McKinley Dragon Tales

As the weather turns cooler and the leaves begin to fall, it’s clear that school is in full swing and our days are filled with learning, laughter, and community spirit! With so many fun fall and winter activities ahead, it’s a wonderful time of year to be at McKinley. Please take a moment to label sweatshirts, jackets, and other personal items—our Lost and Found is already growing quickly!

A special thank you to our amazing PTO and all the families who helped make Scarecrow Night and our Halloween parade and classroom parties such a success. Your creativity and support bring our school community to life. We look forward to an exciting season ahead!

Mr. Daniel Oldham, Principal

• Nov. 14: McKingo Night
• Nov. 19: PTO Meeting 6:30pm
• Nov. 17 - 21: American Ed Week Visits to Classrooms
• Nov. 24 & 25: Parent - Teacher Conferences
• Nov. 24 - 26: 12:20pm dismissal
• Nov. 25: PTO Skating Party
• Nov. 27 & 28: NO SCHOOL

• Dec. 8-11: PTO Holiday Shop
• Dec. 17: Winter Concert 10:15am
• Dec. 23: 12:20pm dismissal
• Dec. 24-31: NO SCHOOL

• Jan. 1 & 2: NO SCHOOL
• Jan. 8: PTO Meeting 6:30pm
• Jan. 9: PTO 4th and 5th Grade Dance 6-8pm
• Jan. 15: PTO Family Fun Night 4:30pm - 7:30pm
• Jan. 19: NO SCHOOL
• Jan. 21: MLK Peace Awards 9am
• Jan. 30, 31: School Musical

**All events are subject to change. Additional events may be added

to the calendar, as safety regulations permit.

American Education Week is celebrated during the week of November 17-21, 2025. During American Education Week we invite you to visit McKinley Elementary School to participate in a lesson taught by your child’s teacher. We have planned many special activities to celebrate this event. The scheduled time for each grade level visitation is listed below.

Visitors to the building are required to check-in through our Raptor system. To expedite this process, we are providing an American Education Week Visitor Registration Form so that check-in will be completed before your arrival.

You will need to fill out the form for each child you plan to visit so that you will have a pre-printed visitor badge for your attendance in the classrooms.

American Education Week Parent Classroom Visitation Schedule

• Kindergarten - Wednesday, November 19th; 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM

• 1st Grade - Friday, November 21st; 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

• 2nd Grade - Thursday, November 20th; 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

• 3rd Grade - Monday, November 17th; 2:15 PM - 3:00 PM

• 4th Grade - Friday, November 21st; 9:15 AM - 10:00 AM

• 5th Grade - Tuesday, November 18th; 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

A huge thank you to our amazing PTO for bringing in the incredible BMX assembly! Students were thrilled to watch the riders perform exciting tricks while sharing powerful messages about anti-bullying, kindness, and staying motivated. A special shout-out to our brave teachers who volunteered to lay on the ground while the daredevil riders jumped right over them—it was an unforgettable show!

The Student Council is made up of two student representatives from each school in the district. These students are selected by their teachers and principals to share the glows and grows for their respective schools. The students representing McKinley are Usman Raja from Ms. Bunjun's 5th grade class and Harrison Ahrens from Ms. Curran's 4th grade class. The council meets with Dr. Fecher, Superintendent, and Dr. Melchor, Assistant Superintendent, at the Administration Building to talk about what’s going well in their schools and what could be improved. Topics can include things like school technology to lunch options from Chartwells. Thanks Usman and Harrison for sharing your voice and your ideas.

Hello from Abington School District! The winter months are fast approaching. Are you in need of a winter coat for your child? You can fill out this form to request a winter coat: https://forms.gle/Z9wqKTEu64UzYNCUA Contact us at studentservices@abington.k12.pa.us with questions. The Abington School District Student Services Department

Parent/Teacher Conferences:

• Monday, November 24, 2025 (12:30-3:30)
• Tuesday, November 25, 2025 (12:30-6:30)

Please note that there is Early Dismissal at 12:20pm for these three days:

• Monday, Nov 24
• Tuesday, Nov 25
• Wednesday, Nov 26

Report card conferences for the first marking period are scheduled for Monday, November 24th, from 12:30-3:30 P.M. and Tuesday, November 25th, from 12:30-6:30 P.M. The conferences will be scheduled via Skyward. Parents/guardians will be able to schedule conferences within Skyward, allowing you to select a day and time that best suits your schedule. You will also have the option of scheduling a virtual or in-person conference.

Linked here are the directions for scheduling your conference via Skyward. You may also watch a video tutorial. Please consider using a computer for this process rather than the Skyward Mobile App. Using the Skyward desktop version allows you to set email reminders and is more user-friendly for scheduling conferences.

The Skyward system will allow you to schedule conferences beginning Monday, November 3rd, after 12:00 P.M. Once scheduled, you should receive a confirmation email from Skyward. The email you will receive will be sent from "noreply@abington.k12.pa.us". This email will confirm the date and time for your November conference. Please email your child's teacher with any questions regarding your conference.

Thank you for your continued partnership!

President: Torie Menniti & Jess Wilt
Vice Presidents: Patti Ortiz, Lisa Torres & Diana Cooney
Treasurer: Brent Cantrell
Corresponding Secretary: Michele Ganas
Recording Secretary: Meg Cotter

Time to show your Dragon pride! Quick Gear (Turnaround is less than 2 weeks!) - in-house offering including shirts, blankets, bottles, stickers and more. Available all school year!

The garden is such a great resource for the McKinley community.

We need volunteers to help maintain the garden; as well as volunteers for recess visits! The kids love to visit and hang out in the garden. We are excited to announce we will be opening the garden for student visits during recess on Wednesdays beginning October 1st. If you are interested in volunteering to help make these visits possible, please sign up on the PTO Garden page.

Please note you must be an approved school district volunteer for recess visits. If you need to complete the volunteer clearance application, more information can be found here: https://www.abingtonsd.org/page/volunteers.

Kindergarten: Isaac Fermon, Cherie McAllister, Andrea Toroini, Natalia Page & Kiran Khare

1st Grade: Shane Reinhardt, Shia Lawson Saunders, Madelyn Hulshizer, Robert Crews, Amelia Beynon & Fiona Cochran

2nd Grade: Ryleigh Briggs, Joseph Mangino, McKenzie McDermott, Ruth Bannon, Jack Thomas, & Camilla Sanchez

4th Grade: Owen McGill, Mael Likaj, Cole Wiley, & Nalini Trehan

5th Grade: Abigail McGinn, Gia Menniti, Mia Bongard, Fiona Fesi, Scarlett Walker, & Madison Grant

What a fantastic Halloween Parade we had this year! Even though the weather was windy, we were still able to celebrate outside with families and friends! The creativity of the costumes was truly amazing! Students, staff, and families went all out to make the event extra special. It was a day full of fun, laughter, and plenty of spooky spirit. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this wonderful McKinley tradition!

McKingo Night is back!! Join us for a fun-filled evening on Friday, November 14, 2025. Click the flyer here for details and ticket ordering information.

Dinner: 5:30 PM (Hot Dogs & Pizza – pre-order required)
Bingo: 6:00 – 8:30 PM

Tickets: $10 per player, must be purchased online by Nov 7.
Everyone needs a ticket to attend, even if not playing. No tickets at the door.

Get Your Tickets & Pre-Order Dinner Here

Enjoy a Low Noise Room for noise-sensitive guests.
Cash only for drinks, snacks & raffles at the event.
Raffle prizes announced during McKingo – you don’t have to be present to win!

Questions? Email Tracy: traevenn@comcast.net

Interested in helping to sponsor McKingo? Click here for more details.

Scarecrow Night was a huge success this year, with over 30 families participating in this fun and festive McKinley tradition! The scarecrows placed around the building were absolutely amazing, showcasing the creativity and spirit of our school community. It was a night filled with laughter, excitement, and plenty of memorable moments as kids and families came together to celebrate the season. A big thank you to everyone who joined in the fun – we can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Our Best Buddies program kicked off with a fun and friendly Meet and Greet! Students made nametags and participated in get-to-know-you activities to learn more about their new buddies. It was wonderful to see smiles, laughter, and meaningful conversations as students began building connections and friendships that will continue to grow throughout the year.

Our 4th and 5th grade McKinley Student Ambassadors have been hard at work! Each homeroom selected two students to represent their class in the Ambassador Club. So far, the group has planned an exciting Fall Spirit Week and organized a schoolwide Food Drive to support our community. They even created colorful posters to spread the word around the building. We’re so proud of their leadership and teamwork!

Congratulations to our September and October raffle winners! These students earned their Dragon Tickets by consistently demonstrating HEART behavior, and we’re excited to reward them with some lucky prizes. Keep up the great work, and continue to show that kindness, respect, and responsibility each day. Your positive actions make McKinley a better place, and we can’t wait to see who will be next to earn those Dragon Tickets! Keep shining, and keep showing your HEART!

The high school’s Class of 2029 recently held student officer elections. Out of a class of over 700 students, three of the four elected officers are former McKinley students: Charlie Zamborsky as President, Molly McNeil as Vice President, and Mackenzie Garry as Secretary. We are so proud of all our McKinley students and the great things you will continue to do as you move throughout the Abington Schools and your future!

McKinley's Lost & Found

There are three ways to claim your student's missing item from our Lost & Found!

1) Check out our NEW virtual Lost & Found https://photos.app.goo.gl/rByCD2d4WYavaXjL9.

2) Remind your student to go to the Lost & Found during school to claim their item.

3) Parents/Guardians can go to the Lost & Found in the school's vestibule during school hours.

Please remember to label your student's belongings! Lost & Found items that are labeled are delivered to students.

At the end of each month items that are not labeled or claimed will be donated. Thank you!

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As we return to school for the 2025-2026 school year, we would like to provide you with several resources related to our food service program, provided by Chartwells School Dining Services.

Nutrislice Menus

Daily breakfast and lunch menus are available to view via the Nutrislice website.

MySchoolBucks Online Payment System

Abington School District partners with MySchoolBucks, an online service where you can easily and securely pay for school meals using a credit/debit card or electronic check.

Using MySchoolBucks you can:

● Add funds to your student’s meal account

● View meal balances & cafeteria purchases

● Receive low balance alerts

Get started in 4 easy steps:

1. Download the mobile app or visit myschoolbucks.com

2. Create your free account

3. Add your student

4. Add funds to your student’s meal account

If you have any questions about getting started with MySchoolBucks, call (855) 832-5226.

Free / Reduced Meals

Your child may be eligible to receive free/reduced school meals, based on your income or state benefits received. In order to be eligible for free or reduced meals, you will need to complete an application, unless you are directly certified through your benefits program.

Complete the application and submit it to the main office, or apply online.

Contact the Student Services Department at 215-881-2505 if you need assistance. (Please note that free breakfast will be available to all Abington School District students for the duration of the 2024-2025 school year.)

SCHOOL HOURS

Arrival 8:30-8:50 AM

Dismissal 3:20 PM

The school campus (including fields and playgrounds) is closed to the general public during school hours.

ABSENCES

If a child is absent, parents must report it. An absence can be submitted on Skyward (see directions linked at the bottom of this newsletter) in advance of the date for appointments, or can be submitted on the day of the absence. Submitting an absence on Skyward is the recommended way of alerting the school of your child’s absence and removes the need for you to call the Child Check line.

If you do not report your child’s absence on Skyward, you must contact the Child Check phone or email line prior to 8:30 AM on the day of the absence: 215-663-0430 option#2. Please provide the following information: Child’s name, your name, teacher’s name, date(s) of absence, and the reason for the absence. Note: “Vacation” is not considered an excused absence in Abington School District, as per the district’s attendance policy.

BUS AND TRANSPORTATION

Families can retrieve transportation information via Skyward.

1. Log into the Skyward information system using your assigned login name and password. You may need to click “Open Family Access” after logging in.

2. Select the “Busing” tab on the left-hand side as shown below. Your student’s busing information will be shown on the right-hand side.

During the first few weeks, expect bus schedules to fluctuate as everyone adjusts to the new bus routes. If your concern is about the location of a bus stop or driver, you will need to contact the Abington Transportation Department at 215-884-0421. If your child is experiencing a problem with other students, please contact our Asst. Principal, Ms. Corbett.

SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS

Suggested supply lists are posted on ASD’s Family Resources page. Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle, and we have water refilling stations in the building. Cell phones are not necessary, but students who bring cell phones to school must keep the phones off and in their backpack throughout the school day.

K-2 Students Only: Please consider (optional) sending in a labeled bag with a spare set of clothing including a shirt, underwear, pants, and socks in the event of an emergency.

MEDICINE

The administration of medicine to students by the nurse may be authorized only in emergency cases and only upon the completion and submission of the Medication Form as well as documentation from the doctor. All medicines must come to school in the original container and be kept in the nurse’s office. It is the parents’ responsibility to bring medication to school. No medication should be sent into school with a student.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Parents and guardians have the option to purchase private student accident medical insurance. Please inquire with the Business Office at 215-881-2541 to obtain a brochure regarding the available coverage and enrollment/purchase information.

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS

During the day, all exterior doors are locked, and everyone enters via the main entrance. To maintain building safety, a limited number of essential visitors will be allowed. Visitors must present a photo ID or wear an ASD-issued volunteer badge. Parents and guardians interested in volunteering at the school will need to obtain volunteer certifications in order to be approved to volunteer.