Duke Update May 10, 2026
Hello GHS Dukes and Happy Mother’s Day!
Congratulations to Mr. James Beck, Social Studies teacher, our 2025-2026 GHS Stand-Out Award Winner! This award recognizes first-year teachers or educators new to GCPS who demonstrate strong instructional practice, collaboration, and measurable student impact.
Congratulations to our Boy’s Varsity Baseball Team who beat Poquoson last Friday!
Congratulations to the GHS Crew Varsity Men’s 4+ who placed 2nd in the VA Scholastic Rowing Championships last Saturday. Jacob Gross, Jacob English, Tristan Buswell, and Joshua Littlefield (cox). We are proud of you!
Congratulations to the GHS Girls Varsity soccer team who beat Manor HS last Friday.
Congratulations to the Mario Kart ESports team on their scrimmage Thursday. The team had a rematch against Heritage high school who they defeated at state championships. The team secured a 2-0 victory once again against Heritage as they make their way to Nationals.
Congratulations to senior Hayden Simmons for his outstanding performance at the SkillsUSA State Conference held in Virginia Beach this past March. Hayden competed on a team representing New Horizons alongside two students from other high schools in the Welding Fabrication competition. His team earned 1st Place in the state competition — an incredible achievement that reflects his hard work, dedication, and skill. Great job, Hayden!
Congratulations to senior Mohamed Erraji for his incredible performance at this past weekend’s track meet! Mohamed officially qualified for the VHSL State Championship in the discus with a massive new personal record throw of 148 feet, 1 inch. With this outstanding throw, he also took first place at Saturday’s meet at Hermitage High School. This is a huge achievement for Mohamed and our Track & Field program. Please join us in congratulating him on his hard work and wishing him the best as he prepares to compete at the State Meet. Go Dukes!
A huge congratulations also goes out to Elijah Lemaster for shattering the school record in the 200-meter dash with a lightning-fast time of 22.79 seconds at Wednesday’s meet! Elijah wasn’t alone in his success — the entire team showed up and showed out, bringing home a total of 13 new personal records. The Dukes are officially hitting their stride as they prepare for the Regional and State meets. Way to go, Dukes Track & Field!
Yearbooks will be distributed in the courtyard area during lunches on May 20th and May 21st. If any extra copies are available in the shipment, they will be available to individuals on the current waitlist for $75 cash or check. Please contact Ms. Schoenthal for more information.
Voting for the 2026–2027 theme is now open! Voting will remain open through May 15th. Please stay tuned for updates regarding post of the access the link.
Mental Health Awareness week is May 11th -15th. Join the Hope Squad in bringing awareness and taking action to break the stigma on mental health. Monday wear blue/teal for Anxiety Awareness, Tuesday wear green for Depression Awareness, Wednesday wear orange for ADHD Awareness, Thursday wear Red for Substance Use Awareness, and Friday wear purple for Disordered Eating Awareness.
The WEB Du Bois Honor Society will have a general membership meeting on Monday, May 11th. This is a change from the previously published schedule.
Student Preparation and Supplies: As we approach the end of the school year, please continue to make sure your student comes to school each day with the necessary school supplies. Donations of school supplies are also greatly appreciated and may be dropped off at the GHS Main Office. Thank you for your continued support.
Counseling
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.
Seniors
Seniors, make sure to check the Senior Corner on the school website daily.
The agriculture program is selling prom flowers. Bouquets, corsages, and boutonnieres are available for order through May 21st. See the Senior Corner for the form link and more details.
Jostens will return on Friday, June 5th during the mandatory graduation rehearsal to distribute any remaining cap and gown orders. They will also accept cash payments ($75) for last-minute purchases.
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 are on sale now through SchoolCash Online.
You may now request 5 additional tickets for graduation. You will receive your graduation tickets at the mandatory graduation rehearsal on Friday, June 5th. Please stop by the Main Office during class changes or your lunch period to add your name to the extra ticket list.
Senior Week Events:
Monday, June 1
Scholarship Night @ GHS, 6:00–8:00 PM (invitations will be sent out)
Tuesday, June 2
Senior Awards, 8:30–10:30 AM
Class Picture (cap and gown), 10:45 AM
Senior Walk through GHS, 11:15 AM
Senior Walk at Peasley, 1:30 PM
Senior Walk at all elementary schools, 2:30 PM
Wednesday, June 3
Senior Walk at Page, 1:30 PM
Thursday, June 4
Senior Picnic @ GHS Practice Field, 8:00 AM–2:00 PM
Friday, June 5
Senior Social (GHS Cafeteria), 7:30–8:15 AM
Graduation Practice, 8:30–10:30 AM
Graduation tickets will be distributed at practice
Please note: Practice is mandatory. Seniors who do not attend will not be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony.
Daily Reminders:
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.
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.
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.
If you need to pick your student up early, please arrive PRIOR to 2:20 PM.
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.
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!!