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.

Library Ice-Cream Social

The sun came out Saturday for our celebration of summer reading at Scoops & Brew in Crown Bay.  Students who read at least five books this summer and completed their forms were invited to an Ice Cream Social where they enjoyed ice cream along with some reading-themed party favors.  Participants who did not attend the party are receiving gift cards to enjoy their ice cream at another time.  Ms. Schlesinger would like to thank Scoops and Brew for their continued support of literacy, seventh grader Divina Kamra who assisted at the event, and all families who took time out of their busy Saturday schedules to join in the fun.

Jeff Bezos $2 Billion Charitable Initiative

PRESS RELEASE: AMERICAN MONTESSORI SOCIETY NY

We are thrilled to see the news of Jeff Bezos’s $2 billion charitable initiatives—the Day One Families Fund and Day One Academies—to fund existing non-profits that help homeless families and to launch high-quality, full-scholarship, Montessori-inspired preschools in historically under-resourced communities.

As a Montessori alum, Mr. Bezos—see preschool photo, at right—knows the value of this distinctive form of education, which nurtures the development of resourceful, independent, and respectful children who embrace a lifelong love of learning.

His vision to bring Montessori education to underserved communities, which is where it all began, more than 100 years ago, reflects the spirit of Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophy, in which children are seen as the eventual purveyors of worldwide peace and social justice.

Dr. Montessori said, “The child is both a hope and a promise for mankind.”

Through his actions, Mr. Bezos is carrying on her legacy by helping to realize that hope and promise for potentially thousands of children.

We at the American Montessori Society look forward to sharing knowledge, experience, and resources that will support his ambitious and transformative project.

An Act of Kindness

Over the summer Ms. Ludick went shopping at a consignment store in the next town over from where she lives - Chesterland, Ohio. Gayle Tuttle is the consignment store owner and her husband Peter is President of the Rotary Club in Chesterland. Peter happened to be working with the St. Thomas Rotary Club to help to rebuild the Eudora Kean Library. 

There had been a rumor around town that one of the Alumni from West Geauga High School (Ms. Ludick) was a teacher in the USVI and help was needed.

Gayle ended up contacting Ms. Ludick and donated the entire summer stock of consignment clothes for VIMSIA staff members. They are ladies clothes--some professional, some for going out. Dresses, skirts, pants, shirts. The Micro-Economy Manager of the Class, Devin DeGannes, Assistant Manager, Zia Zucker, and the rest of the crew set up a pop up shop for VIMSIA teachers to "shop". Each teacher was given a $50 allowance and a personal shopper.

Our sincerest appreciation to Gayle and Peter Tuttle for their generous contribution and such a touching act of kindness.

Kalyn Fahie Speaks On Domestic Violence

This week at Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy, Mr. Stocking’s Grade 11 and 12 Diploma Programme Global Politics classes welcomed Mrs. Kalyn Risker Fahie to speak on the topic of domestic violence. The students are studying the topic in relation to a unit on Peace and Conflict. Mrs. Risker Fahie has many years of experience working in this field, even starting her own domestic violence non-profit organization in Detroit, Michigan called Sisters Acquiring Financial Empowerment (SAFE). She currently works for the VI Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council (VIDVSAC) as their Program Liaison. Mrs. Risker Fahie explained the evolution of this conflict within our society as well as the Duluth Model, which covers various power imbalances that can occur in relationships. The students were also able to gain a deeper understanding of how groups work in coordination with government agencies to help address serious problems within communities.

For more information please visit: https://www.vidvsac.org

The National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 www.TheHotLine.org

Family Resource Center, Inc. (FRC) St. Thomas (340) 776-3966 http://frcusvi.org

National Teen Domestic Violence Hotline, Text and Online Chat www.loveisrespect.org 1.866.331.9474

VI Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Council (DVSAC)  www.vidvsac.org 340.719.0144

VIMSIA Enrichment Students Humane Society Volunteers

“Pampering a lost dog-- this guy escaped his collar and was dropped off at the Humane Society of St. Thomas. Since his fur had such a thick undercoat, I asked our enrichment team to give him a good brushing before the owners picked him up. This big guy may try escaping more often --he relished the attention of our four compassionate students!” - Donna Nemeth

Remembering September 11

This piece was originated by three students when they realized it was 9/11 (when filling out their work journals).  These three students; Jacob Kaloo, Shane Berry and San Cannon decided to create this early in the morning on 9/11. They placed flowers on the towers themselves! Ms. LeAnne Mattingley’s class observed one minute of silence in group time this morning out of respect for all those who died and those who lost someone in 9-11.

Happy Birthday Dr. Maria Montessori

Students celebrated Dr. Maria Montessori's 148th birthday yesterday, by presenting human-sized timelines and acting out skits depicting Dr. Montessori’s life achievements. The celebration concluded by singing “Happy Birthday” in both English and Spanish and lighting Dr. Montessori’s birthday candle. Dr. Maria Montessori was born on August 31, 1870.

Who would have guessed that in 1964 Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) would open its doors and start the school year off with only one Primary classroom and twelve students. Today, VIMSIA Montessori students held a birthday celebration to honor Dr. Montessori’s workings and celebrate how far her teaching and our school have progressed, all thanks to her vision. To date, VIMSIA has 158 Montessori students and nine classrooms – two Toddler, three Primary, tow Lower Elementary and two Upper Elementary. www.vimsia.org

Talia Feshbach Named National Merit Scholarship Semifinalist

Talia Feshbach, a senior at Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA), has been named as a Semifinalist in the 2019 National Merit Scholarship Program!  This is a result of her performance on the 2017 PSAT. Talia is one of 16,000 semifinalists who qualified out of approximately 1.6 million test takers nationwide. There is an extensive application process that she will go through this fall.  Students are notified until February if they are a finalist. Our 10th and 11th grade students will take the PSAT October 24, 2018. Good luck Talia and PGIA students!

Cement Art Relections

A feel good story!

9/10th grade finished their cement project this week. Students painted each sculpture and planted flower seeds in them today! It was a great way to reflect and be grateful for the progress we've made in the last year. 

Student quotes: AnaPia Brunt "I feel like the pots we made will make the campus a brighter place. Sometimes a little color can go a long way in lifting ones spirits".

Tyler Weiss "The pots make me feel really happy and I hope they can help others feel the same".

Parenting With Grace, Presented by Patricia Ludick

Elementary parent night guest speaker, Patricia Ludick.

Montessori Directress, Norma Bolinger and Patricia Ludick.

Even in torrential downpour, Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy parents pushed through and made their way to the "Parenting with Grace" seminar presented by Montessorian and guest speaker, Patricia Ludick. Parents were thankful and re-energized with feelings of optimism for the school after hearing various tips and tricks on parenting with Montessori values. Watch Ludick's presentation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VIMSIA/videos/249649962421712/

Patricia Ludick with daughter Kate Ludick.

VIMSIA staff with Patricia ludick.

Functional Art

The 9th and 10th grade in Ms. Ferguson's Art Elective class had their first guest artist, Mrs. Anderson, join them on Thursday.  Mrs. Anderson is a local artist, specializing in functional Art. Students learned the difference between concrete and cement, used power tools and got messy creating a cement sculpture!  

Introducing the 2018-2019 VIMSIA PTA

Introducing your 2018-2019 PTA Board! We want the PTA to work for you, so please contact us with any ideas, questions, concerns, suggestions for projects, volunteer opportunities, or anything else you think the PTA should know about. We look forward to a great year!

President - April Baynes ptavimsia.pres@gmail.com

Vice President - Sarah Smith Williams ptavimsia.vp@gmail.com

Secretary - Mone Taylor ptavimsia.sec@gmail.com

Treasurer - Darian Hairston ptavimsia.tr@gmail.com

Public Relations Officer - Aldeth Lewin ptavimsia.pr@gmail.com

PTA Liaison to the Board of Trustees - Enrique Rodriguez ptavimsia.lo@gmail.com

General Board Members - ptavimsia@gmail.com

  Jennifer Lazuka, Kichael Miller, Jeanne Walters, Andrew Brown, Marcela Ferreyra

Elementary Students Build Working Model Sailboat

Upper Elementary students Ayden Macomsen and Max Tulk engineered a working model sailboat from scratch.  Starting with just a hull from an old remote controlled boat, they created all the other parts from found materials. The mast is a ruler, and they cut plastic bags for the sails.  Everything went well during their trial run in our pond.  Other students have been inspired to build their own boats so we may have a regatta in the near future!

The Three Legged Stool

Written By: Melissa Bump

As Mr. Bornn loves to remind us, student success is like a three-legged stool. The three legs are the student, the teachers, and the parents. When these three are working well together, the student will reach their maximum potential! 

The "teacher" leg can mean the school as a whole. Everyone working at VIMSIA - the administration, the teachers, the office staff, the maintenance and custodial staff - are dedicated to creating an environment that will be welcoming, safe, and academically rigorous for each student. 

The "parent" leg can refer to the family as a whole. Everyone in a student's family has an impact on that person's growth. If the family is supportive of the goals set by the school, and lovingly reminds the student of the family's expectations in regards to behavior, classwork, and homework, it will have a dramatic impact on that student's success in school. 

The "student" leg needs the other two legs to be standing strong in order to be successful! Imagine a stool with only one leg - very wobbly. For his part, the VIMSIA student is urged to be attentive in class, kind to his peers, and diligently completing every assignment honestly and to the best of his ability. Of course, this is sometimes a daunting task, and that's when the student needs their support system the most. 

Last week, there was a welcome back night for the PGIA - it was wonderful to see so many parents in attendance, excited to learn about any new changes for the school year. This week, there are numerous back-to-school nights taking place. This is an opportunity for the family and school legs to join together in support of all of our students! 

PTA Hits the Floor Running at Back To School Social

PTA President April Jackson-Baynes and team, recruiting parents for this year's line-up of events!

There was a huge line and bottle neck at last night's Back to School Social, and it wasn't for food or drinks! Dedicated and invested VIMSIA parents crowded the PTA sign-up table last night showing support, excitement and positive energy for the year to come. 

Message from PTA: Thank you everyone who stopped by the PTA table at the Welcome Back Night event! For those that missed it, there are several committees we are seeking volunteers for:

- Welcoming Committee: A group of people who will help new families and new staff members get to know the school and the island. 

- PTA Holiday Party: A group of people who will help plan and organize the annual holiday party we throw for our hard working teachers and staff. 

- Fall Fest Planning Committee: A group who will plan and organize the PTA’s biggest fundraising event of the year. Fall Fest will be Oct. 27. 

- Classroom Parents: Classroom Parents are volunteers who can help to organize the other parents in their child’s class on behalf of the PTA and who are also available to help out the teacher when needed. 

- General Help: If you want to simply let the PTA know that you can be called on to pitch in on projects and events throughout the year.

If you want to sign up for any of these committees, email ptavimsia@gmail.com!

April Jackson-Baynes, President

ptavimsia.pres@gmail.com (340) 227-1433

Sarah Smith Williams, Vice President

ptavimsia.vp@gmail.com (214) 707-8085

Aldeth Lewin, Public Relations Officer
ptavimsia.pr@gmail.com (240)642-3984

Mone Taylor, Secretary

ptavimsia.sec@gmail.com (340) 344-3209

Darian Hairston Treasurer

ptavimsia.tr@gmail.com (540) 840-9858

Enrique Rodriguez, Liaison to Board of Trustees

ptavimsia.lo@gmail.com (787) 403-5375

General Members ptavimsia@gmail.com

Kichael Miller (830) 333-9675

Jeanne Walters (312) 282-3807 

Andrew Brown (973) 943-9432

Jennifer Lazuka (440) 487-8118

Marcela Ferreyra (340) 344-3753

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!  

From Sub-Zero to Hero

Bob Maxwell (club advisor) and University of Alaska Anchorage students Robert Maxwell,  Cheryl Higgins, Oakley Carlson, David Chamberlain, Anudari Vaani, Eric Hauer and Bryce Ybanez

From sub-zero temperatures to extreme heat, the members of the Architecture and Engineering Club (AE) from the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) are making a serious impact at Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) renovating various communal grounds while getting hands-on experience with materials they are studying.

Bob Maxwell, faculty advisor for the club, has been participating in service projects all over the world for the last 18 years with the help of Habitat for Humanity. This trip was different than all others and extra meaningful to the group of eight volunteers, being the first independent trip they’ve taken without the support of Habitat for Humanity. The connection to VIMSIA was first made when a member of the AE club made contact with a friend in St. Thomas who works at VIMSIA. One thing led to another and the AE club group began hosting fundraisers back home to cover expenses for their first independent trip to the US Virgin Islands. Maxwell explained, “The biggest advantage, and what they don’t know the first time, is the value of service word. Service work is a step outside their small world, and for the betterment of the world per say.”

The club is led by Oakley Carlson, club president and David Chamberlain, vice president, with special guidance from construction specialist Eric Hauer.  Chamberlain explained the uniqueness of this trip and the challenges they faced, including coordination and transportation. “It was the first time we had to do something like this with a few unknowns. Coming to the Virgin Islands was a new one on us too, it’s a new culture – which is not a challenge, but different and exciting!” commented Chamberlain.

Hauer added that like him, several of Maxwell’s students are inspired hearing stories of past service opportunities and are drawn to serve. “He’s responsible for getting me involved. When I was taking one of his classes he talked about the projects that they do and it peeked my interest since it’s something I had wanted to do for a long time” commented Hauer. “Most of our team are engineering students some construction management students” added Hauer, a former construction management student prior to transferring to Kansas State University to study architectural engineering.

VIMSIA, a leader in environmentally sustainable initiatives, is 100% solar, has various storage systems, collects road run-off water for irrigation, tends to an organic garden and utilizes solar refrigerator and freezers. With the help of the AE club volunteers, new fencing has been installed on the Montessori campus, various buildings were painted and remodeled, a new climbing wall was installed and improvements were made to the school’s playground. “My favorite part of this trip has been the people and seeing their reactions, especially when they learn we’re from Alaska. Their faces light up!” commented club co-president Carlson.

The VIMSIA family extends their sincere appreciation to the AE club for their time and dedication to help improve the school and community. The school hopes to visit Alaska and their friends at UAA in the future, according to Head of School, Michael Bornn.

PGIA Students Off To a Great Start!

A few pictures of Peter Gruber International Academy bonding activities on the first day of school! Welcome back!

VIMSIA Marks its 55th Opening Day

Hitting snooze is no longer an option for the students of Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) who attended their first day of school on Monday, as the school marked its 55th opening day. Staff, administrators and parents were thrilled to see familiar faces and welcome many new friends, both to the school community and the US Virgin Islands.

There was a buzz of energy surrounding campus on the first day of school! “This will be our best year yet,” said Head of School, Michael Bornn, adding that the theme for the year derives off of the Greek word ‘meraki’. “Meraki is a Greek word meaning to do something with love, soul and creativity, to leave a piece of yourself in your work, and to leave something behind. We as educators are constantly doing this,” added Bornn. The message was well received by all.

With over 65 new students, this year’s Peter Gruber International Academy (PGIA) seniors are ecstatic to make new friends and anxious to end strong while working towards their International Baccalaureate (IB) diplomas. Last year, in addition to earning a high-school diploma, 60% of VIMSIA seniors earned the prestigious and highly coveted IB diploma, which created various new collegiate opportunities. Only a small percentage of seniors in the US earn this world renowned degree.

In the PGIA, students started off the day with thirty minutes of a meet and greet social and were encouraged to welcome new friends. “The PGIA is going to tackle the 2018-2019 school year. We are in excellence mode with high expectations and lofty goals,” commented Gloria Arpasi, Director of PGIA. “It feels great to be back for the 2018-2019 school year. I loved greeting all the parents and students as we met on the turf of our second home we call VIMSIA. I can already feel that it is going to be a strong year full of student learning and growth!” added Michele Weichman, Dean of Students.

Like so many others school in the territory, the summer months were used to rebuild and renovate damaged spaces. “Getting the school back to tip-top shape took a village, and we are so thankful to the parents, staff and volunteers who helped not only improve VIMSIA but propel it forward, becoming one of the leading schools in the US Virgin Islands” commented Bornn.

VIMSIA, was first established in 1964 as an AMI accredited Montessori School.  The tradition is continued as an accredited Association Montessori Internationale school for ages 3 – 12 and the school has become an authorized International Baccalaureate World.  Research from leading institutions shows that IB students are more likely to succeed in higher education than those who attend traditional school. To learn more about VIMSIA please visit www.vimsia.org.