🐾 Watch D.O.G.S. are BACK! 🐾
We’re excited to kick off another great year of Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)! 🎉
Dads, grandfathers, uncles, and other positive male role models—we’d love to have you join us! Watch D.O.G.S. is a wonderful opportunity to spend time in our school, support our students and staff, and make a positive impact on our school community. 💙
👀 Find out more at: https://ges.goochlandschools.org/o/ges/page/watch-dogs
We can’t wait to welcome our Watch D.O.G.S. back into the building! 🐾
We’re excited to kick off another great year of Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students)! 🎉
Dads, grandfathers, uncles, and other positive male role models—we’d love to have you join us! Watch D.O.G.S. is a wonderful opportunity to spend time in our school, support our students and staff, and make a positive impact on our school community. 💙
👀 Find out more at: https://ges.goochlandschools.org/o/ges/page/watch-dogs
We can’t wait to welcome our Watch D.O.G.S. back into the building! 🐾
🎤✨ Stay synced with Goochland County Public Schools! 📚
Keeping our GCPS family connected and informed is always top priority! To help you plan ahead for the school year, our official division calendar is ready to add directly to your Google Calendar.
This calendar tracks all district-wide early dismissals, professional learning days, and non-student days so you never miss a schedule shift.
👉 Add to Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=Z2xuZC5rMTIudmEudXNfZmc5a3VkcXAxMnByaG9nYW44aGRlMzBhc3NAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ
(Tip: Make sure you're signed into your Google account on your mobile browser for seamless syncing!)
Prefer a printable PDF for the fridge or need your specific school’s calendar? Visit our main scheduling hub:
🔗 https://www.goochlandschools.org/page/calendars
Keeping our GCPS family connected and informed is always top priority! To help you plan ahead for the school year, our official division calendar is ready to add directly to your Google Calendar.
This calendar tracks all district-wide early dismissals, professional learning days, and non-student days so you never miss a schedule shift.
👉 Add to Google Calendar: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=Z2xuZC5rMTIudmEudXNfZmc5a3VkcXAxMnByaG9nYW44aGRlMzBhc3NAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ
(Tip: Make sure you're signed into your Google account on your mobile browser for seamless syncing!)
Prefer a printable PDF for the fridge or need your specific school’s calendar? Visit our main scheduling hub:
🔗 https://www.goochlandschools.org/page/calendars
🎒✨ Our GCPS family is officially ALL together!
From bright early morning smiles at the bus stop to warm reunions in the hallways, today marks the day every single one of our students is back in our buildings! Whether your child walked through our doors for the very first time yesterday or stepped into their final year of high school today, our classrooms are buzzing with energy, connection, and endless possibilities.
As we kick off this school year together, we want to thank our families and community for their unwavering support in making the past two days a success. Here’s to a fantastic year of learning, growing, and achieving great things together! 👏❤️
From bright early morning smiles at the bus stop to warm reunions in the hallways, today marks the day every single one of our students is back in our buildings! Whether your child walked through our doors for the very first time yesterday or stepped into their final year of high school today, our classrooms are buzzing with energy, connection, and endless possibilities.
As we kick off this school year together, we want to thank our families and community for their unwavering support in making the past two days a success. Here’s to a fantastic year of learning, growing, and achieving great things together! 👏❤️
🎤✨ Big first day energy across Goochland County Public Schools! 🎒📚
Today we opened our doors for our preschool, kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade students, and the excitement in our halls was contagious! From our youngest scholars stepping into classrooms for the very first time to our middle and high schoolers stepping into major new milestones, our dedicated staff were on hand with warm smiles and enthusiastic welcomes to kick off the new year.
Starting a new transition year takes courage and curiosity, and we couldn't be prouder of how our students showed up today ready to learn, connect, and grow together. 👏
Today we opened our doors for our preschool, kindergarten, 6th grade, and 9th grade students, and the excitement in our halls was contagious! From our youngest scholars stepping into classrooms for the very first time to our middle and high schoolers stepping into major new milestones, our dedicated staff were on hand with warm smiles and enthusiastic welcomes to kick off the new year.
Starting a new transition year takes courage and curiosity, and we couldn't be prouder of how our students showed up today ready to learn, connect, and grow together. 👏
🦦💙 ALL OTTERS TOMORROW! 💙🦦
We had a great day welcoming our littlest Otters from preschool and kindergarten today, and tomorrow we’re ready to welcome ALL of our students to school! We can’t wait to see everyone! 🎉
🚗 Car Loop Families — help us keep arrival safe & moving!
➡️ Zipper merge from 2 lanes down to 1 lane.
🚙 We unload 14 cars at a time.
🎒 Have students ready to exit quickly. Parents remain in your car.
👉 Students should exit on the passenger side, closest to the sidewalk.
🅿️ Need more time? Please park and walk your student to the crosswalk by the front doors.
A little preparation + a lot of patience and teamwork will help make our first morning with ALL of our Otters safe and smooth!
See you tomorrow morning, Otters! 🦦💙
We had a great day welcoming our littlest Otters from preschool and kindergarten today, and tomorrow we’re ready to welcome ALL of our students to school! We can’t wait to see everyone! 🎉
🚗 Car Loop Families — help us keep arrival safe & moving!
➡️ Zipper merge from 2 lanes down to 1 lane.
🚙 We unload 14 cars at a time.
🎒 Have students ready to exit quickly. Parents remain in your car.
👉 Students should exit on the passenger side, closest to the sidewalk.
🅿️ Need more time? Please park and walk your student to the crosswalk by the front doors.
A little preparation + a lot of patience and teamwork will help make our first morning with ALL of our Otters safe and smooth!
See you tomorrow morning, Otters! 🦦💙
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
🚗 ECSE Families: What does dismissal look like?
All ECSE families will pull around to the back parking lot behind the school for pickup.
🚙 Please pull all the way around to the grass and form a car line along the curb.
🦦 A staff member will bring your student to your vehicle.
🔒 Parents/guardians are responsible for buckling their student safely into the vehicle.
Thank you for helping us keep ECSE dismissal safe, smooth, and Otterly Amazing! 💙✨
🚗 ECSE Families: What does dismissal look like?
All ECSE families will pull around to the back parking lot behind the school for pickup.
🚙 Please pull all the way around to the grass and form a car line along the curb.
🦦 A staff member will bring your student to your vehicle.
🔒 Parents/guardians are responsible for buckling their student safely into the vehicle.
Thank you for helping us keep ECSE dismissal safe, smooth, and Otterly Amazing! 💙✨
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
🎒 ECSE Families: Where do I drop off my preschool Otter?
For our ECSE families with a 9:00 AM arrival, please pull around to the back parking lot behind the school, where staff will receive preschool students at 9:00 AM.
🚗 Pull all the way around to the grass and form a car line along the curb.
🛑 Please stay in your car until a staff member comes to get your student.
🦦Our staff will be ready to greet your little Otters and help them start their day!
Thank you for helping us keep arrival safe, smooth, and Otterly Amazing! ✨
🎒 ECSE Families: Where do I drop off my preschool Otter?
For our ECSE families with a 9:00 AM arrival, please pull around to the back parking lot behind the school, where staff will receive preschool students at 9:00 AM.
🚗 Pull all the way around to the grass and form a car line along the curb.
🛑 Please stay in your car until a staff member comes to get your student.
🦦Our staff will be ready to greet your little Otters and help them start their day!
Thank you for helping us keep arrival safe, smooth, and Otterly Amazing! ✨
🎤✨ It’s Back to School Night at GCPS! 🎒📚
Our Preschool and Kindergarten families already set the bar high with fantastic turnouts, and now it’s time for the rest of our school community to shine!
Doors are opening right now for our 1st–5th grade families, and our middle and high school doors open shortly!
📍 Tonight’s Schedule:
Elementary (Grades 1–5): 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Middle & High School: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Come meet your teachers, explore the classrooms, and catch up with friends and neighbors. We can't wait to see you!
Our Preschool and Kindergarten families already set the bar high with fantastic turnouts, and now it’s time for the rest of our school community to shine!
Doors are opening right now for our 1st–5th grade families, and our middle and high school doors open shortly!
📍 Tonight’s Schedule:
Elementary (Grades 1–5): 4:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Middle & High School: 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Come meet your teachers, explore the classrooms, and catch up with friends and neighbors. We can't wait to see you!
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
🎉🎂 Can we celebrate birthdays at school?
Absolutely! We love celebrating our Otters on their special day! 🥳
If you’d like to send something in to celebrate, you are welcome to send non-food items such as:
✏️ Pencils
⭐ Stickers
🎈 Other small, non-food treats
🚫 Please remember: No food or candy is allowed to be shared with students.
Thank you for helping us make birthdays special, safe, and Otterly Amazing! 🦦🎉✨
🎉🎂 Can we celebrate birthdays at school?
Absolutely! We love celebrating our Otters on their special day! 🥳
If you’d like to send something in to celebrate, you are welcome to send non-food items such as:
✏️ Pencils
⭐ Stickers
🎈 Other small, non-food treats
🚫 Please remember: No food or candy is allowed to be shared with students.
Thank you for helping us make birthdays special, safe, and Otterly Amazing! 🦦🎉✨
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
🚗🚌 My Otter has a transportation change—what should I do?
If your student needs to go home a different way than usual:
📝 Complete the GES Switching Streams Form before 12:00 Noon:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/SwitchingStreams
📨 Once you submit the form, all required parties will be notified of the transportation change.
📞 There is no need to call the office—the Switching Streams Form takes care of the notification!
📌 Save this post and bookmark the link so it’s easy to find when plans change.
Keep following along for more helpful FAQs as we prepare for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦✨
🚗🚌 My Otter has a transportation change—what should I do?
If your student needs to go home a different way than usual:
📝 Complete the GES Switching Streams Form before 12:00 Noon:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/SwitchingStreams
📨 Once you submit the form, all required parties will be notified of the transportation change.
📞 There is no need to call the office—the Switching Streams Form takes care of the notification!
📌 Save this post and bookmark the link so it’s easy to find when plans change.
Keep following along for more helpful FAQs as we prepare for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦✨
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
🚗🚌 My Otter has a transportation change—what should I do?
If your student needs to go home a different way than usual:
📝 Complete the GES Switching Streams Form before 12:00 Noon:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/SwitchingStreams
📨 Once you submit the form, all required parties will be notified of the transportation change.
📞 There is no need to call the office—the Switching Streams Form takes care of the notification!
📌 Save this post and bookmark the link so it’s easy to find when plans change.
Keep following along for more helpful FAQs as we prepare for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦✨
🚗🚌 My Otter has a transportation change—what should I do?
If your student needs to go home a different way than usual:
📝 Complete the GES Switching Streams Form before 12:00 Noon:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/SwitchingStreams
📨 Once you submit the form, all required parties will be notified of the transportation change.
📞 There is no need to call the office—the Switching Streams Form takes care of the notification!
📌 Save this post and bookmark the link so it’s easy to find when plans change.
Keep following along for more helpful FAQs as we prepare for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦✨
🎉 What an incredible way to kick off the 2026–2027 school year! Yesterday, we brought together almost 500 GCPS staff members for our annual opening Convocation ceremony.
From an uplifting welcome by Dr. Armstrong to a spirited, GCPS-style game of The Price is Right, the energy was through the roof! We were blown away by our talented GHS marching band, who brought the hype to celebrate our incredible team. 🎷🥁
A true highlight of the day was recognizing our dedicated staff—honoring milestones from 5 all the way up to 40 years of service! We are so grateful for the heart, loyalty, and passion our team brings to Goochland County Public Schools every single day♥
From an uplifting welcome by Dr. Armstrong to a spirited, GCPS-style game of The Price is Right, the energy was through the roof! We were blown away by our talented GHS marching band, who brought the hype to celebrate our incredible team. 🎷🥁
A true highlight of the day was recognizing our dedicated staff—honoring milestones from 5 all the way up to 40 years of service! We are so grateful for the heart, loyalty, and passion our team brings to Goochland County Public Schools every single day♥
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
❓ My Otter is absent—what should I do?
If your student will be absent from school:
📝 Complete the GES Absent Otter Form before 9:30 AM:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/AbsentOtter
🩺 If your student visited a doctor, please send the doctor’s note with them when they return to school.
📞 There is no need to call the office to report the absence—just complete the online form!
📌 Save this post and the link so you’ll have it handy when you need it.
Keep following along for more helpful FAQs as we get ready for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦
❓ My Otter is absent—what should I do?
If your student will be absent from school:
📝 Complete the GES Absent Otter Form before 9:30 AM:
👉 https://tinyurl.com/AbsentOtter
🩺 If your student visited a doctor, please send the doctor’s note with them when they return to school.
📞 There is no need to call the office to report the absence—just complete the online form!
📌 Save this post and the link so you’ll have it handy when you need it.
Keep following along for more helpful FAQs as we get ready for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦
🦦 OTTERLY IMPORTANT: Know Before You Go! 🦦
⏰ What time does school start and end?
🌅 Morning Drop-Off: 7:40–7:55 AM
🎒 Please plan to have your student at school on time and ready for a great day!
🔔 Dismissal: 2:30 PM
Save these times, set those alarms, and get ready for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦✨
📌 Follow along over the next few days as we answer more frequently asked questions to help everyone start the year prepared!
⏰ What time does school start and end?
🌅 Morning Drop-Off: 7:40–7:55 AM
🎒 Please plan to have your student at school on time and ready for a great day!
🔔 Dismissal: 2:30 PM
Save these times, set those alarms, and get ready for an Otterly Amazing school year! 🦦✨
📌 Follow along over the next few days as we answer more frequently asked questions to help everyone start the year prepared!
The Goochland County School Board will hold a School Board meeting on August 11, 2026 at the Goochland County Administration Building. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. GCPS School Board agendas can be found here: https://glnd.community.highbond.com/Portal/
All are welcome to attend.
All are welcome to attend.
19 new reasons to be excited for the upcoming school year! 🍎✨
This week at New Teacher Academy, 19 new teachers are officially joining our Goochland County Public Schools family!
From exploring GCPS instructional philosophy to collaborating with our dedicated teacher support coaches and meeting their mentors, this whole week is about building a strong foundation so our teachers feel supported, connected, and ready to lead.
We can't wait to see the positive impact these educators will have on our students this year. Please join us in giving our newest GCPS team members a warm Goochland welcome!
This week at New Teacher Academy, 19 new teachers are officially joining our Goochland County Public Schools family!
From exploring GCPS instructional philosophy to collaborating with our dedicated teacher support coaches and meeting their mentors, this whole week is about building a strong foundation so our teachers feel supported, connected, and ready to lead.
We can't wait to see the positive impact these educators will have on our students this year. Please join us in giving our newest GCPS team members a warm Goochland welcome!
The Goochland County School Board will hold a work session and regular meeting on July 14, 2026 at Goochland Elementary School. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. GCPS School Board agendas can be found here: https://glnd.community.highbond.com/Portal/
All are welcome to attend.
All are welcome to attend.
📅 SAVE THE DATE: Back to School Night! 📅
Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 13, 2026! We are already gearing up for an incredible 2026-2027 school year, and we can't wait to welcome our students, staff, and families back together. 🎒✨
Keep an eye on your inbox in the coming weeks—your child’s principal will be sharing specific times and details for your school soon! 📩
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we’ll see you there! 👋❤️
Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 13, 2026! We are already gearing up for an incredible 2026-2027 school year, and we can't wait to welcome our students, staff, and families back together. 🎒✨
Keep an eye on your inbox in the coming weeks—your child’s principal will be sharing specific times and details for your school soon! 📩
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and we’ll see you there! 👋❤️
🎶 WE ARE HIRING! 🐾 Goochland Elementary School is looking for a passionate, energetic Full-Time Elementary Music Teacher to join our River Otter family!
Apply at: https://www.applitrack.com/glnd/onlineapp/
🎨🕺 Art, Dance, and New Friendships! 💃🖌️
Our recent Fine Arts Camp at Goochland Middle School was an absolute blast! Our classrooms were bursting with energy and creativity as students from all three of our elementary schools came together for a week of incredible collaboration.
From exploring 3D Art to trying out everything from pop, ballet, and modern dance to folk dance, our young artists brought so much joy and enthusiasm every single day. 🌟
The best part? Watching students connect, collaborate, and build new friendships across school communities during our morning and afternoon group games. It’s amazing to see what happens when our GCPS family creates together!
Our recent Fine Arts Camp at Goochland Middle School was an absolute blast! Our classrooms were bursting with energy and creativity as students from all three of our elementary schools came together for a week of incredible collaboration.
From exploring 3D Art to trying out everything from pop, ballet, and modern dance to folk dance, our young artists brought so much joy and enthusiasm every single day. 🌟
The best part? Watching students connect, collaborate, and build new friendships across school communities during our morning and afternoon group games. It’s amazing to see what happens when our GCPS family creates together!
