IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
Week of August 18th - Schedules Available on Schoolbrains
Tuesday, August 26th - 9th grade/New Student Orientation
Wednesday, August 27th - First day of school all students
Thursday, August 28th - Picture Day
Friday, August 29th - No School
Monday, September 1st - Labor Day/No School
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
Welcome to the Groton-Dunstable Regional High School(GD) 2025-2026 school year! It is with great excitement that I am able to join the Class of 2029 as we enter this year in our new roles. These newly minted 9th graders begin their secondary education with me as GD’s principal. Our journey together over these four years will see the customary growth students experience but our school will also be a place where our core values of Respect, Integrity, Perseverance and Balance will play a much bigger role.
The Class of 2029 will be the first to arrive on our campus on August 26th for New Student Orientation. We have about ⅔ of the 9th graders already signed up and are hoping to have 100% participation! Please see the link below to register.
Along with preparing for the opening of school in just a few weeks, we are in the process of hiring an Assistant Principal and hope to have that person on board as soon as possible. In the meantime, several teachers and staff have conveyed to me how excited they are to welcome our new students and staff and are looking to hit the ground running. Our first order of business is to make everyone in the school community feel they are valued with a specific focus on elevating the voices of all stakeholders in much of what we do. We have many student leaders in the senior class supported by a crop of strong representatives from the sophomore and junior classes. They will help shape what we become in the next few years and that is a school that defines success in many different ways and provides pathways for all students to be their best.
We have a lot of work to do, but nothing happens unless our focus remains solidly on the students, their needs, their goals and their successes. I look forward to working with our staff, parents and community in bringing out GD’s greatness!
Sincerely,
Rick Arena
SCHEDULES
Schedules will be available on the Community Portal the week of August 18th.
If you have issues with your schedule DO NOT EMAIL your guidance counselor. Complete this form and they will reach out to you.
BUS SCHEDULES
Bus routes will be posted the week of August 18th. They will be on the District website and in the Groton Herald.
FRESHMEN/NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
The Class of 2029 will be the first to arrive on our campus on August 26th for New Student Orientation. Orientation runs from 7:30 until 11:00. This is a voluntary opportunity, for 9th graders and other new GD students, to get to know some of our current students, take a tour of the school, meet teachers and have some fun! Unfortunately there will be no bus service on this day. Students need to use their GD assigned account to sign up here: New Student Orientation
ATTENTION DRIVERS
Parking stickers for the 25/26 School Year will be available starting Tuesday, August 19th. Until school starts you can come in for parking from 11:00 - 1:00. After school begins you can get parking stickers during WIN Block or after school.
In order to purchase your parking sticker you must be in good standing. That means no outstanding fees, books etc..
You must have all items listed below to purchase a parking sticker.
Copy of your Valid Driver’s License.
Copy of the vehicle registration for the car you will be driving to school.
Payment of $100, cash or check made payable to GDRHS Parking.
Stickers can be purchased at the high school starting August 19th from 11:00-1:00. Please bring all copies, we will not be able to make copies for you.
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Chromebook Distribution & Handbook Acknowledgment
Dear GDRHS Families:
As we prepare for the new school year, please review and sign off on the GDRHS Student Handbook (link when it is available) in the SchoolBrains Community Portal before August 28.
In particular, please read Section 8: Technology & Digital Learning, which outlines responsibilities, expectations, and details of the GDRHS 1:1 Chromebook Program. Key expectations include:
Bring the Chromebook to school every day, fully charged.
Caring for the device and reporting any damages to a GDRHS staff member, who will then submit a ticket at helpdesk@gdrsd.org.
Understanding repair/replacement costs as outlined in the handbook.
Personal laptops will no longer be permissible.
If your student does not currently have a district-issued Chromebook, they will receive one along with a charger on Wednesday, August 28, during the picture-taking process in the Black Box Theater.
Thank you for reviewing these materials in advance and supporting our efforts to ensure all students are ready to learn on day one.
ATHLETIC NEWS
Athletic Programs/2025/26 School Year
Fall
Boys and Girls Soccer
Field Hockey
Girls Volleyball
Boys Golf
Boys and Girls Cross Country
Football
Cheerleading
Unified Basketball
Fall registration is now open and all student athletes must be registered before they can participate:
https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/groton-dunstable-athletics
Winter
Boys and Girls Basketball
Boys Ice Hockey
Girls Ice Hockey (Co-op Westford Academy))
Gymnastics
Alpine Ski
Wrestling (Co-op/North Middlesex)
Boys and Girls Indoor Track and Field
Cheerleading
Spring
Boys and Girls Track and Field
Unified Track and Field
Softball
Baseball
Boys and Girls Tennis
Boys and Girls Lacrosse
Boys Volleyball (Co-op/North Middlesex)
Girls Golf (Co-op/Ayer-Shirley)
HAVE EXTRA SCHOOL SUPPLIES? WE NEED THEM!!
GDRHS Student Council is hosting a School Supplies Drive to support incoming freshmen and ensure we have extra materials available for students who may need them. If you find any unused or lightly used items while cleaning out backpacks or home study spaces, we would greatly appreciate your donations.
LENTZ & LENTZ SAT/PSAT PREP FOR THE FALL
LIVE IN-PERSON CLASSROOM SAT/PSAT prep. Monday Evening Schedule Starts Sept. 22nd For New Students.
The in-person SAT/PSAT prep course will be held in Groton on the following Mondays and two selected Wednesdays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.:
Sept. 22 & 29
Oct. 6, 8 (Wed), 15 (Wed), 20 & 27
Nov. 3