McKinley PTO Newsletter
June 5, 2016
Co-Presidents' Update
This Wednesday is a Dine Out Event at Yo Mama. Please be sure to mention McKinley when checking out so that the PTO gets credit for your purchase. Purchases of pints and gift cards also count towards our total. Please consider stocking up on gift cards to be used throughout the summer and into next year because let's face it...who doesn't love Yo Mama!
It is hard to believe that the 2015-16 school year is coming to an end. We are so thankful for the support of McKinley families and staff. Together we have done some amazing things this year!
During the summer the PTO will still be busy. This newsletter will continue to be sent out on a monthly basis. Be sure to read it for updated information on future dining out events, opportunities to volunteer for the PTO, and more.
We hope you have a great last week and a wonderful summer!
Molly Hannan and Chris Riley
PTO Dates to Remember
Make sure to put the following dates on your calendar!
June 8 - Dine Out Event at Yo Mama
Hats Off To.....
Thank you also to Carolyn Callahan for running the Box Tops and Labels for Education program. Your dedication and initiative has been much appreciated. You will be missed.
Congratulations to the Winners of the Spring Box Tops Classroom Competition!
The Box Tops have been counted and the results are :
1st Place – 5th Grade/Brown – collecting 931 Box Tops
2nd Place – 2nd Grade/Petri/Klingforth – collecting 925 Box Tops
3rd Place – 5K/Mottet – collecting 897 Box Tops
Congratulations to the 5th Grade class for winning the ice cream party! And thanks to all of the McKinley Community for collecting and sending in all of your Box Tops. In total this Spring we raised $1055.50, bringing our total to just shy of $2000 for the year! Way to go!
And thanks to all of the volunteers who helped clip and count over 10,000 Box Tops this Spring. They are: Elia Gallegos-Navarro, Vanessa Eisenmann, Sarah Atols, Colleen Watters, Lori Brandenburg, Kelly Rifelj, Rachael Woznick, and Liz Russell. Even being willing to help with this is appreciated, let alone the time to actually do it. Thanks for all your help!
Keep clipping and saving those Box Tops all summer to submit in the fall. Every bit counts!
Thank You for Supporting the Peace Garden!
Thank you to all who supported the Peace Garden by buying plants! Special thanks to Maura Riordan and Phil Janowski for helping with plant pickup and to the 1st and 5th graders for planting the Peace Garden!
Volunteers are needed for watering and weeding the McKinley Peace Garden throughout the summer. Please use the Sign Up Genus link below to sign up for a week of your choice.
Destination Imagination is coming to McKinley Elementary 2016/17 School year!
Destination Imagination (DI) has been creating a lot of buzz in Wauwatosa- This year the Wauwatosa School District had 35 teams at the Elementary, Middle and High School level. Five of those teams will compete in the Global DI finals on May 25-28th.
So, what is this “DI”?? DI is an international program that allows students of all ages to be involved with creative problem- solving. Next year, McKinley will form teams based on student interest. Students in 1st and 2nd grade can join as “Rising Stars”; 3rd-5th can join a competitive team.
DI participants will join a small team with other McKinley students to solve an open-ended problem, or “challenge.” Each group will pick a “challenge” from one of 6 categories - Technical, Scientific, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, and Service Learning. There is no right or wrong answer. It’s up to the team to solve their challenge! Each team will have two adult co-team managers supervising the work, but the adults have a “hands off” role in helping the students with their challenge.
What do you do once you have solved your challenge?
Each team will present your solution in a live performance at a tournament. The first tournament will be in March of 2017. The competitive teams (Grades 3-5) will have a chance to advance to the state tournament.in April and possibly the Global tournament in May.
Why should I want to participate in DI?
Students who are involved in DI say it benefits them in lots of ways. They believe it helps them do better in school, improves their communication skills, develops their self-confidence, and helps them have more respect for others. DI allows kids to be creative, make new friends, and learn about working together as a team. Most important, DI is fun!
Who can participate?
DI is open to ALL interested McKinley students in 1st-5th grade provided there is parent support. Teams will generally consist of 5-6 students. All teams will have 2 co- managers. Parents of students in DI will rotate each week as an additional “support” person. In general, teams meet from October to March on a weekly basis. Team meeting times will vary depending on student and adult availability. The minimum cost is $75, with additional cost for snacks and supplies. Financial support is available through McKinley PTO and Friends of DI so that cost should not be a barrier.
What to do next?
Check out the these websites to learn more:
https://www.destinationimagination.org/why-di/
https://www.youtube.com/user/DIGlobalFinals
https://www.facebook.com/WauwatosaDI/
Watch for “McKinley Elementary Destination Imagination Expression of Interest Form” in next weeks Tuesday folder.
Contact Sarah Lerand, sjlerand@yahoo.com or 414-841-3576 with questions. A presentation was given on May 12th at McKinley. Another group presentation will not occur this school year. Interested individuals will be contacted this summer/early fall and given more information.
Spirit Wear Donations Needed
Do you have any clean, gently-used McKinley spirit wear that your child has outgrown that you'd like to donate? Miss Kumferman will take it! These items are then distributed the following year to new, move-in students or students who may not be able to purchase their own. Please consider donating any student-sized items through the end of the school year! You can drop them off in the main office with my name attached, or have your child bring them to my office. Thank you!