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Student Spotlight
Fifth grader Kiki Thompson has been part of the GHS community since she was in pre-K. Fifth grade teacher Ms. Christina says Kiki is confident in who she is and is a great friend to her peers.
“She has a really strong sense of self and she has great friendships,” says Ms. Christina.
Kiki says she loves the way GHS lifts up its students through events like our academic award assemblies and birthday assemblies. Her passion is writing, something she’s been drawn to for as long as she can remember.
“Writing is a thing I’ve always really liked since the moment I learned how to use letters,” says Kiki. “I saw a pencil and I knew my letters and I was like, ‘I am going to make words.’ And I did.”
One of Kiki’s favorite early memories was when she wrote short stories about a chocolate bar who’s a detective in first grade.
“It was really fun to write and it’s fun to read them again,” she says.
Ms. Christina recognized Kiki’s passion with a special novel-writing project she’s working on with two of her classmates. She says Kiki’s classmates often come to her for help with their writing.
“They all want her to correct their writing because they know it’s something she’s passionate about,” says Ms. Christina. “She’s more than willing to help because she truly loves it.”
Kiki is a member of our cheerleading team and when she’s not in school, she loves to write. Kiki is also teaching herself how to play the guitar.
Upcoming Events
LAST FARM TO TABLE DINNER OF THE SCHOOL YEAR MARCH 21
Our culinary program will host its final Farm to Table dinner of the 2023-2024 school year on Thursday, March 21. You don't want to miss this! The theme of this final dinner is Italian and the event is open to all community members. Click here to purchase your tickets today. Seats are limited and ticket sales will close March 17. Come see for yourself why our guests call this event "the best restaurant on St. John!"
JOIN THE GHS LIGHT UP THE NIGHT TEAM MARCH 30
GHS Facilities Manager John McBarron's wife, Julie, has generously agreed to lead a Gifft Hill School team for Light Up the Night following her own successful battle with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The team's entry fee has already been covered by our fourth grade class, which raised an incredible $4,600 for the St. John Cancer Fund. The team has a fundraising goal of $10,000. Here's how you can participate:
Click here to sign up for a time slot to walk the field.
Click here to sign up for a time slot to staff the GHS event table.
Click here to join the GHS team virtually and establish your own fundraising page to assist with the team's goal.
Click here to donate toward the GHS team's fundraising goal.
Those who will be participating in person at the event should wear green and white. If you're in need of some green and white GHS merch, we have plenty of tops and hats available for sale at the Upper Campus.
Since its inception in 2012, The St. John Cancer Fund has granted nearly $700,000 to St. John residents facing cancer. The fund exists thanks to generous businesses and individuals who have supported this mission and, in turn, members of our community fighting the battle with cancer. Light up the Night is SJCF's primary annual fundraiser. Residents and visitors of St. John gather in Cruz Bay to walk in honor of loved ones who are fighting a battle with cancer, warriors who were lost to cancer, and survivors who won the difficult battle.
Thank you for helping GHS support this important community fundraiser!
GHS Highlights
LOWER CAMPUS ACADEMIC AWARDS
Kudos to the many pre-K through fifth graders who met their reading and/or math goal in February! Two lucky winners from each class, pictured below, were selected at random to be rewarded with a sweet treat on Wednesday afternoon.
UPPER CAMPUS HONOR ROLL ASSEMBLY
Kudos to the many middle and high schoolers who earned honor roll, high honor roll, and GHS Pride awards during our assembly on Thursday! In order to earn a spot on the honor roll, students must have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.69 and have a B- or above in every class, and to be on the high honor roll, students must have a GPA of 3.7 or higher and an A- or above in every class. The GHS Pride award is given to students who demonstrate their commitment to the attributes of a GHS student: accountability, resilience, curiosity, kindness, gratefulness, showing integrity and drive, and showing pride in themselves, their school, and their community. Job well done, Barracudas!
GREEN & WHITE GALA AND AUCTION SUCCESS!
Thanks to the hard work of our faculty, staff, and volunteers, our 38th annual Green & White Gala and Auction was a wonderful success! A diverse cross-section of our community came together to celebrate and raise funds for our financial aid program, which benefits close to 80% of our students. Whether you worked the event, attended as a guest, or participated in the silent auction online, thank you for supporting our mission and our school. Please enjoy the video by Bill Stelzer that was shown at this year's auction.
VIPD ASSISTING WITH TRAFFIC FLOW AT LOWER CAMPUS
We are happy to share that the VIPD, in collaboration with the St. John Administrator's Office and the Department of Public Works, will be supporting Gifft Hill School as we fine-tune our drop-off and pick-up systems to maximize student and faculty safety and minimize the impact on through traffic on Gifft Hill Road.
Starting tomorrow, we will have a dedicated officer and crossing guard stationed at GHS from 7:30-8:30 am and 2:20-3:30 p.m. They will assist us in keeping the flow of traffic moving smoothly and safely in an uphill direction. Please follow all directions and watch for signals to pull forward, stop, and pull back out into moving traffic.
Here is what you can do to help:
Have your child(ren) exit the car from the driver's side unless you drive a two-door car.
Remain in your car and allow GHS staff to help your child exit the car safely.
Prepare your child to exit by reminding him/her to unbuckle, find shoes, and have backpack prepared. Our staff will assist with unbuckling children in 5-point restraint car seats
Proceed uphill to the Upper Campus gravel lot to turn around. Please DO NOT turn around in front of the school, in neighboring driveways, or pull into faculty parking spaces to turn around.
Please do not park across the street or in faculty parking and walk your children over, unless you have an appointment to meet with a school staff member.
Thanks so much to everyone for your cooperation!
RE-ENROLLMENT OPEN; FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION DUE APRIL 5
The TADS re-enrollment portal opened March 1. You can now re-enroll your child and apply for financial aid. We are thrilled to share that tuition will remain the same next year. Your tuition payments for this school year must be up to date in order to re-enroll. The financial aid application must be completed by April 5, and you will have until April 12 to pay your deposit and sign your tuition agreement. Our first priority is to families who already have their children at GHS, so you have a full month to re-enroll and complete the financial aid application. After the April 12 deadline, applicants who are re-enrolling will be given consideration alongside new applicants. Please note that several classes are full or have waitlists, so meeting the April 12 deadline is critical to ensuring your child’s continued education at GHS. All current GHS families should have received an email from TADS inviting you to re-enroll, or you can click here to log in to your account and begin the process today.
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING FORKS!
Parents of students at the Upper Campus, have you noticed any new forks in your silverware drawer and you're unsure of where they came from? We are missing forks from the UC kitchen and it's possible they were borrowed by students who then inadvertently brought them home. Please help us out by returning any forks you think may belong to the school!
LOWER CAMPUS ARRIVAL TIME REMINDER
This is a friendly reminder that morning drop-off at the Lower Campus takes place between 8:00 and 8:20 a.m. Those who arrive after 8:20 are marked as tardy. Arriving on time allows your child to calmly get unpacked and start their morning routine, which often involves review morning work, morning classroom duties, and garden time. Thank you for working with us to help your child succeed!
Sports Central
KUDOS!
Kudos to Justin Richards for his debut as referee during our two middle school games on March 5, and to our middle school girls basketball team for their win against JESS 17 to 15!
SOCCER PRACTICE SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED
Second and third grade will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Upper Campus field. The GHS van will transport students to the Upper Campus for practice. Sign-ups open March 11. Practices begin and sign-ups end on April 2. This team is for practice only; there will be no games with other teams.
The elementary team (grades 4-5) will practice on Mondays from 3:30 to 4:30 at the Upper Campus field. The GHS van will transport students to the Upper Campus for practice. Sign-up forms have been distributed and sign-ups end on March 15. Practices begin March 11.
The middle school and varsity teams will practice on Mondays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Upper Campus field. Sign-up forms have been distributed and sign-ups end on March 15. Practices begin March 11.
There will be parent meetings on March 11 at 4:30 p.m. at the Upper Campus field for the elementary team and at 5:30 p.m. for the middle school and varsity teams.
COMMUNITY PICKLEBALL
Donna Smith and Jeannie Herrema have offered to teach pickleball lessons to any St. John children in grades 4 through 12. Lessons will take place every Friday starting April 5 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. at the Cruz Bay tennis courts. These lessons are offered for free. Players must wear sneakers and bring a water bottle.
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
GREAT MANGROVE CLEANUP MARCH 9 - COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS
The University of the Virgin Islands, V.I. Department of Planning & Natural Resources, Coral Bay Community Council, and other partners will be hosting another annual Great Mangrove Cleanup event on St. John Saturday, March 9 from 9 a.m. to noon in Coral Bay. Since 2018, these events have removed more than 12 tons of marine debris from mangrove forests across the territory. Last year, 38 volunteers helped remove 2,344 lbs of garbage from this site. But there is still more work to do! Attendees should pre-register here, so adequate supplies are available. Community service hours are also being offered.
YOUTH SUMMIT FOR AGES 12-18 MARCH 9 AT JESS
UVI-CELL will host an EmpowerU Youth Summit on March 9 at the Julius E. Sprauve School. The interactive summit will feature real talk on mental health, leadership, tackling challenges, and unlocking your future's full potential. The summit is open to students age 12 to 18. Click here to register.
LIME OUT ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION TO BENEFIT GHS MARCH 17
Lime Out will celebrate its fifth anniversary with a harbor jam featuring live music on March 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. All proceeds raised will benefit Gifft Hill School's financial aid program.
TIPHANIE YANIQUE TO HOST WRITING LECTURE AT GHS GREAT ROOM
St. Thomas native and accomplished author Tiphanie Yanique will host a writing lecture at the Gifft Hill School Great Room on Saturday, March 23, from 3 to 5 p.m. There is a $10 registration fee and refreshments will be served. Click here to register for this workshop.
UVI OPEN HOUSE MARCH 26
The University of the Virgin Islands will host a spring open house for high school juniors and seniors March 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the university's Elridge W. Blake Sports and Fitness Center.
Prospective students will have the opportunity to tour the campus, learn about UVI's academic programs, connect with the academic deans, and learn about new opportunities.
Please click here to register. For more information, contact Tiyana Walters at tiyana.walters@uvi.edu or 340-693-1097.
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