Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! I am so excited to be back and to get to know all of these new kiddos and families. Fifth grade is going to be an amazing year full of learning, growth, partnerships, new experiences, and fun. We have some great learning experiences to look forward to, which include a dissection, pushing ourselves in our writing abilities, growing as mathematicians, using technology regularly and purposefully, and a fun-filled day at Outdoor Ed.
A little about myself professionally: I went to college at Cal Poly, and still to this day think it's one of the greatest places on earth. I studied education there with an emphasis in biology. I stayed there an additional year to earn my teaching credential. I then moved down to Valencia, CA where I taught fourth grade. When I moved to Colorado, I knew that Douglas County was a great fit for me. This will be my 17th year teaching in total, and my ninth here at Gold Rush Elementary. I have since received my Masters Degree in education and am still often taking classes on weekends and over the summers.
Personally, I am originally from a small town outside of Santa Barbara and try to get home to visit family at least once a year; not only for the love of family, but to get my fix of the beach. I have two great children: Gavin who has moved on the 6th grade and Rylah who will be here at Gold Rush in 4th grade. I also have a wonderful husband and new puppy, Telly. I love living in this great state because of all there is to do. I’m often found hiking, going to concerts, dancing, camping, finding fun restaurants, snowboarding, and just being outside in general.
Prepare to see a lot of growth this year in your kiddos both academically and emotionally. Fifth grade is a year to build character and prepare for the years to come. I believe in pushing students to find that intrinsic motivation and inner love of learning. In this class we work hard and have many discussions that help develop critical thinking skills, systems thinking, and global awareness all the while being inquisitive, having fun, and building strong relationships.
Please enjoy these last few days of summer and get ready for a great year! I look forward to meeting you and forming great relationships.
Feel free to email me at any time for any reason: adalcerri@dcsdk12.org
Your teacher,
Ashley Hagerty
