April 2023

McKenny Hawks Are Kind, Safe, Respectful and Responsible

April Up-Coming Events:

3-7 - Spring Break - No School
11 - PTO Meeting 6:30 p.m. at McKenny Library
12 - Walk N Roll
13 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. at Knox Bldg
17 - Class Pictures
27 - 1st Grade to Thurston County Food Bank 5-6:30 p.m.
27 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. at Knox Bldg
28 - OJP 1st & 2nd Grade 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

May Up-Coming Events:

3 - Walk N Roll
9-12 - Teacher Appreciation Week
9 - 3rd Grade to Watershed Park
11 - 2nd Grade to Nisqually Wildlife Refuge
11 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. at Knox Bldg
15-17 - 5th Grade to CISPUS
19 - 3rd Grade to Port Blakely
20 - Running Club Race Day
25 - Kindergarten to Thurston County Food Bank 5-6:30 p.m.
25 - School Board Meeting 6:30 p.m. at Knox Bldg
26 - Snow Make Up Day - Regular School Day
29 - Memorial Day - No School

Food Bank

1st Grade will be going to the food bank on April 27. More information to follow.

Running Club

Running Club Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-4:30. Meet in the play shed and run a mile. Come to any practice you can make. All family members are welcome to come and run, including any siblings not in attendance at McKenny and any adults. THIS IS NOT A DROP OFF EVENT, AN ADULT MUST ACCOMPANY ALL CHILDREN. More information will be forthcoming.

News from the PTO

PTO Meeting:

PTO Meeting: Tuesday, April 11th - 6:30 pm to 8 pm, McKenny Library

Join us to hear an update from Principal Michael Havens. We will also be sharing about upcoming events and opportunities, including Carnival. Come to ask questions and share your thoughts. We hope to see you there! Can't make it in person? Join us via Zoom, go to https://osd111.zoom.us/j/84558447348?pwd=Q0dBQ0dVb002MzJQU1NIZlhER1Z0dz09

Meeting ID: 845 5844 7348
Passcode: 262785

Fundraiser Success:

Thank you to everyone who supported Chipotle's fundraiser, we raised $296.00 for McKenny!

Yearbook Photos:

We need more photos for our yearbook. We would love photos from the first day of school, Spirit Days, Band/Orchestra/Music, Field Trips, Movie Night, Trunk or Treat, Service Projects like Food Bank, Walk and Roll, and any other fun that has gone on at school! Please submit them by April 14th! Go to http://www.mckennypto.org/yearbook.html for more details on how to share your photos. Our school code is McKenny2023.

Movie Night:

Join us Friday April 21st for the last movie night of the 22/23 school year as the McKenny PTO proudly presents Encanto! Please register online by noon Friday April 21st by visiting encanto.cheddarup.com where you can also find more event details in addition to signing up to volunteer. Movie night is only for students who are currently enrolled at McKenny, Pre-school - 5th grade.

Teacher Appreciation Week:

Teacher appreciation week is coming up, May 8th-12th! Be on the lookout for donation sign-ups after spring break to help us celebrate our teachers!

Carnival:

Our Spring Carnival is coming up on May 20th from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. We can only pull this off with help from our community. There are a few volunteer opportunities that we need help with ASAP. Be on the lookout for more day of event volunteering opportunities in the coming months.

Volunteers for Auction Basket Coordination:

Each grade level is asked to put together two baskets to be raffled/silent auctioned at the carnival. The baskets are designed to be fun, kid/family oriented, and filled with items that appeal to families. We are looking for parent volunteers who can coordinate and organize raffle/auction baskets at each grade level.

Please use this link to sign up. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090948ACAA2FA46-carnival2

Themes by Grade:

Kindergarten: Arts & Crafts (Drawing items, paint, paper, ink, stamps, etc)
1st Grade: Family Night In (movies, games, snacks)
2nd Grade: Outdoor Family Fun (backyard games, camping, s'mores, hiking)
3rd Grade: Gardening (gloves, tools, seeds/bulbs, plants/planters)
4th Grade: I Love Olympia, WA (Items from local Businesses/Washington Businesses)
5th Grade: Fun in the Sun (water balloons, beach items, frisbee, slip n slide)

Carnival Decorations:

Are you creative? Do you enjoy creating themed parties? We'd love to have you help us with decorations for the Spring Carnival. The theme is 'Game On' and includes both board games and video games. If you would like to help create and design table decorations, decorations for the gym, and/or decorations for outside the school, we'd love your help. Please reach out to Sarah Mollas ([email protected]) for more information.

Prize Coordinator:

Do you love shopping for bargains? Are you interested in selecting and purchasing prizes for our Spring Carnival? Please reach out to Sarah Mollas ([email protected]) for more information.

Donations:

Do you have a local business? Would you be willing to donate a product or service for our Spring Carnival? We use donations from our community to help put together raffle and silent auction baskets. If you have any interest in donating, please reach out to [email protected]. Thank you in advance for your help!

Want more information about the PTO?
Be sure to follow us on social media!
Instagram: @mckennyhawkspto
Facebook: facebook.com/mckennyhawkspto
Check out our website: www.mckennypto.org

Principal's Corner

Hello McKenny Families,

This is a repeat message from last month because we really would like to encourage families to participate in our Cultural Celebrations.

I’m so excited to announce that this Spring we will be holding a McKenny Cultural Celebration Week. We have an amazing planning team made up of staff members and family members who have been meeting to talk about how we can celebrate our families and highlight the many cultures that make up our wonderful school community.

Our team feels that it is important for me to share that family culture goes beyond just talking about racial and ethnic background. For example, one of our team members shared that her family moved here from Texas and that they plan to share how time spent in that region of our country has influenced, and continues to influence, their lives. And that is just one example.

For many years, the McKenny community held an amazing annual event known as International Night. A similar event, renamed Cultural Kaleidoscope, will serve as the anchor event during the McKenny Cultural Celebration Week. This evening event will provide an opportunity for families and classes to share about culture in a variety of ways such as displays, food, performances and presentations. We’re also looking into the possibility of bringing in local groups and organizations to perform and present. Many details are still being formulated, but in short, we’re really excited. This is where we need your participation.

If you haven’t done so already, please click the link below to take a survey to share the ways you would like to participate in these events;

McKenny Cultural Celebration Week: June 5-9 2023

Cultural Kaleidoscope: The evening of June 8, 2023 (specific times TBD)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSea6Kw0RWLIfx_X3HSYtEfaCMwT3CLDLxhjGIepVrpohG1jjA/viewform

Sincerely,

Michael Havens