Gold Rush Elementary

Inspiring Purpose, Compassion & Excellence

It's time for our annual Digger Dash fun run, a Gold Rush Elementary tradition that promotes fitness, fun, and school pride. This year, we're excited to raise money for a brand-new marquee. This colorful, new sign will help us share upcoming events and celebrate our students' achievements with the community. Every dollar you donate goes directly to this project.

Our staff kicked off the fundraising with a fantastic school assembly. Students cheered as teachers participated in an adventure race, complete with outdoor obstacles. The winning teachers got to cover the principal and assistant principal in mud before washing them off with buckets of water. The students were thrilled to learn that the fastest boy and girl in each class will also get to douse the school leaders. Everyone had a great time watching the staff get a little silly, and the energy is high for our school renovations!

The Digger Dash will be on Friday, September 5th. Please check the flyer and donation envelope that were sent home today. You can donate at MySchoolBucks.com or by sending cash or checks in the provided envelope. The grade-level schedule is also on the flyer.

Thank you for your support!

It was a fantastic first full week at Gold Rush Elementary! We were so excited to have all of our students in class and engaged in learning. This week, we focused on establishing our literacy and math workshops, which are now up and running in every classroom.

The workshop model provides a consistent learning structure for all students. It also allows teachers to use student data to deliver targeted small-group instruction.

Here’s a quick look at how the workshop model works:

Mini-Lesson: Each workshop begins with a short 10-15 minute mini-lesson where the teacher models a skill or strategy aligned with state standards. Students then practice the new skill with a partner and as a class.
Independent Work: This is the core of the workshop. Students work on personal goals based on their beginning-of-year assessments, with all materials and teacher support tailored to their individual needs.
Share Time: The workshop ends with students sharing their progress and thinking, as well as previewing their work for the next day.

We are so proud of our students' focus and stamina for reading, writing, and math. It has been an incredible start, and we look forward to sharing more of their accomplishments with you!

We had an amazing Spirit Week focused on becoming positive digital citizens! In addition to our fun daily spirit days, students in all grade levels participated in lessons about staying safe and responsible online.

A major focus this week was understanding our digital footprint. Students learned that the things they post and share online leave a trail, and they explored how to make sure that trail is a positive one. We used many of the excellent resources provided by Common Sense Media, a fantastic organization with a wealth of information for parents. If you haven't had a chance to visit their website, we highly encourage you to check it out for helpful tips and resources on a variety of online topics.

Next week, we will continue to build a positive classroom community by discussing anti-bullying lessons from the Wayfinder program. These lessons are designed to encourage positive and respectful interactions with both peers and adults. These lessons are geared toward creating a supportive and kind learning environment for everyone. These lesson are combined with our daily pledge: Go for the G.O.L.D. This stands for:

Give respect
Own your actions
Listen and learn
Do your best

Students are actively working to define what these positive behaviors look like in their classrooms and around the school. For example, our first graders have been making books to illustrate these school norms. They are providing wonderful examples like helping a friend, including a classmate, and sharing materials.

By focusing on these principles every day, we are building a supportive and respectful school community together. We are so proud of our students for embracing these values and showing what it means to Go for the G.O.L.D.!

Meals for students in the Douglas County School District are currently free via the Healthy School Meals for All program which is funded by the State of Colorado. While free meals will continue through December 2025; there is a possibility that the program could be eliminated in many DCSD schools in January 2026. The State plans to place two initiatives on the November 2025 ballot related to the funding of this program.