Gold Rush Elementary
Principal's Message - February 20, 2026
We are incredibly appreciative to have both a full-time and a part-time counselor supporting our students at Gold Rush Elementary. Mrs. Fitch and Mrs. Merkley provide proactive lessons and practical strategies that benefit all students across grade levels.
This week, Mrs. Fitch worked with our third graders on understanding the power of their words. After reading Taste Your Words by Bonnie Clark, students reflected on how words can provoke both positive and negative emotions. They discussed how the words we choose can either help solve problems or create new ones.
Students had the opportunity to write their own “tasty words” — kind, thoughtful words that spark positive emotions and encourage problem-solving. They also practiced how taking a slow, deep breath can help them pause, regulate their emotions, and choose “tasty words” instead of hurtful ones. A highlight of the lesson was practicing deep breathing with Mrs. Fitch’s enormous breathing ball, which made learning this calming strategy both fun and memorable.
Mrs. Merkley continues to support our kindergarten and second-grade students in identifying their emotions and developing healthy ways to regulate their feelings. Through engaging activities and consistent practice, students are building important social-emotional skills that support both their academic and personal growth.
We are truly grateful for the support and strategies that both Mrs. Fitch and Mrs. Merkley provide for our Gold Rush community. We look forward to having both counselors at GRE again next year!
It has been amazing to see the growth in our Spanish program, especially as this is the second year the elective has been offered to all students in grades K–5. The progress students are making in reading, writing, speaking, and listening in a second language has been impressive!
In the primary grades, students are listening to and acting out engaging stories in Spanish that include key vocabulary. Through movement, repetition, and storytelling, our youngest learners are building both confidence and comprehension in a fun and meaningful way.
In the intermediate grades, students are expanding their skills even further. They are writing about their peers in Spanish in their writing journals, helping to build classroom community while practicing sentence structure and vocabulary. Students are speaking and writing about their interests, hobbies, and personal information, such as their age and birthday.
Intermediate students are also reading and comprehending more complex texts. They demonstrate their understanding by matching pictures to passages from the text and identifying key details to show comprehension.
We are incredibly proud of Señorita Sutherland for establishing such a strong and engaging Spanish program for all students. She has cultivated not only language development, but also a love of literacy in a second language. What an incredible opportunity for our Gold Rush students!
