WELCOME TO MCKINLEY SCHOOL







September 9, 2009

Dear McKinley Families,

Welcome to the 2009-10 school year!  Our McKinley Staff and the PTA Board are hard at work on behalf of our students and families. Here at McKinley, we know that parent and community involvement at school as well as steady, consistent attendance, improves student achievement, as well as allows our students to emerge as responsible and successful citizens.  Our CST scores are in, and we have much to celebrate.  We will share our progress at our Back to School Night (BTSN).  You will also learn more about the wonderful year your teacher has in store for your child during the Back to School Night classroom presentation.  Here are some questions you should keep in mind during the presentation:

  • What are the grade level expectations for my child?
  • How does my child’s teacher plan to make the learning experience both engaging and rigorous?
  • How can I support my child’s learning at home?
  • How do I get in touch with my child’s teacher?  How do I learn about my child’s progress throughout the year?

Our families will continue to receive classroom updates via email, on a class website and/or in newsletter form. During the BTSN presentation, your child’s teacher will share his/her communication plan so you will know how you will receive the classroom curriculum updates as well as the best way to contact the teacher regarding your child’s individual progress.  During the school year, families are encouraged to participate in a variety of Family Nights.  These evenings will be opportunities for parents and students to learn together through hands-on, fun activities led by teachers and other educational specialists.  Thanks to the support of our district and the direct investment of our families, we will continue to provide music and visual arts instruction on a weekly basis to all students K-5.

Enclosed in this Opening Packet, you will find a Volunteer Form as well as the Direct Investment Pledge form.  We encourage you to make this commitment and investment in your child’s education.  Please read the enclosed forms to read more about what your investment provides to your child and all students at McKinley.  In addition to these forms you will also find items that are required to be completed annually.  We understand that it may take a couple of days to complete all of the necessary forms but we ask that you return the emergency cards to your child’s teacher by Thursday, September 10th.  A checklist has been provided for you to check off as you review each form.  We ask that parents/guardians sign this checklist and return all necessary forms to your child’s teacher by Friday, September 11th.

In this packet, you will also find the McKinley School 2009-10 Calendar. This calendar contains important dates of upcoming school events as well as contact information for school personnel. We are committed to providing a variety of opportunities for parents to get involved.  Please refer to this calendar for PTA, Governance, African American Support Group (AASG) and English Language Advisory Council (ELAC) meeting dates. Flyers will be sent home describing the topic, time and place in our Wednesday folder (also available as an e-folder).  Our McKinley Parent Handbook is revised annually and can be found online on our school website.   Many of the questions you might have throughout the year can be answered by reading the handbook.  Please note that only new families at McKinley will receive a hard copy of the revised handbook due to the cost of printing.  However, families can access updated information on the McKinley website at www.mckinley.smmusd.org

Together, we ensure each and every student receives the best possible well-rounded education and becomes a capable, confident, lifelong learner.



Irene Gonzalez                     Amy Teplin
Principal                               Assistant Principal
We are looking forward to an outstanding school year!