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💥💥
MCJROTC Program - Huge congratulations to our Goochland High School Marine Corps JROTC unit for being named a Marine Corps JROTC Naval Honor School! Out of roughly 260 Marine Corps Junior ROTC units worldwide, our Goochland Cadets have earned a spot in the top 20% nationally. Making this achievement even more impressive, out of all 30 MCJROTC units in Region 8, Goochland is one of only three programs to earn this elite designation. This recognition reflects the total effort and dedication of our school administrators, instructors, and—most importantly—the tremendous hard work of our Cadets. Congratulations to our MCJROTC program on this outstanding honor! Way to represent Goochland!
THIS WEEK at GHS
Phishing Emails - We would like to remind our community to be vigilant for "phishing" emails that are disguised as GCPS staff members. You should not receive any email message from a GCPS account that requests any personal information or login credentials for personal accounts. If you ever receive an email that appears suspicious, please do not forward the message but call me (804.556.5322 ext: 4707) so that we can make our IT department aware. In the meantime, please visit this resource for some tips on handling phishing and digital scams: https://www.cisa.gov/secure-our-world/recognize-and-report-phishing
Home Football Game Updates - This is a reminder that student bookbags are not permitted at our home football games for safety purposes. Our GHS administrators will be enforcing this at all home games for the remainder of the football season. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in an effort to keep our fans safe!
Senior Projects - In English 12 classes during the week of August 30th, our seniors will learn more details about their senior project requirements. This website can provide details on requirements, deadlines, and more! This year, students will complete a total of 20 service hours, 10 hours due in January and 10 hours due in April. Students will not be permitted to walk at the GHS graduation ceremony unless they complete their senior project. Lastly, Blue Ridge Virginia Governor's School students complete a separate senior project. Parents, the first step in this process is yours! Please fill out this Parent Acknowledgement Form by Friday, September 18. Please contact Mallory McMullin (mmcmullin@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.
Boys Basketball Interest Meeting - There will be a boys' basketball interest meeting Monday, August 31st during Bulldog Block in C-143. Please see Coach Gordon (prgordon@glnd.k12.va.us) in room I-202 if you have questions.
Parking Passes - All eligible students may purchase a parking pass. There are currently only 15 passes left! These passes can be purchased on the GHS Givebacks website, and the cost is $75.00. Once the purchase is complete, students must complete this application. Applications must be printed and submitted in person. Parking pass monitoring and associated consequences will begin on Monday, August 31st. Students should only park in their assigned spot. Please email Mr. King (cking@glnd.k12.va.us) with any questions.
Attendance Awareness Month - As we approach September this week, GHS wants to inform families that September is Attendance Awareness Month. During September, we take time to highlight the importance of school attendance and its impact on students’ future successes. When attendance is improved, so are academic achievements and graduation rates. At the end of the month, students with perfect attendance for the month of September will be celebrated with free ice cream in the cafeteria. Join us in talking with your students this month about the importance of regular school attendance and reflecting on your expectations for their attendance. We have also created a vacation planner for quick reference when planning trips around school days. Thank you in advance for your support!
Post-Secondary Planning- School Counselors will be speaking with students through their senior English class on Monday, August 31st, and Tuesday, September 1st, about options after high school. School Counselors will start meeting with seniors for a one-on-one meeting to discuss their plans on Wednesday, September 3rd. If you would like to attend your child’s senior meeting, please contact their school counselor to set an appointment.
Ms. McMullin (seniors A-Gi)
Ms. Salazar (seniors Gl-Ph)
Ms. Ferrell (seniors Pi-Z)
Senior Parent Night- The School Counseling Department will be hosting a Virtual Senior Night for parents of seniors who would like to know more about post-secondary options on Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:00 PM. You can join using this link meet.google.com/twe-auie-bmx or join by phone at (US)+1 407-986-1027 PIN: 389 481 528#.
College Colors Day - Thursday, September 3rd, is College Colors Day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear their favorite college gear that day.
All Night Graduation - The next ANG meeting will be held on Thursday, September 3rd at 6:00 pm in the GHS Cafeteria. The meeting will be completed before the start of the varsity football game. Families, seniors, teachers, staff, and community supporters - all are welcome! If you’re unable to join in person, please join us virtually HERE.
GCPS Closed: Labor Day - As a reminder, Goochland County Public Schools will be closed on Friday, September 4th, and Monday, September 7th, for the Labor Day Holiday. We hope you enjoy your four-day weekend.
MacBook Air Deployment and Insurance Payments - All students and parents should sign the AUP form on PowerSchool. They can pay the $30 MacBook Air insurance fee using the Online Givebacks Payment System. This fee covers most laptop repairs and a one-time replacement of lost or damaged GCPS-issued technology. Without insurance coverage, all repairs and replacement costs are the responsibility of the student/parent. Students of all grade levels are required to pay the insurance fee.
Athletics and Activities - Please visit www.GoochlandBulldogs.com for up-to-date schedule information. You can also follow us on Instagram @GoochlandSports. You can also watch many of these events live-streamed 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
Staff Recognitions - Please take a moment to nominate one of our GHS staff members for a September BARKS award. All nominated teachers will be notified of their nominations. Two specific staff members will be selected and celebrated at our faculty meeting on Wednesday, September 16th. This was very special for our teachers' last school year! We look forward to reviewing the responses! Please make your submissions by Tuesday, September 8th.
Junkyard Dogs Robotics Team is Looking for New Members - The Goochland Junkyard Dogs Robotics team is looking for new members and will be collecting applications (linked HERE) through Friday, September 11th. Interviews will follow on Friday, September 18th. As part of FIRST Robotics, the Junkyard Dogs practice and implement skills that translate to almost ANY employment environment. These skills include planning, budgeting, time management, observing deadlines, leadership, communication, design, outreach, fundraising, building, using tools, machining, web design, programming... the list is extensive. Their six-week season starts in January, and competitions follow. During the season, the team designs, builds, programs, and tests (and iterates) a robot from scratch to compete with other robots in our district. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Maloney (rmaloney@glnd.k12.va.us).
Marking Period 1 Interim Grades - Please be mindful that the interim for Marking Period 1 is Wednesday, September 16th. Please take a moment to view your child’s assignments and grades in PowerSchool, and contact their teachers if you have any questions or concerns. They are here to help!
Academic Awards Night - Our Academic Awards Night will be held on Wednesday, September 23rd at 6:00 pm in the auditorium. If your student is receiving an award for honor roll from the end of last year, has earned a CollegeBoard recognition, is being recognized for an honor society, is receiving a book award, or is receiving another award, you will be contacted via email by Friday, September 17th. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Ferrell (rferrell@glnd.k12.va.us).
SAT and PSAT Registration - Goochland High School is pleased to offer students opportunities to take the PSAT/NMSQT and SAT during October 2026. Please review the information linked here, as the registration process is different for each testing opportunity. Within this message, there are September and October deadlines.
Advance College Academy (ACA) Applications - Advance College Academy (ACA) is a dual enrollment program between Goochland High School and Reynolds Community College that allows students to earn a transferable associate's degree in social science while in high school. This degree is designed to fulfill many general education requirements at four-year colleges, and the classes are taught on the campus of Goochland High School. ACA applications are open for current 9th and 10th-grade students until Wednesday, September 30th. Previously admitted students need not reapply. To be eligible for ACA admission, a student must:
complete Algebra II no later than 10th grade with a final grade of C or higher,
complete a third year of language by the end of junior year, and
be capable of maintaining a 3.0 high school GPA.
Applications are available online HERE! If you have any questions, please contact your school counselor or Anne Marie Hudak (amhudak@glnd.k12.va.us), GCPS Enrollment, Employment, Enlistment (3E) Specialist.
REMINDERS
Absence/Tardy Procedures - Attendance in school significantly impacts a student’s academic success, and families play a crucial role in making sure students make it to school on time each day. The Virginia Department of Education asks schools to report chronic absenteeism each year, which is included in their School Quality Profile. As in previous years, we ask that parents call the school before 10:00 am to report their child’s absence. Students who are absent must also bring a note on the first day they return to school stating the reason(s) for their absence(s). Notes are held as legal records of student absences. Please assist us by following these policies throughout the school year so that we can continue to provide our students with a safe learning environment and ensure they receive the exceptional instruction our teachers provide. Students who arrive after the tardy bell at 9:00 am must enter through the front doors at GHS and report to the tardy table for a pass to class.
Bulldog Gear - Check out our online school store. We have hundreds of products that can be customized to show your GHS spirit! Purchases are shipped directly to your home. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Fowler (jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us).
Early Dismissal Procedures - Students wishing to leave school early without their parents present must bring a WRITTEN excuse signed by their parents by 10:00 am the day of the early dismissal to the main office. This written excusal note can also be in the form of an email (coming from the parent’s email account) sent to bulldogs@glnd.k12.va.us. In the case of an emergency, parents may call in and ask for administrative approval for an early dismissal over the phone. Please assist us by following these policies throughout the school year so that we can continue to provide our students with a safe learning environment and ensure they receive the exceptional instruction our teachers provide.
Electronic Distribution of Flyers - Throughout the 26.27 school year, please visit this website for upcoming events or activities throughout the Goochland community.
Fentanyl Awareness - Per the Virginia Department of Education, school divisions are required to share a “Fentanyl Awareness” document with parents. Please take some time to view it HERE.
MacBook Insurance Fees - As part of our 1:1 program, Goochland County Public Schools offers this program through payment of a student fee. It is a voluntary repair protection program against accidents for electronic devices loaned to students as part of our 1:1 Deeper Learning Initiative. Instead of contracting out for a third-party insurance service, Goochland pools the collection of device fee money at your child’s school to help offset the cost of repairs throughout the school year. We have found, in comparison with third-party insurance services, that our program is more cost-effective for families. Families who do not participate in the program are responsible for all repair/replacement costs of the loaned equipment. What is covered:
The devices currently covered are MacBook Air laptops. These devices are leased. The current value of these devices is $649. The replacement cost for the MacBook charger is $30. By paying the student fee and participating in this program, you benefit in that accidental incidents are covered for the MacBook and charger up to the replacement cost. If devices have to be replaced, another fee will be collected to continue participation in the program.
Second and subsequent accidental damage requiring repair will be covered up to $100. A meeting with the school administration is required to get a replacement device. Another fee can be collected to continue participation in the program. Students and/or their parents need to report repair needs immediately to school officials.
Please take a moment to pay your $30 fee on Givebacks, our new online payment platform, before the start of the school year. This year, there is also an option to purchase a charger for $20. If you have any specific questions, please contact the HelpDesk team (techhelp@glnd.k12.va.us).
Supervision After School - Students are asked to leave campus before evening activities because we cannot provide supervision after school. Any student who wants to stay after school must be accompanied by an adult. Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.
Yearbooks - Yearbooks are for sale! Please consider purchasing your 2026-2027 yearbook now. Yearbooks will be $60 through the end of the year and $70 starting January 1, 2027. Make sure to order your yearbook through the Jostens website. Please contact Mrs. Mistler (kmistler@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions. We will have a spring release this year, so yearbooks will be in your hands before we leave for the summer!
Senior Class of 2027
All Night Graduation - Bulldog Cards - Support the senior class and enjoy various discounts and perks at local businesses! Cards are $10 each and will be available for purchase at home sporting events. If you are unable to attend and would like to purchase a card, please email goochlandang@gmail.com.
Volunteers needed for indoor concessions fundraising - Volunteers are needed to run the concession stand during home volleyball games. We are in need of 2 adults and 2 students per game. All seniors and family members will earn tickets for the end-of-year senior party prizes. Sign up HERE.
Stay informed:
Facebook: GCPS Class of 2027
Instagram: @ghs_ang27
Email: For questions or to be added to the ANG email list, please contact us at goochlandang@gmail.com
We look forward to working together to celebrate our seniors, and we thank you for your support!
Senior Portraits - Strawbridge Portrait Studios will hold make-up portraits on Thursday, October 8th, and Friday, October 9th. More information about make-up portraits will be available closer to the dates. These will be the only senior portrait sessions offered at GHS this year. If you plan to take a portrait for the yearbook with a private photographer, please plan to have a digital copy sent to Kristen Mistler by Tuesday, December 1. Our submission criteria are: blue background; vertical, formal poses; 300 dpi; wallet-size crop. Questions about yearbook photos or senior portraits should be directed to Kristen Mistler, yearbook advisor (kmistler@glnd.k.12.va.us).