VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

At Gifft Hill School we believe that the arts greatly enhance the educational experience and therefore visual and performing arts are an integral part of GHS's teaching and learning programs. Below are some of our offerings:

For many years, GHS has partnered with the St. John School of the Arts for our arts programs, including Music Circle which encourages children under 5 years old to be joyful music makers. Students from Kindergarten through 5th grade take Orff Schulwerk which uses tone bar instruments to teach sensitive listening and considerate participation as children learn to play in an ensemble.

Our school is blessed with a tireless and dedicated Visual Arts teacher, Rosemary Richards, who teaches GHS students from preschool to 12th grade. For the past few years, Ms. Rosemary has teamed up with master potter, Bonnie Stearns of Vermont, to teach GHS students to craft many types of pottery.

Our newest and most popular lower school class this year was 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 learned social dances from around the world, competed against local schools, and emerged with the Spirit Award for the Mad Hot St. John competition.

Photography/Video Production- Under the guidance of renowned St. John photographer, Steve Simonsen, Gifft Hill 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.

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.

Deblyn Van Galder is brings writing to life in a Creative Writing/Drama elective in which the aspiring playwrights and actors will write their own plays and produce them into live performances.