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!
Bulldog Recognitions
Class of 2025 College Acceptances - Attention seniors! We would love to acknowledge your college acceptances as you have gotten in. Please fill out this form. You must be logged in to your GLND email to access to submit. Please let us know so we can recognize YOU for your accomplishments! Be sure to contact your counselor with any questions. HERE is a map of where our seniors have been accepted so far.
Get to Know Some of our Amazing Bulldogs - Throughout the remainder of the school year, we will be highlighting our “teacher-recognized” students each week.
Jack Lawson was nominated for a BARKS award by Ms. Brown! He is a 10th grader whose favorite class is utility and heavy construction with Mr. Eubank. In his free time, he is on the swim team and participates in FFA, and he ties flies (which he also sells, if you ever want to go fishin'). Great work, Jack!
Gabby Jerkovic is a 9th grader and was nominated by Mrs. Hope! She loves ceramics with Ms. Shelton Eide, but gym is a close second. In her free time, she likes to play soccer, and a fun fact about her is she speaks Croatian! Nice job, Gabby.
Straight “A” Student Celebration - We recognized 118 students who earned “straight As” for marking period two. These students received a free breakfast sandwich from Chick-fil-A and got to enjoy some time eating with friends. We could not be more proud of these Bulldogs for their continued commitment to their academics at GHS! Well done, Bulldogs!
Unified Sports Update - After completing a great fall season of bowling, the Bulldogs jumped right into their basketball season in January. Although the weather was cold, the Unified basketball team’s shots and defense were hot! The team is currently boasting a 3-0 record as we enter into our bye week. The team consists of stand-out athletes from GMS and GHS. If you see any of the following athletes, please commend them on their accomplishments and wish them good luck as we take on Louisa on Tuesday, February 11th in the “Dog Pound!” Hats off to the following Bulldog players: Destiny Brent, Ann Davis, Conner Emmert, Sammy Epps, Lorenzo Guerrero, Jayda Hope, Dymontrie Hopkins, Owen Powers, Seb Saxon, Skyler Woodward, Ryland Julian, Joslyn Brent, and Tonia Nemetz. Thank you to, Coach Wes Farkas (wfarkas@glnd.k12.va.us) for his dedication to this program and our athletes!
Wrestling Milestone - Congratulations to senior Patrick Harlow on becoming the first Goochland wrestler in program history to reach the mark of 100 career wins. Patrick’s career total is now 103 wins and counting! Way to go, Patrick - you are an example of a stellar student-athlete in the classroom and on the mat!
THIS WEEK at GHS
Scheduling for the 2025-2026 School Year
The student and parent powerschool portal has closed and any changes to a student’s course requests for the 25-26 school year, need to go through School Counseling.
Academic and Career Planning Meetings - Beginning Monday, February 10th, School Counselors will meet with EACH student for their Academic and Career Planning meeting to review their course requests for the 2025-2026 school year and discuss their future goals. If you would like to be a part of your child’s Academic and Career Planning meeting, please use the link to your child’s school counselor.
Workplace Readiness Skills (WRS) Assessments - This week, CTE students will prepare for the WRS assessment, with pre-tests taking place February 10th - 12th and the official evaluation scheduled for February 24th - 26th. This important certification measures their understanding of key employability skills such as teamwork, professionalism, and problem-solving. By earning this credential, students demonstrate their preparedness for the workforce and gain a valuable advantage for their future careers. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Brockman (jbrockman@glnd.k12.va.us).
Rose 'n' Prose Valentine's Fundraiser - Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and our Dead Poets Society's Rose 'n' Prose fundraiser continues our tradition of connecting you with sweetness, whether it's original poetry, red or yellow roses, or red velvet sandwich cookies. Rose supplies are limited and the cookies need time for processing, so be sure to order HERE by Monday, February 10th, if you must have those sandwich cookies, and if you would like roses and/or poetry alone or in addition to sandwich cookies, they are available until Thursday, February 13th or until rose supplies run out! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Holloway-Costa (ehollowaycosta@glnd.k12.va.us).
Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony - On Monday, February 10th Goochland High School will welcome the inaugural class to our new Athletic Hall of Fame. We will be holding the ceremony during halftime of the varsity boys' basketball game vs. Louisa High School. Our inaugural class will include Larry Smith (class of 1976), Aubrey Ellis (class of 1976), Bryan Gordon (class of 1970), Lewis Parrish (coach), Jimmy Hamrick (class of 1978), and Richard Barrett (class of 1973). If you have any questions, please contact our athletic director, Mr. Fowler (jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us).
Message from the Drama Department - The famous Green Ogre and crew will hit the stage this spring as the Goochland Drama Department puts on SHREK: THE MUSICAL for the GHS Spring Production. We are seeking actors and crew technicians to assist with this process! Auditions will occur after school from February 10th through the 13th, with crew interviews being held during Bulldog Block on February 18th and 19th. Students in grades 6 - 12 are allowed to audition for the cast, while grades 9 - 12 are permitted to interview for the crew. If you'd like to be part of this production, you can click here to view the audition packet. You can also contact Mr. Burch (nburch@glnd.k12.va.us) for further details. Performances for Shrek: The Musical will take place from April 25 - 27th.
Cancer Awareness Game (Proceeds to a current GHS staff member spouse) - On Wednesday, February 12th, the athletic department will host a home boys basketball “Ballin’ for a Cure” game with 50% of all ticket sales going to assist one of our GHS staff members whose spouse is battling cancer. Please come out and support this worthy cause and our boys’ basketball team as they take on Appomattox Regional Governors School in their final home game of the season. JV will start at 6:00 with varsity to follow. If you are unable to attend but wish to donate, please contact Mr. Fowler (jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us).
Mr. GHS 2025 - Thursday, February 13th at 6:00 pm- Gentlemen, dust off those air guitars because Mr. GHS is back! Our hilarious boys' pageant and GHS Veterans Project fundraiser are back by popular demand. Show off your talents with your friends or solo and be sure to bring your flashiest 'fits! This will also serve as Noah Jones's senior project. We will name both a Mr. GHS 2025 and an "Audience Favorite" with a cash prize! If you're interested, please fill out this interest form. Not competing? Come watch as our contestants strut their stuff in the talent round, like rock bands and mastering the art of dad jokes. Witness the questionable fashion choices of our competitors! Be sure to grab your $3 tickets the week before! Any questions? Please contact Noah or Mrs. Tate (RTate@glnd.k12.va.us).
Girls Soccer Interest Meeting - The Spring soccer season begins on February 24th and there will be an interest meeting during Bulldog Block on Friday, February 14th in C-143. Anyone interested in playing during the Spring season should make plans to attend and get information about the tryout process and the practice schedule. Feel free to reach out to Coach Funkhouser if you have any questions (JFunkhouser@glnd.k12.va.us).
National Honor Society Applications - All prospective NHS members have received a canvas message and have been added to an NHS prospective members canvas course. Prospective members are students in grades 10-12 who have a cumulative GPA of 4.0 and above. Prospective members can complete and submit applications for NHS through the canvas course they were added to. The deadline to submit NHS applications is Friday, February 14th at 5:00 pm. NO LATE APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Ms. Borgie (aborgie@glnd.k12.va.us).
School Resource Officer Appreciation Day - Please take a moment to thank Deputy Scott Leabough and Sgt. Ryan Leabough on Saturday, February 15th for their daily service to GHS. Our continued partnership with the Goochland County Sherrif’s Office is remarkable! Hats off to Scott and Ryan for their work with us and helping keep us safe!
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. Fowler (jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions or need more information.
THIS MONTH at GHS
GCPS Closed - GCPS will be closed on Monday, February 17th for President’s Day! Enjoy your extended weekend!
National FFA Week - GHS will celebrate National FFA Week from February 18th - 21st. The GHS FFA student organization under the leadership of Mr. Allen (dallen@glnd.k12.va.us) will provide daily FFA trivia each day of the week. The FFA students would also like to encourage all students to participate in the following dress-up days:
Tuesday, February 18th - Is this country? (dress like what you think “country dress” is”)
Wednesday, February 19th - Red vs. Green Tractors (wear red or green)
Thursday, February 20th - FFA colors day (wear blue and gold)
Friday, February 21st - “Thank a Farmer Day” (plaid, overalls, etc.)
Black History Month Events - In addition to the instructional activities taking place in students’ academic classes, the faculty has planned several events to celebrate Black History Month. BACEE has planned a field trip opportunity to the Valentine Museum and Black History Museum of Richmond on Thursday, February 13th. BACEE and Mr. Lawson’s African American History students will have first choice and other students are encouraged to attend if there are extra seats available. On Wednesday, February 19th, during Bulldog block, we will hold a school-wide Kahoot trivia challenge that will highlight contributors to African American history and American history that stems from both African American and Afro-Latin heritage. We will cap off the week with a Black History Month celebration on Friday, February 21st with step team performances, games, a DJ, and a guest speaker. We are extremely excited to celebrate Black History Month at GHS! Hats off to Mrs. Amanda Tolson (atolson@glnd.k12.va.us) and Mr. Bryant Winbush (bwinbush@glnd.k12.va.us) for their hard work organizing these events!
Career Lessons- This past week, the School Counselors visited all 11th-grade English classes to introduce our new college and career readiness platform, Xello. The students completed career inventories and explored some career options. We will be rolling Xello out to our current 9th and 10th-grade students and parents this spring.
Uniting our Community Through Music Event - On Saturday, February 22nd, The Second Union Rosenwald Museum in collaboration with Virginia State University Choir and Goochland High School Choir will be hosting a free musical event for the Goochland community. Please make plans to attend and see the details HERE! If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Erinne Smitherman (esmitherman@glnd.k12.va.us).
Spring Sports - Spring sports are just around the corner. Tryouts will start on Monday, February 24th. Please reach out to the coaches for more details. You must have a physical on file dated after May 1st, 2024 to participate.
Baseball - Wes Farkas - wfarkas@glnd.k12.va.us
Boys Lacrosse - Dan Strong - dstrong@glnd.k12.va.us
Girls Lacrosse - Morgan Kaye - mkaye@glnd.k12.va.us
Boys Soccer - Leon Williams - lwilliams@glnd.k12.va.us
Girls Soccer - Jason Funkhouser - jfunkhouser@glnd.k12.va.us
Softball - Daniel Shaw - dshaw@glnd.k12.va.us
Boys Tennis - Tommy Webb - twebb@glnd.k12.va.us
Girls Tennis - Brett Alvis - ebalvis@glnd.k12.va.us
Track - Stephen Ferguson - sferguson@glnd.k12.va.us
GHS Veteran’s Project Update - The GHS Veterans Project is proud to host an exhibit, World War II: Voices of Service, from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. We will be holding a Community Night on Wednesday, February 26th from 6:00-7:30 PM in the GHS Cafeteria. During this event, in addition to displaying the Voices of Service exhibit, we will also have WWII artifacts and children's activities, so bring the whole family! Please contact Mrs. Tate (RTate@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.
Spring Gifted Window Now Open! - The spring gifted referral window is open! Teachers, students, parents, and community members are invited to refer current GHS students for gifted evaluation until Friday, February 28th. As a reminder, Goochland identifies students as gifted in the following areas: English/Language Arts, Math, General Intellectual Aptitude, Fine Arts (including vocal music, instrumental music, dance, acting, technical theatre, and studio arts), and Career and Technical Aptitude. Referrals can be found HERE. Please contact Ms. Kecia Howell (khowell@glnd.k12.va.us), GHS Gifted Advisor, with any questions and to return completed referrals.
Sophomore ACA Kick-Off - Sophomore ACA students and parents, please mark your calendars now for Monday, March 24th at 6:00 PM! You are cordially invited to join the Reynolds Career Coach and the ACA Site Director that evening for our virtual ACA Summer Preparation Kick-off (Google Meet HERE). We'll cover topics such as the required summer course outline, payment timelines, communication channels, access to college resources, and strategies for planning, surviving, and thriving beyond the summer. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Beth Fowler (bfowler@glnd.k12.va.us). We can't wait to see you all there!
GHS Prom - Goochland High School's prom will be held on Saturday, May 10th at the Adams International School! Our theme is Once Upon a Time… dust off your glass slippers! Any students (or parents!) who wish to be a part of the Prom Planning Committee should contact Mrs. Boehm (mboehm@glnd.k12.va.us).
REMINDERS
Electronic Distribution of Flyers - Throughout the 24.25 school year, please visit this website for upcoming events or activities throughout the Goochland community.
Senior Class of 2025
All-Night Graduation - Casino Night will be held at Bandits Ridge on Friday, March 14th. Please contact Michele Brooks at 804-221-2336 if you know of a person or business that would like to sponsor. If you plan to attend, purchase your tickets HERE!
The next ANG Bingo will be held on Saturday, March 22nd. This will be the final bingo event for the year. Please mark your calendars!
The Class of ‘25 Baccalaureate will be held on Sunday, May 4th at 3:00 pm in the GHS auditorium. Seniors are encouraged to attend. This is a wonderful event and seniors can earn tickets for the Senior Sunset raffles.
Be sure to mark your calendars now for the “Senior Sunset” on Friday, May 30th. We will have more details during the second semester!
Please follow ANG on Facebook, “Goochland All Night Graduation 2025.” If you have any questions or want to join ANG, please email them at GoochlandANG@gmail.com.
Scholarships - A lot of new scholarships have been added to the GHS Class of 2025 Scholarships sheet. Please contact Ms. McMullin (mmcmullin@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions!
Financial Aid - Students and parents can schedule a meeting with our GRASP Advisor, Ms.Lindsay Bradley, to get help with the FAFSA, discuss financial aid award letters, and get additional scholarship information. Please use this link to schedule an appointment or email her at goochland@grasp4va.org.
Senior Projects - This year, students will complete a total of 20 service hours. The final 10 hours are due in April. Students will not be permitted to walk at the GHS graduation ceremony if they do not complete their senior project. Lastly, Education for Employment and Blue Ridge Virginia Governor's School students complete a separate senior project through those experiences. Please contact Mallory McMullin at (mmcmullin@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.
Reynold's Graduation Ceremony (including ACA students) - The ceremony will be held on Tuesday, May 13th at 2:00 pm at the Stuart C. Siegel Center (1200 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23284). Be sure to mark your calendars now and tell all your friends and family! Seating will not be limited for this event, so there is room for them all!
Class of ‘25 Graduation Details - Please mark your calendars for our GHS class of 2025 graduation ceremony on Saturday, May 31st at 7:30 pm at the GHS Stadium. The rain date will be Sunday, June 1st at 7:30 pm. We will have follow-up details in the coming months regarding the senior students' last day of school, senior exam week, etc.