Welcome to 2nd Grade

Dear 2nd Grade Parents,

Welcome to Gold Rush Elementary! My name is Catherine Graham and I will be your child’s 2nd Grade Teacher. My goal as your child’s teacher is to foster a love of learning while valuing individuality and striving to meet the needs of each student. I am committed to ensuring a quality of instruction that is both developmentally appropriate and challenging for each student. I am very excited to meet you and your child.

This will be my 19th year teaching in Douglas County. I graduated from the University of Montana with a Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and an emphasis in Exercise Physiology. I then went on to complete my Master’s Degree through the University of Colorado (Denver) in Curriculum and Instruction and obtain my teaching license.

This August I will have been married to my husband Kelly for 21 years. We have three beautiful daughters McKenna, Kendall and Delaney. McKenna is 16 years old and is a Junior at Legend High School. Kendall is 14 years old and is a Freshman at Legend High School. Delaney is 8 years old and is a 3rd Grader here at Gold Rush. We also have a 3 year old Gold Retriever Puppy named Dakota! Our family enjoys outdoors activities such as camping, hiking, swimming and skiing. All three of my girls are soccer players so we spend a great deal of time on the soccer field! In my spare time I enjoy running, attending classes at Orange Theory Fitness and one of my favorite hobbies is to scrapbook. We are also HUGE Bronco fans!

I am so excited to meet you and your child on Tuesday, August 6th. Please bring the following with you on August 6th:

• Emergency Dismissal Form (found online in Express Check-in)
• Gold Rush School Directory Form (found online in Express Check-in)
• School supplies - if you ordered a supply kit from school the kit will be delivered to the classroom and there for you at the Meet Your Teacher day.

I am already beginning to plan and get ready for a fun and successful year. Please let me know if your child has a nick name (or other name) that you would like them to be called and written on their name tags.

Please mark your calendar for the following important dates:

• Online Express Check-in July 17-July 31st- Parent Portal You will use Online Express Check-In to update your contact information, pay school fees, and sign up for volunteer opportunities. 
• Families are welcome to come visit our classroom, meet me and drop off your labeled school supplies on Tuesday, August 6th. Please sign up for a time slot by clicking here for the On Line Scheduler use the password digger and then use the student look up tab.
• Our first day of school is Wednesday, August 7th- We will meet outside on the front blacktop for our traditional opening flag ceremony. Click here for a map of our classroom location. All teachers will have a sign with their name on it. 
• Back to School Night for Parents Only is Wednesday, August 21st. We will offer 2 sessions 6:05-6:35 & 6:40-7:10. The principal will share school celebrations and upcoming goals for the year in the gym from 5:45-6:00 PM. We hope you will join us for these informative sessions. 
• We will not have class on Tuesday, August 27th. Each student will come to school for one hour to complete reading and math assessments. Please sign up for a day and time between July 17th and July 31st by clicking On Line Scheduler. Because we value the information we are obtaining on these days, it is mandatory that all children complete the assessments on this day. Please bring your child to the gym and teachers will bring students to their testing locations. Students will conclude their assessment day by having you accompany them to take their school picture. Our Before and Afterschool Enrichment program (B.A.S.E.) will be available on August 27th. Please contact B.A.S.E. as soon as possible as spaces are limited. 

Please let me know if you have another email that you would like me to use and if I did not include someone that you would like to have on this list please let me know that as well.

I also believe that in order for success to occur the student, parents, teacher and the school must collaborate to provide an optimum learning experience. I look forward to forming a partnership with you that is positive and supportive. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please feel free to contact me via email Catherine.graham@dcsdk12.org.

Thank you and I look forward to an exciting year!

See you soon!

Sincerely,
Mrs. Catherine Graham