August 4, 2025
Greetings Yellow Jacket Families!!
We are entering a new year with excitement and anticipation to “Ignite the HIVE with Purpose, Power, and Performance.”
Our purpose remains the same: to provide students with college and career readiness through a rigorous and engaging curriculum, ensuring they graduate with the necessary academic, social, and interpersonal skills. Gwynn Park High School remains a powerful asset in the Brandywine community with our dynamic CTE programming, enduring athletic legacy, and continued academic success. So, let’s continue in our excellent performance of our power and purpose to continue the Yellow Jacket Legacy.
This year, we will continue with our Ninth Grade Academy with a new 9th-grade administrator, Ms. Clark, and a new 9th-grade Lead Teacher, Dr. Mendez Cintron. This year, we will continue our PBIS program (PR2 ) with a new coordinator, Dr. Makins. We will restart our Peer Mediation program under the leadership of Ms. Brooks. The advisory period on “Wellness Wednesdays” will expand in material to include academic monitoring as well as mental health learning.
As we enter the last year of the District’s Strategic Plan: “Transformation 2026: Leading Through Change!”, we are excited to embrace the initiative of our new interim superintendent, Dr. Joseph. Community involvement is a T26 initiative that we are embracing this school year with the inaugural Parent Advisory Committee. Applications of interest are now available. Please complete this form to share your desire to speak directly about the concerns of the community. A Parent University will also take place in partnership with the Office of Parent and Family Engagement.
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Your support is essential to our success, and we are grateful for all of our PTSA members under the leadership of Dr. Latonya Small, PTSA President. You can now join the PTSA for $25/family through the Cash app $PTSAGwynnParkHS or PayPal: PTSA Gwynn Park High School. For more information, please contact Dr. Small at ptsagwynnparkhs@gmail.com.
ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES
This year, our assistant principals are Ms. Yolanda Clark for the 9th grade, Mr. John Quinn for the 10th grade, Ms. Rashieda Addison for the 11th grade, and Mr. Eric Harrison for the 12th grade. Gwynn Park High School is a uniform school. Students are expected to be dressed in white or black polo-collared shirts, and freshmen in yellow collared shirts, with khaki bottoms daily with their school-issued IDs, and clear backpacks! Please use this link to purchase shirts from our virtual school store.
IDs will be distributed during the first week of school. Ninth-grade students will receive their Chromebooks and will have an opportunity to take pictures during orientation. Planning has already begun!
Please see the important upcoming dates:
● August 16, 2025, 9:00 am -1:00 pm: Kick-OFF Back to School Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex, 8001 Sheriff Road, Landover, MD 20785 (please see the pgcps.org website for more information)
● August 20, 2025, 10:00 am: Second Cup of Coffee with Principal Hopkins
● Monday, August 25, 2025, from 7:45 am - 11:25 am: 9th grade/New Student Orientation @ Gwynn Park High School
● Tuesday, August 26, 2025: First day of school, 7:45 am - 2:25 pm
● Tuesday, September 9, 2025: Back to School Night at 6:30 pm, Agenda forthcoming
● Thursday, October 2, 2025: Parent University at 6:30 pm
● Friday, October 25, 2025: Homecoming Game
● Saturday, October 26, 2025: Homecoming Parade and Dance
I look forward to partnering with every family and scholar as we SWARM together to “Ignite the HIVE”! It takes a village, and we need everyone to do their part! Join the Yellow Jacket Parent Messaging on the band app: https://band.us/n/a0aa97wfmbJaC and follow me on Twitter @GPHS_PrinHopVin.
For school uniforms, access, citywidepromotions.com or call 301-218-8337 or 301-980-4844 for the company representative, Reggie.
Your Purposeful Principal!!
Naima Hopkins-Vinson, Principal
