News & Announcements

Dear Golden Families,

Welcome to Parent-Teacher Conference Week! This is such an important time for us to connect and partner together in support of your children. Thank you for attending your conferences and for being active participants in your child’s learning. We truly value your insight and collaboration.

This week also brings a modified schedule leading into Thanksgiving/Fall Break. We will have two minimum days (Wednesday and Thursday - please see the schedule linked below) and a non-student day on Friday. With shorter days, every minute of instruction becomes even more valuable. Please make every effort to ensure your child attends school each day. When students miss instructional time, they miss key learning that builds on their academic success.

As we head into Fall Break, I want to wish all of our families a very Happy Thanksgiving. May your week be filled with rest, joy, and meaningful time with friends and family. I am deeply grateful for our incredible community and truly honored to serve the families of Golden. Thank you for being such strong partners in your child’s educational journey. Happy Thanksgiving. Our weekly newsletter will return on Sunday, November 30th

With thanks and gratitude,
Kristin McDonald
Principal, Golden Elementary
Shine Bright. Stay Golden. 🦅

Dear Golden Families,

Thank you to everyone for your incredible support of our Jog-a-thon! It was a huge success! We loved having so many families on campus cheering on our Golden Eagles. It was truly a great event! A huge thank you to our amazing Golden PTA for always going above and beyond to support our school, our students, and our community. We are so grateful for you!

This Tuesday is Veterans Day. Please enjoy the day with family and friends in remembrance of all our brave veterans, soldiers, and first responders. Your service and sacrifice are deeply appreciated.

Wednesday is College Wear Wednesday! We can’t wait to see everyone representing their favorite colleges and universities.

And now for some exciting news. Just a little sneak peek before a formal announcement comes out! U.S. News & World Report has released its new rankings, and Golden Elementary was ranked #56 out of more than 5,400 elementary schools in California! That places us in the top 1% of all schools in the state! This incredible recognition would not be possible without your partnership and support.

I also want to take a moment to acknowledge our exceptional team of teachers and staff. They are some of the hardest working, most caring, and innovative educators around. In the spirit of gratitude, this is the perfect time to thank your child’s teacher or any staff member who has made a difference. I know I am truly thankful for our supportive community and our amazing Golden team!

As we begin the second trimester, please remember that although the holiday season is approaching, our focus remains on providing a high quality education every single day.

We have seen an increase in absences and independent studies, which is concerning. Nothing can replace the value of your child being in class for dynamic, in person, high-quality instruction. Please make every effort to ensure your child attends school daily. Our office team will be reviewing data regarding independent study requests closely. We ask that you help by scheduling family trips during planned holiday breaks. More information will follow, but we appreciate your partnership in supporting strong attendance. As you know our teachers work extremely hard, and independent study requests add to this time. Nothing is more disheartening or upsetting, when a request is made and work is provided, and yet work does not happen during the trip. We ask that you truly consider this when making your request. Independent studies will also not count toward attendance recognition and awards.

Finally, I hope everyone has scheduled a parent teacher conference. This one on one time is a wonderful opportunity to connect, share, and collaborate about your child’s growth and goals. Thank you for making time to attend.

Please be on the lookout for a separate email later this week with the link to our new Golden Spirit Wear Store! We are excited to have a few options we will be sharing! The goal is to have all orders in quickly so we can have it back to families/students before the holidays! Stay tuned! More information will be coming!

Have a wonderful week! I am so grateful for this amazing Golden community and for your continued support and partnership.

With appreciation,
Kristin McDonald
Proud Principal, Golden Elementary
Shine Bright. Stay Golden. 🦅