Bienvenidos to our Spanish Exchange Students

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.

Spanish Immersion Exchange Program

Our students with their host brothers/sisters.

Andy Yu in his new bedroom at his host family’s house.

Zack with the Spanish students at the Boadilla School.

Last week Tuesday six of our 7th & 8th graders left on a jet plane for a six week Spanish Immersion Exchange Program.  Andy Yu, Joaquin Hawkes, Noah Ballas, Zachary Edwards, Nathaniel Levine and Lindsay Barr will be attending classes at another IB school, Boadilla, in Madrid. They will also be living with host families. Ms. Bonnie Barr & Ms. Amy Ballas will be the chaperones during the six weeks.  Ms. Barr will be there for the first three weeks and Ms. Ballas will be there for the final three weeks.  Ms. Barr has reported that the students are settling in and having a great time thus far.  They have already been skiing and have plans to go to amusement parks with their host families.  They will be going on field trips to museums such as El Prado, Reina Sofia & Alcala de Henares with the school.  There are also day trips planned by Ms. Barr to travel to neighboring cities such as Segovia, Toledo & Avila. I will keep you updated weekly on the adventures that our students are having in Spain!  ¡VIVA España! ¡VIVA PGIA!

Noah, Joaquin & Lindsay getting ready for class.

Welcome to SPAIN!

Saskia C., Kaia A., and Ava Jayne P

Our three 7th grade girls were warmly welcomed by their student buddies from Casvi IB School in Madrid, Spain. Our students are taking part in a 5-week Spanish Immersion Program. We can't wait to hear about their wonderful experiences!  Go Spanish!

Spanish Exchange Program with Casvi IB School in Madrid

Saskia C., Ava Jayne P. and, Kaia A.

Congratulations to these three 7th grade girls! They are off to Casvi IB School in Madrid, Spain for a 5-week Spanish immersion exchange program. We wish them safe travels while they represent PGIA in the international IB world. Go Spanish!

The Madrid students will be with us here at VIMSIA in February & March. 

Some Spanish Exchange Students See Snow for the First Time!

Lots of great new experiences for our PGIA students abroad at the Casvi School in Madrid.  One of which, at least for Kira and Aviella, was seeing snow for the first time!

PGIA Exchange Students Visit Spain's Ministry of Education

At the Ministry of education

The center of Villaviciosa de Odon

The Royal Palace

From our chaperone, Ms. Brigitte Bornn ~

Good afternoon, parents.  We had a great excursion today! We were invited to visit for awhile at Spain's Ministry of Education department.  We had a meeting in the legislature with the Ministress herself that was very delightful.  She spoke with our students in Spanish only and our students did very well, asking and answering articulately in Español.  I was so very proud of them! 

Bon Voyage PGIA Students to Madrid!

Last week we bid farewell to the Spanish exchange students that were here at VIMSIA for six weeks, and this week we send off our own PGIA contingent to visit their school in Madrid for six weeks.  

Qué increíble oportunidad !  We are so proud of you all for being IB risk-takers and for paving the way for future PGIA language exchange students!  Felicitaciones - que son increíbles !

PGIA Welcomes Spanish Exchange Students!

Bienvenido to the eleven 7th and 8th grade Spanish exchange students that joined us from Madrid last week.  We are so excited that we have embarked on an exchange program with the Eurocolegio Casvi School just outside of Madrid, Spain.  These 7th and 8th graders will be here at the PGIA for six weeks.  In February, 13 of our PGIA 7th and 8th graders will travel to their school in Madrid for six weeks.   The Madrid students are being hosted by the VIMSIA families whose children will travel in February.   

What an amazing opportunity for these students to improve their foreign language development, immerse themselves in cultural interaction, and make international friends for a lifetime!  As our Head of School often states...

“We don’t live on simply an island, we don’t live in simply the United States - we live in the world, and our students must become conscientious global citizens. ”

— Michael Bornn, VIMSIA Head of School

The weekends for these students and their hosts are filled with great island and Caribbean excursions, we are so proud to show off our island to these friends from Spain.  Thanks to Mr. Williams for putting together this video of their trip to Coral World.  Spanish friends, share this with your friends at home so they can see what you're up to!!