Gold Rush Elementary

Inspiring Purpose, Compassion & Excellence

AN EXCEPTIONAL ADVENTURE

As we wrap up another incredible school year, it is clear that we truly embraced our theme: Adventure Awaits! It has been amazing to watch our students learn and grow through trying new things in their classrooms, specials areas, and interactions with peers. I am so proud of all they have accomplished academically, socially, and emotionally throughout the year.

This week provided wonderful opportunities to celebrate together as a school community. Students had an amazing time during Field Day participating in a wide variety of collaborative games with their peers. A special thank you goes to Mrs. Graham for organizing such a fun and memorable experience for our students.

Our third graders also put their financial literacy skills to the test during Market Day! We thoroughly enjoyed shopping their creative array of goods and seeing the thoughtful marketing strategies they developed. Their creativity and enthusiasm were impressive.

Ending the week with our Kindergarten and Fifth Grade graduations was especially meaningful. Our kindergarten students were full of joy as they celebrated the completion of their first year at GRE by singing songs proudly in their graduation caps. It was a wonderful celebration of growth and learning.

Our fifth grade celebration was equally special. Students enjoyed bounce houses, Kona Ice, and the always-favorite fifth grade slideshow showcasing how much they have grown since their baby pictures. The day concluded with our traditional clap out, a cherished GRE tradition. We are so proud of everything our fifth graders accomplished during their time at Gold Rush Elementary, and they will always be welcomed back with open arms.

A huge thank you to all of our families for making this year’s adventures possible. Your partnership and support play such an important role in your child’s success and growth. Together, we have created meaningful experiences and lasting memories for our students.

We wish all of our families a wonderful summer filled with rest, fun, and new adventures. We hope the spirit of adventure continues throughout your time away!

ACCESS REPORT CARDS - JUNE 2

Teachers are excited to share your child's academic, social and emotional progress on his/her Elementary Progress Report (E.P.R.). EPRs will be released on Tuesday, June 2, at 9:00AM.
Click here to access your child's EPR via the EngagED Parent Portal.
Click here for additional District information and support.

GRADES 3-5: ACCESS SPRING CMAS RESULTS MAY 29

We are incredibly proud of the growth and achievement our students demonstrated throughout the school year. In April, students in grades three through five participated in the Colorado Measures of Academic Success assessment(CMAS) where they showcased their knowledge and skills aligned with Colorado’s academic standards.

DCSD will no longer mail hard copies of CMAS score reports. Beginning May 29 you will be able to access your child’s CMAS score reports electronically through the Pearson’s Family Portal. This secure and user-friendly platform offers timely access to your child’s performance information.

How to Access Your Child’s Online CMAS Report Beginning May 29

Visit the Family Portal at: https://familyportal.pearson.com/CO
You’ll need the following to log in:

Student’s State ID (SASID) – This 10-digit number can be found in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal under your student’s profile.

Student’s First & Last Name
Student’s Date of Birth

What You’ll Find in the Portal on June 15

Strengths and areas for growth
Comparisons to peers at the school, district, and state levels
Suggestions for supporting learning at home

Helpful tools including:

A video guide
A detailed explanation of how to interpret results

A Note about Social Studies Testing (4th Grade)

CMAS social studies assessments are only given at a rotating sample of schools selected by the state, so not all students participate in that subject every year in grades 4.

Please remember CMAS Is Just One Piece of the Puzzle

These scores are one measure of your child’s academic progress. We encourage you to review CMAS results alongside classroom performance, grades, and teacher feedback to gain a more complete picture of your student’s growth.

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education.

DELAYED START FRIDAYS FOR 2026-2027

With summer break quickly approaching, we wanted to provide a quick reminder about changes to school schedules coming next school year. This information was shared from the District earlier this week.

Beginning in August 2026, DCSD is implementing dedicated Professional Learning Communities (PLC) time for our teachers. This means that DCSD elementary and middle schools will have a 45-minute delayed start every Friday. This is already occurring in DCSD’s high schools.

Gold Rush Rolling Start and Start Times for 2026-2027

* Monday - Thursday: Rolling Start 8:20-8:30AM & Start Time 8:30AM

* Friday: Rolling Start 9:10-9:20 AM & Start Time 9:20 AM

* Friday - Delayed Start Due to Weather: Rolling Start 9:50-10:00 AM & Start Time 10:00 AM

* The first delayed start Friday will be August 21st

We recognize that having a delayed start time on Fridays will require some adjustments for families, however we are certain the trade-off will be worth it. In addition to what we have seen at our high schools, research from across the country shows how much of a difference PLCs can make in the academic outcomes for all students.

DCSD is the highest-scoring school district in the Denver metro area, and until now, the only one without dedicated PLC time. Think of what we’ll be able to achieve when our educators are using their dedicated Friday morning PLC time to full effect!

Your child(ren)’s teachers will gain focused time to work together, analyze data to make student-level adjustments in their teaching, and align their use of our curriculum to ensure learning goals are met.

You may have questions about how this change affects other aspects of the school day, and we have answers for those, too:

Transportation: All school buses, including special education buses, will start 45 minutes later on Fridays. Bus routes will run exactly 45 minutes later.
Child Care: Elementary students will still have access to Before and After School Education (BASE) on Friday mornings.
School Breakfast: Breakfast will still be offered to students.
Preschool: There will be no impact on preschool schedules. Currently, preschool staff already use Friday mornings for planning and PLCs.
Delayed Starts Due to Weather: If a delayed start is called on a Friday due to inclement weather, that day's PLC time for staff will be canceled. The inclement weather delay means school will start 90 minutes (an hour and a half) later than the school's normal (Monday-Thursday) start time. There would not be any additional delay for PLC time. Gold Rush would start at 10 AM on Fridays when a delayed start is called by the District due to weather. The rolling start would be from 9:50-10:00AM.
These, plus additional information about special education, inclement-weather delays, instructional time and more can be found on the DCSD PLC webpage.

In case a visual reminder helps you, we also made a downloadable 2026-2027 school-year calendar with the late-start Fridays identified so you can post it on your refrigerator.