🚨 GCPS Update 🚨

We have been monitoring the forecast for Monday, and due to the elevated risk of extended severe weather, including widespread damaging winds, strong tornadoes, and large hail, GCPS will be closed tomorrow, March 16.

The uncertain timing of the storms could put our buses and students on the road as conditions worsen, even in the event of an early dismissal. Out of an abundance of caution, we have made the decision to close schools. We recognize the disruption this causes and thank you for your understanding and flexibility.
about 16 hours ago, Jennifer Waggener
GCPS Closed Graphic

At last night's meeting, the School Board approved a change to the 2025-2026 calendar, designating Tuesday, April 21 as a Student Holiday and Staff Professional Learning Day. This adjustment accommodates the April 21st special election, as two of our schools will be used as polling sites.

5 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
April 21 is a student holiday
Congratulations to our Students of the Month for January, February, and March! These students have done an excellent job showing our SOAR expectations.
5 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
Congratulations to all of our Students of the Month!
January: PK - Remi,  KG - Finn,  1st - Emmerson,  2nd - David,  3rd - Carson,  4th - Cullen,  5th - Kai’dyn
February: PK - Raya,   KG - Koen,   1st - Malachi,   2nd - Brayden,   3rd - Zoe,  4th - Sadie,  5th - Dustin
March: PK - Sawyer, KG - Faith, 1st - Abram, 2nd - Ella, 3rd - Rylan, 4th - Charlie, 5th - Claire
Our Reading Olympians went for the gold today at our Annual Reading Olympics Breakfast! 🥇 We celebrated a year of incredible hard work with a very special menu—every single food item came straight from the pages of the books we’ve read this year. It was such a tasty way to review our favorite stories together! 😋🍎
6 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
Reading Olympics breakfast serving line
The 4th grade teams are all smiles!
4th graders are rocking it on Reading Olympics!
These veteran readers are ready for the tournament!
A big breakfast is a fun way to start the day.
The return of beautiful, spring-like weather means a return to the garden! Students enjoyed our first meeting of Garden Fairies this side of wintery weather this week!
6 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
Garden Fairies at work
🐾❤️ Big hearts and wagging tails! 🐾❤️

Our 3rd graders at Byrd Elementary School just wrapped up an incredible 6-week journey with Goochland Pet Lovers.

Through this partnership, our students didn't just learn about animals—they practiced core virtues like empathy, kindness, and responsibility. The highlight? A special field trip to the Goochland Animal Shelter to see these lessons in action, meet the dedicated staff, and (of course!) visit with some furry friends. 🐶🐱

We are so proud of our young scholars for showing what it means to be a compassionate member of the Goochland community!
6 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
Goochland Pet Lovers
Goochland Pet Lovers
Goochland Pet Lovers
Goochland Pet Lovers
Goochland Pet Lovers
Our Byrd Literacy Night was a huge success! From the first bite of our free dinner to the final shout of "BINGO!", it was a joy to see our families come together to celebrate the power of reading.

Highlights of the night included:

*8 Literacy Stations: Our students explored everything from crafts and games to storytelling.

*Free Book Giveaways: No one left empty-handed! We loved seeing students' faces light up as they picked out their own new books.

*BINGO for Books: A huge thank you to the Byrd Parent Group for sponsoring this awesome game! It was a thrill to see so many winners take home even more books to add to their home libraries.

Thank you to everyone who came out, volunteered, and helped make literacy the star of the show!
6 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
Free book give away table.
BINGO for books and the prizes!
Students always enjoy a good obstacle course (and we love when we can tie it into literacy skills)
We had a fun crowd for BINGO for Books!
Students enjoyed many fun literacy games set up in  the gym.
More literacy obstacle course fun!
There was some friendly competition playing literacy games!
Congratulations to all of the winners of our Black History Month Poster Contest!
6 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
Black History Month Poster Contest Winners
We had a very special visitor at school for Read Across America Week! Dawson, a certified therapy dog, spent some time visiting classrooms and making some fast friends!

Students joined Mrs. Bettin to officially welcome Dawson and settle in for a special story all about the joys of reading with dogs. It was a wonderful reminder of how much comfort (and focus!) a furry friend can bring to our hallways.
6 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
Dawson with 4th graders
Dawson had lots of love from the 5th grade.
Dawson was a popular guest.
Look at that face!  He is so sweet!
Meet Dawson!
Dawson happily greeted each student.
Byrd Elementary School’s Career Day will be on Friday April 17th, 2026 from 8:00am-10:30am! We are looking for volunteers to come and talk about their career with our students in brief presentations. You could bring in props, present outside if you have a special vehicle or equipment to share, create a slideshow to display your work, etc…! If you are interested in participating and would like more information, please sign up using the link below!

https://tinyurl.com/bescareerday26
6 days ago, Zoe Parrish
Career Day Flyer

Check out our News from the Nest for the week of 3/9/26 --> https://app.smore.com/n/9kvgm

6 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
News from the Nest for the week of 3/9/26
❤️ Community Helping Community! ❤️ Today, volunteers came together for a Generosity Feeds Meal Creation Event, packaging 3,000 meals to help fight child hunger locally. This impactful event was organized by Goochland High School senior Sophia Weller as part of her senior project, and we are so proud of the leadership and service she demonstrated. A special thank you to our amazing partners who helped make this event possible: 👏 Goochland Rotary Club 👏 Backpacks of Love 👏 Goochland High School Interact Club 👏 The Replenish Foundation Together, we are making a difference for Goochland families. ❤️💛🐾
9 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Food packing event
Fueling up for a day of discovery! 🥣✨

National School Breakfast Week gives us an extra reason to celebrate the morning fuel that powers our scholars! Whether they are grabbing a quick bite from the breakfast cart or sitting down with friends, these moments of connectedness are how we start our school day strong at GCPS.

A huge thank you to our School Nutrition team for providing the healthy fuel our scholars need to grow, learn, and lead! 🍎🥛
11 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
National School Breakfast Week
National School Breakfast Week
National School Breakfast Week
National School Breakfast Week
National School Breakfast Week
Check out our News from the Nest for the week of 3/2/26 --> https://app.smore.com/n/06t2s
13 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
News from the Nest 3/2/26
🚌 We’re Hiring Bus Drivers! 🚌

Looking for a rewarding job with a flexible schedule and the chance to make a difference every day? Join our team!

✅ Paid training
✅ We’ll cover the cost of your CDL
✅ Great hours for parents and retirees
✅ Be a friendly face our students count on

No experience? No problem — we’ll train you from start to finish.

📞 Call 804-556-5361 to learn more
🔗 Apply here: https://www.applitrack.com/glnd/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Transportation

Come drive with us and help keep our students safe! 💛
17 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
Hiring Bus Drivers Flyer
📣 Calling all future kindergarten families!

If your child will start kindergarten in 2026–2027, mark your calendars:
🗓 April 6 – Online registration opens
🗓 April 9 – In-person screening at your child’s home elementary school

✅ Children must be 5 years old by September 30, 2026 to enroll.
17 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
kindergarten registration flyer
Do you have any books you are ready to clear out (to make room for more, probably!)? We would love to take any children's books in great condition off your hands!
21 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
We are collecting children's books!
Take a look at our News from the Nest for the week of 2/23/26 --> https://app.smore.com/n/0h56se
21 days ago, Byrd Elementary School
News from the Nest 2/23/26
We can’t wait to see those smiling faces🙂

Schools are operating on a normal schedule today, Monday, Feb. 23. Stay warm and see you soon!
21 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
On-time start
We see the snow falling! ❄️ Our team is closely monitoring road conditions and the overnight forecast. If a delayed opening is necessary for Monday (2/23), we will make the official announcement by 5:30 AM. Stay tuned and stay warm!
22 days ago, Jennifer Waggener
Graphic