Weekly Update
PTO meeting tonight! You can download the agenda below. Reminder about the Abington Parent Council Meeting next Wednesday and Class Picture Day next Thursday.
Get Your Tickets for McKingo
The big night is fast approaching! This event is sure to sell out so get your orders in soon! We are still accepting sponsorships and donations to help with our gift baskets. Please contact one of our chairs if you are interested or have questions. The flyer with order form can be downloaded below.
Volunteers can sign up below. Since we love our volunteers so much, we want to say thank you by giving each parent/guardian that volunteers two free tickets for our baskets drawing.
McKinley Garden Spring Opening
Weather permitting, McKinley’s garden is scheduled to open for students on Thursday, March 19 during recess. The garden will open again April 2 and then weekly beginning April 16.
Volunteers will be prepping the garden midday on March 12th if you’d like to assist.
The garden needs many volunteers to be able to stay open during Thursday recess for the students. If you, or someone you know, has their district volunteer badge and can help for any duration from 11:15 am - 1 pm on Thursdays to garden or supervise the students/activity, it would very much be appreciated. If you have a younger child who is not yet in elementary school, they can come with you. Sign up links below.
The Abington Educational Foundation
Presents the Harlem Wizards
The Abington Educational Foundation is bringing back the Harlem Wizards on Saturday, March 28 for one game at 2:00 p.m. Visit the Harlem Wizards website to get your tickets now before they sell out: https://harlemwizards.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=2505137. This is a great family event as we cheer on our McKinley and ASD teachers and principals taking on the talented and entertaining Harlem Wizards!
A Royal Breakfast at Abington Senior High School
The Abington Senior High Class of 2020 invites elementary aged students to meet with their favorite royal princes and princesses. Tickets are $15. Saturday, April 18, 9-11am, Abington Senior High Cafeteria. More information can be found on the flyer here.
McKinley Talent Show
The PTO is searching for Co-Chairs and volunteers for the McKinley Talent Show, which is scheduled for June 5th. If you are interested, please email Harriet Solomon: mammadukes1988@yahoo.com.
Volunteer in the McKinley Library!
Would you like to get more involved or volunteer your time at McKinley? Please consider joining our dedicated team of library volunteers! Our weekly volunteers assist with shelving, checking books in and out, and maintaining our library shelves; you must have your district volunteer badge to help. To learn more, please contact our school librarian, Ms. Strohecker, at laurenstrohecker@abington.k12.pa.us. Thank you!
Request from Nurse
While you're cleaning out your closets, put aside any elastic waist pants and shorts for the nurse and send them in with your student/s.
Crayola ColorCycle Marker Collection
Do you have dried up or broken markers at home? Don't throw them away. Collect them and have your student/s bring them to school so they can be recycled through Crayola's ColorCycle program. A collection bin will be stationed at the Art Room and you can download the flyer for more background!
New Box Top Program
The old Box Tops are being phased out! If you have any clipped Box Tops at home, please send them in an envelope noting your child’s class number and teacher. There is a new collection sheet (see link below). Expiration dates still matter for the clipped Tops but the new electronic Box Tops will not have an expiration date. The flyer in the link below provides information on how the new program works. It involves getting the new app on your phone and scanning your grocery receipts after the purchase of participating items. McKinley’s ID number is 383838 – you can set up an account and we will get the credit anytime you scan a receipt. There is an additional “Give Credit” option after you scan your receipt- you can enter your child’s class number and teacher. Submissions can be tracked throughout the school year. Instead of doing contests in January and February, an end of year winner will be announced and the winning class will receive a water ice party. Please consider getting the app and helping McKinley with this easy fundraiser. We have raised over $27,000 for McKinley over the years. Thank you!
Abington Parent Council Meetings
The Abington Parent Council holds meetings throughout the year with each meeting having a focused topic.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
7:30pm
Abington Junior High School
Community Showcase
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
7:30pm
Willow Hill Elementary
Social Media Online Risks
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.
Lost and Found
Our Lost and Found bin, located in the Main Lobby, is filled with lost clothing and items. Please find some time to look through the bin. To avoid an overflow of items, anything left in the bin at the end of each month will be donated to a local organization. This means the first time the Lost and Found bin will be cleared this year will be Friday, September 27.
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
For a full list of opportunities and to see who currently chairs committees, visit the PTO website's Committees page or reach out to us at mckinleypto@gmail.com.
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.