Ricky James Participates in Envision Program

This summer Ricky James, PGIA Senior, participated in three programs aimed to support and develop strong high school students.  Ricky participated in the Envision Program at Emory University.  Envision is a experiential education organization offering students the opportunity to explore their career and life interests.  His next stop was Boston University where he accepted the Boston Congressional Award.  Students work toward goals they set in the areas of Public Service, Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and Expedition/Exploration in order to receive the award.  Ricky's final stop was the Rutgers University Summer Business Program where he was able to network with business leaders from across the country.  Thank you for representing VIMSIA so well, Ricky!  We can't wait to see where you'll go next!  

Patricia Ludick to Visit VIMSIA

Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) is honored to welcome Patricia Ludick as guest speaker for the upcoming Elementary Parent Education night.

Patricia Ludick began the adolescent program at Hudson Montessori School in Hudson (OH) where she served as the program director and humanities guide for ten years. Pat has also accomplished a decade of extensive adolescent work at Ruffing Montessori East in Cleveland Heights (OH) and served as the founding directress of the adolescent program at the Montessori School of Raleigh in North Carolina. She is active in doing consultation work with new and existing Montessori programs, both private and public. Pat holds an AMI diploma, a certification in Special Education, as well as a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She was one of the planners and contributors in the early Montessori adolescent movement in the 1980’s and continues to serve the needs of new teachers, children, adolescents, and parents as the work progresses. She is an active presenter at NAMTA conferences, a contributor to the NAMTA Journal and guides teachers every summer at the AMI-NAMTA Orientation to Adolescent Studies. Pat is presently in her 32nd year of active Montessori education. She and her husband, Tom, are the parents of five grown children and have ten grandchildren.

Ludick will present a special presentation to VIMSIA parents on Thursday, August 30, 2018.

VIMSIA Teachers Attend San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research

Alex Silva and Kate Ludick

Alex Silva and Kate Ludick, talented educators at Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA), recently returned from the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research Teacher Workshops in Conservation Science. Silva, a science teacher at VIMSIA, learned about the program from a graduate school classmate who attended the program last year. Between Silva’s science background and Ludick’s English skills, together they wrote an incredible application essay and both were accepted into the program.

The objectives for the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research Teacher Workshops in Conservation Science are threefold:

1. Provide replicable, relevant, standards-based conservation science activities for formal and informal education settings

2. Connect science educators to wildlife conservation through relevant laboratory and field-based experiences that share recent advances in conservation research.

3. Provide a forum for science educators to network and share ideas for weaving conservation themes into their school community and engaging students in conservation.

During the program, the group tracked desert tortoises, analyzed their habitat use, and discussed factors threatening their survival. While we may not have the same species on island, an idea can be modified to focus on local sea turtle species, which may inspire students to reduce their plastic bag usage, say no to straws, or even pursue conservation work in the future. Imagine the impact we can have if an even greater number of teachers are able to bring engaging conservation lessons into their classrooms. 

Ludick’s highlight from the trip was the respect the zoo specialists had for teachers and how willing and accommodating they were in sharing their lessons and knowledge. She added how much she enjoyed feeding the giraffes and rhinoe and hearing the lions roar at night. Ludick noted the dry heat and temperature of 105 degrees fahrenheit were a bit tough to deal with. “On this trip I learned that there still are really good, intelligent people and institutions helping to save our earth and the flora and fauna in it. I learned that technology plays such a big part in conservation. There are so many unexplored areas in the field, still, that need these people’s creativity and talent” added Ludick.

The program was filled with 34 educators, each of which had extensive experience in science education. At times, Silva found it intimidating to strike up conversations with others, especially those with more experience. “In those moments, I had to remind myself that my students have learned a thing or two in my classes, so I must have something to offer to the conversation!” commented Silva. Silva thoroughly enjoyed hand-feeding eucalyptus leaves to a Rothschild's giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), despite the saliva left behind! Her lowest point during the program was realizing that despite how successful the California condor (Gymnogyps californianus) breeding program has been, they remain critically endangered in the wild and threatened with lead poisoning and habitat loss, among other issues. 

Both teachers highly recommend this program, and encourage parents to visit the San Diego Safari Park. Conservation is a global issue, but it plays out in local environments. Understanding how science can be used to investigate and address the issues can help empower students, and adults, to take action, even on the smallest scale.

Connecting Handwork to the Bigger Picture

Jessica Di Francesco, a Lower Elementary Teacher at Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) recently attended a four day Elementary Alumni Association (EAA) training whose focus this year was handwork, specifically wool, cotton, silk and calligraphy. Di Franceso explained the importance of connecting everything you do in a Montessori setting to the bigger picture: “bringing handwork back to the children's discovery and letting them take that journey and the idea of practice, provides an opportunity to relax and work with your hands instead of technology.”

The EAA training was held in Boulder, Colorado with ninety elementary certified Montessori instructors from all over the world, including places like Russia and Europe. Just like at VIMSIA, a special emphasis was placed on the importance of connecting elaborate handmade projects to the bigger picture. Attendees studied a sample Montessori album, created by the instructor, which was filled with various lessons.

“My biggest takeaway was the importance of connecting the handwork to our human story” commented Di Francesco. "One of the theories of how felt was discovered involved a shepherd, going around the hills a long time ago, in Mesopotamia era, with his sheep walking all day long with very uncomfortable shoes. At some point, it’s presumed the shepherd took some fleece from a sheep and placed it in the shoes to line them and make it softer. Without knowing, as he walked around the fleece was wet and pressed, creating felt" added Di Francesco.

Ms. Di Francesco looks forward to a fun-filled year of education handwork with her students.

Design Inspiration Sparked Abroad

Truax and her parents in front of the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Upper Canada College in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Summertime is known for beaches, family trips and relaxation, but for many teachers like Jamie Truax, it’s the perfect time to take professional development courses. Truax, a Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) Mathematics and Design teacher, recently attended the Middle Years Programme Level 2 Training in Toronto, Canada. The training hosted over 200 attendees and was held at Upper Canada College, an all-boys boarding school.

The training led by John Sweetman, was broken up into three separate sessions over the course of two and a half days and touched upon various websites, resources, and ideas for teaching design in the Middle Years Programme. “Design can be broken into two different subject areas Tactile Design and Web Design which are both project based” Truax explained. “Sweetman provided great examples which has greatly inspired me and brought on some great ideas for design this year” she added. Truax noted how much emphasis Sweetman placed on the importance of being an IB learner and incorporating those traits into the design units. 

For many teachers like Truax, international professional development opportunities open the doors for collaboration, networking and an opportunity to take a more in-depth look at their program. Truax thanks VIMSIA for their dedication and support of their teachers. 

Congratulations Class of 2018

The PGIA Class of 2018 has been through a life-changing senior year. The devastating hurricanes in September of 2017 took their senior class of 17, all the way down to just 10 seniors on campus. Their close-knit group was severed, as many families were displaced from St. Thomas due to lost homes and lost jobs. The remaining students faced having to endure the rigorous IB Diploma Program without power, internet or most other school resources that they needed. These hearty students came back to school just 3 short weeks after Hurricanes Irma & Maria destroyed our island's infrastructure. These students survived daily classes with no electricity, no water, no internet, etc. They endured 107 days of this. Still, they hung strong. They stayed their course and managed to keep themselves on track, academically and personally. They received many generous donations from the community of food, school supplies, deadline extensions, prom dresses and even prom itself! Four of our original Class of 2018 students have rejoined us on this stage today, after their lives took on very different, unexpected changes during their senior year. We are honored to have all of these 14 students walking in our graduation ceremony. The PGIA Class of 2018 is truly a group of young adults filled with grit and perseverance. At this early point in their lives, they have overcome one of the most horrific natural disasters known to the Caribbean. And succeeded. There is no limit on what they can do now - they are literally unstoppable. 

Lights, Camera, Action!

Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) students celebrated a great show weekend in the VIMSIA Musical Theater room, after the completion of two very successful shows of "Beauty and the Beast". Both evening shows were packed by community members with standing room only! Thank you to all the parents and students who contributed to the success of this production. Congratulations to VIMSIA's Theater and Arts department. 

Knowledge Has a Beginning But No End

Congratulations to Peter Gruber International Academy instructor Alex Silva and Montessori instructor Kate Ludick for proactively working on furthering their education. Both talented instructors applied for and received full scholarships to an amazing teacher training program at the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research! 

The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation has built a nationally recognized and fully accredited program with a stellar reputation for giving teachers access to unparalleled information and experiences. To date, they have trained more than 1000 middle and high school science teachers and informal science educators from all 50 states and nine other countries. Participants spend their days in intensive study in the Conservation Education Lab and their evenings at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, engaging with staff members and acquiring invaluable new skills to take back to their home campuses. During the workshop, teachers work together to frame content standards in the context of wildlife conservation and explore ways to challenge students to apply textbook knowledge of life science to current biodiversity challenges. Participants engage in activities that focus on critical issues facing endangered species using a variety of advanced technical tools and techniques; all activities support the Next Generation Science Standards and can be implemented back in the classroom.

Congratulations Alex and Kate!

Home for the Holidays - PGIA Alumni Luncheon

From left to right: Kendal Benjamin '17 Duquesne University, Ali Bartsch '17 Stanford University, Kayla Rivers '17 Seton Hall University, CJ Fahie '16 Indiana Tech University, Kiyalyn Bump Dalhousie University '16, Aneesh Chandiramani '17 Clark University and Leah Trotman '17 Agnes Scott College

Not pictured: Abraham Hamed '16 Valencia College, Christina Brett '17 University of Tampa and Eyad Hamed '17 Valencia College

The PGIA College Counseling office hosted the fourth annual Alumni Luncheon on Wednesday, December 20th.  Our alumni were full of energy and excitement as they returned to campus to share experiences, insights and goals with our current juniors and seniors.  Many of our returning alums have only completed their first semesters of college but are well of their way to blazing some amazing trails.  

Some notable pieces of advice from our former Volts: 

"Be an advocate for yourself and what you believe in."

"All of your hard work (in the DP program) is totally worth it."

"Follow your passion."

"Keep an open mind."

"Go to class!"  :)

Thank you Alumni!  We wish you the best!  

Go Volts: School Participation Winners - Rotary Triathlon

Volts bring home the school participation award...again!  Pretty sure we are undefeated in this.  Way to go  VIMSIA athletes!

Special shout-out to our medalists

12 - 15 year olds:  Taber - 1st place; Kaia - 1st place; Relay Anapia, Aviela, Nicholas - 1st place; Relay Skyler and Axel - 2nd place; Relay (mixed school) Gabriella, Christian and Thomas - 3rd place

9-11 year olds:  Maia T - 1st place; Relay Mariana, Aurora and Sofie - 2nd place

5-8 year olds:  Lyle - 3rd place; Relay (mixed school) Charlie, Willie and Connor - 1st place

Full List of Medalists

Spotlight: Quinn Wallace

The Wallace family participated in the Denmark Virgin Islands Transfer Marathon last weekend on St. John and did extremely well.

Hashia came second in the half marathon and Quinn was second overall and first place male in the 10k.

Tillykke!

BrisaMax Scholarship Winners!

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

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. 

Spotlight: Ms. Zakers honored at Excellence in Education Ball!

Congratulations to Ms. Gloria Zakers, our PGIA Director.  Ms. Zakers is being honored along with seven other Virgin Island educators at the Classes of the 70's First Reunion Ball - whose theme is "Showcasing Excellence in Education".

The Ball will be this Saturday, May 7 at Frenchman's Reef.  Cocktails, dinner and dancing with Spectrum Band.  Tickets are $75 and are available for sale with Ms. Paul in the front office.

Kudos, Ms. Zakers, for this well-deserved honor.  

Shakespeare is Alive at VIMSIA

On Friday, April 15, VIMSIA was the location to be at for the annual Vento Shakespeare Workshops and Festival. This event, presented by Pistarkle Theatre, strives to educate, engage and entertain students on the literary works of Shakespeare. With over 130 students from schools around the islands the VIMSIA campus was filled with love, laughter, and dramatic deaths as each group brought their own spin to the Bard’s words.

VIMSIA entered three different acts for the festival – “Taming of the Shrew” performed by the 8th grade; another group consisted of our drama enrichment students under the direction of Ms. Pamela New presenting “King Lear”; and our third was an independent monologue by 10th grader Darby, “Edmund" in King Lear.

Our 8th graders won an award for best supporting ensemble and Darby won an award for her monologue. All our students worked for months to create their presentations and we are so proud of them all!

VIMSIA Wins Participation award and more at the Rotary Sunrise Triathlon

Saturday morning, April 9th, many of our VI Montessori and Peter Gruber International Academy students participated in the annual Rotary Sunrise Triathlon held at Magen’s Bay. The event, which hosts swimming, biking and running as the competitive events, had over 140 students starting their morning at the beach.

VIMSIA students joined the fun as individuals or as team participants and all did a fantastic job. The VIMSIA winners for the different age groups are listed below:

Age Group 12-15

Individual Boys: 1st Place Taber Helton 26:50; 2nd Place Teagan Kappel 33.13

Relay Teams: 3rd Place Max Wilson, Diego Viegas, Amir Ottley 29:03

Age Group 9-11

Individual Girls: 1st Place Kaia Anspacher 12:23; 2nd Place Gabriela Brunt 13:32

Relay Teams: 1st Place Thomas Brunt, Christian Belcher, Chris Griffith 12:43; 3rd Place Paschal Bryan, Rohan Nagi, Ka’eo Brown 13:40

Age Group 5-8

Individual Girls: 1st Place Sofia Kappel 8:23

Relay Teams: 1st Place Santiago Brunt, Alex Brunt, Andy Bornn 6:59; 3rd Place Fiona Dodson, Aurora Rodriquez, Mariana Brunt 8:01

Congratulations to Radiance Peets!

The St. Thomas Virgin Islands Coalition for Drug Free Youth announced its first ever "My Voice – Our Community" poster and jingle competition last month. This competition was designed to give youth in St. Thomas the opportunity to demonstrate their voices and opinions, to make a difference, and have a positive effect on reducing the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. The competition provided a platform through which youth and schools had a unique and educational way of expressing being drug-free. Across St. Thomas, several students joined in promoting a positive message by creating audio jingles and posters that expressed how to make a difference in reducing the abuse of drugs (marijuana) and alcohol.

We offer huge congratulations to Radiance Peets for winning first place in her age category, 15 to 17 year olds, and representing our school. We are so proud of you!

2015 Miss America Visits PGIA

The PGIA had an assembly on Friday, January 22nd where Kira Kazantsev, Miss America 2015, visited and spoke to students in grades 7-12. Kira spoke about healthy relationships and preventing domestic violence.  This was her platform when she was running for Miss America and during her reign.  It continues to be her passion now that she has passed the crown on to her 2016 successor. 

In the Miss America assembly, Kira shared her personal experience with domestic violence in college. She discussed the mission, "Love Shouldn't Hurt: Protecting Women Against Domestic Violence." Kira educated students about signs of domestic violence and how to get help if someone is in an unsafe relationship.

Kira taught students about the 4 points of the crown: Style, Success, Service, and Scholarship. She discussed how these 4 points can apply to many areas of life, and how they can be used as a guide toward accomplishing tasks and reaching goals.

Many people may be familiar with Kira's movement, "Put a nail in it!" In this movement, celebrities, sports stars, and people all over the world, men and women alike, paint their relationship commitment finger (usually the left hand ring finger) the color PURPLE to signify their commitment to ending domestic violence and pursuing healthy relationships. Purple is a color that signifies domestic violence awareness. 

Spotlight: Anushka Spelling Bee

CONGRATULATIONS TO ANUSHKA CHANDIRAMANI! 

Anushka competed against 17 other school champions in the St. Thomas/St. John District Spelling Bee on Friday, February 12. She was poised and very well prepared. Anushka won second place, and qualified to compete in the Territory Spelling Bee in March! Her coach, Melissa Bump shared, “Anushka is a very studious young lady, and her hard work really paid off today. I’m so proud of her!”

Lamyir Perez - Make A Wish Trip to Disneyland!

VI Montessori School Primary student Lamyir Perez and her family received a blessed gift from Make A Wish U.S. Vigin Islands.  Lamyir's dream was to go to Disneyland - and that she did!  Lamyir was treated like a disney princess and her family like royalty on their trip to Disneyland in January.  Fast Passes and head of the line to meet those famous Disney characters helped make the trip extra special - though Lamyir's favorite part was her spa day at the Bibbity Bobbity Boo Boutique. Leave it to Disney!

 Lamyir was born with a hole in her heart.  She has had numerous surgeries and is, in fact, traveling to Miami next week for another visit with her Doctors.  

PGIA Senior Megan Godfrey organized a Valentine's fundraiser with the help of Ali Slimming of East End Flowers.  The effort raised over $1,200 to help Lamyir's family fund their Miami trip next week.  Way to go Megan - what a beautiful thing to do!  The family also has a fundraising site setup for donations.