5th Grade Information

2026-2027  

Welcome Back!!

Welcome Back Letter

Hello and welcome back!! I am so excited to meet and see you all! My name is Kelly Broecker (pronounced Breker), and I am thrilled to be your child’s teacher for the 2026–2027 school year at Gold Rush. I'm excited to be back in 5th grade this year! I cannot wait for this year to begin so that we can get to know one another and have a fun, successful year of learning.

Please read to the end, as this letter contains a lot of important information for you and your child. 

Growing up in Colorado, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. Twenty-six years ago, I stepped into my first classroom and haven’t looked back. Education is my passion, and watching your children grow into strong, independent critical thinkers is why I teach.

I have a B.A. in History from Colorado State University, my Elementary Educator’s License from Metropolitan State University of Denver, and a Master’s in Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction. Over the past 26 years, I’ve taught both 4th and 5th grades, as well as served one year as an instructional coach. This will be my tenth year at Gold Rush, and I couldn’t have asked for a better community and school to be a part of.

My family and I live right here in Parker. I love teaching in the community where I live—it allows me to stay connected to my students and to the greater Parker community. I am married to my husband of 26 years, and we have two wonderful daughters: Emily, 23  and Abby, 20, who will be a senior at Colorado State. As a family, we enjoy traveling, playing pickleball, and spending time together. I was born in the Denver metro area and spent my first six years in and around Arvada before my family moved to the beautiful mountain town of Crested Butte. Growing up in the mountains gave me a deep appreciation for Colorado and the outdoors, and those years hold some of my favorite childhood memories. It was also there that I discovered my love of history, a passion that continues to inspire both my travels and my teaching. I returned to Arvada for high school, and I'm proud to be a fourth-generation Colorado native who has been fortunate to experience so many different parts of our amazing state.

When I'm not in the classroom, you'll likely find me reading, exploring history, traveling, cheering on the CSU Rams or taking a walk to enjoy Colorado's beautiful weather and scenery. I'm also a longtime soccer fan after spending many years cheering on my daughters, who both played from the ages of 3 to 18. This summer, watching the World Cup has definitely earned a spot on my list of favorite pastimes—and it certainly helps that the matches are in our time zone!

As we begin this year, please know that working together as a cohesive team will ensure your child has a successful year. Communication is very important to me—and to your child’s success. Email is typically the best way to reach me. During the school day, I’ll be working with your child, so if I’m not able to respond immediately, I will do my best to reply within 12–24 hours.

I look forward to working with you and your child. I want this year to be a memorable and fun learning experience! We will be going to Outdoor Ed at High Trails Outdoor Education Center (hands down the best outdoor education experience I have had); dates will be released soon. 5th grade is a year of growth and fun; our classroom community is a huge part of that. 

I also look forward to hearing all about your family's summer adventures! My family and I had an incredible summer traveling to San Diego, Ireland, Normandy, France, and London. Along the way, we saw Moulin Rouge—a lifelong dream of mine to experience a musical in London's West End—visited Omaha and Utah Beaches while learning about the history of D-Day, explored the breathtaking Mont Saint-Michel, admired the Cliffs of Moher and the stunning western coast of Ireland near Galway, and made countless wonderful memories together.

Last summer, I traveled to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail, and I can't wait to share what I learned with the students as we study the American Revolution—especially since our nation recently celebrated America's 250th birthday!

If there's one thing you'll quickly learn about me, it's that I seek out history wherever I travel. I love discovering the stories of the past, and I enjoy bringing those experiences back to the classroom to make history come alive for my students. I look forward to sharing that passion with your children this year!

I can’t wait to meet you and your student at our Meet the Teacher event on Tuesday, August 11th! If you haven’t had a chance yet, please use this link to reserve a slot (the password is “digger”). We encourage you to bring your supplies at that time; however, if you purchased them via the school, they will already be in our classroom. For those doing their own shopping, the list of necessary items can be found here.

Students will drop off their supplies that day and take their school pictures in the gym after our visit. You can click here to order pictures online. The picture day ID is EVTBFFCRC .

Please remember to bring the majority of your supplies with you on this day (if possible) so students won’t need to carry them on the first day of school. We’ll be kicking off the year with our traditional Flag Ceremony, and students will meet me on the front blacktop by the cone labeled with my name.

For those of you who know me, my classroom has moved. I am now back in the 5th grade hallway in Room B-228 (just across the hall from my 4th grade room).

If you could also take a moment to fill out this form (also found on my website) to help me get to know your child before the first day of school, I would greatly appreciate it! With the limited time we have during Meet the Teacher, this will give me an opportunity to learn more about your child privately beforehand.

If there is an alternate email address you would like me to use, please let me know as soon as possible by replying to this email and providing your preferred contact.

Enjoy the rest of your summer! I can’t wait to meet you on August 11th and welcome your child for our first day on August 12th! Remember, normal start time (8:30) on Friday, August  14th.