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Barracuda Bulletin: Week of January 16, 2026
- andreamilam
- Jan 20
- 7 min read
Student Spotlight
Eleventh grader Cleo Kinsella has been part of the GHS community since age 2. She says she likes the small class sizes and that she knows everyone.
“It’s good how the teachers are there for you when you need help,” Cleo says. “They make time for you.”
Eleventh grade advisor Mr. D. says Cleo is an “unquestioned leader” in her class.
“She has her finger on the pulse of what’s going on and she sees to it that what needs to be done gets done,” says Mr. D. “She’s good at making sure everyone’s voices are heard as the class works together to achieve their mutual goals.”
Cleo is the co-president of Class of 2027’s senior trip fundraising efforts, National Honor Society treasurer, and a founding member of our Identity, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion club. Her leadership skills and volunteer work led to her nomination as the GHS recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship award, to be given by the Hebrew Congregation of St. Thomas this evening.
“In IDEA Club, she regularly makes an effort to direct the group’s energy to a common cause,” says IDEA Club co-advisor Ms. V. “She’s doing a really good job at directing her energy toward causes she feels passionate about.”
Cleo says she’s thrilled to be recognized at tonight’s ceremony.
“I’ve always thought Martin Luther King, Jr. was really impressive, so it’s nice to be seen as someone who shares his values,” says Cleo. “It’s nice to be able to represent GHS in a formal setting and show that the school puts out good people, and I happen to be one of them.”
In addition to Cleo’s volunteer work at school, she’s a member of our varsity sailing team. In her free time, Cleo enjoys reading and spending time with her friends.
Upcoming Events
SCHOOL CLOSED FOR MLK DAY JANUARY 19
Gifft Hill School will be closed on Monday, January 19, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. We hope everyone enjoys a fun and restful long weekend!
LOWER CAMPUS BIRTHDAY ASSEMBLY JANUARY 21
We'll celebrate January birthdays at our monthly Lower Campus birthday assembly Wednesday morning, January 21, 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 students with January birthdays are welcome to attend.
PAMPERED CHEF PARTY BENEFITING GHS JANUARY 23
We're excited to announce a Pampered Chef party benefiting Gifft Hill School on Friday, January 23, at 5:00 p.m. at La Vita in Peter Bay. All are welcome to attend. Those who cannot attend in person can email orders to coolheet@aol.com. See flyer below for additional details.
SAT PREP COURSE TO BEGIN JANUARY 26
GHS will offer an SAT course to help students prepare for the SAT test. The class will be on Mondays and Thursdays from January 26 through March 12 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Upper Campus. There is no school February 16 or March 9, so those classes will instead take place February 18 and March 11. The course will cost $100 which includes the latest version of the Kaplan SAT Prep study guide with practice tests. Please sign up early, as the course is open to all St. John high school students and space will be limited. Please click here to sign up.
FARM TO TABLE DINNER JANUARY 30
Join us for our second Farm to Table dinner of the 2025-2026 school year and see why guests call our dinners "the best restaurant on St. John!" This dinner presents Caribbean-inspired cuisine prepared and served by middle and high school students, sourced from our on-campus gardens. Our Farm to Table dinners are run by our students. Enjoy dishes from our culinary class which showcases fresh, seasonal produce grown in our gardens and ethically, sustainably sourced local proteins on the menu. Experience exceptional service from our select group of students. The evening begins with a welcome drink at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 p.m. on our Upper Campus front foyer. Click here to view the menu and purchase tickets today!
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:
Bring a bottle of wine to either campus's front office to help us build our Wall of Wine
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.
GHS Highlights
THANKS FOR HELPING US SCORE OUR SECOND HOOP!
We are thrilled with the community's response to our fundraising campaign to purchase a second basketball hoop for the Lower Campus green top! Just hours after the campaign launched, Low Key Watersports pledged to cover the full $1,000 cost of the hoop, and donors Jimbo & Kelli Rattz of High Tide, Nancy Batten, Nellie Christie, Paige & Preston Cope, Cookie Griffith, and Bryan Barnes pitched in enough to help us cover the hoop's installation and the coaching stipend for our elementary basketball coach. Thank you to everyone who gave to help make recess even more fun and active for our students, while also supporting our young athletes with the guidance and encouragement they need to build teamwork, confidence, and sportsmanship.
REMINDER TO PARENTS: NO UNSUPERVISED CHILDREN ALLOWED ON TRAYSER FIELD
This is a reminder to all GHS parents that students are not allowed to be unsupervised on Trayser Field outside of school hours. We thank everyone for your cooperation!
Sports Central
KUDOS TO OUR SAILORS!
Congratulations to our varsity sailing team, which competed in the first St. John Yacht Club regatta of this season this past weekend! The sailors competed on IC-24s in two teams: Anais Craig, Audie Weaver, Bannon Beaty, and Alejandro Terron Lucero with Matt Gyuraki, and Zach Wilson, Cleo Kinsella, Max Beaty, and Lillian Richardson with Dane Tarr. Our teams rounded the top mark in first and third place more than once, and finished in second and third place in the last race of the day. Zach, Cleo, Max, and Lillian's team took third place overall. Next up, the team will compete this weekend in the St. Thomas Yacht Club's MLK Regatta. Go, 'Cudas!
BASKETBALL GAMES THIS WEEK
Our elementary basketball team has regular season games in the coming week. Best of luck to our varsity boys, who will be playing in the MLK Varsity Basketball tournament at IEKHS this weekend! Everyone is welcome to come out and cheer on our student athletes. Go, Barracudas!
Elementary Basketball
Tuesday, January 20, 5:00 p.m. - GHS vs. Tuitt at McBean
Thursday, January 22, 4:00 p.m. - GHS vs. Bowsky at McBean
SEEKING TRACK AND FIELD PARTICIPANTS
We are seeking Upper Campus students to join our track and field team. Anyone who's interested should please contact francinefrancis@giffthillschool.org.
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
CFVI ANNOUNCES THE AVAILABILITY OF THE BLAKE AND KAREN RAPIER SPACE CAMP SCHOLARSHIP
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 SWIM CLASSES EVERY SATURDAY AT CINNAMON
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park provides free swim lessons to children and adults of all ages every Saturday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Cinnamon Bay to the left of the ruins. Free transportation is available from Cruz Bay departing at 9:00 a.m. and leaving Cinnamon at 11:40 a.m.
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