Goochland Elementary School

🎉 Calling All 4th & 5th Graders! ✍️ The 8th Annual GEF Essay Contest is here, and we want to hear from YOU! This year’s question: “Who inspires you and why does he or she inspire you?” – submitted by BES students in Mrs. Johnson’s class and Mrs. Carter’s class! 💡 Share your story for a chance to win $100! 🏆 Prizes Awarded At Each School: 🎨 Most Creative: $100 📚 Best Constructed: $100 💡 Best Supports the Topic: $100 🗓️ Deadline: March 1, 2025 📏 Word Limit: 500 words or fewer 🔗 Visit goochlandschools.org/gef-essay for the essay template and submission form. ✨ Don’t forget: Include your name, school, grade, and teacher on the cover sheet (but not in the essay!). Let your voice be heard, and celebrate the people who inspire you! 💕

The 4th and 5th grade students in Mrs. Smith’s Spanish Club recently wrapped up their Music Unit! Under the leadership of Makenzie Randolph-Taliaferro and Gisele Guzman-Lemus, who are assisting with the club for their senior project, students learned the names of common instruments and how to describe music in Spanish. They also enjoyed a brief lesson on Salsa dancing before culminating the unit by building their own instruments to create a mariachi band with their clubmates.

📢 February 14 is School Resource Officer Appreciation Day! 🚔💙 Join us in celebrating Officer Carter for his dedication to GES and the Goochland community! We are so grateful for all he does to keep our school safe and support our students. Want to show your appreciation? Here are a few ideas: ✨ Have your child make a thank-you card ✨ Simply say “thank you” when you see him at school Let’s make sure Officer Carter knows how much he is appreciated! 👏

🌟 Kindness Week is Coming! 🌟 Join us in spreading kindness from February 10-14 with special Spirit Days to celebrate the power of being kind! 💛✨ 💪 Monday: We work out problems with kindness! Wear your favorite workout gear or team jersey! 🦸 Tuesday: Kindness is our superpower! Dress like a superhero! 🎸 Wednesday:Work it out with Kindness! Wear your workout gear! 🫡 Thursday: We don’t hide from being kind! Wear camouflage! ☮️ Friday: Peace, love, and kindness! Wear tie-dye! Let’s make this week full of kindness, fun, and school spirit! 💕 #KindnessWeek #BeKind

🦦🎉 100 Days Smarter! 🎉🦦 Today, we celebrated the 100th day of school in the most otterly fun way! 🥳 Students and teachers dressed as 100-year-olds, showing off their wisdom and style. 👵👴 Our halls were filled with amazing collections of 100 items—from beads to buttons to Legos! Most importantly, we celebrated 100 days of learning, growing, and working together as the Goochland Otters! 💙💛 Here’s to more days of kindness, respect, and optimism! 🦦✨ #100DaysSmarter #OtterlyAwesome #GoochlandOtters

🚨 Great news—Mr. Baker and Ms. McCay are getting pies to the face! 🥧 But why stop there? 💦 If we raise $27,000, Mr. Baker will face a water balloon barrage from the top 5 fundraising students at Field Day! 💦 If we hit $30,000, Ms. McCay joins the fun—taking hits from the top 5 while Mr. Baker gets soaked by the 6th-10th place students! Let’s make a splash to support awesome school events like Spooktacular, Movie Nights, Field Day, teacher appreciation, and more! ⬇️ Here’s how you can help: 1️⃣ SIGN UP your student(s) on MyBooster.com 2️⃣ SHARE with family & friends 3️⃣ GIVE a donation Let’s do this, Otters! 🦦💙

📚🦨 Save the Date! Goochland Reads After School Event 🦨📚 Join us for an afternoon inspired by A Boy Called Bat! 📅 Thursday, February 20 ⏰ 2:30-3:30 PM 📍 GES Get ready for fun activities that bring the story to life! Be on the lookout for a permission slip—it must be returned for students to stay after school. We can’t wait to see you there! 📖✨ #GoochlandReads #ABoyCalledBat

🥳 Don’t forget, Otters! Spirit Night is tomorrow at Panera Bread (Short Pump: 11703 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23233)! 🦦 Stop by for a tasty meal and support our school while you’re at it. Remember to mention Goochland Otters or show the flyer when you order. See you there! 🍞🥗 #OtterPride #SpiritNight

🎉🎈We’re 100 days smarter! 🎈🎉 This Friday, February 7, we’re celebrating the 100th day of school! That’s 100 days of learning, growing, and having fun together at GES! 🦦📚✨ Students are welcome to join in the fun by: 💯 Dressing like they’re 100 years old 👵👴 💯 Wearing a shirt with 100 items on it 💯 Showing off their Otter-tastic school spirit! Let’s make the 100th day one to remember! 🎊 #100DaysSmarter #GESOtters #Celebrating100

Parent Volunteers Needed for the Glow Run! 🌟🏃‍♂️ We’re looking for parent volunteers to help tally student laps by grade level during our Glow Run on Wednesday, February 12 (during the school day)! If you’re available, please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/GESGlowRun As a reminder, all volunteers must complete the Goochland County Public Schools volunteer background check. Thanks for your support! 💙✨

Gifted and Talented News: Spring Gifted Referral Window Opens February 3rd! The Spring gifted referral window is open from February 3-28! Parents and teachers can refer students who demonstrate advanced problem-solving, creativity, deep curiosity, and quick learning. 🔹 How to Refer a Student: 1️⃣ Visit the Goochland County Public Schools Gifted Page for details. https://www.goochlandschools.org/page/gifted-education 2️⃣ Complete the Parent Referral/Permission Form by February 28th at 3:00 PM. For questions, contact Mrs. Harris at sharris@glnd.k12.va.us.

💙 February 5 is School and Mental Health Counselor Appreciation Day! 💙 Let’s celebrate Ms. Bland, Ms. Graham, and Ms. Mariner for their incredible work supporting our students, staff, and families every day. 🌟 Here are a few ways you can show your appreciation: 📝 Write them a heartfelt note or card. 🎨 Have your child create a drawing or craft to say thank you. 🍪 Drop off a treat or small gift to brighten their day. 💬 Share a kind word or a story about how they’ve made a difference. Let’s make their day special and let them know how much we care! 💕 #CounselorAppreciation #ThankYou #OtterlyAmazing

🐾✨ A huge THANK YOU to our amazing GES families for supporting the Girls on the Run community impact project! Your generosity in donating items for the animal shelter will make a big difference for our furry friends. 🐶🐱💙 We appreciate your kindness and support! #GESGivesBack #GirlsOnTheRun #CommunityKindness

📣 Mark your calendars, Otters! 🦦 Spirit Night is happening at Panera Bread (Short Pump: 11703 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23233) on Tuesday, February 6! 🍞🥗 Enjoy a delicious meal and support our school at the same time. A portion of the proceeds will come back to us — just mention Goochland Otters or show the flyer when you order. Let’s make it a night to remember! See you there! 🎉

"Another day, another trivia challenge! 📚💡 Our Otters are on the hunt for the right answer in our A Boy Called Bat daily trivia! 🦦✨ Remember to read chapters 5 and 6 tonight and listen to the morning announcements for tomorrow’s trivia question! #GoochlandReads #OttersLoveToRead"

🚨 One Week to Go! 🚨 We’re counting down to the kickoff of our Goochland River Otter Glow Run fundraiser! 🏃💫 Get ready for fun, connection, and reaching our $18,000 goal for school-wide activities, teacher appreciation, and more! 📅 Kickoff: 2/4/2025 👟 Glow Run: 2/12/2025 💻 All donations collected at MyBooster.com! ⭐️ Sign Up is Easy: 1️⃣ Click "Sign Up" 2️⃣ Enter School Name & Info 3️⃣ Start sharing via Facebook, email, & text! Let’s make it glow, Goochland! 💛💙 #GoochlandOtters #GlowRunFun

📚 Our Otters are diving into A Boy Called Bat! 🦦 Chapter 1 & 2 had them hooked—they couldn't even wait until they got home to start reading! Stay tuned and be ready for tomorrow's trivia question! 📖

A huge THANK YOU to Joyner Fine Properties for their amazing donation of 100 books to our school! 📚✨ Your generosity is helping us spark a love for reading in our students and highlights the incredible power of community partnerships. 💙🙌 We’re so lucky to have your support—thank you for making a difference! 🌟👏 #Grateful #CommunityLove #ReadingRocks

❤️ Family Wellness Week: Finn’s Friday 🦸‍♂️ This Finn’s Friday, take just 90 seconds to learn a skill that could save a life — CPR! 🚑💪 Join Finn’s Mission by registering and watching the quick and easy video at heart.org/schools. Together, we can make a difference and keep our hearts strong! 🌟 📸 Share your commitment to learning lifesaving skills with #GESFamilyWellnessWeek. Let’s celebrate wellness and heart health together! ❤️

Finalists from Byrd Elementary, Goochland Elementary, Randolph Elementary, and Goochland Middle School showcased their incredible spelling skills at the district spelling bee! 🐝✨ Who will take home the title? Stay tuned!