Important Upcoming Dates:
Friday, October 2: Homecoming Game vs Greater Lawrence
Friday, October 2: Term 1 Progress Reports
Friday, October 2: Picture Retake Day
Saturday, October 3: Homecoming Dance
Monday, October 12: No School Columbus/Indigenous People Day
Friday, October 16 District ½ Day
Principal Message
Happy Friday!
This week we were fortunate enough to have two guest speakers present to our students. Our 10th–12th graders heard a talk about one of our core values: Respect. Corey Mashburn from Mass Partnership for Youth showed a slideshow and spoke about how Respect is the foundation for our community. He described the impact of treating people with Respect and how that paves the way for an inclusive school.
Our 9th graders listened to Zach Sorenson, a former MLB player who shared his PHENOM framework for Mental Performance Mastery. Drilling down on our values of Respect, Perseverance, and Balance, Zach explained the key points to the acronym:
P - Process Over Outcome
H - Honest Self-Evaluation
E - Emotional Control
N - Navigated Self-Talk
O - Overpowering Adversity and Embracing Failure
M - Mastering Mental Imagery
We are lucky to have these speakers return so every student is able to hear both presentations.
Students have fully shifted from summer mode to a regular 5-day week full of late nights, classes, assessments, practices, rehearsals, and games. Add in some sporadic temperatures and we are experiencing many students being run down with colds, stuffiness, and other sicknesses. Sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition are vital to ensuring our students have robust immune systems. Let’s work together to keep Mother Nature at bay or at least make any sickness short-lived.
Homecoming is next week and we hope to have a strong showing for our Tailgate activities before our Crusaders take on the “Reggies” of Greater Lawrence Technical School.
Lastly, Friday means one thing and that is the PAVE Cafe (Providing Academic and Vocational Experiences)! This is an important part of our culture where students of the program buy, prepare, and cook all kinds of treats. They include the ever-addictive popcorn, warm cinnamon buns, scrumptious cookies, delicious egg sandwiches (my favorite!), brownies, and much more! Students get called down by Wing and get to enjoy a nice treat and a quick chat. I stood with our Transitions Specialist, Mrs. Woods, to watch one of her students eating alone at a table. He was perfectly content, but soon other students sat down and began eating and chatting with him. No one told them to do it. There was no recognition for this action. These are simply kind GD boys who thought nothing of sharing a space with this student. It’s not inclusion or even acceptance; it is that sense of Belonging we hope all of our students can experience.
We are GD!
Rick Arena
HOMECOMING - OCTOBER 2ND
Mark your calendars for Friday, October 2nd and join us for a Homecoming celebration that is all about bringing our school and community together! Everyone is invited, students, families, alumni, staff, and community members.
The fun kicks off at 4:30 PM with food trucks, face painting, the firepit, and plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy at the tailgate. Then our very own Crusaders take on Greater Lawerence Tech for the Homecoming football game.
Whether you’re coming to grab a bite, show off your school spirit, catch up with friends and neighbors, or cheer from the stands, we hope you’ll join us for a great night!
Yearbook: Senior Portrait Deadline, Presale Orders, Senior Tribute Ads Hello seniors! This is a reminder to submit your senior portrait by October 31st. If you haven’t taken one yet, schedule your session now with a photographer. The weather is only getting colder from here on out! Remember to match the specifications for the portraits: a head-and-shoulders shot with you looking directly into the camera. When submitting your photo, make sure it’s high-resolution and name the file with your first and last name. Use this link ( https://yearbookshare.com/eShare) to submit your senior portrait to Varsity Yearbook. The school eshare code is gdyearbook. To all students, remember to order your yearbook! We usually sell out all extra yearbooks. Use this link (https://yearbookordercenter.com/), and enter our job code 6666 to buy your yearbook for pre-sale at $80 until December 31st, 2026. Late orders will be $90 through the same link. Parents of seniors, if you want to buy a tribute ad for your child, use the same link you used to order a yearbook. GUIDANCE NEWS AP EXAM PAYMENTS Exam payments are due in guidance by October 9, 2026 for all fall courses, full year courses and VHS courses. Spring APs can be paid for once the class begins. A check payable to GDRHS for $110 (Per exam/one check for multiple exams is ok), can be dropped off in guidance or mailed to: AP Payments 703 Chicopee Row Groton MA 01450 Each Exam ordered after the deadline will be charged a $40 late fee. If you have any questions about the college board exam registration, deadlines, policies or fees, or if you wish to opt out, please contact Mary Cain mcain@gdrsd.org/978-448-6362 (ext 1003). PSAT - PAYMENTS ARE DUE 10/5/26 The PSAT will be given to Juniors on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 during the school day. Arrival time for the exam is 7:00 am and should be finished by lunch. Students must be juniors and register below to reserve their exam. Students must use their school issued Chromebook for this exam. CLICK HERE FOR THE REGISTRATION The cost is $25 per student. Cash or check made payable to GDRHS. Payments can be mailed to: GDRHS, Attn PSAT, 703 Chicopee Row, Groton MA 01450. FINANCIAL AID 101 Live Webinars hosted by MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority) -This webinar will provide information and clarity on the entire college financial aid application process. You’ll learn about financial aid applications and types of financial aid, the factors that determine your aid eligibility, how colleges determine the amount of aid to offer, and the details of financial aid offers. Live transcription will be available. Register for a Financial Aid 101 Webinar Today SUMMIT EDUCATIONAL GROUP - 2-Hour SAT Crash Course Students taking the SAT on October 3rd, there's still time to boost your score with a focused final review session. Our SENIOR SAT CRASH COURSE is a two-hour intensive class covering high-impact SAT strategies, key content, and pacing techniques, just days before the test. The Crash Course replay is yours to keep and use as you prepare for any fall SAT date. What Your Students Will Learn:
BAE Systems’ Women in Technology We are pleased to share that BAE Systems’ Women in Technology (WIT) program is currently accepting applications from high school students interested in participating in our Winter 2027 session.
Women in Technology details:
If you have questions please reach out to the program team at wit.es@baesystems.com High School Parents — Come Learn More About the Arts Boosters!Do you have a student involved in music, drama, visual arts, or another arts program at Groton-Dunstable Regional High School? Or are you simply interested in helping support arts opportunities for our students? Join the Groton-Dunstable Arts Boosters for a casual, in-person informational meeting: Tuesday, October 6 7:00–8:00 PM — stop by anytime Groton Public Library Historical Room, 3rd Floor Come learn who we are, what we do, and the many ways the Arts Boosters support students across the high school arts programs. Through fundraising and community support, we provide grants, resources, scholarships, and funding for opportunities that might not otherwise be possible. We’d also love to introduce more parents to the organization. Getting involved doesn’t have to mean a big time commitment. Whether you’re interested in volunteering at an occasional event, helping behind the scenes, sharing a particular skill, or simply learning more about what we do, there’s a place for you. There’s no obligation to join or volunteer — just stop by, meet us, ask questions, and find out more. We’d love to see some new faces and hear some new ideas! Questions? Contact us at gdhsartsboosters@gmail.com. Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser Volunteers Needed - 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Fundraiser at Cow Pond Fields. We will be hosting our third annual fundraiser this October in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month! Thanks to our amazing community, we have already raised over $2,200 for this important cause. To make this event a success, we need volunteers to lend a hand on Saturdays at the Cow Pond fields. If you're interested in helping out, please sign up using this Google Sheet. Just add your contact info and choose any open time slots that work for you—and we encourage you to sign up with a friend! 2026 Volunteering Hours | October GDYS Breast Cancer Fundraiser Where: Cow Pond Playing Fields When: 10/3, 10/17, 10/24, 10/31 Times: See the document above for time slots. If you have questions or want more info: |