VIMSIA update from the Head of School
/Good day, VIMSIA Families.
Given the present COVID-19 status in St Thomas and the Territory, VIMSIA continues with our plan to reopen on August 18th as an on-campus school. The decision to open our campus or not in these times of COVID-19 is largely influenced by local conditions. Safety is our first priority, yet the detrimental education and emotional long-term impact on students and families are also of concern. We will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly. Our COVID-19 safety and operational plan remains available on our website.
Re-opening updates
Testing will be required of all staff and students ages 3+ before returning to campus (whether you traveled this summer or not.) Staff antibody testing will be conducted on August 7th. Student testing will be available on campus on August 12th, 13th, or 14th. Times are TBD - costs should be covered via your health insurance; uninsured will need to pay out of pocket. The antibody test involves blood being drawn with same-day results. VIMSIA will only be accepting test results from providers in the Virgin Islands. PCR swab tests can also be conducted. One can utilize your healthcare provider or the service provided by VIMSIA at school.
Thermal screenings will be conducted daily on campus by staff. A person with 100.4 temperatures will be sent home. An additional temperature screening procedure to be conducted by parents at home before leaving for school is being pursued.
Social distancing will be practiced throughout campus.
Washing hands frequently will be institutionalized. Twelve new hand-washing stations have been installed around campus in addition to existing bathrooms. Handless water faucets have been and are being installed on all faucets.
Water bottle filling stations are replacing water fountains. Each student is to bring his or her own-labeled water bottle.
Facemasks are to be worn by all staff and students when not practicing social distancing. LaCasa and Primary students will be taught the procedures of facemasks usage, but we do not anticipate their full compliance all day. Face shields are optional for staff and students.
ACs and fans will operate with windows open. Regular cleaning of AC units has been instituted.
Sanitization: Classrooms will be disinfected on a regular basis with CDC approved products. Our maintenance/cleaning staff will continue to do their routine cleaning and a third party vendor will disinfect daily.
Nine new outdoor learning areas have been created with shade and waterproof covering to facilitate social distancing.
Five new enclosed classrooms have been created.
Class sizes have been cut in half. Small Pods of students have been created to restrict interaction between students.
An area designated for students that show signs of illness has been established and procedures established to have them sent home immediately.
No after school activities, study hall, or BEC for the fall semester. Campus will be physically closed to students at 3:30 pm.
Our Covid-19 task force has met and will continue to review and to update our protocols. Members are Atty. Greg Ferguson, Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin PLLC, Mr. Kevin Likens, Baker Magras, Dr. Brad Kappel, Caribbean Chiropractic Center, Dr. Brendan Anzalone Chief Medical Officer AeroMD and Michael Bornn.
Staggered start to the school year
Montessori: To facilitate safe and timely arrival procedures, all Montessori families must enter campus through the lower main parking lot, starting at 7:30 am. Montessori families may not enter school through the upper parking lot. Thank you for your understanding.
All parents wait in cars while temperatures are taken. Primary and Elementary groups for the first two days will be determined during staff week and parents will be notified on August 11th.
The purpose of these staggered start days is to help transition the students in smaller groups to the new procedures and protocols that will be happening on campus.
The staggered start times each day will continue daily. Please be respectful of the time slots for drop off, siblings will be invited to join at the time their oldest child arrives. This will help disperse the number of children.
Tuesday, August 18
7:45 -8:00 Elementary - Group A full day
8:00 -8:15 Primary - half of the class for a full day
8:15-8:30 La Casa - returning students only, staggered start dates for new students will be as notified by teachers
Wednesday, August 19
7:45 -8:00 Elementary - Group B full day
8:00 -8:15 Primary - half of the class for a full day
8:15-8:30 La Casa - returning students only, staggered start dates for new students will be as notified by teachers
Thursday, August 20
La Casa will continue staggered starts for new students
Primary and Elementary will be fully present
PGIA: To facilitate safe and timely arrival procedures, all PGIA families must enter campus through the upper PGIA parking lot, starting at 7:30 am. PGIA families may not enter school through the main parking lot. Thank you for your understanding. Temperatures will be taken upon arrival at the car.
PGIA Staggered Start Dates:
Tuesday, August 18th - Grades 11 & 12 will attend
Wednesday, August 19th - Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12 will attend
Thursday, August 20th - Grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 will attend
Friday, August 21st and forward - all Grades 7-12 will attend
The PGIA school day runs from 8 am - 3:15 pm
Other news
Curriculum expansion: Spanish classes have been expanded in the Montessori program. Music classes have been added for Montessori students. A learning specialist has been added to the staff to assist Kelly Butler with her duties. Chemistry, Physics, and Information Technology in a Global Society are now offered within the DP curriculum. Online courses through the IB and other sources will be added this year to expand course offerings in the PGIA.
VIMSIA is also prepared to provide distance learning classes and education in the event the COVID-19 scenario requires such. Teachers have taken numerous PD courses and webinars over the summer to improve distance-learning skills.
This summer VIMSIA has greatly explored and invested in live streaming education. The systems we are developing are based on university methods modified for k-12 schools. Incorporating these strategies and technologies is a process that we are committed to beyond the current crisis. While live streaming will be an addition to our school in the future, VIMSIA will be an on-campus school for the Fall 2020 semester. PGIA students who cannot be on campus for certain periods of time will be supported in their education by teacher office hour sessions, managebac, and email. Please reach out to us if you feel you are in need of special assistance for the Fall semester.
Bus service will be provided by the Dept. of Education once public schools open. ONLY STUDENTS THAT HAVE NO OTHER OPTION FOR TRANSPORTATION SHOULD REGISTER FOR BUS TRANSPORT. Online registration is required through the Department of Education and due by July 31.
Ferry service from St. John continues to be worked on. The Department of Education has announced their reopening date as September 8th. We do not anticipate the morning ferry for students running until then. There has been no confirmation of an afternoon student’s only ferry. I will convene a St. John parent zoom call next week to finalize alternatives. Presently there are two alternatives: Private vans on the car barge in the morning and the afternoon or the passenger ferry each way.
Yours in Education,
Michael Bornn