PGIA Students Return from Transformational Trip to Denmark

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“An experience that I'll never forget or take for granted” - Sy Sebastian, Grade 12

Welcome back! Five VIMSIA students have just returned from Denmark, where they had a special opportunity to connect with fellow Danish students and learn about the country’s role in shaping Virgin Islands history.

The exchange centered on understanding, remembering, and learning about Virgin Islands culture and history and the shared, and troubled legacy of Denmark's colonial role in shaping nearly 300 years of Virgin Islands history.

Students who attended the trip are Christine Rowe (grade 11), Dallas Broomes (grade 10), Andy Bornn (grade 10), Miles Broomes (grade 10), and Sy Sebastian (grade 12). 

The students not only developed new understandings of both VI and Danish culture and history, but also of themselves and their own connection to the world and the sense of the other. For a taste of the experience, check out the video collage above!

"My family has roots in the Virgin Islands prior to Transfer Day, so I was already interested in our history with Denmark,” says Andy Bornn. "After this experience, it's more clear than ever how important the past is. But, we also have to focus on the future and pave a path for future generations."

Our partners at Gefion, Kristian and Bertha, and all the participating Danish students greet VIMSIA students at the airport upon arrival in Copenhagen.

After leaving Dyrparkhaven, students took a short tour of the nearby town exploring Danish functional design ideas at work in architecture. Students learned about the famous Danish architect, Arne Jacobsen, and his principles of design. Students then took a walk to the seashore, looking out from the light (also designed by Jacobsen) into the North Sea.

Students spent time with fellow Danish students, as well as scholars, curators, archivists, documentarians, and visual artists, learning about the shared history between the VI and Denmark. The exchange is VIMSIA’s first major study abroad program since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

"This experience provided me with a valuable international view on education, and really gave me something to compare my past and present experiences with,” says Dallas Broomes.

"This trip was really fun and incredibly beneficial. We learned a lot about the history between Denmark and the USVI while also experiencing a different country. Plus, I was able to make some wonderful new friends. I truly enjoyed my time there,” added Christine Rowe.

"The experience that I had in Denmark is one that I'll never forget or take for granted,” says Sy Sebastian. “It provided me with insight into a culture and lifestyle so similar but different from my own. I can't wait for the Danish students to have a similar experience in the VI."

VIMSIA students attended their first day of class at Gefion. Their first class was a visual arts class, and the second, pictured here, is a social science course. Students debated how societies should remember and deal with their colonial legacies through a series of prompts organized by their teacher and our partner at Gefion, Kristian Iversen.

After a morning of intense discussion with documentarian and visual artist Helle Stenum, Gefion and VIMSIA students visited an open air museum north of Copenhagen. There, students explored aspects of traditional Danish rural and peasant life in previous centuries, understanding the conditions that people lived in and the basic aspects of what day to day life would have been like.

After a long morning of deep, thoughtful debate and discussion, VIMSIA students spent a bit of time in Klampenborg, the site of an ancient medieval market, now a destination for modern Danes to take a break from Copenhagen and commune with nature. Students ended the visit to the park with a traditional carriage ride through the wooded trails of the park, seeing different sites.

Ghanian artist Bright Bimpong created four "Freedom" statues in 1998, representing one of the most important moments in Virgin Islands history, the emancipation of the enslaved in 1848. Each island was gifted a statute, and one was sent to Copenhagen in 2017 as part of the Transfer Day celebrations. Students visited the statue in Copenhagen, to learn more about this seminal event, and to pay their respect and honor the sacrifices of Virgin Islanders that came before them, a fought and sacrificed for their rights and freedom as human beings.

High School Students Travel to Denmark to Study Danish and VI Connections

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Sikre Rejser! (Safe travels)

This Saturday VIMSIA students will embark on the second annual VIMSIA-Gefion Danish exchange program, accompanied by Mr. Ott and Mr. Broomes. This will be VIMSIA’s first major travel abroad program since the start of the pandemic.

Gefion Gymnasium, our partner school, is a world-class public high school located in the center of Copenhagen. Our partners at the school, Kristian Iversen and Bertha Rex Coley, are leading scholars on Danish and Virgin Islands history, with major projects in both Denmark and the Virgin Islands dedicated to scholarship and archival work in this field. Gefion and these partners work at the forefront of Danish society as it tries to understand this history and its legacy, and reconcile its troubled colonial past and relationship to the Virgin Islands. They are part of much larger processes underway in Denmark restoring the dignity of all people to its national curriculums, consciousness, and public spaces.

Student travelers, pictured left to right: Christine Rowe (grade 11), Dallas Broomes (grade 10), Andy Bornn (grade 10), Miles Broomes (grade 10), Sy Sebastian (grade 12).

Our students will spend time with fellow Danish students, scholars, curators, archivists, documentarians, and visual artists. They’ll explore the different ways that Danish society is dealing with this troubled past, and its legacy in the present. Additionally, students will explore what contemporary Danish society and life is like—visiting important sites in and around Copenhagen, seeing Hamlet`s castle, and taking a short trip to Malmo, Sweden. Participants will also attend a half day of classes at Gefion with their student hosts to get the authentic experience of Danish high school students.

Later in January, VIMSIA will host our two colleagues and eleven Danish students for ten days here in St. Thomas, exploring similar themes, histories, and stories. This is truly an amazing learning and growth opportunity for all students and participants in this exchange, and we are grateful and excited to resume the program after being shut down for two years due to the pandemic.

Remember, when you come to VIMSIA you get to see the world! Stay tuned for more updates.

Weizmann Travelers Initial Trip Report - November 26th

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After a long day of travel across the Atlantic, we arrived at the Weizmann Institute of Science outside of Tel-Aviv, Israel on Sunday evening. Our first 48 hours have been filled with science, from neurobiology to astronomy and everything in between. We simulated a moon walk and explored the physics of coupled swings, solar cookers, and rainbows at the Clore Garden of Science on our first morning, and then visited a research lab studying the effects of oxytocin and vasopressin on the behavior of mice and mole rats.

We spent the evening with astronomers, peering at the rings of Saturn and our nearest major galaxy, Andromeda, before getting some well-deserved rest. Throughout our second day we took part in several hands-on labs as we investigated the brain’s spatial awareness and ability to register change, experimented with properties of physics, including sound waves, and use liquid nitrogen to alter the state of different objects. We also toured the labs of researchers studying the regeneration of heart tissue and those seeking to understand pediatric cancers - all in one building!

Weizmann Travelers:
Tiffany Connor
Devonte Duncan
Celeste Hodge
Drake Nemeth
Toni Risker
Diego Zakers
and
Ms. Alex Silva

Trip Report: Fall Break Exchange in Denmark

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Fall break marked the beginning of the Gefion - VIMSIA exchange program. The week was intense and had a great impact for everyone involved.   The context and point of the program was historical and cultural explorations and exchange.  Each day was designed to explore not only the colonial history in the Danish West Indies, but more importantly and significantly how Danish society is coming to terms with their colonial history and experience.  This is part of a broader movement within Danish society to reshape their national mythology to include their role in the transatlantic slave trade and colonial exploitation and extraction in the islands. 

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We toured museums with exhibits dealing with this past and paid particular attention to how they were presenting the story to the public.   We toured the city visiting important landmarks that were built with wealth extracted from the slave trade and colonial exploitation of the islands, learning that history is a story that is told not just through books, but the built world around us.  

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We visited statues and works of public art recently commissioned and erected that honor important events such as 1848 emancipation or that honor the memory of important figures in the Virgin Islands such as Queen Mary and the four queens of the Fireburn revolt.  We visited the Royal Archives to see the importance of preservation of the past through historical documents and the limitations of the perspectives of they offer to historians.  Finally, we sat for a screening of the documentary We Carry Within Us, and follow-up discussion with the director about how we restore humanity to the past, about how Danish society is confronting uncomfortable truths of its past so that they can begin to have a more objectively honest view of their past and how individuals and communities can help to heal the living wounds of the past through action and service.  The program was phenomenal not only in terms of what the students were exposed to, what they learned, but also in the relationships and friendships formed.   There will be more to come next week from the student perspectives, stay tuned.

Eight Danish students and two instructors will be coming in January for their part of this years exchange.  We have four families lined up to host students but need an additional 6 families that would  be willing to host them for around 4 to 5 days (we are still finalizing their schedule of activities).   If anyone is interested or have questions please feel free to contact Mr. Ott for additional information.

 

 

 

Fall Break in Denmark

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Four VIMSIA students, Maia Aqui, Chantel Carty, Saskia Connor-Louw, and Mikayla Kurtz traveled to Denmark during fall break as a part of a cultural exchange trip. On Monday, they were greeted at the Copenhagen Airport by Gefion Gymnasium students waving the Danish flag. Its a tradition in Denmark to use their flag, Dannebrog, in celebrations such as birthdays and welcoming travelers!

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End Session Presentations Take Us Around The World!

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PGIA End Session is one of the exceptional programs that sets VIMSIA apart from other schools. Each year, we put together several program options for these last few weeks of school. These are in depth programs that focus on language, the arts, STEM, history and international-mindedness. Some involve international travel, while others provide these experiences here on campus - with special field trips and events.

The students’ experience culminates with a presentation to our school community and this year’s groups did not disappoint:

Ms. DiFrancesco's Third Year Students Visit St. John!

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Ms. DiFrancesco’s third years went to St. John for their end of year trip! They hiked the Cinnamon Bay Trail and swam at Trunk Bay. They saw some Taino artifacts and learned about some of their tools and techniques as well as some plants they used for food and medicine. The Taino were an indigenous people of the Caribbean.

Students enjoy a tour from the St. John National Park Service.

Students enjoy a tour from the St. John National Park Service.

End Sessions off and Running .... or flying - as the case may be.

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This year there are eight End Session programs including London, Iceland/Ireland, Panama, Film Making, Sports, Music and Expression, Computer Science and Trash to Treasures. See all End Session program descriptions for 2019.

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PGIA End Session is one of the exceptional programs that sets VIMSIA apart from other schools. Each year, we put together several program options for these last few weeks of school. These are indepth programs that focus on the arts, science and international-mindedness. Some involve international travel, while others provide these experiences here on campus - with special field trips and events.

VIMSIA Travel Map - pins indicate countries visited for educational travel

VIMSIA Travel Map - pins are places we have traveled for student education

VIMSIA Travel Map - pins are places we have traveled for student education

Bon Voyage London End Session Trip

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“This above all: to thine own self be true. ”
— Hamlet, Act I, Scene III

London Trip is off and running. How nice that they ran into Mrs. Gruber!

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Global Context: Orientation in Space and Time - London End Session

Discover how the shared history of British-American relations translate to our modern relationships throughout the world.

Explore the ancient wonder of Stonehenge, the early Renaissance cultural explosion of Shakespeare’s time, and modern theater and innovation.


Adios to the Spanish Exchange Students

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The Spain kids said goodbye to our school after staying here for 6 weeks. They loved everything from our IB’s welcoming arms, to our rich virgin islands culture, to the beautiful beaches. This year’s exchange was a huge success and there were many friendships made between the two pairs of students. Thank you to our host families for making there stay enjoyable.

Back From the Big Apple

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The 6th grade class have just come back from the annual MMUN trip, full of stories and news. MMUN stands for Model Montessori United Nations, and it is the experience of a lifetime in which our 6th graders go to New York to participate in this amazing event. According to the students, this year was a huge success and everybody had lots of fun. “ My favorite part was meeting new people at the UN and being able to help solve problems that need to be solved. I also really enjoyed doing some fun activities NYC has to offer; skating at Rockefeller, visiting museums; and walking around New York, because New York is an awesome city.” said one sixth grade student.

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"Taste the Nations" from a Student’s Perspective

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“Taste the Nations” preparation begins months before the event. The grades choose a country to represent in a dance- these almost always tie in with end session or some other event that has inspired us during the year. For example, the seventh grade represented Iceland, which is a travel option during end session this year. They then go to work practicing and perfectecting the dance. “For two months, we rehearsed every Tuesday for two hours. As ‘Taste the Nations’ drew closer, we rehearsed a few Thursdays as well.” said a grade seven student. “Not only is there the dance practice, but the writing and rehearsing of the introduction speech.”

It’s a lot of work, but we, the students, recognize the importance of it. Firstly, it is for a grade. Secondly, we care about our school, and so we do our best to represent it. Not only do we care about our school, but the opportunities of the people in it. The money raised from “ Taste the Nations” goes toward end session scholarships- because the end session traveling options cost a lot, the school makes an effort to have all the students travel once throughout their period at school. It is an amazing experience- one every student deserves to try.

8th Grade Students set Sail on a Roseway Adventure

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Photo Credit to Roseway Ship’s Log

Photo Credit to Roseway Ship’s Log

Many thanks to the Gifft Hill School for inviting our students on their latest adventure… James, Paschal, Preston, and Malcolm are spending this week at the World Ocean School aboard the Roseway. They will be visiting St. John, Puerto Rico, and other outlying islands. Feel free to follow along on the Roseway Ship’s Log!

Photo Credit to Roseway Ship’s Log

Photo Credit to Roseway Ship’s Log

Bienvenidos to our Spanish Exchange Students

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8 students from Casvi-Boadilla school in Madrid, Spain arrived on island Wednesday for their six week visit to St. Thomas and the PGIA. They were met on the basketball court by their host families and a myriad of welcome posters! Our six PGIA Spanish Exchange students are now hosting the Casvi student that housed them earlier this year. Lots of smiles and hugs all around. The students were sincerely happy to see each other and the Casvi students are very anxious to “Go to the Beach!” Any families that are part of an excursion related business and would like to volunteer to take these visitors out for some Caribbean adventure - please, let us know! We are actively looking for great (and inexpensive) things for them to do while not in school.