Duke Update November 16, 2025
Congratulations to our Varsity Field Hockey team on their State Championship Win this weekend. They defeated Loudoun Valley 2-1 to bring home the trophy. Congratulations on an amazing season, we are very proud of you.
We would like to congratulate our Boys Volleyball team on a hard fought season, even though it didn’t end the way we hoped we are extremely proud of you.
Congratulations to both ESports Smash Bros Teams for their victories on Wednesday. MVPs of the games were Marcos Puente Rosario for a reverse 3 stock and Phoenix Grubb for securing the team victory in overtime. The Varsity Smash team will be joining the Mario Kart team for state playoffs.
Congratulations to the ESports Mario Kart team for securing a final win during their last regular season match Thursday. Lane Briggs, Jason Hancock, Stephan Arnold, and Logan Williams finished the regular season ranking 5th in the state with a 14-4 record. Stay tuned for state playoffs!
We will have our first Academic Rallies of the 2025–2026 school year this week! On Thursday, November 20, 11th and 9th grade students will be recognized. On Friday, November 21, 12th and 10th grade students will be recognized. All students will report to the auditorium for their grade-level rallies.
Reminder that Tuesday, November 25th and December 19th are full days for students and staff at GHS.
Club Meetings:
Explorers club, we will have our next meeting on Monday, November 17th in room 139 from 2:45 till 3:30. Please plan on attending. If you would still like to join, stop on by!! We have some local trips to discuss this month and want to plan fun events going into the holidays through December! Explorers please bring all your money donations from your chocolate sales on Monday. Nov. 17th.
The Spanish Club will meet in Mrs. Lasseigne's room, room 140 Tuesday, November 18th from 2:45- 3:20.
The International Thespian Society will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, November 18 from 2:50 - 3:30. Join us for improv games and get more information about upcoming theatre events. See Mrs. Hunter in the Black Box Theatre for more details.
The Beta Club induction ceremony has been postponed until Monday, November 24th. Please check your Canvas Announcements.
Lost and Found: Students, this is a reminder to check the Lost and Found daily if you have misplaced any items.
Dress Code: This is a reminder that sleepwear and blankets are not permitted, and bedroom slippers are not allowed at school. Please make sure you’re following the dress code.
Shop with a Cop Tickets on Sale! Lt. Petro and Deputy Skay will be selling Shop with a Cop tickets for $5 each. The potential grand prize is $5,000 if all tickets are sold! We will accept checks made payable to "Shop with a Cop." This wonderful program supports children who might not otherwise have a Christmas. Fun fact: Lt. Petro has sold the winning ticket twice before—to lucky teachers! May the odds be forever in your favor!
Last Day to Purchase: Wednesday, December 10th
Drawing Date: Friday, December 12th
Reminder-Early dismissal pick-up ends promptly at 2:20 PM. If you need to pick your student up early, please arrive PRIOR to 2:20 PM.
The GHS Main Office is collecting donations for Toys for Tots! Please bring in new, unwrapped toys and place them in the donation box located in the Main Office. Your generosity will help bring joy to children in need this holiday season. The deadline to donate is Friday, November 28th.
All items on the Care Closet food list are still needed for weekly food bags. The items can be found on the GHS website under the "Find It Fast" page. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. Please contact shartley@gc.k12.va.us with any questions.
The Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) works with the School Board to improve services and support for students with disabilities in our schools. The committee is made up of parents of students with disabilities, adults with disabilities, school staff, and community representatives. Together, we share resources, raise awareness, and make recommendations on how our division can best meet the needs of all students. Please be on the lookout for future meeting announcements and contact information. The next meeting is on Monday, December 8th, at 6:00 p.m. at the T.C. Walker Education Center.
Costa Rica Trip Summer 2026- Future travelers, now is the time to sign up and go to Costa Rica/Panama with us in summer 2026. It is not too late if you are still interested. Make it your fun summer trip with friends and join the Explorers club to fundraise money to possibly go! See Ms. Falkenberg for more details or email her at: hilary.falkenberg@gc.k12.va.us
Click below to enroll:
https://www.eftours.com/2814681HK
Athletics
Baseball conditioning will be postponed until after the dead period. We will resume the week of November 24th.
Winter cheer tryouts will be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 4:30pm – 6:00pm in the commons. If you are waiting after school please wait in the courtyard. You must have a valid sports physical and meet eligibility requirements to try out.
Attention Winter Athletes – there will be a winter sports parent & players meeting on Monday 11/17 at 6:00pm in the GHS Auditorium to go over the student athlete handbook and team expectations.t
The Fall Sports Awards night is Wednesday 11/19 – 7:00pm in the GHS Auditorium – please bring a dessert to share.
Daily Reminders:
Bus Notes Reminder: All students who need to submit a bus note must turn it in to the Main Office in the morning. Notes should be provided at the start of the school day to allow time for review and approval. Submitting notes later in the day may result in delays or the note not being approved.
Activity Bus Reminder: The Activity Bus will depart GHS at 5:30 p.m. for the remainder of the school year. The bus runs Monday through Thursday only. Parents/guardians must be at their student’s designated stop when they arrive. If a student will not have a ride from their stop, a completed permission form must be turned in. Copies of the form are available in the Main Office, and completed forms should be given directly to the Activity Bus driver.
Yearbooks are now available for pre-order on yearbookordercenter.com using code 4758.
Additional parking passes are on sale via School Cash Online for Juniors and Seniors. Passes will be on a first come first served basis. If you have already purchased a pass but have not yet selected your spot, please bring your completed parking pass application along with a screenshot or printed copy of your receipt to the Main Office.
Free/Reduced Meal applications are available online and paper applications are available in the GHS Main Office.
Safety: GHS strives to keep all students and staff safe in accordance with division guidelines. All GCPS students go through security and weapons detectors each morning. Please continue to encourage students to be careful not to bring prohibited items to school such as vapes and lighters. Thanks for your support!
Demographics Form: Parents and students, please check and verify contact information for you and your emergency contacts in PowerSchool. 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 need any help with PowerSchool, or have any other questions, please call the GHS Main Office at (804)-693-2526.
That concludes our Duke Update. Let’s Go Dukes!!