Gifted Updates

Welcome to the 2025-2026 School Year!

We're excited to welcome students for the 2025-2026 school year.  Students currently identified as gifted will revisit Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) goals set in the spring and adjust as necessary during the first six weeks of school.  Finalized ALPs will be sent home by the end of September.  Students currently in the gifted identification process will continue with interventions and monitoring of performance as we continue to collect data for determination of identification.  If you are new to Bear Canyon and your child has been identified as gifted in another district or state, please reach out to Megan Bruce and Lisa Busman to begin the portability process.

mpbruce@dcsdk12.org, lkbusman@dcsdk12.org 

Read on to learn more about your Bear Canyon Gifted Facilitators!

Hello families,

My name is Mrs. Busman, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with your child at Bear Canyon Elementary. I’m a Colorado native and graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder.  I received my Master’s Degree in Education in Diverse Learners from the University of Phoenix. In 1995 I began teaching gifted and talented children in Jefferson County, Littleton, and Aurora Public Schools.  In 1999, I began teaching in Douglas County where I worked with gifted and talented students in the classroom. During my twenty four years in Douglas County, I have taught students in 2nd-6th grade at Northeast Elementary and Stone Mountain Elementary.  

Outside of teaching, I have been married for 25 years, and I love to spend time with my husband and 3 children. Kyla is attending the University of Colorado, and Kiralise will begin her senior year at eDcsd and Legacy Campus.  Jake is thriving in 8th grade at Ranch View.  In my free time, I love to read, enjoy the  outdoors, watch movies, travel, and visit friends. 

My hopes for next year are to foster a love of learning and curiosity, while nurturing the unique qualities of each child.  I look forward to meeting you and your child at our open house!

Warmly,

Lisa Busman

Hello, Bear Canyon Families!

My name is Megan Bruce and I have had the pleasure of serving as Bear Canyon’s Professional Learning Specialist (PLS; Instructional Coach) and Gifted Facilitator, as well as the READ Act contact for nine years.  I am looking forward to continuing to support the students, staff and families of Bear Canyon in these roles.

For over 20 years, I have been in education; I knew I wanted to be a teacher from a very young age.  I began my career in the classroom, teaching Kindergarten through 4th grades.  After 13 years of classroom teaching, I moved to the role of Intervention Specialist, and then into this current role.  I have a passion for making strong connections with others, for working with students of varying levels and abilities, differentiating for their needs, and for supporting our staff through the multitude of responsibilities of their daily work.

When I’m not at school, I love spending time with my family and friends.  My husband and I have two beautiful daughters; the oldest is a junior at the University of Iowa and the youngest is a junior at a local DCSD high school.  We enjoy playing games together, spending time in the beautiful outdoors of Colorado, catching a game at the University of Iowa, watching my youngest perform on stage and simply being with one another!

I am looking forward to another wonderful year of working alongside the teachers, staff, students and parents at Bear Canyon to support the needs of our learners in the best way possible. 

Best regards,

Megan Bruce

Gifted Facilitator, PLS and READ Act Contact at BCE

mpbruce@dcsdk12.org