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!
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 reach out to Joe Fowler (jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions or need more information.
Absence 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 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.
Bell Schedule
We will operate on a new bell schedule for the 2022-23 school year. We will begin the school day at 9:05 am each morning and end at 3:35 pm. As a change, we have moved Bulldog Block to the end of 3rd Block each day. Doing so allows us to move lunches later in the day and seniors the opportunity to have an earlier release each day. It also allows us to decrease the class size of our Bulldog Blocks so our teachers can build stronger relationships with students and offer more small-group tutoring opportunities. Please see the link to the GHS 2022-23SY Bell Schedule for details.
Calling All Local Veterans
Mrs. Tate, one of our social studies teachers, is putting together a veterans project for her ACA U.S. History students. Local veterans willing to volunteer to be interviewed by 11th graders are encouraged to join. Veterans can join via the Google Form on the GHS Veterans Project website or by emailing Mrs. Tate (rtate@glnd.k12.va.us).
Canvas
We encourage parents to create a Canvas account and connect to their students’ Canvas accounts to view course assignments, school announcements, and our activities calendar. Resources and tutorials can be found on the GCPS website at https://www.goochlandschools.org/page/canvas. You will need your child’s pairing code to link to their account. Directions to generate this code can be found here. If you have any questions, please contact Catherine Richards, GHS Instructional Technology Coach, at crichards@glnd.k12.va.us.
Calendar
Please reference the 2022-23 GHS Day 1/Day 2 Calendar to know which classes will meet on any given day.
Code of Conduct
Please review the Goochland County Public Schools Code of Conduct regulations regarding our school division policies. Additionally, GCPS has produced a video highlighting some of the changes in policy for the 2022-23SY. Please contact one of our Goochland High School administrators if you have questions.
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. 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.
First Day Of School
On the first day of school, Goochland High School will officially open to students at 8:45 am. All students will report directly to their Day 1, Block 1 class at 9:05 am. As we continue balancing classes and working through scheduling conflicts, some schedules may be altered slightly from those handed out on Back to School Night. We ask that students check PowerSchool before reporting to school on the first day to confirm the most up-to-date schedule. Students, if there is an open block or error in your schedule, please see your school counselor first thing in the morning.Students have the first two weeks of school to turn in a signed change request form or email their counselor. A huge thanks to Mr. Hahn and our school counselors, Ms. Ferrell, Ms. Fisher, and Ms. McMullin, for working tirelessly on our master schedule.
Goochland High School Website
Be sure to check out our Goochland High School website. All the information you need is easy to find in a few short clicks!
We also encourage you to download the GCPS app. Search for Goochland County Schools on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Everything you need to know about menus, special events, and news is available on your phone.
G-Tech Classes
Students who attend classes in the GTech building will need to meet in the front bus loop once the bell rings for the block. We have a shuttle bus that will pick up and drop off students throughout the day. Students are not allowed to drive to GTech except with explicit permission from an administrator.
MacBook Air Deployment and Insurance Payments
Laptops will be distributed to 9th-grade students on Wednesday, August 24th, and Thursday, August 25th through English classes. Freshmen must pay the $30 Macbook Air Insurance fee, sign the AUP form on PowerSchool, and return their iPads and Kajeets before being issued laptops.
Upperclass students who are new to GCPS or who returned their laptops at the end of the 2021-2022 school year will also be issued laptops on August 24th and 25th.
All students should sign the AUP form on PowerSchool and can pay the $30 Macbook Air insurance fee using the Online School 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.
Outside Food Items
Federal regulations prohibit outside food vendors from selling or distributing food during school hours. Our food services staff has worked extremely hard to provide our students with different menu options. Please consult their daily menu here.
Parking Fees and Registration
Students currently have access to purchase their parking pass on the GHS online payment system. Students must also complete the GHS Parking Contract and the VDOE Parking Registration forms before being issued a parking pass. Completed forms can be emailed to Mrs. Hudak (amhudak@glnd.k12.va.us) or dropped off in the main office. Proof of a valid Virginia driver’s license is a requirement to receive a pass and can be submitted during student lunches during the first week of school. Passes will be issued to students who have completed the process starting the week of August 29th. Parking violation stickers will be administered to those without parking passes after Labor Day.
PowerSchool Parent Portal
Parents, please take a moment to verify/update your information in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Parents must complete this verification process annually to ensure they are included in school division communications throughout the year. Below are the forms that need to be verified or updated for accuracy:
· Agreements (handbook agreement, consent to share information, and acceptable use policy)
· Demographics
· Health Information
· Legal Guardians
· Student Contact
You must update or confirm (by clicking “submit”) this information by August 22nd, 2022. Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have any questions.
Senior Sunrise
The All-Night Graduation Committee (ANG) would like to invite all Seniors to attend a Senior Sunrise Breakfast on Monday, August 22nd, for their last first day of school. Please join us at the Goochland High School Stadium from 6:15 - 7:45 am. Breakfast will be prepared by The Goochland Restaurant, as well as donations from Dunkin Donuts and several parents. This event is RAIN OR SHINE. We will eat in the cafeteria in the event of heavy rain.
To help stay connected for future events through ANG, please visit this link to fill out the ANG survey. Be sure to ask your Senior to help answer “what fun events would you like to see” and have them follow ANG on social media. If you have any questions, please contact the ANG Board directly at Goochlandang@gmail.com
Social Media:
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram (@ghscollier and @ghs_bulldogs) and Twitter (@GHSCollier and @GoochlandHigh). We will post updates and announcements periodically throughout the year. We also use these digital platforms to highlight many of the fantastic things our students and staff do daily. It’s a great way to stay connected to the Bulldog Family!
Student Drop-Off and Pick-Up
The high school student drop-off and pick-up area is located in the back stadium parking lot. Take advantage of the short line in the back instead of joining the middle school drop-off line in the front parking lot.
Student Drivers
Student drivers may drive to school for the first two weeks without a pass. Within the first two weeks of school, we will distribute parking passes to those who have completed the registration form and paid the parking fee in OSP. Additionally, student drivers are not permitted to return to their cars during the school day without administrative approval. Please reach out to Ms. Hudak (amhudak@glnd.k12.va.us) if you have any questions.
Student Schedules and Add/Drop Process
Student schedules are now visible in PowerSchool and Canvas. Add/Drop forms are available through the first two weeks of school. Once a student submits an Add/Drop form, School Counselors will schedule a meeting with the student within the first two weeks of school to discuss the request. The last day to request a schedule change is Friday, September 2nd.
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.
Quick Reference to School Contacts:
Activities| Athletics | Events: Mr. Fowler at jfowler@glnd.k12.va.us
Attendance: Ms. Timberlake at ltimberlake@glnd.k12.va.us
Assistant Principals:
· A-L: Ms. Hudak at amhudak@glnd.k12.va.us
· M-Z: Mr. Hahn at bhahn@glnd.k12.va.us
Canvas: Ms. Richards at crichards@glnd.k12.va.us
Medications | Clinic: Nurse Duffey at kduffey@glnd.k12.va.us
Powerschool: Ms. Brown at hbrown@glnd.k12.va.us
Principal: Dr. Collier at ccollier@glnd.k12.va.us
School Counselors:
· A-G: Ms. McMullin at mcmullin@glnd.k12.va.us
· H-Q: Ms. Fisher at kingk@glnd.k12.va.us
· R-Z: Ms. Ferrell at rferrell@glnd.k12.va.us
Our team will continue to work with our students and parents during the first few weeks of school to clarify school expectations regarding school policies and procedures. We want to ensure that we provide our students with as few distractions to the learning environment as possible. We look forward to our continued partnerships with our students, parents, and community members to uphold the standard of excellence at Goochland High School.