Great Bridge Middle School will host the Wildcat Summer Welcome on Thursday, July 27th from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM. This event is for sixth graders and new students to GBMS to play games, meet new friends, and check out the school!

No registration is required.

Drop off and pick up is located in the front of the building.

We have organized a committee to begin the process to rename a courtyard on the Great Bridge Middle campus in honor of Mr. Craig Mills. Our principal, Mrs. Heather Martin, is leading this effort to honor the 47 years of dedicated service of Mr. Mills and his many contributions to Great Bridge Middle School.

About Mr. Craig Mills

Mr. Mills began his career with Chesapeake Public Schools in 1975, when he was hired to serve as the Band Director at Great Bridge Junior High (Great Bridge Junior High is no longer an active school site. It currently serves as an administrative office building for the district and hosts Adult Education and SECEP). During his tenure at Great Bridge Junior High School, he formed and directed the first Symphonic Band. In a Virginian-Pilot article published on June 9, 1996, Mr. Mills shared

“I don’t think musical knowledge was the reason I was successful,” he said. “You have to be able to understand the age. You have to be able to motivate the youngsters.” Mills said he responded to the child side of their personalities by trying to be a good listener. In class, before school, after school. When they would stand in his office door, just wanting to be noticed. “Sometimes,” he said, “they just wanted to be paid attention.”

In a February 2022 Wildcat Chat Pawdcast episode, Mr. Mills revealed that every job he served within the district was on Battlefield Boulevard. After 16 years as a teacher, Mr. Mills left the Great Bridge community to serve as the assistant principal, and later principal, at B.M. Williams Primary. He was thankful when district administrators asked him to “come back home” in 2010 to serve as the principal of Great Bridge Middle School, a role he served with tradition and pride for twelve years.

“I’ve made a difference in a quiet way just by doing my job and doing it well and people thought enough of me to promote me to be principal of this school.” – Mr. Craig Mills

Request for Community Feedback

The school is conducting a community survey to solicit feedback on naming the Great Bridge Middle School courtyard (located off of the school cafeteria) in honor of Mr. Mills. The survey will be open to the public through May 10, 2023.

“Mr. Craig K. Mills has been a pillar in the Great Bridge community for decades, first as a band teacher for 16 years, and then as the building principal for 12 years. He dedicated much of his life to the students, faculty, and community stakeholders which is why he is so deserving of this honor.” – Mrs. Heather Martin

Mr. Craig Mills’ Career in Chesapeake Public Schools

Mr. Mills retired after 47 years of service to Chesapeake Public Schools.

• 1975-1991 Teacher (Band) Great Bridge Junior High (16 years)
• 1991-1996 Assistant Principal, B.M. Williams Primary (5 years)
• 1996-2010 Principal, B.M. Williams Primary (14 years)
• 2010-2022 Principal, Great Bridge Middle (12 years)

Chesapeake Public Schools 2023 middle school summer program offers learning opportunities for current students in grades six through eight. This program consists of two 10-day sessions at 2 of our high school campuses. Our middle school summer program primary goals are to support learning gaps and provide opportunities to engage with our exciting Career and Technical Education (CTE) middle school curriculum.

Core Academic Program

• These courses are only available for students who need to repeat a core class for promotion.
• Each course is completed during a 10-day session.
• Two sessions will be offered. Students may register for up to 2 courses (1 course per session).
• Students are recommended to participate by their school. Families of recommended students will receive more information from their school counselor in late April.

Enrichment Program

• Enrichment course offerings include:
  • Girls Who Code
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Robotics
  • Culinary Arts
• Each course is completed during a 4-day session.
• Interested students should contact their school counselor for help with registration.
• Two sessions will be offered. Students may register for only one session.
• School counselors will have registration information available late April.

For more information regarding program dates, times, and locations, please visit https://cpschools.com/summer-school/middle-school-programs/

It’s not too late to order your student’s school pictures! Visit http://mylifetouch.com to place your order.

Enjoy 10% off your purchase by using the code: S2310OFF.

April is month of the Military Child! Military family members are encouraged to join their student for lunch in the cafeteria. Special tables will be set up just for this purpose! Military Students Serve too!

We are also still accepting submissions from members of our military who would like to thank their children by recording a video message that will be played on the announcements at school. Click here to submit a video.

The GBMS PTA is sponsoring the Fire & Ice Dance on Friday, April 21 from 6:00-8:00 in the cafeteria. The cost of the dance is $10 per student, which includes two slices of pizza and a water. Concessions will also be available for $1 each.
Tickets will be on sale during lunch April 17-19.
Please click HERE for more details.

Please make every effort to be in school on these dates!

April is the Month of the Military Child! We would like to give the valued members of our military the opportunity to thank their children by recording a video message that will be played on the announcements at school. Some of the entries will also be displayed on the GBMS social media platforms. We request that all videos be submitted by March 28.

Click here to submit a video.

Visit the Department of Defense website for more information regarding the celebration of military children.

It is very important that students continue to maintain regular school attendance. If your child needs to be out of school, please use ParentVue to report the absence for the current day and up to 7 days in the future. If you miss the window to report the absence in ParentVue, please send in a note for your student to deliver to the main office. Absences must be reported to the main office within 4 days of the student’s return to school.

Thank you for your help in this matter!

We are proud to announce that Great Bridge Middle School has received the Purple Star designation 2022!  This distinguished honor is awarded to military-friendly schools that have demonstrated a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. As a Purple Star school, we receive a resolution of recognition, an award coin, and the opportunity to proudly display the Purple Star logo for three school years. This is our second time receiving this award for our outstanding commitment to serving the needs of our military families. 

Our district offers several communications platforms that provide students, parents, and staff the opportunity to engage in a two-way dialogue.

Quick Tip is an anonymous way to make school administrators aware of a specific safety concern.

Send the school district your questions, concerns, suggestions, and or compliments through Let’s Talk.

Chesapeake Crime Line provides a way for citizens to report criminal activity to local authorities.

We encourage all families to take advantage of the nutritious meal options available to students at school. Visit our district website for access to menus, meal prices, and other important school nutrition information. You can also see our latest School Nutrition News e-fliers online.

GBMS students who want to attend middle school athletic events this year are highly encouraged to purchase student passes. These passes are available for purchase online only using the GoFan website. The Student Annual Pass costs $20 and provides admittance to any VHSL or CMSL regular season games in Chesapeake, including CMSL tournament games. Students will redeem their passes using their smartphones at each eligible athletic contest. Individual event tickets are also available online through GoFan at $5 for students. If you have any questions, see Ms. Formica or Mr. Fox.

If you are interested in volunteering in the GBMS cafeteria, please visit the Chesapeake Public Schools Feeding Bodies Fueling Minds-Volunteer Sign-Up  page to select a date.

Take advantage of the different ways to stay connected with all things happening at Great Bridge Middle School.

• Website: https://cpschools.com/gbm/
• Subscribe to the GBMS Website: https://cpschools.com/gbm/subscribe/
• PeachJar
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube
• The Wildcat Chat PAWdcast

Hashtag: #gbmRRRoars