Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared Jan. 12-18, 2025, as Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin declared Jan. 12-18, 2025, as Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week, "an opportunity to recognize the hard work of Virginia School Principals and to recognize the importance of School Leaders in ensuring that Every Child has access to a quality education that prepares them for life."
This week, we celebrate our Goochland Middle School Principals, who play an important role in fostering collaboration and helping to ensure a positive learning environment for all students to succeed. We are grateful for their leadership, dedication, and all they do to cultivate excellence, transform lives, and impact future generations!
Teachers are currently making recommendations for their classes for the 2025-2026 school year.
Scheduling 2025-26 School Year - Teachers are currently making recommendations for classes for the 2025-2026 school year. Here is our 2025-2026 scheduling timeline:
January 22nd - Teacher Recommendation Window Closes
January 28th - February 7th - School Counseling lessons in Health/PE classes. Students will begin entering their course requests in PowerSchool
January 28th - February 10th - PowerSchool parent portal open to make course requests in PowerSchool for the 2025-2026 school year
Beginning February 10th -
School Counselors will confirm all students have course requests submitted. School counselors will also begin meeting with 8th grade (followed by 7th grade) students for Academic and Career Planning meetings to review their course requests for the 2025-2026 school year and discuss their future goals.
Please contact your child’s school counselor if you have any questions or concerns.
Upcoming BRVGS Testing
Congratulations to the BRVGS applicants on having completed their interviews this week. The committee really enjoyed getting to know each of you a bit more!
The next and final step in your BRVGS application process is testing. This testing will take place over the course of two mornings, and is slated for Tuesday and Wednesday, January 21 and 22. (PLEASE NOTE: If school is cancelled or delayed on either day, we will not test that day. Make-up dates are set for February 10th and 11th.)
Here are the details you need to know:
When: 9:05 AM on Tuesday and Wednesday, January 21 and 22.
Where: GMS Library (Report directly. We'll take attendance there.)
Who: All BRVGS applicants
What to Expect:
Tuesday's tests will be online and multiple choice. Students will need to bring fully charged iPads and earbuds. The tests for this day will include a brief aptitude screener that includes verbal, quantitative (i.e. numbers), and nonverbal (i.e. shapes) items. There will also be a longer math achievement test of roughly an hour. (PLEASE NOTE: your Reading MAPs from midyear will be used as the reading achievement test.)
On Wednesday, students will complete the Performance Writing Task. This is a timed test that requires students to read through a packet of information on a set topic. You will each evaluate the resources provided and form an position on the topic based on those resources to support your position. No outside resources can be used. You will state this position in writing. Students will use their iPads for this test and will have access to the spell checker.
Please reach out to Dr. Beth Fowler, Coordinator of Advanced Programs, via Canvas if you have any questions about this information or know you will have a conflict on one of those testing dates. See you next week!
Reading Program with Goochland Restaurant
We're excited to share a wonderful reading incentive program sponsored by Goochland Restaurant!
Students can earn free rewards by reading and tracking their progress. Here's how it works: Students will receive a bookmark to log their reading. After completing 8 books, they can bring their bookmark to Goochland Restaurant and choose a reward: a free drink plus either fries, onion rings, or a cookie. The best part? Students can complete multiple bookmarks and earn multiple rewards (see Mrs. Dewey in the LC for additional bookmarks)!
We hope this program encourages and celebrates our students' reading achievements.
GMS Softball
GMS Softball conditioning will be held in the GMS Gym on Tuesday, 2/11 from 3:45-5:00 and on Wednesday, 2/15 from 3:45-5:00. If you plan to try out, sign up on the google form that is posted on Canvas. You must have a current physical on file to participate in conditioning and tryouts.
Backpacks of Love
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Backpacks of Love, Inc. is a local charity that was formed to provide food for school children over the weekend. Children who are in need of such food will receive a small bag of food & snacks on the last day of the school week. The food exchange will be handled in a discreet manner with only the guidance counselor, teacher & child aware of what is occurring.
Backpacks of Love has been providing food for families since 2011 & is expanding to accept
more families. This letter is acting as an invitation to you & your child to participate in the
voluntary program. By completing the form below and returning it to the guidance
counselor you are agreeing to participate in the program.
We want everyone that needs food bags to receive them. Because the food is limited, please do not request the bags unless there is a true need. Let the school know if circumstances change.
The form at the bottom of this page will help the school to determine who is eligible. Backpacks of Love will not be responsible for how the food is used nor responsible for determining the safety of the food in allergy or food sensitivity situations, as that responsibility falls to the parents/guardians.
Please fill out & return the attached form if you want your child to receive the weekend food
bags.
Thank you,
Matt Henke -Executive Director - director@backpacksoflove.org - (804)350-1127