Duke Update March 29, 2026
The last quarter of the 25-26 school year begins on Monday, March 30th.
This Week/Month, GHS Recognizes the Following:
National Assistant Principal Week (recognized early this week; actual observance is April 6–10) – This week honors the significant impact assistant principals have on schoolwide success, academic achievement, and maintaining a positive school climate.
Autism Acceptance Month – Promotes inclusion, understanding, and celebration of the neurodiverse community, shifting the focus from awareness to actively accepting and supporting autistic individuals.
Occupational Therapy Month – Honors occupational therapy practitioners, increases awareness of the profession, and highlights its role in helping people improve independence in daily activities.
Month of the Military Child – Recognizes military-connected students and honors their resilience, sacrifices, and contributions as part of military families. On Thursday, April 23rd Joint Base Langley-Eustis will host its 3rd Annual "Take Your Kid to Work Day." Students who attend this event will be counted as present, provided they submit written documentation from a parent or guardian confirming participation. A parent/guardian must provide a note no later than Friday, April 17, 2026 to the GHS attendance office.
National Paraprofessional Day (Wednesday, April 1) – Recognizes the hard work and dedication of paraprofessionals who support students and teachers each day.
National School Librarian Day (actual observance: Saturday, April 4) – Honors the crucial role school librarians play in education, fostering a love of reading, and managing library resources.
Spirit Week is this week! Show your school spirit and help your class win the spirit stick!
Monday: Adam Sandler Day
Tuesday: Emo vs. VSCO Day
Wednesday: 80s Day
Thursday: Anything But a Backpack Day
Friday: Neon Class Colors — 9th grade wears white, 10th grade green, 11th grade orange, 12th grade pink, and staff yellow!
Spirit Week will end with a schoolwide Rock, Paper, Scissors Tournament and a glow-in-the-dark pep rally!
Spring Athletics is rolling!
We congratulate the following for wins:
JV Baseball beat York HS, Varsity Boys Soccer tied former state champ Jamestown HS in double overtime March 18th and beat Lakeland and Grafton HS last week, Varsity Girls Soccer beat Grafton and Lakeland HS last week, JV Girls soccer beat Grafton HS, Var Girls Softball beat Jamestown on March 20th, JV Girls softball beat Jamestown HS on March 20th,
In Track and Field, Mohamed Erraji finished 4th in discuss with a PR throw of 130 ft, 2in, and 4th on shot put with a PR of 46ft, 2in. Aryiel Holland finished 2nd in the 400m dash with a time of 1:02, Jenna Seaton finished 2nd in the 100m hurdles with a time of 17.79 sec, 4th in 300m hurdles with a time of 52:04;
We have a historic achievement to celebrate. A huge congratulations goes out to our newest school record holder in the Girls' Shot Put at 40ft 7in; Hannah Mullis. She broke a school record that has stood since 2011 and officially qualified for the 4A State Meet! We are incredibly proud of her hard work and dedication. Please join the coaching staff and the track team in congratulating her on this historic milestone.
Congratulations to the Mario Kart Esports team for their victory on Thursday. Jason Hancock, Lane Briggs, Paul Trotman, and Logan Williams scored a flawless 2-0 victory against their opponents.
The Varsity Field Hockey State Championship ring ceremony will be Thursday April 2nd, 7pm in the auditorium.
Spring Break begins Monday April 6th until Friday, April 10th! We hope that staffulty and students have a safe and relaxing break!
Tuesday, April 21st (Special Election Day) is now a synchronous learning day for middle and high school students due to the election. Students can find the schedule located on Canvas.
The 2025-2026 Yearbook is officially sold out. No further copies can be pre-ordered at this time. Please see Ms. Schoenthal with any questions.
We are excited to share that our school yearbook has been selected for Varsity Yearbook Volume 31 of Portfolio, a collection of standout yearbooks from the 2024–2025 school year. 🎉This is a tremendous honor, as only the top 10% of yearbooks nationwide receive this recognition. This achievement reflects the creativity, dedication, and hard work of our yearbook staff and everyone who helped make this year’s book a success. 👏📘Congratulations to Ms. Schoenthal and the yearbook class/staff involved on this outstanding accomplishment!
We need your feedback: Renaissance is collaborating with Jostens and school leaders to come up with a school slogan. We want to know what you think of "Conquer as one" based on previous survey responses about the supportive atmosphere at GHS, theme and vision. Use the link posted in Canvas (also below) to let us know!
Juniors, The Ring Dance will be held on April 18, and tickets are now on sale! Please purchase your tickets through SchoolCash Online. Important: If you purchased a ring through Jostens, you will receive free entry to the dance. Guest tickets may still be purchased online. For additional details, please visit the Junior Class page. 🎟️💃🕺
Congratulations to the HOSA CTSO seniors Rylie Jeffrey and Kennedy Wilhite for placing 3rd in the state for the EMT competitions and are now eligible to compete at the international level; congratulations to senior Casey Billings and freshman Jocelynn Nester for placing 6th in the state for CPR & First Aid competitions and honorable mention to Sarah Knoller competing in Nursing Assistant. We are so proud of your accomplishments!
Congratulations to the following students for earning awards at the Future Problem Solvers Virginia State Bowl that took place March 20-21.
Creative Writing winners:
Catherine King placed 2nd for her creative writing story in the Senior Division (grades 10-12);
Abigail Valentine placed 1st for her creative writing story in the Middle Division (grades 7-9). This achievement earns her a bid to the World Finals in June.
Team Problem Solving winners:
Team members: Emmalynn Hemphill, Paula Ochoa, Sara Shao, and Kaelyn Southworth won 2nd place for Action Plan Presentation and 3rd place in GIPS team booklet competition in the Senior Division (grades 10-12)
Team members: Alexis Chattin, Madelyn Micket, Lexi Spangler, and Ashlee VanVranken won 1st place for Action Plan Presentation.
Juniors: Ring Dance tickets are now on sale! Tickets are $20 and available through SchoolCash Online. If you purchased a ring from Jostens, you receive one complimentary ticket. For guest information and details, check the junior class page in Canvas.
Regarding the Japan and South Korea 2027 trip open enrollment will be until April 3rd with a $200.00 discount. Start saving and planning now! See Ms. Falkenberg in room 139 for a detailed brochure to enroll. New RSVP QR codes will be posted around the school. 👉 Find meeting info and RSVP here: https://rsvp.eftours.com/yg5yr35
Join Gloucester's Mu Alpha Theta Chapter! We are a math honor society dedicated to inspiring a keen interest in mathematics, developing a strong scholarship in the subject, and promoting the enjoyment of mathematics-and applications are now open! You must have completed Algebra I and Geometry, as well as having a 3.0 math GPA or higher. Join to make new friends, improve your math skills, compete and challenge yourself, look great on college applications, and be exposed to scholarships allocated for Mu Alpha Theta members. The deadline for applications is Friday, April 10th.
Counseling
Seniors: Application materials for the PEO Chapter CA Scholarship (for females only) are due to the Counseling Office this Tuesday March 31st. Don’t miss out on this opportunity. The application can be found on your Naviance account and paper copies are located on the scholarship table just inside the door of the Counseling Office. Please contact the Counseling Office if you have any questions.
Prom guest forms are available in the Main Office. These forms are required for guests who do not attend Gloucester High School or for guests who have already graduated. Please make sure your guest is approved before purchasing prom tickets. Tickets will go on sale through SchoolCash Online beginning Wednesday, April 1st.
If you missed Jostens on Thursday, they will return for a second delivery on Friday, April 17th. If you still need to purchase a cap and gown unit, you may order through the Jostens website, or pay in person when they return with cash, money order, or cashier’s check payable to Jostens — no personal checks accepted. Cap and gown units are $75. 🎓📣✨
The Peer Tutoring Club will be staying after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This club provides peer tutoring and homework help for students who may need extra assistance or a quiet place to complete their assignments. Please encourage any students who may benefit from additional academic support to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Watkins or Ms. Hammack in the Counseling Office.
Daily Reminders:
Dress Code: As the weather gets warmer, we want to remind you of the GCPS dress code policy. Students must be covered from shoulders to mid-thigh. Shorts/skirts above mid-thigh, exposed mid-driffs, and exposed shoulders are not allowed. Please see page 10 of the GCPS student code of conduct for details. Students addressed for dress code will have the opportunity to change, go to the CARE closet, or wait in a designated area for clothing drop-off.
Attention Parents/Guardians of Students with Early Dismissals: Due to new building safety procedures, students with an early dismissal must exit through either the Main Entrance doors or Door 2E (the old Main Entrance).
Please note:
Students may only use Door 2E during class change times.
They will have 5 minutes to exit before the alarm sounds.
If they are unable to exit through Door 2E within the 5-minute window, they must use the Main Entrance doors.
Students arriving late to school should continue to report to the Main Entrance doors for required security check-in procedures. This policy is being implemented to help ensure the safety and security of all students and staff. Thank you for your attention and understanding.
The GHS cafeteria will offer Second Chance Breakfast for students who have a late-in or may have missed breakfast earlier in the morning. The cafeteria doors will open from 9:10 a.m. until 9:20 a.m.
📣 Attendance Notes Now Accepted Online! Parents and Guardians — Gloucester High School now accepts digital attendance notes. If your student is absent or tardy, visit the GHS website, click the “Digital Attendance Notes” button in the top right corner, complete the form, and submit. Notes are received instantly and can be submitted 24/7 for your convenience.
If you need to pick your student up early, please arrive PRIOR to 2:20 PM.
Parking passes for the 2nd semester have been reduced to $25.00 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Parking pass application forms may be picked up in the Main Office or found on the GHS website. Please bring your completed application along with a screenshot or printed copy of your receipt to the Main Office.
The Care Closet will only be accepting new, high school appropriate clothing for the remainder of the school year. The Care Closet can not accept perishable food items or food items in glass containers. Thank you for your generosity.
Lost and Found: Students, check the Lost and Found daily if you have misplaced any items.
Bus Notes Reminder: All students who need to submit a bus note must turn it in to the Main Office in the morning to allow time for review and approval. Submitting notes later in the day may result in delays or the note not being approved. The Activity Bus departs GHS at 5:30 p.m. for the remainder of the school year. The bus runs Monday through Thursday only. Please see the link for scheduled Activity bus stops: https://5il.co/3sjxt 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.
Safety: 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. Students, Follow the Duke Way! Don’t give in to social media trends that encourage behaviors that violate the code of conduct.
That concludes our Duke Update. Let’s Go Dukes!!