The Lion's Roar

Good Morning McKinley Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back! I hope your winter break felt a bit slower and gave you the chance to connect with friends and family in ways that can feel elusive during the busy rhythm of the school week. I’m grateful for the time I was able to share with loved ones and am now energized and excited to reconnect with staff, students, and families.

January brings one of my favorite opportunities to strengthen our community connections: McKinley’s Multicultural Day happening this year on January 31st from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. This cherished tradition celebrates the rich tapestry of cultures that make up the McKinley community.. It's a chance to:

• Foster curiosity as students explore the diverse traditions of their peers' families.
• Cultivate empowerment by showcasing and celebrating family heritages.
• Create belonging through shared experiences that highlight the differences that enrich us and the commonalities that unite us.

During the festival, students will receive a “passport” to visit cultural tables hosted by families and community members. These tables can feature food, art, music, crafts, or interactive activities that represent your heritage. Whether you’re sharing a traditional recipe, teaching a dance, or telling a story, your participation makes this event truly special.

I encourage you to host a table and share your family’s culture! Use the link below to sign up by January 17th.

Multicultural Day Sign Up

I also encourage you to use the Multicultural Table Connector, a tool designed to help families find other families who share their cultural heritage so that they can host a cultural table together. Everything is more fun when you do it together!

Multicultural Table Connector

Another exciting opportunity to connect is our Jog-a-Thon, which is not until March, but planning starts now!. As the PTA’s largest fundraiser—and one of our students' favorite events—it takes a village to make it successful. This year, instead of co-chairs, we’re trying something new: small committees focused on specific efforts like fundraising, marketing, communications, and organizing the T-shirt contest. There’s a role for everyone, and I encourage you to jump in and help by reaching out to our PTA president, Sybil Fenwick at mckinleyptapres@gmail.com. Whether you’re a seasoned volunteer or joining us for the first time, your time and talents will make a difference.

I am very excited about the new year ahead. We have so much to look forward to and I look forward to doing it in partnership with you! Wishing you a joyful and meaningful start to 2025.

In partnership,

Dr. Daniela Wiener (Dr. DW)

Before we headed off for winter break, we had the joy of hosting our Winter Sing-A-Long. Thank you to everyone who took time out of your day to join us for this special tradition. A big thank you goes to Liz Oyenoki—former McKinley parent and staff member, current grandmother, and PTA Executive Board Member—for organizing such a wonderful event. Additional thanks to science teacher, Aimee Oyenoki and McKinley grandfather, Dan Oyenoki for their help in making it all come together!

Our Spirit Week was a fantastic success! A big thank you to our Student Council for their creativity and hard work in organizing such a fun and engaging week. Special thanks to our amazing Student Council Advisors, Mrs. Botello and Ms. Oliva, for guiding and supporting them every step of the way. Your efforts helped us end the year with pizzazz!

Before winter break, McKinley students enjoyed some exciting field trips that brought learning to life! Our TK and 5th-grade buddies had a wonderful time exploring the aquarium together, while our 2nd graders had a fun visit to the Fire Station. These hands-on experiences continue to inspire curiosity and strengthen connections within our community!

The week of December 16-20 saw the beginning of the metal decking on the second level of the building. Over the break, construction continued and as a result, we've reached an exciting milestone in the construction of McKinley’s new Classroom and Administration Building! This Thursday, January 9th, we’ll celebrate the “topping out” of the steel structure, marking the placement of the final steel beam and the completion of the building’s framework. A longstanding construction tradition, the topping-out ceremony includes signing the beam and reflects the incredible teamwork and dedication of everyone involved in bringing this vision to life. We’re proud to see our new building taking shape and can’t wait to watch it continue to progress toward its anticipated opening in winter 2026. Stay tuned for photos and updates from the event!

Over the winter break, the construction team for the Pedestrian Improvement Project has been building the intersection of Chelsea and Arizona with Curb extensions. The construction is taking place between 12/23/24 and 1/6/25. Please read the flyer below for more information about his project.

As we return from winter break, please remember to avoid making U-turns on Arizona Avenue during morning drop-off—it’s a small step that makes a big difference in keeping our students safe. Let’s remember to model the values we want our children to learn: patience, respect, and care for one another. By working together, we can create a drop-off routine that reflects the kindness and responsibility that define our McKinley community. Thank you for doing your part!

This month's Character Development Book of the Month is Be Good to Eddie Lee by Virginia Fleming. This story follows two children who learn valuable lessons about kindness and caring from a child with Down syndrome.

At McKinley, we are proud to support a diverse community, including students with Down syndrome. This book serves as both a window and a mirror for our students—offering an opportunity to learn about the experiences of individuals with Down syndrome or to see their own experiences reflected in the story. Please read a synopsis for the story below:

Be Good To Eddie Lee Synopsis

Christy's mother always tells her to be good to Eddie Lee, a neighborhood child with Down syndrome. But Christy wants to run and play -- and not worry about Eddie Lee tagging along. One hot summer day, though, Eddie Lee takes Christy to a secret place in the woods and teaches her that beautiful things can be found in unexpected places.

As we return to school, students in grades 1-5 will take their second STAR Reading and Math assessments, while our kindergarteners will complete the STAR Early Literacy diagnostic. These mid-year assessments help us measure student growth from fall to winter and provide valuable insights to guide and tailor instruction.

After the testing window closes, you will receive Winter Diagnostic Screening Assessment score reports, including the Scaled Score (SS) results. Thank you for supporting your children as they complete these important assessments. We look forward to using this data to continue fostering their academic growth and success!

Join us for McKinley's Multicultural Celebration Day, a long-standing and cherished event that celebrates the diversity of our community.

How It Works

Students will receive a "passport" to visit tables, each representing a unique cultural experience. These cultural tables can be informational, interactive, or both, and are designed to spark curiosity and connection. Parents and extended family members are encouraged to lead a cultural table. Share your culture through activities, food, art, music, or traditions that are meaningful to you.

Examples of Past Tables:

AAFA: Creating African masks

ELAC: Playing La Lotería

Japanese Origami: Paper folding demonstrations

Cooking Demos: Sharing recipes and tastes from around the world

Dance Lessons: Irish dance, limbo, baile folklórico

Art and History Displays: Showcasing traditional clothing and artifacts

Interactive Crafts: Making world flags or learning Chinese calligraphy

Games and Stories: Playing dreidel, Bronx playground games, or sharing folk tales

Music and Language: African drumming, learning ASL phrases

How You Can Help

To bring this celebration to life, we need you! Please consider leading a table to share your family's culture and traditions. Whether it’s an activity, a craft, a performance, or simply a story, your participation helps our school community grow stronger and more connected.

Sign up by January 17 below to be part of this memorable day of McKinley PRIDE. Together, we’ll create a space where our students and families can celebrate their cultural pride and appreciate the diverse cultures of others.

If you're looking for other families to host a table with whom you share the same culture, add your name to the list below. Our Bilingual Community Liaison, Michael Muñoz will put you in touch via email so you can connect and host a table together!

Come help out with Snack Sales! It's fun! Your child can help sell too! Arrive by 1:00 PM and meet up outside the parent room, located to the left of the 1st-grade classrooms. We’ll set up a table with delicious snacks, including popcorn and drinks. The sale ends promptly at 2:00 PM, and we’ll clean up quickly after. Click here to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4FADAF28AAFE3-52304166-wednesday#/

The Jog-a-thon is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we need your help to make it a success! Please reach out to our PTA president, Sibyl Fenwick at mckinleyptapres@gmail.com to see how you can help. We need you!

This Week

• January 6: School Resumes

• January 10: Last Day for Jog-A-Thon T-Shirt Contest

• January 10: 4th/5th Grade Dance Starts

• January 10: Fire Drill

Upcoming Dates

• January 14: PBL Workshop for TK-2 begins

• January 15: PTA Executive Board Meeting, 6:00 PM, Zoom

• January 17, ELAC Meeting, 9:00 AM, Zoom

• January 20: NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr. Day and National Day of Service

• January 21: Theater Informances (3-5)

• January 22: Theater Informances (3-5)

• January 22: Coffee with the Principal, 8:30-9:30 AM

• January 23: TK and K Round Up, 9:00 -10:00 AM

• January 24: Special Education Resource Group Meeting, 9:00-10:00 AM, Zoom

• January 26: Campus Beautification Day, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

• January 28: Earthquake Drill

• January 29: Jog A Thon Kick Off

• January 31: Schoolwide Assembly (TK-K, Caring), 8:30-9:00 AM, Kinder Yard

• January 31: PTA Meeting, 9:00-10:30 AM, Auditorium

• January 31: Multicultural Festival, 3:30 -5:30 PM, Big Yard