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Barracuda Bulletin: Week of January 30, 2026
- andreamilam
- Feb 2
- 8 min read
Student Spotlight
This is second grader Amaia Peters’ first year at Gifft Hill School. Second grade teacher Ms. Sammy says Amaia is “the biggest helper, so responsible, and always wants to do her best.”
“She’s kind to everyone and has a lot of integrity,” says Ms. Sammy. “Amaia is accountable for herself and her work and will always try to help others.”
Amaia has jumped several reading levels this year and she’s grown a lot in math as well. She advocates for herself by coming to Ms. Sammy whenever she has questions.
Amaia says Ms. Sammy is “really nice.”
“It’s interesting when she teaches me, because I get to learn new things,” says Amaia. “She’s a good and respectful teacher and good at explaining things.”
Amaia enjoys her classmates because they are “funny and kind,” she says.
Spanish is Amaia’s favorite special because she enjoys learning new words and helping her classmates with the language.
“Amaia is a calm presence for her classmates, whether we’re learning or at recess,” Ms. Sammy says. “She’s someone they can rely on to be kind and accepting of everyone, and to always include them.”
In her free time, Amaia says she enjoys reading with her dad, drawing, and doing chores.
Upcoming Events
GHS GIVES BACK DAY FEBRUARY 6
All students and faculty will participate in our annual day of service, GHS Gives Back Day, on Friday, February 6. Students will spread out across the island to volunteer for various causes. Here's a run-down:
Toddlers, preschool, pre-K: will stay on campus to do crafts, sing songs, and visit with the island's senior citizens
Kindergarten: will greet visitors at Cinnamon Bay and educate them about how to be a good St. John steward with posters and songs
First grade: will station themselves at various island grocery stores to collect donations for a food drive in support of Catholic Charities
Second grade: will conduct a beach clean-up at Honeymoon and Salomon beaches and visit with beach-goers to encourage them to be good stewards of the island
Third grade: will stay on campus to package cracked corn for the nonprofit St. John Wildlife Rehabilitation
Fourth grade: will conduct a walkathon at the Cruz Bay ball field to raise funds for the St. John Cancer Fund
Fifth grade: will refresh the look of the Adrian senior center
Upper Campus students will give back in mixed-age groups. Here's a list of our Upper Campus service projects:
Leinster Bay trail maintenance with the Friends of VINP
Brown Bay trail and beach cleanup with the Friends of VINP
Princess Bay mangrove cleanup with kayaks donated by V.I. Ecotours
Bake sale benefitting the Love City Pan Dragons in the Frank Powell Park
Preparing meals for the Catholic Charities hot meal program
Washing cars at St. John Rescue to benefit Rescue
Lionfish removal with CORE
Coral restoration and nursery work with CORE
Refreshing a mural by the barge dock with V.I. Waste Management Authority
Cleaning up trash along the Cruz Bay waterfront and in town
Please come out to support the various fundraisers and drives, or simply cheer on our students if you see them out and about on Friday!
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.
PARENTS NIGHT OUT FEBRUARY 12
National Honor Society will host the next Parents Night Out on Thursday, February 12, from 5:00-8:00 p.m. Parents of students in kindergarten through fifth grade are invited to register your child for a fun night of play, pizza, and a movie. Spots are limited so be sure to register soon: https://forms.gle/tnGj3AjJVKQ2MeZ49
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
THANK YOU, ST. JOHN YACHT CLUB!
We'd like to say a big thank you to St. John Yacht Club and Commodore Mike Bertolino for their generous donation to our youth sailing program this week.
"We're here to support youth sailing on St. John," says Mike. "We're 100% behind GHS Sailing Coach Sam Normington and everything he's doing."
Now in its second year in existence, GHS's sailing program, consisting of a club and junior varsity and varsity sailing teams, are open to all St. John youth, regardless of whether they attend Gifft Hill School. Our teams have grown over the last year and a half, making numerous appearances in the local regatta scene.
Thank you, St. John Yacht Club, for supporting youth sailing on St. John!
FARM TO TABLE DINNER TONIGHT
Our students were hard at work today creating delicious Caribbean fusion flavors and a beautiful venue for our Farm to Table dinner guests this evening! If you didn't get your tickets in time for tonight's even, don't worry: our third and final Farm to Table dinner of the school year is set for March 19.
Sports Central
BASKETBALL GAMES THIS WEEK
Our elementary and varsity basketball teams have regular season games in the coming week. Home games are denoted with an asterisk. Everyone is welcome to come out and cheer on our student athletes. Go, Barracudas!
Elementary Basketball
Tuesday, February 3, 5:00 p.m. - GHS vs. Muller at McBean
*Wednesday, February 4, 4:00 p.m. - GHS vs. Bowsky at Pine Peace
Thursday, February 5, 4:00 p.m. - GHS vs. Gomez at McBean
Varsity Basketball
Friday, January 30, 4:00 p.m. - GHS vs. VIMSPGIA at IEKHS
*Monday, February 2, 5:00 p.m. - GHS vs. CAHS at Pine Peace
*Thursday, February 5, 5:00 p.m. - GHS vs. Antilles at Pine Peace
WINTER/THIRD TRIMESTER SPORTS NOW ENROLLING; REGISTRATION AND FEE DUE FEBRUARY 6
We are seeking student athletes for our winter season and third trimester coed teams. The season will run from February 23-May 8. Registration and dues of $100 per trimester must be turned in no later than February 6. Running club fee is $15 per session. Please contact francinefrancis@giffthillschool.org for the necessary forms or with any questions or concerns.
Soccer
Our coed elementary (grades 3-5), middle, and varsity soccer teams will practice on Mondays and Fridays from 3:30-5:00 p.m. (elementary) and 5:00-6:15 p.m. (middle and varsity) at Trayser Field beginning January 26. Water bottle and sneakers are needed.
Elementary Volleyball
Our coed elementary volleyball team for students in grades 3-5 will practice on Mondays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at Trayser Field. A water bottle, sneakers, and knee pads are needed.
Running Club
Running club is open to all students in grades 1-12. Third trimester practices begin March 13 and practices are on Fridays from 3:15-4:30 p.m. at Trayser Field and various locations. A water bottle and sneakers are needed.
Junior Varsity Sailing
Our junior varsity sailing team is open to all students in grades 6-12. Third trimester practices begin March 10 and take place on Tuesdays from 3:00-6:30 p.m. at KATS, with an optional practice on Mondays from 3:00-6:30 p.m. at Upper Campus classroom 9B. A water bottle and sneakers are needed.
Varsity Sailing
Varsity sailing is open to all students in grades 9-12. Third trimester practices begin March 10 and take place Mondays from 3:30-5:30 p.m. at Upper Campus classroom 9B and Thursdays from 3:30-6:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at KATS. A water bottle and sneakers are needed.
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
VALENTINE'S DAY SIP & PAINT FEBRUARY 15
Island Time Studio and the Virgin Islands Council on the Arts will present a Valentine's Day sip & paint for children ages 5 to 13 on February 15 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at VICA on St. Thomas. Advanced registration is required. Sign up here: https://vicouncilonarts.us12.list-manage.com/track/click?u=5bbaad5dd264d5af8c931d0a7&id=48122a5f14&e=0fa9c7ed48
BLAKE AND KAREN RAPIER SPACE CAMP SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION DEADLINE FEBRUARY 20
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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