Thursday, October 30, 2014

Halloween
We had a wonderful time celebrating Halloween!  It was great to see many of you at our parade and classroom parties. 



Digger Dash Celebration
We were so proud of how fast our students ran and how much money they raised for our school during our annual school run – The Digger Dash!  We celebrated the fastest boy and girl of each grade level and our top fundraisers by letting these students slime the principal and assistant principal!  It was a sticky, but fun all school celebration!  We are looking forward to purchasing a climbing wall, art supplies and music instruments!









November Math Nights
We are hosting two math nights for families in the month of November.  Our K-2 evening is November 18 from 6:30-7:30 and our 3-5 evening is scheduled for November 20 from 6:30-7:30.  Both the primary and intermediate evenings are an opportunity for you to learn how the five central math standards are taught across the grade levels.  You will have the opportunity to play math games that address these essential math concepts with your child.




Thanksgiving Feast
Our Thanksgiving Feast is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday with your child and school community.  Join us at our annual event on November 20.  You can register by clicking here to log on to RevTrak. Choose Elementary Schools, E- L, Gold Rush Elementary, Field Trips. Select Thanksgiving Feast to purchase additional tickets for family members.  The cost for adults and siblings is $4.00 per meal. Students MUST use their lunch accounts. Please bring your printed receipt as your meal ticket.

Note: Update to the lunch schedule, pizza will be served on Wednesday, November 19.

Upcoming Events
·      November 4 – School is in Session – Correction on previous district calendars
·      November 6 - School Advisory Meeting (SAC) @ 5:00-6:00
·      November 18 -  K-2 Parent Math Night @ 6:30-7:30
·      November 20 – Thanksgiving Feast
·      November 20 – 3-5 Parent Math Night @ 6:30-7:30

Wellness Topic – Traits of a Good Friend
In an effort to further students’ wellness, foster social and emotional growth and reiterate what it looks like to “Go For the Gold,” students across grades K-5 are identifying the attributes of a good friend.  Students are also finding examples of how they can demonstrate friendship to others.  Click here for additional information on this important life skill.


Parent University - Upcoming Sessions

Bullying Intervention
Thursday, October 30, 6:30-8:00 p.m. | Rock Canyon High School Rm 3800 I Enroll Now

Is it bullying or an opportunity to identify and resolve conflict? Working with parents to explore the differences between in-person bullying and normal conflict, participants will be able to identify the risk factors involved in bullying behavior, address critical warning signs and intervene when necessary. This session will also explore how parents and guardians can connect with schools to foster safe and positive learning environments for their students.

Organization and Study Skills
Wednesday, November 5, 7pm I Legend High School I Enroll Now

Students with strong study and organization skills are able to break class and homework assignments into subtasks and use time efficiently to complete those assignments, save and store graded papers and handouts for later retrieval, regularly review class notes and course readings, and practice effective study techniques. Parents will learn how to help their child organize to master essential study and organizational skills in order to function as independent learners.

School Finance
Tuesday, November 11, 7pm I Academy Charter School I Enroll Now
Thursday, November 13, 7pm I Skyview Academy I Enroll Now


School Finance and Funding are important topics and often talked about in parent circles. Many state and federal laws and protocols have a great effect on education. The Douglas County School District Chief Financial Office will talk about issues facing school finance, capital needs, the Douglas County School District budget and how DCSD is structured financially to meet the increasing needs of our students, teachers and staff.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Halloween Parties and Parade
Fall is upon us and Halloween is just around the corner.  Children are asking about how we will celebrate Halloween festivities at Gold Rush.  Listed below is the information you may need to guide your child in appropriate costume selections!  I have also included specifics about parties and directions for those not wishing to have their children participate.

Halloween parties are “breakfast parties” scheduled for the first 45 minutes of the school day from 9:15- 10:00AM.  It is recommended that party treats be balanced and nutritious with limited “sweets.”  For those not wishing to participate in class Halloween parties, parents can choose to opt out, and it is an excused absence.  Students will be back to learning by 10:30AM and those students opting out will arrive at that time. 

Specific guidelines for Halloween costuming include:
1.  Students may come dressed in a costume, but must be able to change into school clothes for the remainder of the day after the party has ended.
                2.  Costumes may not be demeaning or offensive to self or others
                3.  The following will not be allowed:
                                • Face make-up
                                • Depiction of blood or guts
                                • Racist or promiscuous dress
                                • Weapons or facsimile of weapons (swords, guns, scythes)
                                • Accessories or props such as balls, bats, ropes, etc.
If a costume is deemed inappropriate, the child may be asked to change into school clothes.   When parties are complete at 10:00, we will have a parade around the school for 15 minutes.  Students will then return to class, change out of costumes and return to learning by 10:30AM.

GRE Teachers Attend A Writing Training
As you are aware, teachers across grades K-5 are currently implementing Lucy Calkins’ writing program to ensure that all children are able to write in a variety of genres (informational, opinion and narrative) and content areas (reading, science and social studies).  Our teachers were fortunate to attend a training lead by national expert Lucy Calkins prior to fall break.  They were excited to glean additional ideas from the author and they are already implementing them in the classroom.




Supporting our Troops
Student Council is organizing a candy drive after Halloween to support the troops.  Student leaders plan to send donated candy to those serving over seas.  In anticipation of this event, students raised money for postage with a crazy hair day.  We are proud of students’ leadership, spirit and compassion for others.




Feedback on our Start to the School Year
This year Gold Rush started the school year in a slightly different manner.  In order to gain and communicate information in a more timely and meaningful manner we implemented a Meet Your Teacher Day, Back to School Night and Assessment Days.  We also held fall conferences earlier than we have in the past.  We would value your feedback on these opening activities.  Click here to complete a parent survey.  Your input is greatly appreciated!

Calendar
October 31 – Halloween Parade @ 10:00 AM
November 4 – School is in Session

November 20- Thanksgiving Feast

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Have a Wonderful Fall Break!



New Parent University classes coming up after Fall Break!

Presented by the School Safety Resource Center, these classes will help you identify bullying behaviors, who is at risk and what you can do about bullying. Click here to enroll now!

Bullying Intervention
Monday, October 20, 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Ponderosa High School I Enroll Now 
Thursday, October 30, 6:30-8:30 p.m. | Mountain Vista High School I Enroll Now
Is it bullying or an opportunity to identify and resolve conflict? Working with parents to explore the differences between in-person bullying and normal conflict, participants will be able to identify the risk factors involved in bullying behavior, address critical warning signs and intervene when necessary. This session will also explore how parents and guardians can connect with schools to foster safe and positive learning environments for their students.

Bullying - What Is It? What Are Schools Doing About It?
Thursday, October 23, 6pm - 7pm I Clear Sky Elementary I Enroll Now
Everywhere we look, there's seems to be another story about bullying. Join us for the evening to learn about about what we are doing in Douglas County Shool District to educate and combat bullying. We are as passionate as you about keeping our kids socially and emotionally safe. It still takes a village.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Digger Dash
Our annual school fun run – The Digger Dash – was a tremendous success! Our students enjoyed running, demonstrating classroom and school pride and raising money for Gold Rush!  We thank our PTO and parent volunteers for making this event possible!





Gold Rush Video
We had a great time filming a video about Gold Rush that highlights what makes our school unique.  I was able to share how our school is committed to each child’s academic, social and emotional growth.  It was great to provide examples of how our curriculum promotes critical thinking and student ownership in all content areas.  Parents celebrated the strong partnership that exists between home and school.  Students spoke of their connections to their teachers and classmates, opportunities for leadership and engagement inside and out of the classroom.  I look forward to sharing our video with you once its complete.



School Advisory Council (SAC)
Our SAC committee used GRE literacy and technology practices to review the District’s three- year strategic plan.  We discussed the four primary goal areas (see below) and how our work aligns to the District goals.  For example, we talked about how our two primary school goals -implementing Lucy Calkins’ three writing genres and integrating reading strategies into other content areas - align to the District goal of World Class Education, which ensures higher-level instruction that prepares students for the future.  I look forward to sharing more about our efforts throughout the year.  Click here for the District's strategic plan.


Strategic Plan Goals
Safety -Maximize Physical, Psychological and Online Safety
Choice -Providing Each Child The Maximum Opportunity for Success
World Class Education - Sustainable Learning for 21st Century
Systems Performance- Defining & Measuring What Matters Most


Running Club
Our running club had the opportunity to run during the boys high school soccer game this week! They did a wonderful job representing our school!




Calendar
October 10th- 17th – Fall Break
October 20th  -  Welcome Back! School Resumes

GRE Webstore/RevTrak

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