Back to School Monday

Hope everyone is doing as well as can be expected after enduring two category 5 hurricanes back to back. For the island to get back to some state of normal, we must all as individuals and institutions strive to put things back together - step by step.  Opening school is critical to getting that sense of security and normalcy back for all of us.  

This from Tommy Brunt, Board President:

"Getting the school opened and functional asap is one of the most important pieces of having a populated and functioning VI by year end."

Monday (9/25) will be our first day back.  Staff will report to school 45 after curfew lifts.  Students AND parents please report 2 hours after curfew lifts.  Everyone is to meet at that time under the solar awning.  Students will meet with their teachers and then proceed with their day, parents will have a brief meeting with school Administration.  VIMSIA Board memeber Lori Thompson, from Insight Psychology, will be available during this time if any one would like to have some time with her.

The school day will end at 3:30 until further notice.  No after school hours for PGIA study hall or BEC initially.  Of course there will be no bus service, so please be sure you, or someone authorized by you, picks up your child by 3:30.

Regular parking is available in the upper and lower lots.  Upper lot, you may have to walk through the basketball court to get to the awning.  IA House is off limits for a few days.  The shade cover over the IA driveway needs to be reinforced.

The campus has come a remarkable way since the devastation that began with Irma. Mr. Bornn has been in overdrive ensuring progress is made every day.  However, there are still repair efforts underway and quite a bit of debris and general mess still being cleaned up from the storms.  Students must wear close toed shoes!  They should also spray up with bug spray - we will have additional at school.  If you do NOT want your child sprayed with bug spray, be sure to let their teacher know that.  Bring their lunch as usual and please be sure they bring a full water bottle.  We have not had time to get the school water tested and do not want to risk it.  We will have bottled water available as well, but do please bring a full water bottle to start the day.  

PGIA students do not need to bring their laptops.  

See you Monday.  And so begins our trek up the hill as a functioning educational institution in the midst of a national disaster site - The Little School that Could!

Peace,

Peggy

Bracing for Another Hurricane Impact - Maria

Crown Weather image from Sunday 11:00am update.

With many of the storm tracks forecasting Maria to hit us as a Hurricane mid-week, we have opted to hold off of re-opening school until after Maria has passed and we can assess her impact.

Please everyone stay safe.  If any of our families feel that they do not have a safe place to ride out the potential impact of Maria, please contact Mr. Bornn at (340) 626-0047.

So Happy to See our Friends Safe!

VIMSIA staff met at school on Friday - it was great to see the reunions all around.  Everyone was so happy to see their friends, co-workers, students, teachers safe and sound.  #VIStrong

Anisley and Mr. Music - life is good and its the people in our lives that matter most.

Karen and Ms. Pass - so happy to see each other after the hurricane.

Doing our best to get things figured out.

Admin meeting's new venue.

VIMSIA Post Irma Update

VI Montessori school and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) will reopen next week.

On Monday September 18th at 11:00am teachers will report for training on teaching in an environment with unusual stress factors such as we have gone through with hurricane Irma.

On Tuesday at 11:00am parents are invited to a meeting under the solar awning to discuss all aspects of the school in the post Irma environment. As many items as possible will be discussed relative to school practices and expectations relative to their students learning. The parent meeting is for all present students and others contemplating enrolling at VIMSIA. Insight psychology Services will be on hand both days for counseling Services.

Head of School, Michael Bornn anticipates students will attend classes on Wednesday September 20th with the day to begin at 10:45 assuming a curfew is still in place until 10:00am. 

Vimsia suffered some damage from hurricane Irma, but we have cleaned up and made repairs and other improvements are being made post Irma.

VImsia will continue to offer its two globally recognized curriculums of Montessori and International Baccalaureate from ages 2 to 12th grade.

Hurricane Irma Relief

VIMontessoriHurricaneIrmaRelief  Please share this funding site to help recover from Hurricane Irma.

Wednesday September 6, 2017 our island took a direct hit from Category 5 Hurricane Irma and has been declared a national disaster. The aftermath of the storm is devastating to our school and our island. The island will be without power for months. The population of our Montessori and IB school is made of mainly rural middle income families.  Half of our students are provided financial aid in order to attend. Many of our families own and run their own small businesses. As our island attempts to rebuild, we will have families without power and many who have physically lost their homes or businesses.  It is essential that our school remain viable and continue to serve the island's youth as it has for the past 53 years.  Please share this funding site and consider making a donation to enable us to keep our doors open for education and our island's future.  

BLAST FROM THE PAST

As a new staff member, I am lucky to discover and learn about VIMSIA's rich history! Check out these wonderful photos from years past...

Ms. Shournagh McWeeney teaching a Primary class, circa 1970. Over 45 years later, her legacy as a key educator, leader, and friend of the VIMSIA family is stronger than ever.  

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All School Group Photo, 2010. Taken at what is now our solar awning space, this shot includes VIMSIA's first high school graduate. Since then we have sent graduating classes of up to 17 students off to take on the world!

Time flies when you're having fun!  

Montessori Work At Its Beautiful Best

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.

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!

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 .

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

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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.

Welcome to our new teachers and staff!

The first day of school is approaching quickly, and we are almost ready to welcome your children back. You'll see some new faces on the VIMSIA campus this year, and we wanted to take a moment to introduce them to you.

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Lucinda Prosterman, MYP and DP English

After twenty-four years teaching Language Arts at Heights High School in Wichita, Kansas, Ms. Prosterman retired from that position to join her husband in St. Thomas. The past two years she has been teaching English part time at Antilles.  She graduated from Wichita State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education and is certified as a Highly Qualified Teacher of English, Speech, and Theatre. Throughout her career, she has put her certifications to good use teaching a wide variety of courses and developing creative approaches to developing strong reading and writing skills.  

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Jess Di Francesco, Lower Elementary Directress 

Ms. Di Francesco comes from Connecticut and has worked in Montessori schools there for four years. After finishing training in Hartford in 2015, she led a lower elementary classroom at a public school in the same city. She is very excited to be here on the island and loves snorkeling and meeting sea creatures. 

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Kate Ludick, Upper Elementary Directress

Ms. Ludick is from Novelty, Ohio. She graduated from Cleveland State University First College (a progressive education division of the University) with a degree in English Literature with some additional postgraduate English coursework from City College of New York. She has both Association Montessori Internationale Elementary (ages 6-12) and Adolescent (ages 12-18) diplomas. Kate has worked in Montessori and progressive education in a variety of roles for almost 20 years, living and working in Canada, USA, Spain, Ireland, and Indonesia. Special training includes “All Kinds of Minds” (Dr. Mel Levine) approach to learning differences, Montessori Model United Nations teacher training, Orton-Gillingham method for teaching reading, writing, and spelling from the Institute of Multi-Sensory Education, and the Green School Educator’s course from The Green School in Bali, Indonesia. She is a certified yoga teacher via the Cleveland Clinic School of Yoga. Kate loves reading, writing and the arts. She has been in sports her whole life – a gymnast in her early years and continuing on to play volleyball and row in college. She was the assistant coach at Cleveland State’s Division I cross country team, coached gymnastics and was the company and stage manager for Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre.

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Kelsey Van Morrison, Spanish Infusion Teacher's Assistant

Ms. Van Morrison was born and raised in St. Thomas. She started her education with VIMSIA as a two year-old and proceeded to graduate in one of VIMSIA's first IB classes. She recently graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University with BAs in Sociology/Anthropology, Politics and Government, as well as Women and Gender Studies. During her undergraduate years she was fortunate enough to further her passion for global cultures by studying in Bueno Aires, Argentina, Cuba, and Chicago where she worked with underrepresented social and political activists. Ms. Van Morrison is very excited to be working with a program that gave her so many incredible opportunities as a child. She plans to pursue a JD PHD in Sociology.

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Alayna Belshe, Spanish Infusion Teacher's Assistant

Ms. Belshe was born and raised on St. Thomas. She is joining our Spanish infusion team as an assistant in Ms. Morrison's classroom. She got her start speaking Spanish in Señor Araujo's classroom here at VIMSIA and is excited to be back on campus. Currently she is working on her Bachelor's in Communication at UVI.

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Maggie Guzman, Spanish Infusion Teacher's Assistant

Maggie is originally from Maine. She received her Bachelor's in Political Science and English from the University of Southern Maine in Portland. After college, Maggie spent several years traveling and teaching environmental education, farming and wilderness programs. She worked in Seattle, Utah, Upstate New York, Montana and various parts of Maine before finding a home here in the Virgin Islands. She also works part time taking care of the trails on Hassel Island.

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Radames Ortiz, Spanish Infusion Teacher's Assistant

Mr. Ortiz joined VIMSIA in 2017/2018 as a Spanish Speaking Teacher's Assistant. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico. After high school, he received a baseball scholarship to go to college and holds a sports marketing and administration Bachelor's degree from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD.  Radames has worked at a homeless shelter in Minneapolis, MN for the past five years. He is happy to be back home in the Caribbean where he can enjoy the beaches and the island beauty.  Of course, watching, playing and coaching baseball are still at the top of his hit parade.

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Jezellia Sujanani, Spanish Infusion Teacher's Assistant

Ms. Jezellia is a native of St. Thomas who also lived in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica as a child. She is fluent in both English and Spanish and has a background in Communications, Accounting, and Health Sciences fields. Her love of the Spanish language and the Montessori style of teaching has led her to join the Spanish Infusion team. She is excited to have the opportunity to share her knowledge with the students of VIMSIA.  

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Kara Ebe, Director of Admissions

Ms. Ebe has a Master's Degree in Teaching from Marian University and Bachelor's Degrees in International Business from the University of Missouri. She taught High School Math and has worked in higher education as both an Academic and Career Advisor. Ms. Ebe is originally from Arkansas, but she came to St. Thomas from Louisville, Kentucky where she worked in retail and supply chain management.  She is excited to be working in education again and looks forward to making a positive impact as a part of the VIMSIA family.    

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When you see these new faces on campus, please take a moment and welcome them to the VIMSIA family!

VIMSIA Teachers Spotted in the Wild!

VIMSIA campus feels very lonely without our brilliant teachers around. We checked in on them and asked them...

...what are you doing this summer to improve your Growth Mindset?

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Ms. Hannah Upp

“I am deep in the midst of my AMI Primary Teacher Training at the Montessori Institute in Portland, Oregon. This is the third of 3 summers I have spent studying Montessori Theory and Practice with the phenomenal trainers Ginni Sackett and Sarah Werner Andrews. I have passed my Written Exams (over 6 hours of essay questions) and am now preparing for my Oral Exams next Friday and will hopefully graduate on July 15th and go on to represent VIMSIA at the Montessori International Congress in Prague, Czech Republic. Thank you all for your support and THANK YOU to VIMSIA for sponsoring me in this training! It’s a life-changing experience. ”

— Ms. Upp

Little chance to explore Oregon, in between study sessions! Here I am at Trillium Lake, with a stunning view of Mt. Hood.

UPDATE: Ms. Upp has since passed all of her exams and graduated!

At a reception honoring my trainer, Ginni Sackett, who just accepted a position as AMI's Pedagocial Director in Amsterdam!

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Ms. Silva enjoys a final sunset along Hudson Bay.

Ms. Alex Silva

Ms. Silva is leading trips for National Geographic Student Expeditions again this summer, teaching students about wildlife conservation. She has just wrapped up her Northern Canadian Expedition in Churchill, the Polar Bear Capital of the World. You can read all about it on her blog.

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Mr. and Ms. Elger

“The Elger family is staying on island this summer and enjoying all there is to do in St. Thomas. However, we just took a jaunt to Puerto Rico for the weekend. We took the girls to El Yunque, and they LOVED it. We spent time eating local cuisine, shopping, seeing the sights, enjoying the hotel pool, and practicing our Spanish. ”

— Ms. Elizabeth Elger

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Ms. Michele Weichman

“I have been traveling in Europe for 3 weeks! I have visited Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic. I am currently in a small town called Cesky Krumlov which is west of Prague! ”

— Ms. Weichman

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Ms. Gloria Zakers

“My family is eligible to become Italian citizens via decent due to my grandparents being Italian citizens when my mother was born. Thus, my kids and I have been working for about two years on the application to become dual US/Italian citizens. We waited two years for an appointment at the Miami Italian consulate which we just had on June 28th. It was successful and we should be getting our citizenship approval in a couple months! Having dual citizenship entitles myself and my children to full US and European living! Not that we are leaving St. Thomas any time soon, but this is an opportunity that we did not want to pass up. We are now, even more than ever, international citizens. La dolce vita!”

— Ms. Zakers

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Ms. Caroline Morrison

Ms. Morrison took time to explore and kayak around the waterways of Cocoa Beach, Florida and Charlotte, North Carolina. She then hiked and swam in the 62 degree Tellico River in the mountains of east Tennessee, collecting all sorts of treasures and stories to share.

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Thank you, VIMSIA teachers, for inspiring us all to keep growing and learning, even on summer break! We look forward to seeing you again and hearing about your adventures in person.

Coach Nurse wins again!

Congratulations from all of us at VIMSIA to our beloved "Coach Nurse," Shane DeGannes, on successfully completing the IAAF Level II Middle & Long Distance Coaching Course! This course is extremely difficult to pass, but Coach Nurse embodies VIMSIA's Growth Mindset, and so he worked unbelievably hard and passed with flying colors. Why would we expect anything different from our superstar Coach? Thank you Shane for once again being such a shining example to our students both over the academic year and during the summer!

Coach Nurse shares his experience below:

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I would like to again thank the Virgin Islands Track & Field Federation for selecting myself to take the IAAF Level II Middle & Long Distance Coaching Course. And a thank you is in order for the IAAF RDC San Juan for accommodating this course. Jorge Richardson, IAAF Regional Director and Erick Padro, RDC Assist to Director, facilitated all aspects of the coaches’ stay on Puerto Rico. Oscar Gadea and Roy Thomas were our instructors for the nine days. These gentlemen did a great job in pulling the best out of the coaches in our learning process. Mr. Gadea delivered his topics with conviction. His vast experience as an instructor and coach showed brightly. Mr. Thomas did an excellent job in calming the coaches’ anxiety with real life situation experiences. 

Participants of the class were from the Bahamas, Anguilla, St. Vincent, Jamaica, Antigua, Dominica, Turks & Cacaos, Barbados and myself from the Virgin Islands. There were eleven students in total. Seven student passed and four students failed. It was a sad day seeing some of our fellow coaches fail but it made our accomplishments mean more. If this process was an easy task it would not have meant as much as it did. 

The Level II class was very demanding. It apparently was the first class of the new IAAF Coaches Certification system. Many topics were presented on a daily basis and it was very challenging comprehending so much information for the final exams. Although this course covered topics discussed in the Level I course, more in depth instruction was given regarding the actual training plan of the U16 athlete. Topics I found to be helpful regarding the middle and long distance events training process were, 

 Process of training
 Planning a Mesocycle
 Microcycle design
 General Endurance
 Speed Endurance
 Event Specific Endurance 

These topics, amongst many more, were the concepts I wanted to struggle with. I strived to understand them and want to excel in utilizing them in the annual planning of Middle and Long Distance runners here in the Virgin Islands. This learning process will not stop here. I will continue to struggle with these concepts from the Level II course and now put it into practice. 

-Shane DeGannes R.N.

See real results with your money!

“VIMSIA gave me my work ethic, the determination to get where I want to be, and really taught me what it was like to be a student.”

— C.J. Fahie, Indiana Tech, 2020

See real results with your money!

VI Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) is improving life in the Virgin Islands by raising the bar of education throughout the territory.
 
VIMSIA teaches two internationally recognized curriculums: the Montessori and International Baccalaureate curriculums. Our teachers have taught in over 70 countries. Our students have traveled to over 40 destinations during the past several years. Our students are accepted to the best colleges and universities in the United States and overseas. Our students are awarded substantial financial aid packages to enable them to attend their desired universities.
 

• This year’s graduating class will pay on average only $9,000 to attend their choice of university.

• Approximately 50% of VIMSIA graduates are the first generation in their families to attend university.

• Over 45% of our students receive financial aid.

 
VIMSIA is truly making a difference in the quality of life in the V.I.
 
Join a winning team, make a difference, be a part of improving the Virgin Islands—make a donation to facilitate a student attending VIMSIA today.

Click here to donate!
 

JV Soccer Secures Triple Crown Victory!

VIMSIA’s Junior Varsity soccer team finalized the school’s “Triple Crown” sweep of the three IAA League titles last Friday! The Volts prevailed handily with a 3 to 1 win against the Antilles School JV team. Antilles and VIMSIA were tied at the end of the regular JV season.

The offense’s prowess, along with the defense’s determination, secured the victory for VIMSIA. Our entire team has trained so hard in practice and fought their way to the top.

We are so very delighted with our students who have proven that they excel not only in scientific, artistic, and humanitarian fields, but on the soccer field as well.

“I was so proud of the way the players worked together to make it happen. The sportsmanship and excellence of our team is a tribute to all the coaches, but particularly to Senor Araujo, who instilled a love of teamwork and fair play in all of them from a young age!” -Ms. Bump

Go Volts!

Experience Our End Session Presentations

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!

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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!

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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!

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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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

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

Congratulations to our New Middle Years Students!

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.

Celebrate Summer: Nature IS Nurture

Happy Summer!

Montessori philosophy inspires care of the environment and careful stewardship of our earth. Dr. Montessori wrote, “Children have an anxious concern for living beings, and the satisfaction of this instinct fills them with delight. It is therefore easy to interest them in taking care of plants….”

Ms. Upp’s primary class took time out of their busy last day of school to search for VIMSIA’s new administrative hire, Ms. Julie. Their beloved classroom plant needed a plant-sitter for the summer, and Ms. Julie needed some company for her new office. The children gathered around Ms. Julie and presented her with her new charge. Ms. Upp assured Ms. Julie that the plant was hardy enough to thrive in any conditions. Even though Ms. Julie lacks a single green thumb, the prognosis is good.

As we say our temporary farewells to your children, we are wishing them the most fulfilling of summer breaks until we meet again. May summer be a wonderful opportunity for your families to reconnect with the beautiful flora and fauna that surrounds us on St. Thomas. True, summer is a little different for us in the Caribbean, resembling so closely the rest of the year. However, summer break worldwide remains a cherished time to celebrate family, nature, and a break from schooling.

“We don’t have de four season dem,
Summer, Winter, Autumn an’ Spring,
but de dry season wid the noisy bees
an’ de shrill call o’ de cling-cling,
an’ de sun turnin’ de sea into a hot bath,
an’ de grass bake so dat it crackle like parchment
under yuh foot; when de beach dem crowded
wid folk cooling off; de season when mango is king.”

— Valerie Bloom, Two Seasons

End Session: Mauritius Adventure Continues!

Dear MRU Families,

It's been a few days since we've written, but we've been so busy! Since we climbed Le Morne mountain, we attended classes at Le Bocage, worked on our presentation project, explored the Last Surviving Forest at Ferney Valley, went to the capital city of Port Louis and the marketplace, toured the sugar museum and learned about the history of the sugar industry, visited the tea factory, the vanilla factory and the rum factory, and ate amazing food the whole way!!
Phew.....

Now, this weekend was one for the students to just enjoy time with their host families and see what a weekend in their lives is like. The kids have been all over, from hotels, to petting farms to bowling alleys to the mall to beach houses, etc. We are so grateful for their hospitality!

Monday (tomorrow) will be our last full day, which we will spend at Le Bocage, finishing our project, attending classes and getting henna tattoos!

Tuesday we go to school in the morning, have lunch and then off to the airport for a 4pm flight to Dubai.

We are sad to see this experience come to a close, but what a fabulous trip it has been.

Here's some photos...enjoy!

I'll send more details soon.

Love from the Indian Ocean,
Ms. Z & Mr. E

End Session : Boundary Waters Out from the Wilderness

Wow, what an adventure! I must say that Ms. Butler and I are so proud of this group and they should be very proud of themselves. We had an amazing four days in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness where they paddled and portaged canoes, set up camp, slept and lived outdoors, swam, fished, saw the Northern Lights and experienced all the beauty of the northern boreal forest. There were ups and downs, frustrations and celebrations, and through it all this group of eight students showed true grit!

Today we are heading back to Minneapolis and along the way we will visit the International Wolf Center to learn more about the animals we heard during our nights in the woods.

End Session: Mauritius

All the kids did great, acting very respectfully and easily making it to the top and back down. The teachers on the other hand… well, let's just say, it was a little humbling.

Tomorrow we are off to the "Last Surviving Forest" Ferney Valley, where we will finish up our biodiversity research. And have a very traditional Mauritian lunch prepared right in front of us.

We are having a wonderful time, more updates soon!!

Ms. Z and Mr. E