McKenny Elementary Hawk Talk
October 2020
McKenny Hawks Are Kind, Safe, Respectful and Responsible
October Up-Coming Events
1 – Walk-N-Roll Month
2 – All School Assembly @Noon
6 – Homework Packet Distribution @12:00 to 4:00
6- Kindergarten Parent Zoom w/Principal @4:30
9 – No School
9- Homework Packet Distribution @4:00 to 6:00
13- Virtual PTO Meeting @6:30
16 – All School Assembly @Noon
20 - Homework Packet Distribution @12:00 to 4:00
23- Homework Packet Distribution @4:00 to 6:00
27-30- Conference Week
30 – All School Assembly @Noon
Daylight Saving Time Ends
Fall back 1 hour on Sunday, November 1st.
No School
No School Friday, October 9th for a teacher in service day. No school on Monday, November 11th to honor Veterans Day and also on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 25th, 26th and 27th for Thanksgiving Break.
Walk N Roll
In October, Walk N Roll usually helps schools celebrate International Walk to School Day and Walk to School Month. Since school is remote this fall, we are replacing these events with the first ever Youth Walk Challenge! This is a great way to encourage youth to get outside and stay active during remote learning.
All Thurston County youth can participate by walking ten days during the month of October. We encourage individual youth, families, childcare facilities and in-person and remote learning classrooms to participate in the event. Participants record the minutes walked each day, then email a photo of themselves walking or a picture of their completed challenge to [email protected] . We will mail all participants a small prize and enter them in a prize drawing for a $50 gift card.
Attendance Matters!
Students need to log in to the portal daily and go to the daily student attendance check in. Students must log out daily as well. Please do not leave the portal open or your attendance will not be recorded.
PTO
PTO Website – www.mckennypto.org
WHAT WE DO
The mission of the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is to enrich the student experience at McKenny Elementary. To achieve this, we build relationships within the school and community, volunteer our time at the school and in the classroom and support and organize programs and activities.
HOW TO JOIN
We welcome you to become a member of the McKenny PTO! Membership is FREE!! We ask you to fill out the attached Membership and Directory Form. Your FREE membership to the PTO comes with a school directory (which is useful for setting up birthday parties or play dates) as well as voting rights!! Your membership can help inform how the PTO spends the funds it raises for the benefit of McKenny Elementary.
HOW WE RAISE MONEY
The McKenny PTO collects membership dues and sponsors fundraisers every school year. Each school year, we raise money through PTO events such as Read-A-Thon, Fun Run, Value Village donations, and our Carnival. Other past fundraisers include silent and live dinner auctions and cookie dough sales. We also participate in “cash back programs” such as Box Tops for Education, Amazon Smile, and retail store rewards programs.
In the 2019-20 school year, here are some things that we achieved:
~ Providing field trip transportation expenses coverage
~ Providing IXL subscriptions for Math/Language Arts and Science
~ Providing the Pacific Science Center on Wheels experience for the entire student body.
Let's see what we can accomplish for our school in 2020-2021!
PAST PTO PROJECTS (Images if you’re interested are here)
Some of the projects in the past that the PTO has sponsored for the school include:
~ Field/track refurbishment
~ Computer lab tables & chairs
~ Coat Racks for several classroom
~ Staff breakroom seating
~ Library tables & chairs
~ Painting of the outdoor buddy bench/table
~ Sound system (and maintenance) for assemblies
~ Outdoor classroom
~ Cricut and other office/tech supplies for staff/students
~ Many, many library books
HOW CAN I CONNECT?
~ Attend a monthly meeting!. The McKenny PTO meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month. Meetings are held via Zoom. Next Meeting is 10/13 at 630pm.
~ By signing up to Join the PTO for free, you’ll get emailed the meeting information in advance.
~ Follow us on Facebook “McKenny Hawks PTO”.
~ Visit our Website: www.mckennypto.org.
~ Read the monthly “Hawk Talk” newsletters!
~ Email us at [email protected]
Community Connections
We want to intentionally and creatively connect families and students at McKenny this year so we will be starting a Community Connections Team. If you are excited about helping families connect and are passionate about equity at our school - come join us for our first planning meeting on Tuesday, September 29th at 7pm. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to Kamy Durocher at [email protected] and she will send you the link details.
TC Food Bank
McKenny is once again participating in a school-wide service project with the Thurston County Food Bank. The FORKids program, which supplies weekend food bags to over 2,100 Thurston County elementary students in need every week, is in need of volunteers. If you are interested in helping assemble these bags, please respond to sign up for your grade level date below. This is a great opportunity for students to work with their parent(s)/guardian(s) in serving our community, while also deepening relationships within our school. This is not a drop off event, a guardian or parent must attend with each student.
Dates:
Kindergarten and 1st:
Thursday, October 1, 5:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, November 5, 5:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, December 3, 5:00-7:00 pm
3rd and 4th:
Thursday, October 8, 5:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, November 12, 5:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, December 10, 5:00-7:00 pm
2nd and 5th:
Thursday, October 15, 5:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, November 19, 5:00-7:00 pm
Thursday, December 17, 5:00-7:00 pm
Place: Food Bank Warehouse & Distribution Center: 2260 Mottman Rd. SW, Tumwater, 98512
RSVP: Mindy Swedberg at [email protected]. Include your student’s name, teacher’s name, date you wish to serve, and number that will be attending.
Special Notes: Volunteers will be split up into groups of 5-6. You may be working with other families at a table, but can socially distance along the table. MASKS ARE REQUIRED.
The warehouse can get cold, so it is advisable to wear layers and closed toed shoes. A small stool is also recommended for our younger students.
Sunshine Fund
For many of us this has been a difficult, challenging and uncertain time. For some of us it has been a time of true economic hardship, with reductions in income or increased costs of living. The McKenny PTO has created a Sunshine Fund to help financially support and tangibly meet needs within our school community.
If you are needing assistance during this time (help with groceries, rent, utilities, supplies, etc.) please fill out this short request form and we will get back to you promptly.
Additionally, if you would like to help directly support families within our own McKenny community, please fill out this short donation form AND see details at the bottom of this form. There are a variety of ways to donate.
Although it is a very scary and sad time for many, we are encouraged by the stories of resilience, hope and togetherness. It is our hope that if you have a need, you will reach out and allow the McKenny community to help lighten your load. Together we will make it through this.
*For those wishing to donate electronically, please view our Sunshine Fund information on the PTO website at http://www.mckennypto.org/.
*Cash, check, or gift card donations can be turned in to the office in an envelope marked PTO Sunshine Fund. Checks should be made out to McKenny PTO, with Sunshine Fund marked in the memo line. All funds directly support McKenny families.
The value of your gift is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. The McKenny PTO is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization number 91-1614116.
Sincerely,
Your McKenny PTO
PTO CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2020-2021
Date: Event:
Tues Sep 8 Back to School materials distribution
Wed Sep 9 First day of school grades 1-5 (online)
Mon Sep 14 First day of school preK-Kindergarten (online)
Tues Sep 15 PTO Meeting
Tues Oct 13 PTO Meeting
Nov TBD Fall fundraiser
Tues Nov 10 PTO Meeting
Tues Dec 8 PTO Meeting
Sat Jan 9 Value Village Fundraising Drive
Tues Jan 12 PTO Meeting
Tues Feb 9 PTO Meeting
Tues Mar 9 PTO Meeting
Tues Apr 13 PTO Meeting
May TBD Carnival or Spring Fundraiser
May TBD Teacher Appreciation
Tues May 11 PTO Meeting
Sat May 22 Value Village Fundraising Drive
Tues Jun 8 PTO Meeting