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Barracuda Bulletin: Week of February 20, 2026
- andreamilam
- Mar 2
- 6 min read
Student Spotlight
First grader Leaf Cooper joined the GHS community in pre-K. He says he likes his classmates and that everyone at GHS is nice.
“Leaf is an excellent student who walks into first grade with a huge smile every single day,” says first grade teacher Ms. Melisa. “He is super kind to all he encounters and treats others with respect and compassion.”
Leaf has a genuine love for learning, Ms. Melisa says. Leaf says Ms. Melisa is a good teacher because she’s nice and she makes learning fun.
“Leaf eagerly looks for opportunities to show what he has learned, and so he often volunteers to help his classmates, particularly with math tasks,” says Ms. Melisa. “He consistently prioritizes his own academic growth. As such, he frequently goes above and beyond what is asked of him, always wanting to know what more he can do beyond a given assignment.”
Leaf says math is his favorite subject and art and PE are his favorite specials because he loves to draw and learn new sports.
“Leaf has a strong passion for math and is demonstrating mastery of the skills we have worked on thus far,” says Ms. Melisa. “He is also a super reader who has shown tremendous growth in literacy. His curiosity extends to the natural world, and he contributes thoughtfully and meaningfully to classroom conversations. All in all, Leaf is truly a joy to have in first grade.”
In his free time, Leaf says he likes to play card games and catch with his dad and brother, and he enjoys going to the beach with friends and family.
Upcoming Events
BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPIRIT WEEK FEBRUARY 23-27
Our Identity, Diversity, Equity, and Accountability Club will host a week of events in conjunction with Black History Month at the Upper Campus. All events will take place during the school day. See schedule below for more information.
UPPER CAMPUS VARIETY SHOW FEBRUARY 25
Our Upper Campus Communication Arts club will host a variety show on Wednesday, February 25, at 5:30 p.m. when Upper Campus students will exhibit their talents and skills and our high school improv class will perform some scenes. This event is free and open to the public.
RUN 8 TUFF MILES WITH GHS ON FEBRUARY 28
Our PE teacher and running club lead, Coach Emma, invites all GHS students to sign up for the 8 Tuff Miles road race on Saturday, February 28. Teachers are available to run with your child if needed. Parents whose children are signed up for the race, please let Coach Emma and Ms. Francis know at emmajohnson@giffthillschool.org and francinefrancis@giffthillschool.org.
ENROLLMENT OPENS MARCH 1
Enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year opens on March 1. 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 will receive 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 5! To hold your spot, your tuition deposit must be paid and your agreement signed by April 12. 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.
GHS AUCTION MARCH 7
Our 40th annual Green & White Gala and Auction is set for Saturday, March 7, from 5:30-10:00 p.m. at our own Trayser Field. This is our school's largest and most impactful fundraiser of the year. The evening will feature live music with Quelbe Resurrection, silent and live auctions, local food and drinks, and all the beloved traditions plus a few exciting surprises. Here's how you can help support this event:
Donate products, services, gift baskets, hotel or villa stays, airline tickets, etc. to help us build packages for the silent and live auctions. Click here to complete the donation form.
Sign up to volunteer at the event. Please contact Andrea Milam at 340-776-1730 or andreamilam@giffthillschool.org if you're interested in pitching in.
Bid on prizes and packages in our silent auction from the comfort of your own home. We'll be adding items in the coming weeks to our Handbid site.
Attend the event! Tickets are $200 in advance or $250 at the door. Click here to purchase your tickets.
Whatever form your support takes, we are so grateful to all those who make our auction a success every year! Every dollar raised helps support the rigorous, experiential education we offer to about 40% of the island's school-aged children, 65% of whom are able to attend GHS thanks to financial aid.
HELP US BUILD OUR WALL OF WINE!
Our annual Green & White Gala and Auction is coming up on Saturday, March 7. One of the fun features of this event is the Wall of Wine, an incredible prize that's won through a lively game of heads or tails. Each year, we reach out to our community to ask for donations of bottles of wine for this prize. If you're able, please drop your donated bottles to either campus front office. Thanks so much for your support!
GHS Highlights
HAPPY 100 DAYS!
From dressing up as 100-year-olds to counting collections of 100 objects to finishing an ice cream cup in 100 licks, our Lower Campus students celebrated this milestone in the most joyful ways. Students also explored the number 100 through hands-on math activities making for a celebration that blended creativity and critical thinking. Here’s to 100 days of learning, growing, and discovering together, and to all the lessons still ahead!
Sports Central
BASKETBALL GAME THIS WEEK
Our varsity basketball team has one regular season game in the coming week. Everyone is welcome to come out and cheer on our student athletes. Go, Barracudas!
Varsity Basketball
Saturday, February 21, 11:00 a.m. - GHS vs. CAHS at IEKHS
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
BLAKE AND KAREN RAPIER SPACE CAMP SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE TODAY!
The Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands announced the availability of the Blake and Karen Rapier Space Camp Scholarship at the Foundation, with funding provided by local global investment firm, RapierMed.
The scholarship, which covers the cost to attend Space Camp in 2026, will be awarded to deserving U.S. Virgin Islands high school students passionate about space and STEM with a GPA of 3.2 or higher.
Located at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, the Space Camp experience immerses trainees in a setting rich with space, aviation, and defense exhibits that ignite creativity. Participants develop teamwork, leadership, and decision-making abilities through mission simulations, gaining personal and professional skills that shape their futures.
Advanced Space Academy explores college and career preparation through an immersive experience in science, engineering, technology and math.
Aviation Challenge Mach III missions challenge trainees with freedom of control, requiring them to think about maneuvers in all three rotational-axes of flight as they take on the most advanced flight simulations, engineering principles and leadership responsibilities. Field training is focused on discipline and attention to detail in survival situations. A night Field Training Exercise requires teams to work together to recover intelligence or rescue a downed pilot. Communication is paramount as everything is taken to the next level in Mach III.
GHS students Seamus O'Donnell, '26, and Anais Craig, '28, took part in this program in 2025. Seamus highly recommends the experience to any interested students.
"It was a fun experience," he says. "You can experience zero gravity and the moon's gravity, which is 1/6 of Earth's gravity. There are 1:1 models of real space shuttles with all the same buttons and controls, and you have to fly and land the shuttle. I highly recommend it."
The scholarship application process is open through February 20, 2026. Scholarship recipients will be announced in March/April. To apply, visit https://cfvi.co/SpaceCamp.
For more information about this scholarship opportunity, please contact Demi Trimm at demit@cfvi.net or visit https://cfvi.net/Scholarships.
FREE KITE-MAKING ACTIVITY MARCH 1
The Unitarian Universalist Church will host a free kite-making workshop on Sunday, March 1, at 10:00 a.m. at the Gifft Hill School Lower Campus. Participants can paint and personalize their kite with the help of an instructor. A potluck will follow the kite-making activity, then kites will be flown at the Upper Campus at 1:00 p.m. For more information, call Viki at 407-579-2592.
COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY MARCH 6
High schoolers in need of community service hours are invited to help move plants in preparation for the Audubon Society plant sale from the Gifft Hill area to The Marketplace on Friday, March 6, from about 3:30-6:30 p.m. Pick-up and drop-off from GHS or Cruz Bay may be available for those who sign up. Volunteers are rewarded for their work with cookies, pizza, and of course, community service hours. Those who are interested should call Dave at 716-472-6888.
AEROSPACE CAREER EDUCATION ACADEMY NOW ENROLLING
The Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals' Aerospace Career Education Academy, set for June 22-26, is now enrolling. The program is open to students ages 12-18 who are interested in aircraft systems and components and aircraft repair. The cost is $175 per student. See more information and learn how to register below.
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