Montessori Work At Its Beautiful Best

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I just had to share these images with our friends and families.  I wish you could have heard their conversation as the girls were talking about their work.

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Aaliyah is working with the metal insets.  Tracing the rectangle requires focus and concentration and helps to prepare her hand for writing by strengthening her finger muscles.  Anisley's hammering improves gross motor coordination, concentration and hand eye coordination.  The two girls working together in the class's courtyard area is conducive to collaboration and sharing. - Peace Education.

“The essential thing is to arouse such an interest that it engages the child’s whole personality.”
— Dr. Maria Montessori

First Day "Eclipses" All Expectations!

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There was a buzz of energy surrounding campus on our first day of school - and not just from the excitement of being back!  Our PGIA students were all hyped up for their field trip to UVI, and those of us still on campus spent the afternoon gawking upward with our jaws dropped.  Experiencing the solar eclipse at VIMSIA and UVI was simply awesome!  We had so much help and support from UVI and Dr. David Morris.  We thank them so much for being instrumental in the great science that abounded yesterday surrounding the solar eclipse.

Photo of the eclipse taken at UVI field by PGIA 8th grade student Vidhika .

Photo of the eclipse taken at UVI field by PGIA 8th grade student Vidhika .

Our PGIA students all took a field trip to UVI to participate in the solar eclipse educational outreach presented by UVI.  The Upper Elementary students hit the soccer field with eclipse glasses provided by UVI and pinhole cameras that they made in class.  Lower Elementary student groups took turns poking out from under the solar awning to experience the image through their solar glasses.

This from Upper Elementary Teacher, Ms. Morrison to UVI's Dr. Morris:

WOW ! Wow! Wow!   Thank you, Dr. Morris,  that was just amazing!  We had the opportunity to have all of our 9 to 12 yr olds, most of the 6 to 9 yrs olds view with teacher's assistance and most of the school administration each took a gander skyward.  We also had many parents, as they arrived to pick up their children, take a look and even a few little ones under their parent's supervision.  I had to laugh at the number of folks who, when initially offered the glasses, said "ah no, its no big deal"  yet when encouraged, exclaimed how incredible it was.  For a point of reference our pick-up time is between 3:25 and roughly 3:45 so prime shock and awe window.   

Sooo.... saying thanks really doesn't seem to express how grateful we are to you for the glasses. Really!

Sincerely, Ms. Morrison

Look closely at the images of light on the sidewalk.  The trees over the sidewalk have created a "pinhole" camera to reflect the eclipsed sun on the path.  These were taken at about 3:35, so very near the maximum coverage that we experienced here in St. Thomas.

Experience Our End Session Presentations

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We at VIMSIA recently celebrated another wonderful series of End Sessions with your students. We invite you to our virtual End Session Presentations by reading and viewing below!

BOUNDARY WATERS

What an amazing trip it was to the north country. From May 22nd until June 2nd 2017 a group of 8 students and 2 adults from the Peter Gruber International Academy's End Session program left the Caribbean island of St. Thomas on a 12 day adventure to experience the history, culture and environment of the Upper Midwest and boreal forest of the BWCAW (Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area). Students got a full taste of the region while experiencing Valleyfair, Lake Superior, Split Rock Lighthouse, North House Folk School, Grand Portage National Monument, the Boundary Waters Wilderness and a bit of consumerism at the Mall of America. Ms. Butler and I are so proud of each one of the students. Each of them met and overcame challenges as they traveled, camped, portaged, canoed, fished and experienced and entirely new environment. Well done!

DIY- Do It Yourself!

Throughout the DIY end session, the students made many items ranging from small decorative art pieces to large pieces of furniture.  The students used simple hand tools as well power tools for their wood projects. They completed projects for both their own use, as well as items that they provided for use around campus.

View our slideshow here!

VI HIKING AND HISTORY

Ms. Montgomery and I thoroughly enjoyed the three weeks we spent travelling with students to various historic locations and beautiful hiking destinations. As residents of the Virgin Islands, it is easy to get caught up in our lives and forget how amazing this place is! 

Ms. Monti and I are both island girls, but even though we grew up here, we found ourselves learning new things about our history and unique ecology on every trip we took! 

I look forward to creating more end sessions that teach students about our world while exploring our fabulous back yard!

You can view our presentation here.

~Melissa Bump

NASA AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

Our time at NASA was great. We watched an IMAX movie about Mars, sat in on the opening ceremony of the robotic mining competition where we heard from the NASA Director and former astronaut, walked through the space shuttle garden, and saw Atlantis. We also met a current astronaut, saw inside Kennedy, and took part in a shuttle simulation which definitely tested one's love of turbulence and sense of balance. We attended a college fair, talked with some robotic teams, and saw one team's robot have a very successful run in the competition.

We arrived in Orlando and hit the Mall of Americas for food and shopping. We then spent three hours at the Sky Zone for glow night. Everyone had a wonderful time at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. We visited Hogwarts, took risks and rode rides that were way outside of our comfort zones. As we were leaving the park, we were treated to a water show and fireworks. Lots and lots of walking but so worth it to hear the screams and laughter!

Thank you for sending your children on this adventure with me.

ECUADOR AND GALAPAGOS

The main focus of this End Session was to provide students with an in-the-field experience of the natural history of the Galapagos Islands. Students had the opportunity to observe and reflect on the formation of oceanic islands through volcanic activity, as well as the unique biodiversity of the Galapagos through the process of adaptive evolution.  Prior to our 8-day guided trip in the Galapagos we spent two days in Quito and the surrounding area, where students were given the opportunity to explore the city and hike the world's second highest active volcano, Cotopaxi.

MAURITIUS

The focus of this End Session was to explore the unique island of Mauritius, off the east coast of Africa. This African nation has a diverse history of British, French, Portuguese, Indian and Asian roots.  This was a travel End Session that included experiencing the cultural offerings of the island, from “Surviving Forest” to a sacred Hindu temple to the ancient slave ruins of Le Morne Mountain to the city capital of Port-Louis.  Our premiere destination was Le Bocage IB International School where Mr. David Jenkins is Head of School!  Our students stayed with local host families and attend a few days of classes at Le Bocage.  The other days were filled with excursions all over the island and biodiversity research with Ms. Courtney Jenkins within the extensive natural environment of Mauritius.

Please view our end presentation here!

VIRTUAL TOUR OF JAPAN

Our Virtual Tour of Japan explored many topics. Students learned different Japanese crafts, cooked various dishes, and learned about the social, political, and environmental issues occurring in Japan right now.

We'd love for you to watch our full final presentation here!

Congratulations to everyone on another successful and exciting round of End Sessions!

Congratulations to our New Middle Years Students!

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VIMSIA is one of only 238 schools in the world that offer both the Middle Years and Diploma Programmes through the International Baccalaureate Organization. As such, it is quite an honor to annually advance our 6th year Montessori students into the Middle Years Programme.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an international program for students aged 11 or 12 – 16 to develop the knowledge, understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to participate actively and responsibly in a changing world. The Middle Years program emphasizes the importance of a balanced curriculum and encourages authentic assessment, long-range tasks, and interdisciplinary units. Teachers develop units of study that focus on a unit question and can be applied across disciplines.

We marked this distinctive occasion with an enthusiastic ceremony in our Amphitheater. Ms. Kathy Schlesinger, our talented librarian was our keynote speaker, urging our graduates to “Read Irresponsibly.” Student graduate speakers Natalia F. and Destiny D. reflected on years of triumphs and trials. On behalf of their respective classes, they expressed heartfelt gratitude for their Montessori teachers, Mrs. McGonigal and Ms. Morrison, who in turn spoke of their pride for their students’ achievements.

Mr. Bornn, our fearless leader, and Ms. Bolinger, our mistress of ceremonies, then presented hard-earned diplomas to this year’s graduates. Delighted parents scooted to the front aisle to capture the prized exchange, and Mr. Elger enthusiastically welcomed the new 7th year students to the second half of their education at VIMSIA. Although there is always some sadness in seeing our children move up from the Montessori School, we take pride in the fact that it is the years of Montessori education that prepared them for all the wonderful challenges to come in MYP. We can't wait to see their accomplishments which are to come!

Sincere congratulations to all of our 2017 6th year graduates:

Saiid A.
Noah B.
Lindsay B.
Gabriella B.
Paschal B.
Nyala B.
Gabriel C.
Ronan D.
Destiny D.
Natalia F.
Christopher G.
Eli H.
Gabriel H.
Layla H.
Annabelle H.
Kai L.
Fairley M.
Ayele M.
Alexander P.
Lennon R.
Sy S.
Maia T.
James W.
Malcolm W.

MMUN Day 2!

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This message just in from Ms. Schlesinger and Ms. Morrison:

Wednesday was our day for sight seeing. We split into groups to explore different parts of New York City, including Top of the Rock, The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, Ripley’s Believe It or Not, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York Public Library...The kids are loving popping into stores such as Lego, NBA, Forever 21, Barnes and Noble, Whole Foods. We’ve sampled world famous pizza and cheesecakes. Wednesday night as the kids were putting finishing touches on their poster displays, one said “I can’t believe we just got here last night!”

Today/ Thursday was the first day of conferences. Everyone was a little nervous in the morning, but by lunch feeling a lot more confident about the MMUN committee process.

Tomorrow we are supposed to get snow!!!!

Bon Voyage! MMUN Students on their Way!

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Montessori Model United Nations trip is underway with 17 of our sixth year students.  This is our 10th year attending this amazing conference in New York City.  This year our students are representing the nations of Fiji, Finland, Portugal, Morocco, and Pakistan. The students research actual UN topics as if they were speaking from their represented country.  They spend all year doing their research and writing the papers and referendums required as UN ambassadors.  There will be thousands of Montessori students from around the country (and the world) at the conference. We have had several of our students over the years that have actually been chosen to speak on the floor of the UN General Assembly.  So exciting for these young students!  

Arrived safe and sound!  Ready to start their adventure.

Arrived safe and sound!  Ready to start their adventure.

Go Teon!

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Congratulations Teon Persaud for having the highest GPA (4.15) on the VIMSIA varsity basketball team.  This past Tuesday, he was recognized by the USVI Department of Education for his outstanding academic success.  Teon is executing the task of representing VIMSIA in a positive way in our island community.  Continue your success Teon, your VIMSIA family is proud of you. Let's show our love for Teon and the VIMSIA varsity basketball team by cheering them on during the MLK Basketball tournament this weekend. Their first game is against St. Croix Central High School Friday night at 9 pm at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School.  Click here to read in the VI Consortium. 

Click here for more information on the VI Consortium. 

 

 

 

Spanish Exchange Program with Casvi IB School in Madrid

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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. 

Design Class Cardboard Boat Races!

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Dr. Staples' 10th grade design class has been working on designing and building cardboard boats this year.  Each group was tasked with designing and building a boat out of 4 cardboard Home Depot boxes and tape.  

Today was race day at Secret Harbor.  Our PGIA students kept the tourists well-entertained this afternoon.   Big thanks to John Phillips at West Indies Wind Surfing for lending us the kayak paddles.  

We will let the videos tell the story.  Suffice it to say - learning can be fun!

The PGIA's 10th grade design class was given an assignment to build a boat out of cardboard and a few other specific items. The project culminated in this boat race held at Secret Harbor. Great project! Kudos Dr. Staples.

DP Dancers - Workshop on the Royal Caribbean with Cast of Mama Mia!

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Ms. Helen Sidiropoulos and he DP Dancers partook in an educational tour & dance workshop with the cast of Mama Mia on the Royal Caribbean Allure Cruise Ship. Our students learned part of the original choreography of the finale piece of Mama Mia and performed it on the Amber Stage on the Allure Ship this past Wednesday. This was all made possible by Harbour Pilot Captain John Amaro & the production staff of the Allure Cruise Ship. It was truly an unforgettable experience and our students were very inspired and grateful to have the opportunity to perform with professional dancers!

BrisaMax Scholarship Winners!

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Gloria Zakers-Director of PGIA, Michael Bornn- Head of School, Jamil Kareem- 9th grader, Eisa Jamil- Parent, Karl Dinang-10th grader, Annette Dinang -parent, and Bill Perkins, CEO of BrisaMax Holdings.

Gloria Zakers-Director of PGIA, Michael Bornn- Head of School, Jamil Kareem- 9th grader, Eisa Jamil- Parent, Karl Dinang-10th grader, Annette Dinang -parent, and Bill Perkins, CEO of BrisaMax Holdings.

BrisaMax Holdings has awarded two scholarship recipients to enter the International Baccalaureate Program at Peter Gruber International Academy in St. Thomas.  Recipient winners Karl Dinang, 10th grader, from Charlotte Amalie High School and Kareem Jamil 9th grader, from Memorial Moravian School, will be starting the new 2016-17 school year at Peter Gruber International Academy. 

Michael Bornn, VIMSIA Head of School stated, “We are very excited to welcome these new students to campus.  We are sure that it will be a positive experience for them and our current students. The International Baccalaureate experience will expand the opportunities for both students.”

The recipients were selected based on their academic merits, strong character, and financial need. According to Gloria Zakers, Director of the IB program, "To know the value of education in a world that values most things material, is both pro-active and wise.  I am honored to have these two young men join our family at the PGIA and continue their journey of being lifelong learners.  Thank you so much to Bill Perkins and BrisaMax for valuing education so highly, and believing in us to be the school to deliver on this promise.  Here's to creating a world of caring, responsible global citizens." 

In order to receive and maintain a BrisaMax Holdings scholarship students must remain in good academic standing, uphold themselves with high character, ethical behavior, and positively represent themselves, their school and their community.

Bill Perkins, CEO of BrisaMax Holdings, believes that education is crucial to the future of the Virgin Islands and will continue to offer scholarships as a contribution.  BrisaMax Holdings congratulates the scholarship recipients on their accomplishments and encourages them to continue to excel in their pursuit of being a lifelong learner with a growth mindset.   

IB Diploma Program Results from May 2016 Session

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Graduating Class of 2016.  Photo by scott williams.

Graduating Class of 2016.  Photo by scott williams.

We are an "IB for All" school, meaning that all students at the PGIA are enrolled in this rigorous program, not just a select few. Twenty-five % of this year's graduating class earned their IB Diploma and 100% of the class graduated with a fully accredited MSA diploma. All students are attending their first choice, first tier university with substantial financial aid packages. The International Baccalaureate program has been offered at the PGIA for the last six years.

The International Baccalaureate program is a world-wide international teaching methodology that focuses on creating life-long learners and critical thinkers that are responsible, caring, global citizens. The PGIA is proud to be authorized in both the IB Middle Years Program in grades  7-10, as well as the IB Diploma Program in grades 11-12.

Recent IB studies state that the university enrollment & graduation rate for students who are IB Diploma participants, as well as IB Diploma earners, is considerably higher than that of other curricula. Universities actively solicit IB students to attend their institutions.

"I am immensely proud of the students of the Class of 2016. In these young adults I see such determination, tenacity, grit and optimism. Through rigorous challenges, both academic and personal, they persevered with grace and humility. I am excited to see what impacts they will have on our world and what these upcoming community leaders will do for our efforts towards creating an environmentally friendly and peaceful world." says Gloria Zakers, PGIA Director.  More info on the PGIA IB program can be obtained from Ms. Zakers, at gzakers@vimsia.org.