Duke Update October 13, 2024
Congratulations to the September Students of the Month:
9th Grade: Adrianna Bercot & Kendall Douglas
10th Grade: Matthias Wade & Allison Smith
11th Grade: Katherine Blake & Jay Brosemer
12th Grade: Leila Nester & Lauren Landry
Congratulations to the Teachers of the Month:
Ms. Ashley Foster, Mr. Adam Miller, & Ms. Suzanne Nester
Congratulations to the Staff Member of the Month:
Ms. Destiny Horton
Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Duke of the Year Raelyn Hefferon!
Congratulations to the 2024 Homecoming Duke, Trevor Richardson, and the Homecoming Duchess, Nadia Oberlin!
Congratulations to the entire ESports team. Both Overwatch teams and Smash Bros. teams won their matches on Wednesday. MVP of the game was Paul Trotman with a comeback victory for the team while maintaining his 100% win rate with Banjo Kazooie.
Congratulations to the new WEB Du Bois Honor Society officers:
President - Joelle Forrest
Vice President - Armani Billups
Secretary - Josiah Autry
Communications Officer - Tanysha Sanchez Ramirez
The first All Pro Dad Breakfast of the 24-25 school year will take place on Wednesday, October 16th at 8:00 am in the GHS cafeteria. Forms were handed out to students last week. Extra forms can be picked up from the GHS Main Office, and can be found on the GHS website or on Canvas. All forms must be returned to the GHS Main Office by 3:00 pm, Monday, October 14th.
Make-up/Retake pictures for students in grades 9 thru 11 will take place on Tuesday, October 29th. This is your last chance to update your school photo, so mark your calendars! For more details, look for a Canvas Announcement coming soon.
Join us for the 2nd Annual Dukes & Deputies Basketball Classic! The event is on November 1 at 6pm at GHS. Tickets are being sold by Deputy Skay and I. Come out and cheer on your Dukes and Gloucester County Sheriff's Office deputies and help raise money for Gloucester's kids in need! This event raises money for Gloucester County Shop with a Cop program. Deputy Skay and I will also be playing.
The GHS College & Career Fair sponsored by the Gloucester NAACP is going to be on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 5:00PM-7:00PM. Students from Gloucester and surrounding localities are invited to meet representatives from approximately 40 colleges, trade schools, military recruiters, and employers. Hope to see you there!
Demographics Form: All returning GCPS students received an email from PowerSchool with a link to update demographic and emergency contact information. Please be sure to log in and verify that all information is correct, and make any changes that are necessary. If you do not have your Parent PowerSchool account activated you will not be able to update your students PowerSchool contact information. If you need any help with PowerSchool, need to activate the Parent PowerSchool account, or have any other questions, please call the GHS Main Office at (804)-693-2526.
Security Screening: We want to thank our students for their continued cooperation with the security screenings that we have implemented. Here are some updates and reminders on the process:
- This week, we will begin screening all visitors to GHS throughout the day. Visitors must come through the Main Entrance.
- All students who are getting dropped off in the parent loop must come in through the Main Entrance first before going to classes in C-Hall or the portables.
- In the morning, students going to first block classes in C-Hall or the portables should exit the main building through the doors near the School Counseling Office across from the cafeteria, and not through the Main Entrance. This change will help with traffic flow in the morning.
- Our students are doing a great job of being prepared and getting through the scanners quickly, and we are able to get students through the scanners before first block begins. With this in mind, we remind student drivers to enter the building promptly upon arriving at school so they can be in class on time. Failure to do so will result in being marked tardy.
- As a reminder, students should be prepared to take their Chromebooks, binders, and other large metal objects out of their backpacks before going through the scanners. Cell phones, keys, and other small metal items do not need to be removed from backpacks.
Parking Passes are SOLD OUT for the 24-25 school year. However, the GHS administration is working to create more student parking spaces. We will make an announcement when spots are available.
Gloucester High School is accepting students for Behind The Wheel. Openings begin the first week of October. The cost of the lessons is $89.00. Contact Coach Morgan or Coach Hooker for more details.
The Care Closet is not accepting anymore clothes donations unless the clothes are new with tags. We are not able to do laundry. We are still accepting food donations in the Main Office. If you need a list of food items please call or email.
Parent drop-off and pick-up will remain the same as the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Please use our main entrance loop to drop off and pick up before and after school. Please pay attention to our staff as they direct you around the loop.
Student Parking Lot: Only GHS students who have a valid parking pass should enter and park in the student parking lot. Teacher and Construction areas are marked and should not be used by students or visitors. Students entering the building from the parking lot/bus loop side should enter through the doors by the Theater room (formerly Chorus). Student driver late arrivals should also enter through the doors by the Theater room and check in with the Attendance Office before going to class.
Early Dismissal/Late Arrivals: To ensure a smooth and organized process, all Early Dismissals must be picked up before 2:20 pm. Early Dismissals occurring between 2:20 pm and 2:40 pm will be released during regular dismissal at 2:40 pm. Please take note and plan accordingly for the prompt pickup of your student. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for helping us maintain a safe and efficient dismissal process. Students getting dropped off late should enter through the Main Entrance and sign in at the Attendance window.
Bus loop: No students, parents, or visitors should enter the bus loop from 7:00AM-8:00AM and 2:00 PM-3:00 PM for any reason.
Food Delivery: Please remember that students may not receive food orders from DoorDash or other delivery services before, during, or after school. Thank you for your cooperation.
Visitors must park in a visitor spot in our main entrance lot. Visitors must utilize the main entrance and show valid identification to enter the building. Please do not park in the main loop for any reason.
Cell Phone Policy: Gloucester County Public Schools has adopted “cell phone-free education.” Effective Monday, August 26, 2024, the use of cell phones, electronic communication devices, headphones, earbuds, smart watches, and or any other Bluetooth enabling device will be strictly prohibited. The Executive Order applies to students while in the school building during instructional times and at all times while on the school bus.
Dress Code: Parents and guardians, we appreciate your support in following the GCPS dress code, which is found on page 6 of the Code of Conduct . Please note that hats and hoods should not be worn indoors, and tops must cover the midriff and navel.
Yearbooks can be ordered online at yearbookordercenter.com using code 4758 until sold out.
Counseling
Attention Juniors and Seniors: Admissions representatives from several colleges and universities are conducting information sessions here at the high school for interested GHS Juniors and Seniors. Randolph Macon College, James Madison University, Christopher Newport University, and the University of Lynchburg will be here the week of October 21st. To participate, please sign up through your Naviance account. E-hall passes will be sent to those who have signed up. Please see the Counseling Office if you have any questions.
Athletics
The GHS Athletics schedule can be found on the school website:https://ghs.gc.k12.va.us/o/ghs/page/athletics
Parents and Fans attending athletic events - Sportsmanship is always a top priority. Please show support and respect for the fans, opposing teams and game officials at all times while attending home or away events. This includes never engaging negatively with fans or players from the opposite team. Any misconduct can lead to dismissal from the game, and from attending future games.