We are so excited to have you as part of our school community.  McKinley is a wonderful school that focuses on developing caring students who treat others with respect.  We strive to provide a collaborative and innovative educational experience, where all students become drivers of their learning and education.  

Our Mission

District Mission Statement: Our mission is to ensure high-level learning for every student through collaboration, innovation, and acceleration.  McKinley Mission Statement: To create an inclusive environment, where all stakeholders display honesty, dedication, responsibility, and are kind citizens who make the world a better place. 

Our Vision

Focus on learning

• We are a student-centered organization.
• We believe learning is constant.
• We use proven instructional strategies for individualized instruction.
• We celebrate our successes.
• We provide a rigorous and robust curriculum.

Collaborative Culture

• We build knowledge through collective inquiry and professional development.
• We promote innovation & critical thinking for the development of global competencies.
• We uphold the district's mission, vision, values, and goals.

Focus on results

• We monitor student progress toward specific learning targets.
• We create data-driven environments where learning is constant.
• We provide feedback that is cyclical in nature and drives instructional decisions.
• We reflect on the results of teaching and learning.

Acceleration

• We use students’ talents and interests to advance them to their fullest potential.
• We differentiate through self-paced instruction, continuous progress, and extra-curricular opportunities.

Leading Today, Learning Tomorrow 

Curriculum

Zones of Regulation: We believe very strongly in educating the whole child, which means we put a strong emphasis on students' social and emotional well-being.  As part of our social emotional curriculum, we utilize The Zones of Regulation.  "The Zones of Regulation framework and curriculum (Kuypers, 2011) teaches students scaffolded skills toward developing a metacognitive pathway to build awareness of their feelings/internal state and utilize a variety of tools and strategies for regulation, prosocial skills, self-care, and overall wellness. This includes exploring tools and strategies for mindfulness, sensory integration, movement, thinking strategies, wellness, and healthy connection with others. The Zones of Regulation provides a common language and compassionate framework to support positive mental health and skill development for all, while serving as an inclusion strategy for neurodiverse learners, those who have experienced trauma, and/or have specific needs in terms of social, emotional, and behavioral development."  This overview can be found on their website, along with other information about the program.  

Zones of Regulation Website

Language Arts: Language Arts standards are taught within each IB unit of inquiry.  We do however supplement reading development with a variety of programs and interventions. Students in kindergarten through grade 3 utilize Fundations, which is a multi-sensory, structured language program that focuses on the foundational reading skills of phonemic awareness, phonics/word study, high frequency word study, reading fluency, vocabulary, comprehension strategies, handwriting, and spelling.  

Fundations Parent Page  

We also supplement our reading program with both Reading A-Z and Iready.  These are both online programs that can also be utilized at home.  Raz-Kids provides students with hundreds of interactive books that are tailored to their individualized reading level.  Students listen to, read, and answer comprehension questions about various stories.  Iready is our schoolwide benchmarking assessment.  Students are given this online assessment in the fall, winter, and spring.  After each assessment, the program determines each student's level, in both reading and math.  Based on their answers, and where the program places them, students are given individualized reading and math lessons to support their learning.  Teachers can then go in and utilize the toolbox, which contains lessons tailored to the needs of individuals or groups of students. 

Phonological Awareness: The Heggerty Curriculum is utilized to prepare students to be lifelong learners.  Through the use of Heggerty, students learn to hear and manipulate sounds.  Students begin to understand how letters and sounds work.  With Heggerty, students will learn skills such as counting sounds, categorizing, rhyming, blending, segmenting, and manipulating (adding, deleting, and substituting).