Gold Rush Elementary

Inspiring Purpose, Compassion & Excellence

Our students have been bringing the Winter Olympics to life during Movement class, and it has been an exciting and engaging unit! Through a special Winter Olympics movement series, students are exploring how science concepts connect to real Olympic events.

Each day, students watch a short four-minute video that introduces the science behind a specific Winter Olympic sport. After viewing the video, students participate in a movement activity that simulates the Olympic sport they learned about.

So far, students have tried hockey, ski mountaineering, curling, bobsled, speed skating, and slalom skiing. At the end of each class, students engage in whole-class, small-group, or partner discussions to connect the activity to the science concepts highlighted in the video. These discussions focus on ideas such as force, drag, friction, acceleration, momentum, and velocity.

Teamwork and collaboration are an important focus of our movement units. In each unit, students plan at least one activity that requires them to collaborate. One example is “team skis,” where two students ski together on the same boards. While this is not an official Olympic event, it is a fun and effective way for students to practice communication, cooperation, and problem-solving skills.

Above is a picture of students participating in the bobsled activity. In this challenge, students worked together to create a track and move the bobsled through the entire course, navigating twists and turns without letting the bobsled hit the ground. Enthusiastic teamwork and collaboration was clearly evident! Students began in small groups in the STEAM room and eventually worked together as one large group, which required a longer space.

We thank Mrs. Warner for providing students with these ongoing opportunities to explore movement, science, and collaboration!

At Gold Rush, our staff works together as a Professional Learning Community (PLC). This means our teachers collaborate regularly with a shared focus on student achievement and growth.

Each week, grade-level teams meet to discuss what students should know and be able to do, review student data, and plan targeted interventions and enrichment to meet the needs of individual learners. This collaborative approach ensures that instruction is intentional, responsive, and aligned to student needs.

This week, our teachers worked together to analyze mid-year i-Ready data for both reading and math. During this process, teams celebrated individual student progress and grade-level accomplishments in achievement and growth. We were especially proud to see a positive trend across all grade levels:

• More students are meeting grade-level standards, and

• Fewer students require intensive intervention.

Teams also identified specific reading and math standards that continue to be challenging for many students. In response, teachers planned additional opportunities for students to revisit and strengthen these skills within current and upcoming literacy and math units. Click here for more information about GRE's mid year performance on the I Ready assessment.

As you are aware, the Douglas County School District has made the decision to implement dedicated Professional Learning Communities (PLC) time in its elementary and middle schools beginning next school year. This is something that already occurs in DCSD high school. This means, beginning next school year, our school will have a 45-minute late start every Friday to allow for dedicated PLC time.

We are incredibly proud of the depth of analysis, thoughtful discussion, and purposeful planning demonstrated by our teachers. Their collaborative, data-driven work directly supports student success, and we are confident this effort will continue to translate into strong results for our learners.

Gold Rush is fortunate to have Mrs. Fitch and Mrs. Merkle, our amazing school counselors, who proactively provide grade-level lessons focused on relevant social-emotional learning concepts.

This week, Mrs. Fitch worked with students on understanding multiple perspectives. She led discussions about how different learning styles and personal preferences can impact others and the classroom as a whole. Students explored how clear communication and understanding differing perspectives help them work well together and show respect for one another.

In the primary grades, students focused on digital safety. These lessons helped students learn how to make safe, responsible choices when using technology and navigating digital spaces.

We truly appreciate the important work Mrs. Fitch and Mrs. Merkle do to support our students’ ability to collaborate, respect others, and stay safe—both in and out of the classroom.

2021 South Swift Fox Way, Parker, CO, USA

303-387-7700

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