Meet the Administrative Team

Gold Rush Elementary

At Gold Rush we believe our purpose is to serve the broader school community. We also believe that leadership is a collaborative endeavor. In addition to the Principal, Assistant Principal and Professional Learning Specialist, teachers, parents, community members and students assume an essential voice. Our school leadership team, comprised of teachers and specialists from all grade levels and departments, continuously plan for improvement. Parents and community members also provide valuable insight we gather this input from PTO and the School Accountability Committee (SAC) meetings. Our ultimate goal is to model and foster student leadership and we work closely with our student council to further efforts in our school and community.

Dr. Jennifer Brown, Principal

Libby Bergner, Assistant Principal

Bree Roon, Building Resource Teacher

Digger, Positive Behavior Specialist

Dr. Jenny Brown, Principal

J Brown

My name is Jenny Brown and I have served as a school administrator for 13 years. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Notre Dame and went onto pursue my master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Wisconsin, Madison while working as a third grade teacher.  As I worked as an elementary school principal in the suburbs of both Massachusetts and Illinois I began my doctoral studies, which I completed in the spring of 2015.

I am proud to have served as the principal of Gold Rush Elementary School since August of 2012. I feel fortunate to be part of such a tremendous school community! I believe that educating children is a true partnership and I value how our parents, teachers, students and support staff collaborate daily to support each individual child. I also value our warm school environment and our collective commitment to foster critical thinking and civic responsibility.

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Libby Bergner, Assistant Principal

Bergner

I am so fortunate to be a part of a community that is dedicated to making learning a joyful, lifelong experience for students and staff. I believe every child is unique and possesses the ability to do great things in the world. I believe in developing this potential by celebrating differences, fostering creativity and collaboration, and establishing strong relationships with students and their families. I believe children should be in a safe place where they can express their opinions and nurture their own ideas.

This is my 17th year in education and have spent most of my time as a classroom teacher. I have taught every level from preschool to sixth grade, with the exception of third. I was part of the core team that opened Gold Rush in 2008. Here, I have taught sixth and second graders. This will be my fourth year in administration and I feel truly honored to continue serving Gold Rush in this capacity. Thank you for entrusting your children with us. I love this community and live here in Parker with my husband and four children. We are a very busy family and enjoy sports, traveling, and being with relatives. I am very excited and look forward to working with students, families, and the community to make this an incredible school year!

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Bree Roon, Professional Learning Specialist

roon

I am honored to serve as the Professional Learning Specialist (PLS) for Gold Rush Elementary! This is my 22nd year in education.  Over the years, I have had the opportunity to teach in many places and serve in diverse capacities.   I have taught in Glenwood Springs, Denver, Parker, and Long Beach, California.   I have experience as a classroom teacher, an ELD teacher, a bilingual reading interventionist, and a teacher coach/evaluator.  

I believe that students thrive in an environment that prioritizes relationships, scaffolds learning, fosters risk-taking, and celebrates the unique qualities that each child brings to the classroom.  Having taught many places, I can truly say that Gold Rush embodies these beliefs!  I am so thankful to be part of the Gold Rush community as an educator and parent.  Gold Rush is a family, and my own family is so very fortunate to be a part of it! 

My role on the leadership team includes the following:


Staff Developer: Plan, prepare, and implement staff development based on student data, teacher needs, and best practices in instruction and assessment. I also communicate information on resources such as instructional materials, training opportunities, and district information.


Mentor: Provide support for new teachers to meet state and district induction requirements. I also mentor all teachers through professional development opportunities.


Coach: Assist teachers with informal goal setting and provide support of student learning through observation, modeling, co-teaching, feedback, and data analysis.


Facilitator: Assist with processes and meetings at school and district levels. Collaborate with our leadership team in planning, preparing, and implementing professional learning opportunities based on school and district goals.

 



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Digger, Positive Behavior Specialist

Positive Behavior Specialist

Hi! My name is Digger, and I am the mascot at Gold Rush Elementary, home of the Golden Retrievers! The golden retriever was selected by children to be our mascot because we are kind, loyal, smart and service oriented (just like our students). I have the wonderful job of spending time with the class that earned the most golden tickets for the week. Students earn golden tickets for making good choices and going for the GOLD, which means they are following our school rules: Give respect, Own your actions, Listen and learn, and Do your best.

Each day, the Words of Wisdom read during morning announcements help students think about making positive choices. It is a really close call each week determining where I will spend my time, our students are so well behaved!

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In compliance with Titles VI & VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008, and Colorado law, the Douglas County School District RE-1 does not unlawfully discriminate against otherwise qualified students, employees, applicants for employment, or members of the public on the basis of disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, religion, ancestry, or need for special education services. Discrimination against employees and applicants for employment based on age, genetic information, and conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth is also prohibited in accordance with state and/or federal law. Complaint procedures have been established for students, parents, employees, and members of the public. The School District's Compliance Officer and Title IX Coordinator to address complaints alleging sexual harassment under Title IX is Aaron Henderson, 620 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, Colorado, [email protected], 303-387-0127.

Outside Agencies

Complaints regarding violations of Title VI, (race, national origin), Title IX (sex, gender), Section 504/ADA (handicap or disability), may be filed directly with the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, 1244 North Speer Blvd., Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204. Complaints regarding violations of Title VII (employment) and the ADEA (prohibiting age discrimination in employment) may be filed directly with the Federal Office of Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 303 E. 17th Ave., Suite 510, Denver, CO 80202, or the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1050, Denver, CO 80202.

NOTICE OF DESTRUCTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS

Special Education records which have been collected by Douglas County School District related to the identification, evaluation, educational placement, or the provision of special education in the district, must be maintained under state and federal laws for the period of five (5) years after special education services have ended for the student. Special education services end when the student is no longer eligible for services, graduates, or completes his/her educational program at age 21, or moves from the district. This notification is to inform parents/guardians and former students of Douglas County School District's intent to destroy the special education records of students who exited special education services as of June 30, 2016. These records will be destroyed in accordance with state law unless the parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student notifies the school district otherwise. After five years, the records are no longer useful to the district, but may be useful to the parent/guardian or former student in applying for social security benefits, rehabilitation services, college entrance, etc. The parent/guardian or eligible (adult) student may request a copy of the records by requesting the records at this link ( Douglas County School District Transcripts and Records Requests ).