Spanish Class Skypes With Valle Verde School, Guatemala

Yesterday students in Upper Elementary Level 3 Spanish received a unique opportunity to hold a Skype session with Colegio Valle Verde in Guatemala. Each school presented about their country for approximately ten minutes in their second language. Students showcased native foods, plants, songs and native costumes! The connection to Valle Verde was made through Ms. Engle, Director of Advancement, whose Goddaughter Fabiana Garay, attends the school in Guatemala. With the help of new Spanish teacher Ms. Stephanie Miles, students prepared presentations and were able to ask children of their own age different questions and answers. The highlight of Valle Verde’s presentation was a performance by first and second year students who played two songs on the Marimba, Guatemala’s national instrument declared in 1978. Our sincerest appreciation to Valle Verde coordinators Sra. Ruth Nuñez and Sra. Torene Genovese. VIMSIA looks forward to continuing this new partnerships in years to come.

VIMSIA Archer FIGHTS FOR OLYMPIC TICKET

Karen Gauriloff a junior at Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) is headed to Guatemala to participate in the Guatemala Archery Tournament along with teammate Joshua Derrickson.

After five years of playing around with a bow and arrow, Gauriloff decided to take up archery competitively only one and a half years ago. Under the direction of Anne Abernathy “Grandma Luge”, a luge athlete from the United States Virgin Islands and the oldest female athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics, Gauriloff has trained extensively practicing four hours a day building strength, stamina and working on consistency – a key factor to scoring in archery.

“There are three main parts to the competition” says Gauriloff. “First there is the qualification round, second is Match Play where you must compete against another archer, and lastly the Mixed Team round” which Gauriloff and Derrickson will compete in together. Feeling both excited and nervous, Gauriloff enters the competition setting her goal to score 500 points out of a possible 720 points.

It is an archery tradition for archers to trade pins with their competitors as a sign of good sportsmanship. Thanks to the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, Gauriloff is headed to Gautemala with USVI pins, towels, bags and t-shirts to represent her home. “I’m looking forward to adding to my pin collection, I have twenty so far” added Gauriloff.

If Gauriloff moves on, she may have a chance at representing the US Virgin Islands at the youth Olympics. Currently an eleventh grade student, through hard work and dedication Gauriloff managed to graduate a year early from VIMSIA and will attend Allegheny College, PA this Fall. The VIMSIA community wishes Gauriloff the best of luck!