McKinley Dragon Tales
February & March 2025
Principal's Corner
Spring is here, and with it comes fresh opportunities for fun and learning! As the days grow warmer, our students are enjoying more outdoor activities—whether it's exploring nature, playing at recess, or engaging in hands-on science projects. Spring is also a time for growth, both in the classroom and beyond, as we continue to inspire curiosity and creativity. We look forward to a season filled with sunshine, laughter, and plenty of exciting learning adventures!
Mr. Daniel Oldham, Principal
IMPORTANT DATES
April
- April 2: Paraprofessional Day
- April 2: Class Group Pictures
- April 3: Spring Picture Day
- April 3: 5th Grade Class Picture
- April 3: PTO Meeting 9:30 - 10:30
- April 4: School Librarian Day
- April 7: National Assistant Principal Week
- April 10: Kindergarten Orientation 9:30-10:30
- April 11: Author Visit - Aram Kim - Grades K - 2
- April 14: Parent Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal 12:20
- April 15: Parent Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal 12:20
- April 16: Parent Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal 12:20
- April 17: NO SCHOOL - Spring Recess
- April 18: NO SCHOOL -Spring Recess
- April 21: NO SCHOOL - Spring Recess
- April 22: Bus Driver Appreciation Day
- April 23: Administrative Assistant Day
- Principal Appreciation Day
- May 1: PTO Meeting 6:30 – 7:30pm
- May 2: Lunch Lady Hero Day
- May 5: Teacher Appreciation Week
- May 7: School Nurse Day
- May 7: Holocaust Survivor Presentation (Gr. 5) 10 – 11am
- May 8: Field Day (rain date 5/13)
- May 9: PTO Spring Fair (rain date 5/16)
- May 14: 5th Grade Community Day at Sr. High
- May 16: Spelling Bee Gr 4 & 5 – 9:15 -10:30am
- May 20: NO SCHOOL - Election Day
- May 21: Spring Concert at ASHS 6:30 – 7:30
- May 23: Early Dismissal 12:20
- May 26: NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
June
- June 12: PTO Meeting 9:30 – 10:30am
- June 13: Grade 5 Closing Ceremony 9:30 – 11:30
- June 17: Early Dismissal 12:20 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
**All events are subject to change. Additional events may be added
to the calendar, as safety regulations permit.
SOUPer Bowl
Our students scored big during the SOUPer Bowl Food Drive, bringing in over 900 items for a local food pantry! As part of the fun, they voted for the Super Bowl winner by donating goods—and the overwhelming favorite was the Eagles! Turns out, they called it right—Go Birds! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped support our community!
Friendship Parties
This month, our students celebrated Friendship Parties by spreading kindness and appreciation for their friends! Through special activities, thoughtful gestures, and heartfelt notes, they showed just how much friendship means in our school community. It was a wonderful reminder that small acts of kindness make a big difference. Let’s keep the friendship going all year long! ❤️
EAGLES Celebrations
Our students showed their Eagles pride as we geared up for the Super Bowl! Decked out in green, jerseys, and Eagles gear, everyone brought the energy to cheer on our home team. The excitement was electric as we celebrated together—Go Birds! 🦅💚
Hockey Club
Our Hockey Club is wrapping up a fantastic season filled with hard work, teamwork, and great sportsmanship! The players gave it their all, supporting each other and having fun every step of the way. A huge shoutout to Mr. Burns for his dedication and leadership—thank you for inspiring our hockey kids both on and off the court! 🏒👏
Harlem Wizards Visit
Excitement was in the air as the Harlem Wizard, Fresh Prince, visited our school to pump up the crowd for their big game at the Senior High on Saturday, April 5! Students got a sneak peek at their amazing tricks, high-flying dunks, and fun energy. Don’t miss the chance to see them in action—get ready for an afternoon of basketball and entertainment! 🏀✨
Raffle Winners for February
Congratulations to our February raffle winners! These students earned Dragon Tickets by showing HEART behavior—Helpfulness, Effort, Acceptance, Responsibility, and Teamwork—and were rewarded with exciting prizes! We’re so proud of their positive choices and commitment to our school values. Keep up the great work, and keep earning those Dragon Tickets!
Morning Yoga with Mrs. Hayes - Raffle Winners
A few lucky students got to enjoy a relaxing and refreshing morning yoga session with Mrs. Hayes as their special raffle prize! They stretched, breathed, and started their day with positivity—and they loved it! What a great way to energize the mind and body! 🧘♂️✨
Dragon Ticket Monthly Incentive: Freeze Dance Party
Our February incentive had students dancing up a storm at the February Freeze Dance Party in the gym! Those who earned Dragon Tickets by showing HEART behavior got to celebrate with fun music, cool lights, and plenty of great moves. The highlight? Mr. Oldham even ‘got jiggy with it!’ 🎶🕺❄️
100th Day of School
100 Days Smarter! Kindergarten and 5th grade buddies teamed up to celebrate the 100th day of school with tons of fun activities! From 100 lollipop licks to building with 100 popsicle sticks, solving a 100-piece puzzle, completing 100 exercises, and finding 100 words in a book—our students had a blast reaching this milestone. Some even dressed up as if they were 100 years old or showed off collections of 100 items. What a fun way to celebrate 100 days of learning and growing together!
Morning Lego and STEM Club
Building and creating bright and early! Our Morning LEGO & STEM Club is off to an exciting start as students use creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork to build and explore new challenges. From constructing unique LEGO designs to hands-on STEM experiments, these early risers are putting their skills to the test in fun and engaging ways. Keep up the great work, future engineers and innovators!
Second Grade Balancing & Weighing
Mrs. Crumbock’s 2nd-grade class explored balancing and weighing in a hands-on activity that had everyone engaged! Students participated in exciting experiments, learning all about weight, balance, and measurement in a fun and interactive way. Great job, young scientists! ⚖️✨
VIP Dance
McKinley’s VIP Dance was pure magic with a Willy Wonka theme! Students and their special VIP guests danced the night away in a world of pure imagination. A huge thank you to our amazing PTO for the incredible decorations, planning, and effort that made this night so fun and memorable! 🍭🎶✨
Phillies Opening Day in Ms. McDaniel's Classroom
Play ball! Our students hit a home run celebrating Phillies Opening Day with a special event in Ms. McDaniel’s 2nd grade classroom! Dressed in Phillies gear and sporting their own Philly Phanatic hats, students cheered as Mr. Oldham threw out the first pitch. It was a fun-filled day of team spirit, learning, and baseball excitement. Go Phillies!
PTO Magic Assembly
Thanks to our amazing PTO, students enjoyed an exciting Magic Assembly with Brian Richards! Through incredible tricks, comedy, and storytelling, he delivered an important message about trustworthiness, caring, responsibility, fairness, respect, and citizenship. Students learned that greatness starts with strong character and the courage to do the right thing—all while having a magical time! 🎩✨
K9 Visits Grade 1 & 2 to read Officer Buckle
A paws-itively awesome visit! The Abington Police Department K9 unit stopped by to read Officer Buckle and Gloria with our 1st and 2nd graders. Students loved meeting the officers and their K9 partners while learning about teamwork and safety. It was a tail-wagging good time filled with reading, laughter, and some very special four-legged guests!
HEART Cart
The HEART Cart rolled in with rewards! Students who earned Dragon Tickets for showing HEART behavior—Honesty, Excellence, Awareness, Respect, and Teamwork—were excited to shop from the HEART Cart as a special reward. Keep up the great work, and keep demonstrating HEART every day!
Spanish Club
¡Hola, amigos! Our early morning Spanish Club met with Ms. Guglielmelli to learn the basics of Spanish through fun and engaging activities. Students practiced greetings, numbers, and simple phrases while building their language skills. What a great way to start the day! ¡Buen trabajo!
Pledge of Character Winners
Celebrating our Pledge of Character winners! Congratulations to our 1st grade students who were selected by their teachers for showing encouragement! These students set a great example by lifting others up with kind words and support. They even had the opportunity to share what encouragement means to them on the morning announcements. Keep spreading positivity!
World Down Syndrome Day 3/21
Rocking our socks for World Down Syndrome Day! Students and staff wore bright, colorful socks to celebrate inclusion and spread awareness for World Down Syndrome Day. It was a fun and meaningful way to show that differences make us unique and special. Thank you to everyone who participated in sharing kindness and support!
Dragon Monthly Incentive: March Madness Basketball
March Madness fun! For this month’s Dragon Incentive, students who showed HEART behavior were rewarded with a March Madness basketball event! They enjoyed time outside in the sunshine, shooting hoops, playing games, and celebrating their positive choices. Great job to all our students for demonstrating Honesty, Excellence, Awareness, Respect, and Teamwork!
Race for Education
Race for Education Success! McKinley raised over $20,000 for the school through the generous contributions of families and friends of McKinley students—thank you to everyone who supported this amazing cause! A shoutout to the classes who raised the most: Ms. Kochanowicz, Ms. Hunt, and Ms. McDaniel and to the top three students: Owen Carr, Maddie Carr, and Anastasia Romanyuk!
As a special reward, all students got to watch their favorite teachers and administrators race in an inflatable obstacle course. It was a hilarious and exciting event! Click the green buttons to see the videos of the action!
Pretzel Sale
The McKinley Fifth Grade Pretzel Sale is Back!
Pretzel Sale Flyer and Order Form Link
Starting January 3rd through May 30th- Preorder to receive a pretzel every Friday starting January 3rd through May 30th! Pretzels will not be delivered on February 14th of April 18th. Return this form with $20 cash or check in an envelope marked “Attention: 5th Grade Pretzel Sale” by Thursday December 19th. Please note: There will be a limited number of pretzels for sale after school every Friday in the lobby for those who do not preorder pretzels but they will be first come, first serve and there is no guarantee that we will have enough for everyone who wants one. It is preferred that you preorder your pretzels.
Important Notes:
All proceeds benefit the 2024-2025 McKinley 5th Grade Class.
There will be no refunds for absences or cancellations of pretzel day.
Attention 5th Grade Families: We need several volunteers to help sort pretzels on Fridays. If you are able to extend your support, or have any questions, please feel free to email or call Erica at ericasingleton13@gmail.com (215)908-9518
Lost and Found
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!
MySchoolBucks Cafeteria Payment Options
Dear Parents/Guardians,
As we return to school for the 2024-2025 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.)
McKinley HEART
Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (SPWBIS) / HEART at McKinley is a program to promote and maximize academic achievement and behavioral competence. As part of the SWPBIS program, we have several clear rules for the behavior we expect in all areas of our school (e.g. classroom, hallways, playground, cafeteria, gymnasium, etc.). We explicitly teach our students our expectations of Honesty, Excellence, Awareness, Respect, and Teamwork. We will also reward them frequently with positive notes and prizes for their great behavior. You will be able to ask your child, What are the rules in your school? How do you follow those rules? What happens when a teacher sees you following the rules?
School Information
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.
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.
Families can retrieve transportation information via Skyward.
Log into the Skyward information system using your assigned login name and password. You may need to click “Open Family Access” after logging in.
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.
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.