Matching Your Child to the Right Text Matters
During conferences teachers will share with you your child's results on either the Development Reading Assessment (DRA) or the Fountas & Pinnell reading assessment. The assessment given depends on your child's age and reading ability. Teachers use both assessments to determine students' fluency, accuracy, and comprehension.
Research shows that students need to do high volumes of high success reading (Calkins, 2015). In other words, students need to read daily books that they can read with 98% accuracy. Understanding your child's text band, or range of books that are of similar difficulty, will help you match him/her to such books. You can click here to learn more about the differences in the books your child is reading based on the results of these initial reading assessments. The text descriptors and characteristics can also assist you in questioning your child as you read together at home. A sample of the range of books is shown below.
The Arts Promote Collaboration & Compassion
During conferences teachers will share with you your child's results on either the Development Reading Assessment (DRA) or the Fountas & Pinnell reading assessment. The assessment given depends on your child's age and reading ability. Teachers use both assessments to determine students' fluency, accuracy, and comprehension.
Research shows that students need to do high volumes of high success reading (Calkins, 2015). In other words, students need to read daily books that they can read with 98% accuracy. Understanding your child's text band, or range of books that are of similar difficulty, will help you match him/her to such books. You can click here to learn more about the differences in the books your child is reading based on the results of these initial reading assessments. The text descriptors and characteristics can also assist you in questioning your child as you read together at home. A sample of the range of books is shown below.
Typically Early to Mid Kindergarten
Early to Mid Fifth Grade
The Arts Promote Collaboration & Compassion
The arts are an opportunity for students to collaborate and demonstrate compassion. In music students were working as an ensemble while playing in a drum circle. Students gave classmates feedback as they played solos and repeated the refrain. This required students to actively listen to their peers and provide constructive feedback. The rhythms increased in complexity as the week progressed. Click here and then click on the arrow in the top right hand corner of the video to hear the fifth grade drum circle.
In art students were asked to think like artists whose job it is to design artwork for thank you cards. Students were invited to submit their artwork to "Say It with Gratitude." This organization will contribute to a charity called Hug It Forward, which builds schools in Guatemala. 
We really appreciated the meals donated for parent teacher conferences.
Friend the Gold Rush PTO on Facebook.
Click here for the PTO webpage.
Bond & Mill
District Lock Down Training
Gold Rush students and staff practice lockdown drills twice a year. The school would go into a lockdown if there was a threat within the school. This differs from a lockout, which occurs if there is a threat outside of the building, such as a wild animal. During a lockdown students remain seated and silent in their locked classroom. In a lockout, students remain within the building, but they are able to proceed with usual routines.
On Tuesday, October 2nd, students and staff will participate in the lockdown drill with District Security and the Parker Police. We inform students that if they were not in their classroom when a lockdown was announced they would run to the closest room. If they were in the bathroom students are told to remain in a locked stall with their feet up. If they are outside they are directed to run away from the school and find a safe spot until a safe person finds them.
When we signal the drill we use a system that immediately informs both the Parker Police Department and the District. It also announces outside the building that we are in a lockdown. If you are to hear the announcement on Tuesday please know that this is a scheduled practice.
The National Association of School Psychologists provides some tips for talking with children. They provide seven suggestions shown below. Click here for the full article.
1. Assure Children They Are Safe
2. Make Time to Talk
3. Make Explanations Developmentally Appropriate
4. Review Safety Procedures
5. Observe Children's Emotional State
6. Limit Television Viewing
7. Maintain a Normal Routine
The National Association of School Psychologists provides some tips for talking with children. They provide seven suggestions shown below. Click here for the full article.
1. Assure Children They Are Safe
2. Make Time to Talk
3. Make Explanations Developmentally Appropriate
4. Review Safety Procedures
5. Observe Children's Emotional State
6. Limit Television Viewing
7. Maintain a Normal Routine
As you are aware, the Douglas County School District Board of Education voted to place a $40 million Mill Levy Override (MLO) and $250 million no-new-taxes Bond on the 2018 ballot. Additional funding would directly benefit Gold Rush in the following ways:
Gold Rush would be able to...
* Retain more teachers by offering salaries that are competitive with neighboring Districts
* Increase mental health support offered to all students
* Continue to have a healthy building budget that allows for low class size
* Replace classroom technology (audio systems & interactive boards) that is 10 years old
While Gold Rush is a relatively new building, several District schools are significantly dated and have Tier 1 issues that could close the school or parts of it. If the mill does not pass and building needs arise, money would be taken from the general fund. This could significantly decrease the amount that is allocated to all schools. Decreases to Gold Rush's building budget would significantly impact our ability to hire the staff needed to support small classes, specials etc.
Click here for additional information regarding the funding needs of the District.
Gold Rush would be able to...
* Retain more teachers by offering salaries that are competitive with neighboring Districts
* Increase mental health support offered to all students
* Continue to have a healthy building budget that allows for low class size
* Replace classroom technology (audio systems & interactive boards) that is 10 years old
While Gold Rush is a relatively new building, several District schools are significantly dated and have Tier 1 issues that could close the school or parts of it. If the mill does not pass and building needs arise, money would be taken from the general fund. This could significantly decrease the amount that is allocated to all schools. Decreases to Gold Rush's building budget would significantly impact our ability to hire the staff needed to support small classes, specials etc.
Click here for additional information regarding the funding needs of the District.
Fall Conferences
Our next conference evening is scheduled for Thursday, October 4th. Click here to schedule your conference using the online scheduler. The password is digger.
Our next conference evening is scheduled for Thursday, October 4th. Click here to schedule your conference using the online scheduler. The password is digger.
Electronic Thursday Folder
Upcoming Events
* September 27 - Parent Teacher Conferences
* October 2 - Lock Down Training with the District Security Team
* October 2 - Lock Down Training with the District Security Team
* October 4 - Parent Teacher Conferences
* October 8-12 - No School: Fall Break
* October 15- School Resumes
* October 17 - GRE SAC Meeting 4:00-5:00 & Joint Feeder SAC Meeting @ 5:00-6:30 at Iron Horse
* October 17 - GRE SAC Meeting 4:00-5:00 & Joint Feeder SAC Meeting @ 5:00-6:30 at Iron Horse
