.png)
Student Spotlight
Sixth grader Olivia O’Born has been part of the GHS community since second grade. She says she appreciates that our teachers are nice and helpful.
“Math is my favorite subject because I just like Ms. V. and she’s really helpful,” says Olivia. “I also like comm arts club. It’s really fun and gives everybody a chance to explore new things.”
Sixth grade advisor Ms. McGuire says Olivia is always the first to step up and help her classmates understand their assignments and expectations.
“She works really hard to complete each task in the order they need to be completed,” says Ms. McGuire.
English teacher and comm arts club advisor Ms. Banen says Olivia is energetic and passionate about her schoolwork and her extracurricular activities.
“She’s very motivated and creative,” says Ms. Banen. “Olivia does a good job of keeping all her classmates included. She’s always willing to take a leadership role.”
Olivia says she gets her leadership skills and willingness to help from her dad, who’s always lending a hand to those around him. Olivia takes cheerleading lessons at St. John School of the Arts and in her free time, she enjoys cleaning and tidying her room and scootering around her neighbor’s porch.
Upcoming Events
STEAM WEEK AT BOTH CAMPUSES NEXT WEEK
Next week, we'll celebrate our second and final STEAM Week of the year at both campuses. At the Lower Campus, students will engage in developmentally-appropriate projects that build their STEAM skills. At the Upper Campus, students will take a week-long deep dive into the topic of their choosing. Options range from outdoor cooking and personal finance to sustainable fishing and doing costumes, tech, music, or acting for a New England Youth Theater production. Upper Campus students do not need to wear their school uniform during STEAM Week.
MARCH BIRTHDAY ASSEMBLY WEDNESDAY
We'll celebrate March birthdays at our monthly Lower Campus birthday assembly Wednesday morning, March 19, at 8:45 a.m. in the Lower Campus Great Room. Please note that those attending the assembly may not park until after 8:30 a.m. Please do not park across the street by the yellow house and along that stretch of road, as it is private property. Parents and guardians of second grade students, who will present at the assembly, are welcome to attend, as are parents of students with March birthdays.
FARM TO TABLE DINNER THURSDAY
It's time for our third Farm to Table dinner of the 2024-2025 school year! Join us the evening of March 20 for a Southern comfort food experience, prepared and served family-style by our Upper Campus students. Tickets will go fast, so be sure to get yours today! https://tinyurl.com/mrewcusj
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM PRESENTATIONS FRIDAY, SATURDAY
Students who signed up for our New England Youth Theater STEAM Week offering will present scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday at 1:00 and 5:00 p.m. at the GHS Upper Campus. Everyone is welcome to attend. Suggested donation is $5 to $10.
GHS Highlights
NEYT VISITS ST. JOHN
Our Lower and Upper Campus students had a great week with the New England Youth Theatre. Improv games, skits, and readings of Shakespeare's plays have brought smiles, laughter, and an exciting creative energy to our students.
SJSA OUTREACH
We were pleased to host the incredibly talented Mikael Darmanie, along with Julius E. Sprauve School students and the island's senior citizens, during yesterday's outreach activity through the St. John School of the Arts. The audience enjoyed interacting with Mikael and his music, and all were wowed by his skills on the piano. Thank you, SJSA!
PI DAY FUN
It's Pi Day! We celebrated at the Upper Campus with circle-shaped treats, pi-themed scavenger hunts, and a "pi bee" in which students competed to see who has the most digits memorized. Kudos to Nissi for winning the middle school competition with 111 digits, and to Zoe for winning the high school competition with 79 digits!
SECOND TRIMESTER REPORT CARDS TO WERE DISTRIBUTED TODAY
All students will should have come home with their second trimester report cards today. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher(s) with any questions regarding their grades. As the third and final trimester of the school year begins on Monday, we'd like to remind all Upper Campus parents that your child's grades on all assignments, quizzes, and tests are available for your review at https://www.plusportals.com/giffthillschool or via the ParentPlus app.
RE-ENROLLMENT AND FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE APRIL 4
Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is now open. We value your family and we are grateful for the trust you place in us to educate your children. If your child is already enrolled at Gifft Hill School, you should have received an email on March 1 with the link to complete your re-enrollment. If you are applying for financial aid, please complete that at the same time. We give current students one month to re-enroll before we begin filling open seats in each grade level, so be sure you complete re-enrollment and submit your financial aid application by April 4! To hold your spot, your tuition deposit must be paid and your agreement signed by April 11. Families that miss this deadline will be given consideration for remaining seats in the class alongside new applicants. Please keep in mind that current GHS families must be in good standing in order to re-enroll. Please contact businessoffice@giffthillschool.org with any questions.
2025-2026 SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR NOW AVAILABLE
Our school calendar for the 2025-2026 school year is now available. Click here to see the calendar, also available on our website under the Quicklinks menu item.
Sports Central
BASKETBALL SEASON HAS CONCLUDED
The basketball season has come to an end. Kudos to our boys varsity basketball team for coming in third overall in the STT/STJ IAA League! We will host a player showcase in early April. Keep an eye out next week for details. Congratulations also to our girls, Kenzey O'Donnell, '28, and Nhtalya Jacobs, '28, for their roles in the joint varsity team with GHS, Antilles, and VIMSIA. Kenzey and Nhtalya have tried out for a traveling team to continue their basketball journey.
CHANGES TO SOCCER PRACTICE NEXT WEEK
Due to STEAM Week activities and the March 31 holiday, the soccer practice schedule has changed for next week. Parents, please monitor Class Dojo for the schedule and additional information. Regular practice will take place March 17 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for the elementary team with an optional practice for middle school and varsity from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. There will be no practice March 31. Instead, practice will take place April 1 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. for the elementary team and 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. for middle school and varsity. Information on an additional practice on Thursday, March 17, will be communicated through Dojo.
CHEER CLINICS IN APRIL AND MAY
Coach Banen will host cheerleading clinics in April and May. Stay tuned for further details.
Dates to Remember
See below for important dates to remember over the next two months. View the full school year calendar by clicking here.
Community Corner: News You Can Use
EMPOWER U YOUTH SUMMIT MARCH 15
UVI CELL will host the EmpowerU Youth Summit on Saturday, March 15, at the St. John Community Resource and Development Center on the second floor of The Marketplace. This event is open to ages 12-18. See flyer below for more information or to register.
ANIMATED SERIES PREMIER SATURDAY AT SJSA
Everyone is welcome to attend a free community premier of the animated interactive education adventure series, Irie Island, on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at the St. John School of the Arts. The series is created and produced in the Virgin Islands and features child voice actors from the V.I. as well as Julius "The Chef" Jackson.
LIME OUT FUNDRAISER FOR SJSA SUNDAY
Lime Out will host a fundraiser on Sunday, March 16, from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All Lime Out proceeds raised during this time frame will be donated to the St. John School of the Arts.
KIDS PLAY EXPO MARCH 29 AT TUTU PARK MALL
There will be a Kids Play Expo on Saturday, March 29, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Tutu Park Mall. Enjoy games, fun, and food while learning about sports, clubs, groups, teams, and resources for children in the Virgin Islands.
WORLD OCEAN SCHOOL OFFERING SUMMER PROGRAMS
World Ocean School, which runs the Denis Sullivan program that all GHS eighth graders are fortunate to take part in, offers summer programs for students ages 12-19.
There will be an informational session on April 1 at 6:00 p.m. for anyone who's interested.
Program at a Glance:
Summer Ambassador Program (Ages 12-15) August 1-8, 2025
Advanced Summer Ambassador Program (Ages 16-19) August 17-26, 2025
No sailing experience required – just curiosity and a willingness to grow!
See flyer below for more details.
AUTISM CONFERENCE APRIL 8 IN ST. THOMAS
The V.I. University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities will host the 15th Autism Conference on April 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Victor's New Hideout in St. Thomas. The theme will be "Beyond the spectrum: Understanding autism and celebrating differences" with the goal of bringing awareness to research and best practices that highlight stories of empowerment, challenges faced, and victories achieved for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. See event flyer for more details including how to register for this conference.
V.I. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
The Virgin Islands Department of Labor's Summer Youth Employment Program and Career Exploration Program are now accepting applications. The Career Exploration Program is a four-week experience open to those age 14-15 and the Summer Youth Employment Program is a five-week experience open to those age 16-25. The application deadline for both programs is April 11. Please see attached flyer or click here for more information.
