Weekly Update
Welcome Back!
The Mckinley PTO would like to welcome all new and returning McKinley Elementary families back to a new school year. We have a lot of fun activities & events planned for you to enjoy all year. All proceeds from McKinley Elementary PTO sponsored events go directly to better the students here at McKinley in a variety of ways that PTO members vote on how best to use. The money we help raise is used to provide the students with either educational supplies or fun activities to supplement what is provided by the district.
First up is Movie Night this Friday September 6th. We will be showing Dumbo. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket. We will also be selling snacks and drinks.
None of these events would be possible without the continued help and participation of our volunteers. Please consider taking on a more active role in the McKinley community by signing up to help Volunteer or Chair an event with the McKinley PTO. You’ll be able to create a fun activity for the students, make some new friends, get to know the teachers, and learn about different important programs and services available at McKinley and throughout the Abington School District. Keep a lookout for flyers to be sent home in your student folders and check the weekly emails to be notified on upcoming events.
If you would like to volunteer, please remember all school volunteers must have current clearances and ID badge. Please refer to the Abington School District website for information: https://www.abington.k12.pa.us/information/employment-and-volunteer-certifications/
Come to one of our meetings to see what it’s about! Anyone is welcomed to attend: Parents, Grandparents, Moms, Dads... We have a different agenda planned and open discussion for each meeting. Our first meeting is October 3rd at 7pm in the library. Hope to see you there!!
Email the Mckinley PTO or ask one of our Co-Presidents, Magin Clark or Tasha Jaworski, anytime for more information: mckinleypto@gmail.com.
Movie Night
You are cordially invited to McKinley's Back to School Picnic and Movie Under the Stars on Friday, September 6, 7:00-9:00pm. Catch up with old friends and meet new ones! Visit our beautiful garden, and bring a brown bag dinner, drinks, chairs, blankets, etc.
Interested and available in volunteering? Please sign up here:
Weather permitting. Any questions contact: Tasha Jaworski, sprtsgrl1014@aol.com.
Book Fair
The Book Fair begins next week on Tuesday, September 10!
Books can be purchased:
After School in the McK Library, Sept 10 – 18, 2:45 – 3:30 p.m.
Back to School Night, Sept 16, 2:45 – 7:30 p.m. Note the extended hours offered this day.
Choose a PRE-ORDER PICK UP OPTION to use on Back to School Night! Before Fri, Sept 13, email your book choices to Elena Loughney (elenaloughney1@hotmail.com) OR send in order forms/payment with your child in an envelope addressed to “Book Fair PTO.” We’ll have orders ready for a quick pick up that night right outside the library.
Set up this safe, easy payment option! Create an eWallet account at www.scholastic.com/fair and add funds. No need to send in cash, checks, or credit card info! Print out a bar code at home, send it to school, and it will be scanned at the register when your child purchases your books.
Thank you for supporting McKinley!
McKinley Garden (Environmental Center)
McKinley is incredibly lucky to have an award-winning large courtyard garden for students and families to enjoy. The garden is open on Thursdays for recess. This is entirely volunteer-run and needs volunteers with badges in order to be open for students to enjoy. Grandparents & community members are welcome and encouraged to volunteer as well (but must have a volunteer badge).
Weather permitting, the first garden opening of the school year will be Thursday, September 13th; please sign up.
The garden also needs current parent or guardian co-chairs and NO gardening experience is necessary! You aren't even expected to do any gardening! Help to liaise with the school, volunteers, and gardeners, and bring ideas to help our kids get the most out of this incredible space.
For more information or any questions, please email Meghan Zamborsky mzamborsky@gmail.com.
Join the New Directory
The My School Anywhere directory has been transferred to a new platform, Membership Toolkit.
We invite you to visit https://mckinleyptoelkinspark.membershiptoolkit.com/ to add or review and confirm your directory record. If you have completed a form at a Kindergarten orientation, your entry has been entered. Once you create a Membership Toolkit Account, you will have access to the Directory.
Here's what you need to do:
Click on the Register/Login button.
If you already had a My School Anywhere account, you can use the same email and password to login. You can then proceed to the numbered steps below.
If you do not have an account with the My School Anywhere system, select "Create Account" and fill in the name, email, and password information.
Click "verify my email" and then check your email for a link to complete the process. The link expires in 2 hours. If you do not receive the email, check your spam or junk folders.
Once you have verified your email address, log back in and finish the registration process.
Complete the Parent/Family and Student Information.
Complete the Directory/Publish Preferences.
Once the Primary Account is set up, the Primary User can "invite" other email addresses to access his/her account. This allows the Secondary User to have their own login information, but still have access to the family account.
Access to My School Anywhere will no longer be available after Monday, September 9.
Questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us at mckinleypto@gmail.com.
Club Advisors and Coaches
If any parents are interested in becoming an advisor/coach for one of the clubs below, please email our Assistant Principal,RobertHowe@Abington.k12.pa.us. Advisors must have their volunteer badges and must attend training with the participating organizations. More information can be found on the organization websites.
Girls on the Run: This program encourages girls to be involved in athletic activity while working on positive self-esteem and healthy student development. Girls are invited to participate in teams with a coach who trains them for the ultimate goal of participating in a race during the course of the school year. Students meet from March through May. For more information, visit the Girls on the Run website: https://www.gotrpa.org/
Odyssey of the Mind: Odyssey of the Mind is an educational program that involves competitive creative problem solving. Space on the teams is limited, and selection will be made through tryouts. Students meet from October through March and then compete in the Odyssey of the Mind Competition in the Spring. For more information, visit the National Odyssey of the Mind website: http://www.odysseyofthemind.com/
6th Grade Families
We are looking for volunteers to be on this year’s 6th Grade Committee, as well as chair some of these committees. There are lots of activities for the 6th graders and the committee handles the planning and fundraising for these events. The 6th Grade Committee also receives monetary support from the PTO.
We would like those who are interested to please email: michele.metzgar@gmail.com, so we may create a list of people to contact once the 2019-2020 school year begins.
Thank you for your interest!
Michele Metzgar and Kelly Moore
Head 6th Grade Committee Chairs
McKinley PTO Volunteer Opportunities
McKinley PTO is always looking for volunteers. We are currently looking for these specific co-chairs, but would welcome your involvement in any of the activities and committees:
Art to Remember
Build-A-Scarecrow Night
Career Night
Environmental Center (Garden)
Holiday Shoppe
Spring Fair
Teacher Appreciation
Yearbook
Assemblies
McKinley PTO Membership
We ask each family for a $10 dues. Your membership dues help to create an exciting environment where our children learn and grow. Membership also allows you to vote at PTO meetings. We hope to have your support so we can help in giving your children a great school year!
We accept payment of dues anytime during the school year. You can pay your dues by check (payable to "McKinley Elementary PTO") or cash and send them to school with your child in an envelope marked "PTO DUES". You can pay dues electronically if you have a PayPal account. Visit paypal.me/mckinleypto. Please enter your dues amount (PLEASE DO NOT CHECK THE BOX that indicates the payment is for "goods or services") and include PTO Membership Dues in the notes section, along with your child's name, grade, and teacher.
McKinley PTO Website
Please visit the McKinley PTO website to learn more about what the PTO does. These are some of the things you can find on the website:
event listings
subscribe to the Google calendar
find volunteer opportunities
contact the board members
weekly emails
get clearance form information for volunteering
Also, if you have photos to share for the photo gallery, feel free to forward them to mckinleypto@gmail.com.
Fox Chase Gymnastics
Please take a look at the flyer regarding the fall program at Fox Chase Gymnastics.
Art to Remember
Is your child an aspiring artist or do you just love seeing their creativity come to life? Art to Remember gives you the opportunity to take your child's art and turn them into keepsakes like keychains, coffee mugs and ornaments.
The required art paper and information will be sent home soon. If you would like to participate, please follow the provided instructions and return the art to the school by the due date. Once all artwork is submitted to ART TO REMEMBER, families will receive information on how to order a variety of keepsakes featuring their child's art.