t forget to find us on Facebook, Instagram, CheddarUp and our website!

PTO email: [email protected] 

PTO website:  mckennypto.org!

Instagram: @mckennyhawkspto
Facebook: facebook.com/mckennyhawkspto 

Principals Corner  

Outdoor School for Fifth Graders

As we move into March, I wanted to share about an annual experience, in which all students who attend 5th grade in OSD get to participate. Each Spring, our fifth grade students and teachers get to experience three days of outdoor education at the Cispus Learning Center near the town of Randle, Washington. Our students will be attending outdoor school this coming week March 5-7 along with fifth graders from Centennial, Pioneer and Roosevelt elementary schools.

This annual trip has been taking place for OSD students since the 1970s and Cispus has been its home since the mid-1980s. In short, the camp experience serves as an extension of classroom learning related to the fifth grade science curriculum. While going on hikes through the woods, along streams, and behind a beautiful waterfall, students and teachers take advantage of the natural setting to investigate flora and fauna, PNW ecosystems, local geography, and interactions between humans and nature.

In addition to the science curriculum, the camp setting allows us to also extend learning related to social-emotional goals as there is an emphasis on teamwork and community. We have recreation periods, campfires with songs and skits, and family style meals in the dining hall which bring together students from all four schools.

 

Michael

 

McKenny Elementary School Schedule

Grades K to 5  8:30 a.m.—2:45 p.m. 

AM Preschool  8:30—11:00 a.m. 
PM Preschool  12:15—2:45 p.m. 
Early Release Every Wednesday 1:55 p.m.  (No preschool) 
Half Day Dismissal 11:35 a.m.  (No preschool)