Adalio Araujo, Spanish and Physical Education (aaraujo@vimsia.org)
Señor Araujo is a native of São Tomé, Africa, and holds a M.A. in Linguistics obtained in Besancon, France.  Since 1989, Señor has been offering a quality Spanish program to students starting at the elementary level.  In addition, Señor teaches Physical Education and coaches our elementary soccer teams.  He is a FIFA-certified soccer coach and has refereed JV/Varsity soccer for more than ten years.  Our soccer program is unparalleled on the island, and since the inception of inter-school elementary soccer several years ago, our elementary teams have dominated!

Joie Byrd - Montessori Music and MYP Arts-Music (jbyrd@vimsia.org)
Ms. Byrd grew up in Atlanta, Georgia where she began playing music at a young age. While the flute is her primary musical outlet, Ms. Byrd is also fluent in piano, guitar, and percussion and was the drum major of her high school and college marching bands. Ms. Byrd earned her B.A. in Music Education from Jacksonville State University and her M.A. in Education from Western Kentucky University, where her concentration was special education. After working with elementary music programs and teaching numerous marching bands across Georgia, Alabama, and Virginia, Ms. Byrd enlisted in the military as an Army Special Bandsman. Upon completing her active duty military service as a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps in Washington DC, Ms. Byrd moved to St. Thomas and has joined our staff as our Music Specialist at the Montessori and MYP levels.

Sarah Colarossi - School Nurse (scolarossi@vimsia.org)
Sarah Colarossi received her BSN from Kent State University in Ohio. She came to the island in 2012 on her first travel nurse assignment and fell in love with the people and culture and has since called St.Thomas home. Her 18 years of nursing experience include working as a RN in different roles including Medical/Surgical, Oncology, Pediatrics, Emergency Room, Special Services and Organ Transplant Coordinator, and Clinical Nurse Educator. She is excited to be at VIMSIA as children have always been her passion and to see her 5 year old son Dario flourish at the school.

Mirian Cruz - Spanish Teacher (mcruz@vimsia.org)
Mrs. Mirian Cruz joins the VIMSIA team as Spanish Teacher. Mirian has 32 years of experience in the Department of Education of Puerto Rico, three additional years in private school, and also 12 years of experience as a Cooperating Teacher, mentoring and coaching Elementary School teacher candidates, and also working as a Coordinator and Teacher with Supplemental Educational Services Federal Program (SES). She was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and is now living in St. Thomas with her husband Gilberto, who works with Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at Cyril E. King Airport ST. Thomas.

Chelsea Eddy - Montessori Learning Specialist (ceddy@vimsia.org)
Ms. Eddy is a passionate educator with over 13 years of experience in the Special Education field. She has dedicated her career to providing meaningful experiences to students of all abilities. Chelsea was born and raised in Leesburg, Virginia. She graduated from Virginia Tech with her BS in Human Development and earned her Master’s in Special Education from George Washington University. Her family has been living on St. Thomas since 2021 and has fallen in love with the culture and community here. Chelsea relocated with her husband, Mark, and two children who currently attend VIMSIA. Together they enjoy exploring, cooking, boating, crafting, and spending time with family and friends.

David Arpasi, Athletic Director & PGIA Health and PE Teacher (darpasi@vimsia.org)

Coach Arpasi is rejoining the VIMSIA family as the instructor for the PGIA Physical Education/Health classes and will also serve as the Athletic Director. He holds a degree in Physical Education/Health from the University of Mount St. Joseph, earned in 1995. David has a strong history with VIMSIA, including volunteering to support PE classes after Hurricane Irma and organizing after-school activities. He previously assisted Adalio Araujo with PGIA PE classes in 2020 and 2021 and served as a movement teacher for Montessori during the winter and spring of 2021. Coach Arpasi is enthusiastic about contributing to a successful year both in the classroom and on the athletic arena.  David has been an integral part of the island community since 2017 where he assisted post-hurricane rebuilding efforts with South Jersey Adjustment Bureau and ProSolar.

Samantha Kaffenbarger - Emotional Support Counselor (skaffenbarger@vimsia.org)
Samantha Kaffenbarger, fondly known as Ms. K, is originally from Minnesota, and moved to St Thomas in 2015. Ms. K received her BS in Child Psychology in 2011 from the University of Minnesota, then earned her Master's Degree in Social Work, graduating from the University of St Thomas in 2014. Having a social work background provides Ms. K a unique opportunity to understand many  dynamics included in a student’s life, and she is passionate about making sure that every student feels they are in a welcoming and safe environment. Ms. K assists students with social and emotional needs, as well as support within the classroom to help students strengthen their emotional and behavioral regulation. Ms. K strongly believes that the youth, especially in St Thomas, are remarkably resilient in adverse situations and strives to help assist students in our ever dynamic culture. Returning to the VIMSIA community, Ms. K is energetic to engage in long lasting student relationships, while providing a voice to every student. Off campus, you will likely see Ms. K at a beach with a book in hand, or at any Kes or Patrice concert.

Kathy Schlesinger - Librarian (kschlesinger@vimsia.org)
Ms. Schlesinger has been a St. Thomas resident since 1981. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from Princeton University and a Master's of Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. Prior to joining our staff in 2010, she had over 20 years of management experience at a well-loved local bookstore. Ms. Schlesinger has two children who have graduated from the PGIA, and has been active in the VIMSIA community since her eldest child started in the Montessori program in 2002.

Michael Wade - Technology Support (mwade@vimsia.org)
Mike started his career in the US army working on scout and attack helicopters. From there he went to school for computer networking. While going to school Mike started working in the field of Security and home automation, honing his skills, and eventually becoming a trainer and quality control. He then worked on the commercial side of security, retrofitting old schools and businesses with advanced security cameras and technology. For the last two years, he has been running the install teams in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, in North Carolina. Mike will be joining Dylan at VIMSIA in the IT department.