Check out this week's updates, information, and upcoming events at Goochland High School. The Bulldog Bulletin is your weekly look into the great things happening at GHS. Go Bulldogs!
🎉 Congratulations to our Class of 2024 Valedictorian, Alec Burnet and Salutatorian, Maria Peterson! We are so proud of their accomplishments during their high school career. Both of these students will deliver a speech during our graduation ceremony on Saturday night.
🎉 Student Leadership for 2024-25SY - Thank you to all who participated in running for office and to all of you who voted. Here are next year’s schoolwide and class officers:
SCA Leadership:
SCA President: Jackson Beam
SCA Vice President: Kasey Cronin
SCA Secretary: Lauren Lawson
SCA Treasurer: Mikhail Haywood
Senior Class Officers:
President: Patrick Harlow
Vice President: Wyatt Dameron
Secretary: Kiershara Carter
Treasurer: Jeb Justice
Junior Class Officers:
President: Jack Stern
Vice President: Joshua Gaskill
Secretary: Lilah Usry
Treasurer: Jed Fowler
Sophomore Class Officers:
President: Ty Hoffler
Vice President: Adeline Dameron
Secretary: Bri Hernandez
Treasurer: Ryan Johnson
Congratulations to all those elected, and thank you to those who ran. We cannot wait to see what you have in store for GHS in the fall!
THIS WEEK at GHS
End-of-Year Events -
Monday, June 3rd - Regular bell schedule
Final Exams = Day 2 / Block 1 and Day 2 / Block 3
Tuesday, June 4th - Regular bell schedule
Final Exams = Day 1 / Block 1 and Day 1 / Block 3
PTSA Student Celebration during all lunches
Senior Awards/Senior Decision Night at 6:00 pm
Wednesday, June 5th - Early Release at 1:35 pm
Thursday, June 6th - Early Release at 1:35 pm (LAST DAY for students!)
Friday, June 7th - Teacher Workday
Saturday, June 8th - Graduation practice for all seniors at 10:00 am
Sunday, June 9th - Graduation at 7:30 pm (rain date)
PTSA End-of-Year Fun - The GHS PTSA is throwing an end-of-year Fun Lunch for the students on Tuesday, June 4th on the patio behind the cafeteria. There will be music, games, and Italian Ice. Are you free to help scoop frozen joy? You can volunteer on the sign-up genius HERE! If you'd like to make a contribution toward the event instead, you can donate HERE! The primary costs will be the Italian Ice, cups, and spoons. Thank you for your continued support throughout this tremendous year! If you'd like to be a part of the GHS PTSA next year, please email us at goochlandhsptsa@gmail.com.
Excused Absences (June 5th - 6th) - Our teachers plan to send home Attendance Excusal Notes on Tuesday, May 28th, to underclassmen who passed their SOLs and completed all final exams and end-of-year assignments. This letter will allow your child to have an excused absence from school during the identified days on the letter. To receive the excused absences, students will need to get teacher initials from each of their teachers, a parent's signature, and return the form to their Bulldog Block teacher by Monday, June 3rd. Please contact your students' Bulldog Block teacher if you have any questions.
End-of-Year Reminders from Nurse Griffith - As the end of the school year approaches, I wanted to send out a few reminders:
GCPS does not allow students to carry medication on school buses; therefore, if you supplied the school clinic with medication or medical supplies for your student a parent/guardian must pick it up. You may pick up your student’s medications anytime during school hours (8:15 am - 3:35 pm) until Thursday, June 6th at 3:35 pm. After that time, any remaining medications will be disposed of in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
If your student has a chronic health condition (i.e., Diabetes, Seizures, Asthma, Severe allergies) they will need an updated medical management plan completed by their physician for the next school year (2024 - 2025). Also, if your student will be taking medications for any reason during the next school year, they will need a new Medication Administration Form completed.
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 or a religious exemption form by the first day of school. 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. Students will not be allowed to attend school until documentation is received.
If you have any questions, please contact me, Nurse Griffith at 556-5322 or by email at lgriffith@glnd.k12.va.us.
GCPS Summer School - Goochland offers credit accrual virtual summer courses and there are still spots in 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, and to get the registration form, please go to our Summer Programming website. Registration closes on June 10th, 2024 and there are limited spots available and are filling up quickly. Economics & Personal Finance, Health and PE 9, Health and PE 10, and Driver’s Education are full.
End-of-Year Calendar - Please refer to the GHS Spring 2024 Testing Calendar for end-of-the-year testing information and upcoming events. All students must take their final exams during the specified testing window. Anyone unable to attend school during the exam window must have a parent contact their administrator. Please contact me (bhahn@glnd.k12.va.us) or Dr. Stacey Rainbolt (srainbolt@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions.
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
Spring Sports Survey - Since we have closed out the spring athletics season, our athletics department would like to hear feedback from our parents and student-athletes. Parents, please use the link to the Spring 2024 Parent End-of-Season Survey, and students should use the link to the Spring 2024 Student-Athletic End-of-Season Survey to provide us with commendations and suggestions for improvement. We look forward to reviewing the results!
Summer School Credit Recovery - Credit recovery courses are available for students who need to repeat a course from this school year. Credit Recovery Summer School will be held at GMS from June 24th through July 18th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm Monday through Thursday. To register your child for credit recovery summer school, please complete this form by June 10th, 2024. Please contact Ms. Hudak with questions (amhudak@glnd.k12.va.us).
Summer SOL Remediation and Retakes - Students who need to retake an SOL test and who have passed the associated course can attend SOL remediation and retakes this summer. Remediation occurs on June 10th and June 11th, while testing occurs on June 12th. Students who qualify for an expedited retake will test on June 13th. To register your child for Summer SOL Remediation and Retakes, please complete this form by June 4, 2024.
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). Some classes are on a waitlist.
Yearbook Distribution - Due to a relocation of printing operations by our yearbook publisher, we will have a late delivery for our yearbooks. We will send out more information to those who have purchased yearbooks about pick-up details once the books arrive this June. Our yearbook staff has worked hard this year to create a quality yearbook for our families. Please understand that this late arrival is not in fault of any GHS staff members. We appreciate your patience and understanding in this delay in delivery.
REMINDERS
Attention Rising Senior Class - Ms. McMullin (mmcmullin@glnd.k12.va.us) is giving our rising senior students a jumpstart on their senior project this year. Please read this message and contact Ms. McMullin if you have any questions!
Laptops (Summer 2024) - Students in 9th - 11th grade will keep their laptops over the summer. If you are leaving GCPS, please turn in your devices (and charger and cable) to the Library Learning Commons by the last day of school. Students will be expected to arrive on the first day of school in August with their iPads/laptops. Rising 9th-grade students will swap out their iPads for laptops at the beginning of the year. Students are expected to take care of their devices and keep them in a safe space. We hope this allows everyone to begin the school year with all materials needed for learning. If you have any questions, please contact the Help Desk at techhelp@glnd.k12.va.us.
PTSA Board Members Needed - The PTSA is seeking the support of parents who want to join the PTSA Board for the 2024-2025 school year. It’s a great way to help support our students, staff, and community by providing an exceptional experience here at Goochland High School. If you or someone you know is interested in serving, please contact the GHS PTSA (goochlandhsptsa@gmail.com).
Summer Credit Recovery Information - Be on the lookout in the coming weeks for information about summer courses offered for credit recovery. Courses will be offered based on student needs and availability. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you are concerned about your child passing a specific course for the year. If you have specific questions, please contact Ms. Hudak (amhudak@glnd.k12.va.us) or Dr. East (ceast@glnd.k12.va.us.)
Summer Hours - Starting during the week of June 10th - August 10th, GHS will be closed on Fridays. We will be operating from 7:30 am - 4:30 pm. GHS will also be getting a new HVAC system; therefore, many of the 12-month staff members will be stationed throughout the GMS/GHS complex. Please email us at bulldog@glnd.k12.va.us with questions.
Volleyball Beginners Camp - GHS is excited to host our annual Beginners Volleyball Camp! This camp is geared towards players who are new to the sport. It will be held from July 9th - 11th from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm each day in the GHS Gym. This camp is open for all rising 4th - 9th grade students. The cost is $75 and can be paid online via OSP. Please reach out to Coach Jacobsen (rjacobsen@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions!
Senior Class of 2024
All Night Graduation - Mark your calendars for the following Senior Events:
Monday, June 3rd - Byrd Elementary seniors and parents are invited to open their 2015-2017 BES time capsules at 6:30 pm. This will take place at Byrd Elementary School. Come and open your capsule to see what you and your family put in it back in 5th grade. This is a wonderful night to reconnect with Byrd families, and some of your favorite teachers and reminisce on your favorite memories!
Thursday, June 6th - The senior class will participate in our annual “Senior Walk” at our GCPS elementary schools. Seniors will need to provide their own transportation. They can attend each school or just the one of their choice! We request that each participating senior wear their cap and gown. If you know of a staff member/retired staff member who meant a lot to your child, please invite them to attend. This is a wonderful day to reunite with teachers, principals, and staff who helped your senior! The school/times are listed below:
Randolph Elementary School at 9:00 am
Goochland Elementary School at 10:00 am
Byrd Elementary School at 11:00 am
Friday, June 7th - Be sure to mark your calendars for our Senior Sunset Event on the GHS softball field. This event will take place from 7:00 - 10:00 pm. Please RSVP to ensure you receive an envelope with your name containing your tickets no later than Friday, May 31st. Dinner will be provided via a food truck, alongside a sweet truck, and Kona Ice on site. This year's event features a variety of exciting activities: axe throwing, a mechanical bull, an obstacle course, cornhole, a dunk tank, 360 photo booth, and a DJ. Additionally, we're thrilled to offer HOT AIR BALLOON TETHERED RIDES. Participants in the Hot Air Balloon ride must complete a waiver signed by a Senior Parent and the Senior and this must be done with a pen and not electronically. This document should be brought to the Senior Sunset event. Seniors can pick up a copy at the front desk. Parent volunteers are still needed for this event! Please sign up here: ANG Class of 2024: Senior Sunset (signupgenius.com).
Senior Awards Night and Decision Night Reception- Our senior awards night will be on Tuesday, June 4th at 6:00 PM. We encourage ALL seniors to attend this event as we will be celebrating all students with a slideshow presentation and reception to celebrate seniors' post-secondary plans for college, trade school, military, apprenticeships, or the workforce. Parents of seniors earning an award will be notified by email. We also ask seniors or their parents to submit a picture of their senior with their plans to this document or email Ms. Ferrell at rferrell@glnd.k12.va.us. If a picture is not submitted, senior portraits will be used. If you don’t want your child to appear in the slideshow, please email Ms. Ferrell.
Senior Materials Collection - All outstanding senior obligations must be returned or paid for before or at graduation practice on Saturday, June 8th at 10:00 AM. You will not be able to receive tickets for graduation if you have any outstanding obligations. If you need to pay for a lost item, you may do so through the Online School Payment system.
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). Information about the 2024 Graduation Ceremony can be found here. Feel free to contact Ms. Reahard (treahard@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.