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Student Spotlight
Ninth grader Tommy Lee Ferrell joined the GHS community last year as an eighth grader. He says he appreciates all the activities and opportunities that Gifft Hill has to offer. Ninth grade class advisor Mr. D. says Tommy is generally quiet and reserved, “but once he opens up, his positivity is infectious and it has a tremendous impact on the class.” “He’s always in a good mood,” Mr. D. says of Tommy Lee. “He helps other people and just generally brightens everyone’s day. He seems genuinely happy to be at school and he’s happy to put in the hard work it takes in order to learn and do well.” Tommy Lee says he particularly enjoyed last year’s minimesters, when he was able to get outdoors to hike and swim. “We went places you wouldn’t normally go,” he says. “We saw different plants and animals, and being in the wild was fun.” Tommy Lee has an interest in art, and says he enjoys creating works that surprise the viewer. He is currently taking our 3D sculpting class. Tommy Lee is on our varsity flag football team, and in his spare time he enjoys going to the beach with friends and playing video games.
Upcoming Events
OCTOBER BIRTHDAY ASSEMBLY WEDNESDAY We'll celebrate October birthdays at our monthly birthday assembly Wednesday morning, October 18, at 8:30 a.m. in the Lower Campus Great Room. Parents and guardians of fifth grade students, who will present at the assembly, are welcome to attend in person, as are parents of students with October birthdays.
FARM TO TABLE DINNER OCTOBER 26
We are excited to present our first Farm to Table dinner of the 2023-2024 school year on Thursday, October 26, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. There are just nine days left to purchase tickets! Our Farm to Table dinners feature fresh, seasonal produce grown in our school gardens and ethically, sustainably sourced proteins. Meals are created by our culinary students and delivered to your table with exceptional service by our front-of-house class students. Click here for more information and to purchase your tickets today.
SCHOOL PICTURE MAKE-UP DAY NOVEMBER 3
School picture make-up day will take place Friday, November 3, at the Upper Campus. Lower Campus students who did not get their picture taken will be transported to the Upper Campus by school personnel. Picture order forms for those who did not get their picture taken are due Wednesday, November 1. Please include exact change for payment. Contact andreamilam@giffthillschool.org with any questions.
GHS Highlights
PARENT CONFERENCE FOLLOW-UP
For parents who were unable to attend our parent conferences on Monday, your child's schedule, combined progress report, and MAP scores were mailed home. Please reach out to your child's teacher or advisor if you have any questions.
COASTAL CLEANUP SUCCESS
Kudos to this crew, who removed 107 pounds of trash from Brown Bay on Thursday! This effort kicks off our Coastweeks cleanups, which will continue over the next few weeks.
TENTH GRADE FUNDRAISING FOR SENIOR TRIP
Our tenth graders launched fundraising efforts for their senior class trip last Friday. They hope to go on a cruise together in 2026 to celebrate their last year of high school. The class will continue food sales with healthier choices on Tuesdays and Thursdays during snack, and sweet treats during home games and some sports practices at our own Trayser Field.
NEW MERCH ALERT!
We got in some new hot pink rash guards and cute GHS totes, available for sale at the Upper Campus. Rash guards are $30 and totes are $10. Buy some merch today and show off your Barracuda pride!
Sports Central
THIS WEEK'S SPORTS REPORT
Congratulations this week goes to:
- Our middle school flag football team who won against All Saints 37 to 6.
- Our girls varsity volleyball team who won against Antilles.
- Our boys varsity volleyball team who won against Charlotte Amalie High School.
Go, Barracudas!
PARENTS OF ATHLETES, TAKE NOTE
There will be no running club on Thursdays as our cross country runners travel to St. Thomas for their weekly meets.
Parents, be sure you are signed up for updates on your child's sport on Class Dojo. Contact francinefrancis@giffthillschool.org for assistance.
SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT A big thank you this week to Aaron Payne, who chaperoned our cross country team to St. Thomas on Thursday.
SPORTS COMPETITION SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED All fall sports are now closed with the exception of running club, which will remain open to new participants for the remainder of the school year. Here's a schedule of games/meets coming up in the next week. Everyone is welcome to come out and cheer on our Barracudas! Middle school flag football Friday, 10/13, 5 p.m. - GHS vs. Antilles at Joseph Aubain Ball Field Wednesday, 10/18, 4 p.m. - GHS vs. JESS at IEKHS Varsity flag football Friday, 10/13, 5 p.m. - GHS vs. IEKHS at Joseph Aubain Ball Field Tuesday, 10/17, 4 p.m. - GHS vs. CAHS at Lionel Roberts Stadium Girls middle school volleyball Tuesday, 10/17, 4 p.m. - GHS vs. JESS at GHS Girls varsity volleyball Monday, 10/16, 4 p.m. - GHS vs. All Saints at Antiles Wednesday, 10/18, 4 p.m. - GHS vs. IEKHS at IEKHS Boys varsity volleyball Monday, 10/16, 5:15 p.m. - GHS vs. All Saints at Antilles Wednesday, 10/18, 5:15 p.m. - GHS vs. IEKHS at IEKHS Cross country Thursday, 10/19, 4 p.m. - elementary 1 mile and middle school/JV 2 mile at UVI golf course
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
ST. JOHN RECOVERY CHOIR REHEARSALS BEGIN OCT. 17
All community members who enjoy singing are invited to join the St. John Recovery Choir.
Rehearsals are on Tuesday evenings beginning Oct. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Gifft Hill School Upper Campus and Saturday mornings from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Hawksnest Beach. New members, experienced or not, are welcome to join.
The Recovery Choir, named in the wake of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, is non-denominational and performs songs from many holiday traditions – Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Solstice.
As always, they will be joined by Ocama Children’s Choir, Love City Pan Dragons, and several St. John church choirs and musical organizations for the Dec. 16 holiday celebration in Franklin Powell Sr. Park, which will culminate with the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah.
All singers receive guide recordings, sheet music, and lyric sheets, and there are also virtual sectional rehearsals on Thursdays on Zoom to help singers focus on their part alone.
For more information or to join the Recovery Choir, go to Sing St. John’s website, https://www.singstjohn.org, and click on the box to register. If needed, the $50 registration fee can waived by checking the waiver box.
For further information, call 340-227-4920 or send an email to info@singstjohn.
OCEAN WEEK BEACH CLEANUPS SET FOR OCT. 21
Residents are invited to participate in several beach cleanups that will take place Oct. 21 in honor of Ocean Week.
- Drunk Bay cleanup hosted by Friends of Virgin Islands National Park. Meet at 9 a.m. in the Salt Pond parking lot.
- Jumbie Beach cleanup hosted by St. John Rotary
- Maho cleanup hosted by Reef2Peak
- Great Cruz Bay cleanup hosted by Cruz Bay Watersports
- Trunk Bay cleanup hosted by 340 Real Estate Co.
- Honeymoon cleanup hosted by Caneel Bay Beach Club
- North and South Haulover cleanup hosted by Lime Out
- Cinnamon Bay cleanup hosted by KATS
- Hawksnest cleanup hosted by Get Trashed
- Hart Bay cleanup hosted by Lila Uzzell
- Cruz Bay Beach cleanup hosted by Low Key Watersports
LEARN TO SWIM RESUMES NOV. 4
Friends of Virgin Islands National Park's Learn to Swim program will resume Saturday, Nov. 4. These lessons are free and open to adults and children ages 4 and above. Lessons take place the first and third Saturday of each month from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Cinnamon Bay Beach to the left of the ruins. Visit www.friendsvinp.org for more information or to register.
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