About Our School
Patrick Murphy, Superintendent
Michael Havens, Principal
Margaret McKenny Elementary was built in southeast Olympia, in the middle of a field filled with yellow scotch broom and hawks nesting in trees. Thus, the hawks became the perfect McKenny mascot.
Architecturally, the building is designed into three pods of 20 classrooms. Grade level teachers, itinerant teachers and support staff work together to provide the best possible learning environment for all of our children, preschool through 5th grade. McKenny Elementary welcomes parent and community volunteers to assist in all aspects of our educational and co-curricular day. The facility is used daily by community groups such as YMCA, Olympia Parks and Recreation, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, PTO and neighborhood associations.
When students finish their MAP Growth testOpening in a new windowOpening in a new windowOpening in a new windowOpening in a new windowOpening in a new window, they receive a number called an RIT score for each area they are tested in (reading, language usage, math, or science). This score represents a student’s achievement level at any given moment and helps measure their academic growth over time. The RIT scale is a stable scale, like feet and inches, that accurately measures student performance, regardless of age, grades, or grade level. Like marking height on a growth chart, and being able to see how tall your child is at various points in time, you can also see how much they have grown between tests.
The higher the RIT score, the more achievement the student has in the subject. The student's percentile ranking and conditional growth percentile can show how much the student has achieved in comparison with their peers. You can also refer to the Comparative Data to Inform Instructional Decisions to understand how students are performing relative to other students in the same grade level according to our national norms.