⚡️Energize & Engage Day was a huge success! On Friday, March 29th, students signed up to attend courses ranging from Basic Car Maintenance to Pickleball to College Cooking Hacks (a complete list of courses can be found here!) A huge shout out to our teachers for providing unique and engaging learning experiences focused on building life readiness skills, a passion for learning, and FUN. Thank you to our students for stepping out of your comfort zones and embracing this day as a chance to explore something new!
THIS WEEK at GHS
Solar Eclipse - On Monday, April 8th, Goochland High School students can view the solar eclipse. Our geographic region will experience the eclipse mid-afternoon at an 87% magnitude. We have made plans to ensure that this experience for our students is safe and enjoyable. Through the generosity of the Goochland Education Foundation, safety eclipse glasses are being provided to all students and faculty. The students must follow the safety precautions of using the approved glasses. There is a risk to the eyes if these glasses are not worn. Our teachers will review this information with the students before going outside to observe the eclipse.
Goochland County Sheriff's Office (Hidden in Plain Sight) Event - We're excited to share details about the upcoming Goochland County Sheriff's Office Hidden in Plain Sight program, scheduled for Tuesday, April 9th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. It will be held at Central High Cultural and Education Complex (2748 Dogtown Road, Goochland, VA). This engaging and informative event offers families invaluable insights into recognizing the signs of teen drug use and risky behaviors. These interactive sessions will cover a range of pertinent topics, including vapes/tobacco, marijuana, emerging drug trends, and over-the-counter medication. To secure your spot, click here or email Sgt. Leabough at rleabough@goochlandva.us.
Prom Ticket Sales/Guest Forms - The Junior Class of Goochland High School is proud to announce the prom of 2024! This year the theme will be "Masquerade Ball" and will be held at Hermitage Country Club on Saturday, April 27th from 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm. Come out in your finest mystique attire and dance the night away to a live band! Tickets are on sale now through GoFan and guest forms are now available in the front office. Ticket prices are $15 for Seniors, $30 for Juniors, and $40 for non-GHS or underclassmen guests. All non-GHS guests must have a permission form on file and submitted to Mrs. Lorello by Friday, April 19th. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lorello (llorello@glnd.k12.va.us.)
Sense of Belonging Survey - Linked here, please find a preview copy of the 6-12th grade GCPS Sense of Belonging and Inclusion Survey that will be administered at GHS during Block 2 on Tuesday, April 9th. The purpose of the survey is to provide input on how GHS is doing toward meeting our annual school-wide goals so that we can create an even better experience for all of our students. Any parent wishing to opt their child out of taking this survey may do so by emailing our Survey Coordinator, Catherine Richards, at crichards@glnd.k12.va.us.
EPF W!se Assessment Optional Tutoring - Students enrolled in Economics and Personal Finance are invited to take advantage of tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:45 to 5:15 pm in room E161. This dedicated block of time will help provide additional support for the W!se Financial Literacy Certification Test, which will be administered during the last week of April and the first week of May. During after-school tutoring sessions, snacks will be provided, but transportation is not. If you have any questions please email Mrs. EYP at eyearoutpatton@glnd.k12.va.us.
Athletics and Activities - Please visit www.GoochlandBulldogs.com for up-to-date schedule information. Many of these events can be streamed live at www.NFHSNetwork.com. Feel free to contact Mr. Joe Fowler (jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions or need more information.
THIS MONTH at GHS
Summer Credit Accrual Parent Meeting - Do you want to learn more about our credit accrual summer program? Please join us virtually on Monday, April 17th from 6:00 - 6:30 pm as we discuss course offerings for credit accrual delivered online via Apex: Health/PE 9, Health/PE 10, Economics and Personal Finance, English 12, and Government. Please note that all courses will be capped at 15 students. GCPS students will have first priority enrollment through Thursday, June 1st. ***Join the discussion at meet.google.com/igj-zqqb-bdm OR call in at 1-857-529-7795 PIN: 160 235 629#.
GCPS Summer School - Goochland offers credit accrual virtual summer courses in Health/PE 9, Health/PE 10 (this class does not include the Driver’s Education instruction), Economics and Personal Finance, English 12, and Government. All courses will be delivered using Apex, a self-paced learning platform. ***Dates: June 11th, 2024-August 2nd, 2024 ***Tuition: Current GCPS Students, $280/course, in-county residents $280/course, out-of-county $499/course ***For more information and dates of the summer classes, please go to our Summer Programming website. There will be a virtual information meeting for these courses on April 16th, 2024 from 6:00 PM-6:30 PM. Registration will begin on April 17th, 2024, and close on June 10th, 2024.
Summer School Driver’s Ed (Classroom Component - does not include Behind the Wheel)- This 30-hour course is taught in person by a certified GCPS teacher and will satisfy the classroom component required for a student to obtain a driver's license for a fee once a student completes Behind the Wheel at a certified driving school. For more information and dates of the summer classes, please go to our Summer Programming website. Registration will begin on April 17th, 2024. ***Dates: June 10th, 2024-June 14th, 2024 (Monday-Friday) ***Time: 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM ***Location: Goochland High School Room F181 - (transportation not provided) ***Tuition: $100
Virtual VA Summer School Classes - Goochland County Public Schools will be utilizing Virtual Virginia this summer to provide credit accrual course options for high school students that are not offered through GCPS. Courses offered ***Summer Session: June 17-July 26, 2024 ***Registration: March 1-June 18 2024 (Registration Form) ***Tuition: $375 per person, per course ***Who: Virtual Virginia summer school is for credit accrual only, not recovery of failed classes. Students should be motivated and task-driven. Students should plan to spend approximately 4-5 hours per day on a course. Students may take a maximum of 2 courses (8-10 hours per day for two courses).
Mock Interviews - GHS will host our sixth annual Mock Interviews Event on Thursday, April 18th. Business leaders from around the Richmond-Metro area have volunteered to spend their morning with us to interview our students and provide them with feedback. Our seniors and junior CTE completers will be participating in this event. We look forward to offering this fantastic opportunity for our students to prepare them to be career-ready!
Teacher Professional Development - GCPS will be closed on Friday, April 19th, for a teacher professional development day. We hope you enjoy your long weekend!
Goochland Drama Department Presents: Bright Star: School Edition - Bright Star (School Edition) is based on a true story written by comedian/banjo player Steve Martin and singer-songwriter Edie Brickell. Bright Star is a musical set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina that travels through time between the 1920s and 40s. The story follows the life of Alice Murphy, an acclaimed literary editor who comes to meet a young soldier just home from World War II. Alice's meeting with this soldier sparks a connection, which leads her on a journey to find information from her past. Although this show might not pique the interest of our younger audience members, it is a perfect date night show that includes a love story that spans generations. If you love Bluegrass music, this might be the show for you!
Showtimes:
Friday, April 19th at 7:00 PM
Saturday, April 20 at 2:00 and 7:00 PM
Sunday, April 21st at 2:00 PM
Tickets:
$10 for Students (K-12)
$15 for Adults
Click Here to purchase your tickets.
Teen Driver Seminar - The annual “Teen Driver Seminar” with Deputy Scott Leabough (sleabough@goochlandva.us) will be held on Saturday, April 20th in the GHS student parking lot from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm. Lunch will be provided for all participants. Please contact Deputy Leabough if you are interested in attending. Please email him with your student's full name, parent/guardian name, phone number, and email address.
Prom Spirit Week Days - Please join the Bulldog Family with our Prom Spirit week dress-up days during the week of April 22nd - 26th:
Monday = Student/Teacher Swap
Tuesday = Sports Jersey vs. Jersey Shore
Wednesday = Soccer Mom vs. BBQ Dad
Thursday = Barbie vs. Oppenheimer
Friday = Adam Sandler Day
Senior Cap and Gown Pick-up - Jostens will be here to deliver caps and gowns, as well as other senior products ordered earlier in the year, on Thursday, April 25th, and Friday, April 26th, during all lunches. Please ensure you pick up all items from Jostens on this day. If you still need to order your cap and gown, please email our Jostens rep, Sarah Dunn (sarah.dunn@jostens.com), ASAP to ensure your order arrives in time for graduation!
Dual Enrollment Courses - GCPS is dedicated to making dual enrollment college courses accessible to any of our students who can benefit from them. We are thrilled this year to partner with the Goochland Community Action Program (GCAP) to offer financial assistance for course fees to any family who financially qualifies and whose child will be taking a Reynolds dual enrollment class next year. Please find the application for Dual Enrollment Assistance linked here. Eligibility guidelines and directions for completing and returning the form are included. All forms should be submitted no later than Tuesday, April 30th. Adherence to this deadline is important, as grant funds through GCAP are limited. Please feel free to reach out to Dr. Beth Fowler, GCPS Coordinator of Student Advancement, with any questions (bfowler@glnd.k12.va.us).
PTSA Update - GHS PTSA is working with our Admin team to recognize the hard work and dedication of our GHS teachers and staff during Teacher Appreciation Week from May 6th - 10th. Each day of the week has a theme. As such, they have put together a Signup Genius for the items needed for each day, as well as volunteer slots to help set up and take down lunches; and assemble snack baskets for each teacher pod and Gtech. No time to shop? They’ll do it for you! Monetary contributions can be made here. If you have any questions or want to help, please contact Peggy Finck, Charlene Bryce, or Keisha Carroll. They can all be reached at goochlandhsptsa@gmail.com. We all thank you in advance for your support.
GCPS Wellness Night - GCPS is hosting a Wellness Fun Run for our Goochland Community on Wednesday, May 8th from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the GHS stadium. The purpose of the event is to promote health and wellness among students, families, and staff. We'll have food trucks, games, bouncy houses, and door prizes. We'll also have various community organizations there to help connect families with resources. Participants will also be able to participate in a "fun run" with colored chalk. Come out and join the GCPS mental health team, participate in games, and enjoy a free night of family fun! This event will be fun for all ages. Please contact Ashley Lawson (alawson@glnd.k12.va.us) or Kristin Dunnigan (kdunnigan@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.
REMINDERS
Athletics Survey - Since we have closed out the winter athletic season, our athletics department would like to hear feedback from our parents and student-athletes. Parents, please use the link to the 2023/24 Parent End of Season Survey, and students should use the link to the 2023/24 Student End of Season Survey to provide us with commendations and suggestions for improvement. We look forward to reviewing the results.
Dress Code Reminders - As we head into the warmer months, we would like to remind our students and their parents of our GCPS Dress Code. Parents, we ask that you speak with your child about this policy, as we will ramp up enforcement of the policy this spring. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns, and thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Parking Passes - GHS student parking passes are running low. Due to limited spaces for student parking, we only have 15 passes left. We will stop sales when we have reached our limit of spaces. The remaining spaces will be sold on a first-come/first-serve basis. In order to purchase a parking pass, students must pay the parking fee and complete both the VDOE parking registration form and GHS student parking contract. Please reach out to Mr. Kempf (wkempf@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.
Student Drivers - There have been reports of unsafe driving practices by our student drivers. Parking at GHS is a privilege and students who do not abide by safe driving practices may have their parking privileges revoked. Remember to yield to traffic, avoid loud music and engine revving, look both ways before backing out of parking spaces, and control your speed.
Vaccines Required for Rising Seniors - Are you the parent of a current 11th grader? If so, your student is required to have at least one dose of the Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) after the age of 16. These immunizations are provided through your healthcare provider and the Goochland Health Department. Various pharmacies and care centers like Patient First may also provide this vaccine. Your student must provide documentation of this vaccination (or a Religious Exemption form) by the first day of school in August 2024. Students will not be allowed to attend school until documentation is received. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Griffith at 556-5322 or by email at lgriffith@glnd.k12.va.us.
Senior Class of 2024
All Night Graduation - Mark your calendars:
Baccalaureate Service - This year's celebration will take place on Sunday, May 5th at 3:00 pm in the GHS Auditorium. We hope that our graduates and their families will join together for a non-denominational service to pause and reflect on this upcoming milestone with speakers and music.
Seniors- Be sure to mark your calendar for Friday, June 7th for Senior Sunset! More details to come…
Please follow ANG on Facebook HERE! If you have any questions or want to join ANG, please email them at GoochlandANG@gmail.com.
College Vaccination Records - If your college-bound student needs their vaccination records, Nurse Griffith can provide those for you. Please reach out to her at lgriffith@glnd.k12.va.us. Please allow 24 hours for turn-around time for the records.
Senior Projects - Seniors, your 24 hours of service and final presentation are due on Tuesday, May 14th. Do not put it off until the last minute. Remember that you must complete a Senior Project to participate in graduation. If you need help, please contact Mr. Cutro (kcutro@glnd.k12.va.us) or your government teacher as soon as possible.
ACA Graduation Regalia - As previously announced, ACA graduation will take place on Tuesday, May 14th at 2:00 pm at the VCU Siegel Center. Graduation regalia can be purchased beginning April 1, 2024, at https://www.reynolds.edu/registrar/graduation/regalia.html. ACA graduates will need to order the Associate unit and Reynolds embroidered stole (the certificate unit, while cheaper, is not the same). The stole may also be worn with your Goochland gown for all GHS graduation-related events. Visit the Reynolds graduation site for more detailed information about Reynold's graduation celebrations and events.
Graduation - We are excited to announce that we will hold our Class of 2024 graduation services on Saturday, June 8th, at Goochland High School at 7:30 pm (rain date: Sunday, June 9th, at 7:30 pm). Additional details will be forthcoming, but rest assured, our graduation committee will work extremely hard to make this another exceptional graduation service, one deserving of an exceptional class. Feel free to contact Ms. Reahard (treahard@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.