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Welcome Back!
Dear Gifft Hill Families and Friends,
Welcome to the first edition of the Barracuda Bulletin for the 2024-2025 school year. This newsletter, sent weekly to our families, is where you’ll find highlights from the week along with information about upcoming events.
As your children streamed into our campuses this week and greeted one another with smiles, hugs, and fist bumps, I was heartened to see the inclusive spirit of our community in practice. Returning students were living examples of that spirit as they showed our new students, through kindness and genuine support, that everyone belongs.
With our 45th anniversary behind us, we now look ahead to the next 45 years and beyond. Our commitment to our founders’ vision of a community school remains unwavering, even as we continue to evolve and respond to the changing world around us. As we explore the ways we can continue to best meet the needs of our diverse student body, we remain rooted in our dedication to offering our island community an inclusive, experiential education that sees each child as an individual and inspires each to excel.
As we kick off another school year with hope, promise, and determination, we are excited to partner with you and your family to inspire in your children a passion for creating a community that upholds kindness, respect, and empathy. If the grace and warmth displayed by our students on their first day is any indication, I’d say we’re off to a great start.
Warmly,
Ms. Liz
Upcoming Events
UPPER CAMPUS CLUBS/ACADEMIC SUPPORT TO BEGIN SEPT. 9
Clubs and academic support at the Upper Campus will begin September 9. There is no cost for academic support, which is open to any Upper Campus student who feels they could benefit from this opportunity, and sign-ups are not required for academic support or after-school clubs. Students should wait in the atrium for their club/academic support to begin (as close to 3:15 p.m. as possible). Clubs and academic support will conclude at 4:25 p.m. for a 4:30 p.m. parent pickup. There are no clubs or academic support on Tuesdays or Fridays. The schedule is as follows:
Mondays
Math academic support with Ms. V.
English academic support with Ms. Emma
Archery club with Mr. D.: Come out and hone your archery skills with both compound and recurve bows. We will work on various techniques as well as the focus and mindfulness essential to effective and consistent performance. Be sure to sign up early as we're going to cap the number of students at 10 to ensure student safety. Students need to sign up in the office by Monday at lunch, first come first served.
Wednesdays
Math academic support with Ms. Leah
English academic support with Ms. Banen
STEAM club with Ms. Amelie:
In this student-driven club, students are invited to investigate and explore their STEAM interests under the guidance of Ms. Amelie. From robotics and tessellations to kinetic sculptures and dominoes, students will decide which areas of science, technology, engineering, math, and art they’d like to delve into.
Thursdays
Math academic support with Mr. Bill
English academic support with Ms. Janet
Cooking club with Chef Parris: Unleash your culinary creativity with our "Mini Eats on Wheels" after-school program! This exciting course lets participants explore the vibrant world of food trucks while learning to create and deliver delicious small eats. Perfect for budding chefs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and food enthusiasts, this program combines hands-on cooking and teamwork.
AUGUST & SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY ASSEMBLY SEPT. 11
We'll celebrate August and September birthdays at our monthly Lower Campus birthday assembly Wednesday morning, September 11, 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 fourth grade students, who will present at the assembly, are welcome to attend in person, as are parents of students with August and September birthdays.
UPPER CAMPUS PARENT MEETING SEPT. 12
Upper Campus parents are invited to a parent meeting on Thursday, September 12, at 5:00 p.m. at the Upper Campus atrium. This meeting, which will introduce parents to the ParentPlus app, where you can find real-time information about your child's grades, is especially important for parents of sixth graders and students who are new to GHS this year. Parents should bring the phone they plan to use to access this app so that school administrators can walk you through the system. If you have questions about the meeting or you're unable to attend, please contact Upper Campus Principal Ms. McGuire at heathermcguire@giffthillschool.org.
LOWER CAMPUS CLUBS TO BEGIN SEPT. 16
Lower Campus students came home this week with a sign-up form for after school clubs. Club fees are $15 a day and clubs run from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sign-up forms are due September 11 and space is limited. At this time, we are not able to offer after-care from 4:30 to 5:00 p.m. but we will continue to work toward making this available for our families. We will update if anything changes. There are no after-school clubs on Tuesdays. Sign-ups happened fast and many clubs are now full! Here are the clubs with spots still remaining:
Mondays
Mixed Sports with Ms. Kissa for K-2 graders: Students will experience play through various sporting activities.
Academic support and Brain Games with Ms. Christina for 3-5 graders: This club will offer academic support for students needing extra help in reading and math.
Wednesdays
Academic support and Brain Games with Ms. Melisa for K-2 graders: This club will offer academic support for students needing extra help in reading and math.
Academic support and Brain Games with Ms. Laura for 3-5 graders: This club will offer academic support for students needing extra help in reading and math.
Thursdays
Author/Illustrators Workshop with Ms. Lenny for K-2 grades: This club will offer the chance for students to be authors and illustrators.
Diamond Painting with Ms. Jessica for 3-5 graders: Students will create art using the diamond painting method. This club is limited to 10 students.
GHS Highlights
FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL SUCCESS!
Thank you to our hardworking faculty, our supportive parents, and our eager students for a great first week of school!
UNIFORMS & DROP-OFF/PICK-UP REMINDERS
Thanks to our parents and students for your efforts to adhere to our drop-off/pick-up procedures and to our uniform policy! Here are some reminders to help us all have a great school year:
The GHS uniform consists of a collared, solid color, polo shirt embroidered with the school’s seal on the left side of the shirt. The bottom half of the uniform consists of khaki (tan in color, regardless of style) or black pants, shorts, and skirts. Uniform bottoms should meet a professional standard for length and fit similar to what is appropriate for the workplace or church. Clothing should be free from rips, tears, or holes and worn such that undergarments are not visible. Outerwear, such as sweatshirts, must be a solid color and must display the Gifft Hill School logo. No other logos may be visible.
At the Lower Campus, our morning arrival window for grades kindergarten through 5 is from 8:00-8:15 a.m. Parents/guardians should follow the prescribed traffic flow (heading south on Gifft Hill Road) and pull into the “kiss and ride” lane. Due to limited parking, we ask that no one park in the school lot during the drop-off window unless they have an appointment. Please do not make a u-turn in front of the Lower Campus and please do not arrive to drop off your child until 8:00 a.m. The afternoon pick-up window is from 3:00-3:15 p.m. Please continue to follow the prescribed traffic flow (heading south on Gifft Hill Road) and pull over into the “kiss and ride” lane to collect your child. Please do not arrive to pick up your child before 3:00 p.m. The ELC pick-up window is from 3:15-3:30 p.m., which provides our youngest students a little more time to transition from naps to the pickup line and gives our staff more time to help students buckle into car seats without holding up the rest of the line.
At the Upper Campus, our morning arrival time is 7:55 to 8:10 a.m. to allow students to settle into their first period class, which starts promptly at 8:15 a.m. Students are dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Please note that students have been asked not to walk through the parking lot or traffic circle, so parents should follow the line of cars around the roundabout (clockwise) and plan to pick up their child at the bottom of the entrance steps.
Sports Central
FALL SPORTS HAVE BEGUN!
Practices for fall sports kicked off this week but it's not too late to join. Below are our offerings and practice schedules. Please contact francinefrancis@giffthillschool.org with any questions.
Cross Country (3rd-12th): Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Running Club (3rd-12th): Tuesdays only, 3:15 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Varsity Flag Football: Mondays and Fridays, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Wednesdays, 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Middle School Flag Football: Mondays and Fridays, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Varsity Volleyball: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.; Wednesday to be added at Cruz Bay court
Middle School Volleyball: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
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 RESCUE CAR WASH SET FOR SUNDAY
St. John Rescue will host a car wash and bake sale fundraiser this Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the St. John Rescue building on Gifft Hill.
VINP PUBLIC MEETING WEDNESDAY
Virgin Islands National Park will host a public meeting on Wednesday, September 11, from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. at the new Resource Management and Science building conference room at Lind Point. Information about the park's fee program will be shared at the meeting. A shuttle will be provided from the Cruz Bay Visitor Center at 5:30 p.m., departing Lind Point at 6:45 p.m.
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