VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

Our school is blessed with a tireless and dedicated Visual Arts teacher, Rosemary Richards, who teaches GHS students from Preschool to 12th grade. Evidence of the success of her program is proudly displayed throughout both campuses and in the original artwork that is offered for sale at our yearly Auction. In addition master potter, Bonnie Stearns of Vermont, visits GHS each year for two weeks to instruct Upper Campus students in many different types of pottery.

Photography/Video Production- Under the guidance of renowned St. John photographer Steve Simonsen, Gifft Hill high school students begin with the basics of photography and videograpy. They gradually refine and expand their skills, ultimately producing their own music videos and fine photographs.

One of our performing arts teaching partners is St. John School of the Arts. Their offerings are appropriately geared to the age and development level of the students. The younger students enjoy Yoga and Music Circle, encouraging children to be good listeners and joyful music makers. Students are exposed first to Orff Schulwerk, which uses tone bar instruments to teach sensitive listening and considerate participation for the younger students. Older students at the Lower Campus experience ethnic drumming and then recorder in 4th and 5th grade. .

Music Appreciation: Students at Gifft Hill School can look forward to learning about music through instruction by accomplished musican John W. Lee. The Music Appreciation and Performance I class studies world popular music and fundamentals in music performance. Students will learn and apply basic performance techniques on instruments commonly used in this music, including but not limited to guitar, piano, bass, drums, and computers. The outcome for this course is a final project in which students will compose a popular song using the theoretical, historical, and applied instrumental knowledge learned throughout the course.

Additionally, once a week Lower School students may take advantage of ribbon dancing classes taught by our ever-enthusiastic and energetic Dance Teacher, Liz Putnam. In addition, for 8 weeks during the year, 5th graders may participate in Dancing Classroom, a program designed by famed Pierre Dulaine to build social awareness, confidence and self-esteem through ballroom dancing (and was the inspiration for the documentary, Mad Hot Ballroom). Our 5th grade students learn social dances from around the world and compete against local schools.

Each January, our Upper Campus students are given the amazing opportunity to be part of the school theatre production under the direction of Dr. Steven Stearns and the New England Youth Theatre. The New England Youth Theatre is founded on the passionate belief that young people can run their own theatre with the guidance of theatre professionals. NEYT strives to create an atmosphere of harmony and respect where children and adults can work together as equal creative spirits, fostering initiative, positive mental attitude, kindness and teamwork.

Last year for the first time, 3rd graders at GHS, Guy Benjamin School and Julius E. Sprauve School were invited to participate in "Broadway Comes to St. John" a St. John extravaganza during which Broadway actors and choreographers worked for three weeks with students to ready them for to present an original musical. The end result was performed in front of a live audience at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas and was enjoyed by all.