IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES:
Tuesday, November 11th - No School Veteran’s Day
Wednesday, November 12th - Term 1 Report Cards Published
Monday, November 24th - Early Release (10:50) Parent/Teacher Conferences
Tuesday, November 25th - Early Release (10:50) Parent/Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, November 26th - Early Release (10:50) District Conferences
Thursday/Friday, November 27th/28th - No School Thanksgiving
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
It is the start of a new term so many students are given a clean slate and an opportunity to improve upon their experiences from the 1st term. Check in with your students and remind them about our core value of Perseverance. They may not be where they want to be now but their choices can significantly impact where they finish. There will be lots of time with Thanksgiving and winter break for students to catch up, prepare and even revise work to put them in position to excel. Encourage them to choose wisely and dedicate small blocks of time for that meaningful work. Productive struggle is an antidote to anxiety as that makes us feel good about ourselves.
“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” ―Harriet Beecher Stowe
We are very excited to bring back a very special tradition to honor the veterans in our community. It is an all school assembly that will include local veterans, the 6th Middlesex Regiment, members who are currently serving, and performances by our students. While honoring our veterans, we will also be sharing a few stories connected to GDRHS and service to our country.
Sincerely,
Rick Arena
DRAMA GUILD UPDATE
The GDRHS Drama Guild is excited to present Much Ado about Nothing this weekend, November 7 & 8, with 7:00pm shows on Friday and Saturday and a 2pm Matinee on Saturday. Tickets are $10 & $8 for Students, Seniors, and the Saturday Matinee. All performances are in the Black Box Theater at the High School.
UNIFIED BASKETBALL GAME
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE & CLASS COMPETITION!
The Groton-Dunstable Athletic Boosters and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is once again hosting our Thanksgiving Food Drive to benefit the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry — and the competition between classes is back!
Last year, we collected an incredible 209.20 lbs of food and 228 items, with the Senior Class taking the win at 88.47 lbs and 91 items! Let’s see if they can defend their title this year, or if another class will rise to the challenge!
Most Needed Items: Brownie mix, cookie mix, crackers, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, and canned pineapple.
Drop-Off Locations:
Nov. 14–26: Groton-Dunstable Regional High School (4 boxes, one per grade)
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Day Football Game at Tyngsborough High School
Please avoid donating extra-large “family” or “super-sized” items and check expiration dates before donating. Show your school spirit and help make a difference for families in our community this Thanksgiving — every donation counts toward your class total!
WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA - DUNSTABLE, MA
On December 13th, at noon, Dunstable will be joining over 4,900 cemeteries world wide in honoring our country’s fallen Veterans. In total, over 3 million wreaths will be placed by over 1 million volunteers. Dunstable will be honoring over 250 Veterans, with just under a third serving in the Civil War or prior. All wreaths are sponsored by the local community. Use the link below to volunteer during the event, sponsor a grave specific wreath for a loved one or for a Veteran who no longer has family in the area. For more info about this event, you can follow Wreaths Across America - Dunstable, MA on Facebook. When volunteering or sponsoring, please ensure that you are on the Central Cemetery, Dunstable, MA page. Total time commitment is about 2 -3 hours. All are welcome! https://wreathsacrossamerica.org/MA0241
GDRHS CLASS OF 2029 THANKSGIVING PIE FUNDRAISER
Please join us in the Class of 2029 Thanksgiving Pie Fundraiser. The attached order form link has a list of each flavor and price.
***Please note: Pies are frozen and not made by Wilson Farm. ***
If you would like to order pies for the holiday, please fill out the order form and send in your payment to Mrs. Doherty in room 112 or Ms. Finn in room L24. Checks can be made out to GDRHS with “Class of 2029 pies” on the subject line.
All orders MUST be returned by Thursday, November 13th.
Pies will be available for pick up on Tuesday, November 25th from 4:00 – 8:00pm in the front commons of the high school near the gym.
All pies must be picked up during this timeframe as they are perishable items and we cannot guarantee their storage beyond November 25th.
We thank you for your support and wish everyone a Happy Holiday season!
Thanksgiving Pie Fundraiser Flyer
PLEASE SUPPORT THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
Please support the heart and sole run to support the american heart association.
Event Date: November 15, 2025 starting at 9 AM
Location: GDRHS 703 Chicopee Row
Sign up at: https://www.runreg.com/heart--sole-fun-run
FROM THE ARTS BOOSTERS
Time to Clay Fundraiser – November 21–23
Join us for a creative weekend at Time to Clay! Paint your own pottery or create a glass fusion project — just in time for holiday gift giving. Mention Arts Boosters Fundraiser when you make your reservation or check out, and 20% of your purchase will support the arts at GDRHS!
See’s Candy Web Store – Open through December 5
Our virtual See’s Candy shop is still open! Orders ship directly to you, and proceeds support arts programs and scholarships at Groton-Dunstable HS.
Visit our website to view all upcoming events
ATTENTION CLASS OF 2026 AND FAMILIES,
This is just a reminder of a few things that are special to seniors for the 2026 yearbook.
Mr. Adams helps me (Ms. Cook, the adviser) by tracking senior submissions as we get them, so please write to him at jadams@gdrsd.org if you have any senior-based questions.
SENIOR PORTRAIT SUBMISSIONS
Senior portraits are due on October 31, 2025. Here are the specifications we gave you during your senior portraits class assembly on June 5, 2025.
Once you've selected your headshot for the yearbook, go to https://yearbookshare.com/eShare and use the code gdyearbook to upload your portraits. (Exception: If you used Mark Lawrence Photographers to take your portrait, they upload your portrait directly to our publication. Everyone else must upload their portrait using the link above.)
SENIOR TRIBUTE ADS (from parents and friends)
We can only guarantee page space for purchased tribute ads up until December 31, 2025. After that date, we can't guarantee we will have ad space left because our staff has to designate space for the rest of the content that will fill our 144-page book at that time. Here's how you can build a senior tribute ad:
Go to GDRHS's Yearbook Order Center Page, and click to continue. (If you ever get asked for our job number, it's #6666.)
Scroll down to "Share Your Love," where you can design and pay for a senior tribute ad. This allows you to upload photos, write messages, and decide what size ad you want to buy.
Be sure to follow through on the process! We've had parents stop mid-design and forget to complete and pay for their ad. The ads do not get to us until they are paid for.
PURCHASING A YEARBOOK FOR YOUR SENIOR
Our presales deadline is December 31, 2025. The cost is $80, and guarantees your senior will get a book in May before they graduate.
Go to GDRHS's Yearbook Order Center Page to purchase your 2026 yearbook.
On January 1, 2026, the cost goes up to $90, and our staff has to estimate how many books beyond the presale we think we'll need in May when some students in grades 9-12 and their families realize they meant to buy a book but forgot to buy one during presales. Consequently, we do sell out.
Here's a link to a 1m 30s video, a page-turning tour of our 2025 yearbook. We can't wait to build your 2026 yearbook!
Sincerely,
Kelly Cook, Adviser, & the Entire Key Staff
GD ATHLETIC BOOSTER NEWS
Where: Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
When: December 5, 2025 - 7:15 PM puck drop
Tickets: $15 per person
This is a great opportunity for Groton-Dunstable families to come together, cheer on the River Hawks, and enjoy an action-packed night on the ice!
Purchase your tickets online here: https://www.gofevo.com/event/grotondunstable63
We can’t wait to see you there—let’s fill the stands with Crusader pride!
GD WACHUSETT SKI & SNOWBOARDING PROGRAM
GUIDANCE DEPARTMENT NEWS
Niche True Cost - Help families uncover the real price of College - Niche is excited to introduce Niche True Cost, a no-cost tool that gives families a personalized price of college, along with projected debt outlook, post-graduation earnings, and more—all in one place.