Carni-Fall 2024 a Vibrant Success! (PHOTOS)

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Over 375 Guests Enjoy a Night of Celebration, Community, and Support

October 23, 2024 – St. Thomas, VI

The Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) celebrated its highly anticipated annual Carni-Fall fundraiser on October 19, 2024, at the stunning Coral World Ocean Park. The event brought together a vibrant crowd of 375 guests for an unforgettable evening of entertainment, community spirit, and support for VIMSIA’s mission.

View all photos from Carni-Fall here.

Led by Marketing Director Vernon Araujo and Assistant Marketing Director Leah Trotman, this year’s Carni-Fall exceeded all expectations, raising essential funds for VIMSIA’s Annual Fund. These contributions will help sustain the school’s commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education for students in the Virgin Islands.

The evening featured live performances from Top Notch Band and JUCE, along with culinary delights from Island Edge Culinary. Families were thrilled by the school's own mocko jumbies and enjoyed browsing a lively selection of vendor booths, which added to the festive atmosphere.

“We are deeply grateful to Coral World for generously hosting our event at such a beautiful venue,” said Vernon Araujo, VIMSIA’s Marketing Director. “The overwhelming support we received at this year’s Carni-Fall was heartwarming. It was a fantastic way to kick off the year, and the success of this event would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our volunteers, generous sponsors, and the invaluable partnership we have with Coral World. These funds will directly support our mission, furthering the impact we make on our students and the greater community."

A special thank you goes to the event’s sponsors: The Anasetti Family, 340 Real Estate Company, First Bank, Lime Out, E & J Trucking, Coral World Ocean Park, Island Edge Culinary, CC1, Mandahl Market, West Indies Company, Leatherback Brewing Company, Margaritaville, and Ricky James Sr. Taxi Service, whose support was instrumental in the event’s success.

Proceeds from Carni-Fall will directly fund teacher training, maintain VIMSIA’s high standards of academic excellence, and enhance community outreach initiatives, ensuring that the school continues to provide its renowned “Education for Life” programs. These efforts make independent school education more accessible and affordable for families across the Virgin Islands.

Building on this year’s success, the VIMSIA team is already planning next year’s Carni-Fall, with exciting plans to expand vendor offerings and introduce more engaging activities for an even more memorable experience.

For more information about VIMSIA, the Annual Fund, or how to get involved in future events, please visit https://givebutter.com/VIMSIA or contact Vernon at vernon@vimsia.org.

Be sure to mark your calendars for our next major event, Las Vegas Night, on December 7, 2024, at Sapphire Beach Club from 7 PM to midnight. Tickets can be purchased at https://givebutter.com/LVN2024.

About VIMSIA

The Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA) is a non-profit, independent school located in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. VIMSIA offers an inclusive, innovative, and globally focused education for students from preschool through high school. The school’s mission is to nurture global citizens through a Montessori-based curriculum that encourages creativity, critical thinking, and a lifelong love of learning.

Photos: Montessori Hands-On Parent Night (Elementary)

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An enormous thank you to all Montessori families who attended our ‘Hands On’ Parent Nights over the past two weeks. This special event allowed children to demonstrate what they’ve been learning and working on to a parent. On both nights, the children were overjoyed to share.

Photos from Lower Elementary demonstrations are below. In this week’s gallery, we have also added new Primary photos from Ms. Bollinger’s classroom during last week’s presentations. Enjoy!

Photos from Primary Night are here.

"Pasta and Bingo Night" Elevates VIMSIA Sailing Team

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A heartfelt thank you to all who attended this week’s fundraiser at St. Thomas Yacht Club! We are thrilled to share the tremendous success of “Pasta and Bingo Night,” held on Wednesday night to support the VIMSIA sailing team. Thanks to the incredible support and participation from our community, the event was not only a delightful evening but also a significant step towards achieving our fundraising goals for the team.

The event kicked off with a wonderful array of pasta dishes that were enjoyed by all prepared by our very own Colin Auchicloss. As the evening progressed, the excitement heightened with the start of the bingo games. It was a joy to see participants of all ages engaging in the friendly competition, with lucky winners walking away with amazing prizes donated by our sponsors.

"It’s so great to see our kids working together and being shining examples of why we send our children to this school and confirmation of our belief in the Montessori spirit," said Ravi Nagi.

We are proud to announce that, through food sales, donations, and the Bingo, we have raised a quarter of our yearly team fundraising goals. 100% of these funds go directly towards supporting the VIMSIA sailing team, enabling them to pursue their passion and travel to stateside regattas.

"I love how everyone comes together on this team! We have the best parent and student group,” added Sarah Auchincloss.

This event would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of our volunteers, the generous donations from local businesses and individuals, and, most importantly, the participation of our community.

Once again, we extend our heartfelt thanks for your contribution to making the “Pasta and Bingo Night” a resounding success. We look forward to the continued support of our community and to seeing you all at our next event.

Check out some great photos from the event below!

the whole team with Gaylin Voegel, Winner of the blackout bingo game. She won a night at the Ritz-Carlton!

Everything you need to know about VIMSIA's Las Vegas Night

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Las Vegas Night is the biggest annual fundraiser for our Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy (VIMSIA). Over the years, it has gained the reputation of a “not to be missed” event on the St. Thomas social calendar. A seasonal celebration of goodwill towards VIMSIA, proceeds help subsidize tuition costs and fund scholarships to encourage student diversity.

We can’t wait to kick off the holidays together again! This year, Las Vegas Night will be held on Saturday 2nd December 2023 from 7:00p.m. to 1:00a.m. at Sapphire Beach Resort.

There are several areas for our parent body and the larger corporate community to get involved in. These are as follows:

1) Raffle: one of the largest income earners in the event. Tickets are $5 each and are sold in books of 10. Cash prizes totalling $14,500 are at stake.

On September 7, each family received a minimum of 2 books for purchase or sale. We have 10,000 tickets to sell though, so we ask for your strongest and timely efforts in this venture. Please turn all money and ticket stubs as soon as they’re sold to the school’s Office Manager Kathy Huttel, and ask for more books to sell. Remember, the 2 families that sell the most over 35 complete raffle books will have $1500 and $750 discounted from next year’s tuition. We need a raffle coordinator as well as 10 persons to cover our car park collection between Nov 27 & Dec 1.

2) Prizes & Donations: These are used in  auctions that are run throughout the night. As a parent community, we are connected with the best companies, products and services. Whether it be cruises, charters, branded baskets, vintage collections of wine, hotel packages, boat charters, jewellery, arts and crafts, electronics, automobiles, spa packages, restaurant or private catering services – keep in mind that ‘if you’d want to bid on it, then we’d want it as a prize’.

We need a solicitations coordinator as well as 10 -15 persons to cover our asks.

3) Volunteers: Las Vegas Night is a huge undertaking. Areas of work (pre-event and during the event) include admissions, auction, banking, data entry, dealers, raffle, set up and take down and solicitations. We need reliable, pro-active, dedicated and hard-working volunteers. To gain free admission to Las Vegas Night, volunteers are required to work for a minimum of 4 hours prior to the event, or a minimum of 2.5 hours on the night. Of course, if you can afford the time, please volunteer for a longer period. Your reward will be knowing that you’ve given back to the school that’s giving your child/ren such an amazing education!

4) Marketing and Advertising: If you are a boss at flyers, videos, social media, or have an “in” with radio programs or newspapers, please let us know how best you can help spread the word.

5) Admission tickets: $125 each in advance and $150 at the door. Included in the ticket price are light hors d’oeuvres. Our school population is 290, and our goal for participants on the night is over 700+. Do the math and let’s all work to fill the venue. Tickets can be purchased in advance on our website: www.vimsia.org/donate.

Once at the event, here’s what you need to know:

Drink tickets and gaming chips will be available for purchase at the admissions table and at the Main Bank. Gaming chips are used in the mock gaming, which includes blackjack, roulette, poker (Texas Hold’em) and maybe craps. PLEASE NOTE THAT NEITHER DRINK TICKETS NOR GAMING CHIPS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE OR REEDEMBLE FOR CASH – YOUR GAMING WINNINGS OR LEFT OVER CHIPS CAN BE USED TO BID ON SOME AUCTION PRIZES, OR CONSIDERED A DONATION TO VIMSIA. We thank you in advance for your generosity in spending.

For those who want to support the school but don’t like or are opposed in principal to the concept of gambling, the socializing is wonderful, dress up and party with the community. The atmosphere is a thrill, and DJ Cypha will be on hand for dancing. There’s something for everyone – and we look forward to your most enthusiastic support, to making lots of money for our children’s school, and to seeing you all there!

See below roles, responsibilities, and expectations for volunteer areas. Please contact me at lchamelyaqui@gmail.com to offer to serve!

Warm regards,

Lisa Chamely-Aqui
Fundraising Coordinator

VOLUNTEER DUTIES AND DESCRIPTIONS

SOLICITATION
Pre-event
Head of Solicitation:
Co-ordinates the solicitors and lists of businesses. Makes initial contact with businesses via email. Responsible for the organization of the solicited items and their documentation.

Works with database head.

Hands everything over to the Heads of Live and Silent Auctions and Bingo in a timely fashion.

Solicitors:
Contact minimum of 20 businesses and ask for donations to the Live & Silent Auctions, Bingo and Straight Sale portions of the event.

Follow-up with dropping off documentation and collection of donations to be used in auctions and bingo on the night.

MARKETING
Social media boosting, flyers, logo placement, webpage content development, promotions

DATA ENTRY
Pre-event: Help with the data entry of all Auction items and packages. Must be able to work with Access and Excel programs.

At the event: Register the auction bid cards with contact information corresponding to the bid number; as that eases off, work with the auction checkout table.

VOLUNTEERS

Pre-event:
Help manage Sign up Genius for LVN
Call/send emails to registered volunteers to confirm shifts, expectations.
Prepare sheets with volunteer names/shifts to have at admissions.

At the event: Check off volunteers at admissions.

AUCTION

Silent Auction Director:
Works closely with the Heads of Gift Solicitation, Live Auction, Head Banker and Data Management in packaging donations.

Provide the auction package data to be included on the website and maybe as a brochure at the event.

Work with Live Auction to create PowerPoint display for auctions (for school creations and high-end items).

Creates the layout for the auction presentation.

Reviews all gift descriptions and starting bid amounts.

Ensures that all items are properly tagged and displayed, and appropriate documentation is in order.

Oversees bidding process.

If a dispute arises, will have final say in the resolution of the dispute.

Responsible for the providing Data Management / Check-out of the winners and posting the auction results.

Ensuring that all auction items are relocated from the auction tables to the check out area and that the labeling is clear for claiming.

Silent Auction Volunteers:

Task on the night:

Need to become familiar with the items up for auction.

Monitor bidding process during auction cycle.

Post winners.

Secure items after auction cycle closes.

Monitor until pick-up of items takes place.

Live Auction Floor Coordinator:

Pre-event:

Works closely with the Auction Director and Head of Gift Solicitation in organizing donations for Live Auction.

Responsible for the flow of all support activity on the Live Auction floor.

Create ppt to advertise live auction packages.

Be familiar with all package details as presented in the Live Auction brochure.

Works closely with the Head Auctioneer, providing him/her with printed prompt cards of additional details on all items in the Live Auction.

At the event:

Assist with the running of the Live Auction by being on the auction floor and spotting potential bidders, noting bidding information and taking forms from the floor to the auction data entry area, inputting data into the computer.

Show auction items to attendees during bidding.

Assist onstage to read package descriptions before Auctioneer starts bidding.

Manage gifts after auction to assist during checkout.

Check out: verify auction winners, take credit card or chip payments, hand over items won with due diligence.

Depending on how big the auction is, you will need to prepare the bidding owl with items, assign and control bidder numbers at the event, enter all of the silent and live bid winning sheets as they each close, create invoices, take payment, pick/pack product.  If it's small, you may not need that much control.

ADMISSIONS

Pre-event: Help catalogue and distribute admissions tickets/chips to sponsors.

At the event:

Greeters meet attendees at the entrance.

Entry table sales assist with selling admission tickets, beverage tickets, and chips to be used at the gaming tables.

Accurate handling of monies.

Be able to explain the activities and their locations, available through out the evening.

Door attendants to verify admissions and stamp or provide bands.

BANKING PARENTS ONLY PLEASE.

At the event: Responsible for the accurate handling and accounting of monies, chips and ticket sales on the night of the event.

GAMING
Pre event: Practice during at least 6 blackjack dealer practices which are held twice a week at Caribbean Fish Market leading up to the event and to dealing on and off during the course of the LVN event. Contact wthomas@kellfer.com if you want to be a blackjack dealer.

RAFFLE
Pre event:
Encourage sales
Collection of tickets/money etc at drop off and pick up at both car parks the week leading up to LVN.

At the event: Sell raffle tickets

SET UP AND STRIKE

Pre and post event:

Help provide the safe and secure transportation of items needed at the dealer practice venue and to and from Sapphire.

Moves equipment.

Provide maintenance of equipment where necessary and assist with heavy labor during the decoration process and in the taking down process the morning after LVN.

Hanging of LVN signage.

Helpful to have handyman experience and access to a pick up truck.

STRONG PEOPLE NEEDED PLEASE!


After SOLICITATIONS: please put pre-event before all the responsibilities.

With Silent and Live AUCTION

Add task on the night:



Positive Lifestyles Promgram

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The PGIA would like to thank all community presenters that donated their time to talk to our students yesterday during the Positive Lifestyle Program Health Fair; Dr. Jessica Wilson, Meg Sheahan, Bianca McClammy, Michael Fogle, Justin Kurtz, Ashley Smith, and our staff members Shane DeGannes, Mara Brownell, and Kelly Butler. 

"Taste the Nations" from a Student’s Perspective

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“Taste the Nations” preparation begins months before the event. The grades choose a country to represent in a dance- these almost always tie in with end session or some other event that has inspired us during the year. For example, the seventh grade represented Iceland, which is a travel option during end session this year. They then go to work practicing and perfectecting the dance. “For two months, we rehearsed every Tuesday for two hours. As ‘Taste the Nations’ drew closer, we rehearsed a few Thursdays as well.” said a grade seven student. “Not only is there the dance practice, but the writing and rehearsing of the introduction speech.”

It’s a lot of work, but we, the students, recognize the importance of it. Firstly, it is for a grade. Secondly, we care about our school, and so we do our best to represent it. Not only do we care about our school, but the opportunities of the people in it. The money raised from “ Taste the Nations” goes toward end session scholarships- because the end session traveling options cost a lot, the school makes an effort to have all the students travel once throughout their period at school. It is an amazing experience- one every student deserves to try.

Coming Soon, Wizard of Oz

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After last semester’s production of Romeo and Juliet, the drama club is preparing for a second play fast approaching- the Wizard of Oz! Mrs. Bump and her team of theater students are hard at work. This time, the lower and upper elementary classrooms will be participating as well, as munchkins and monkeys. Be sure to come watch and support the PGIA drama club! The dates of the performances will be May 10 and 11, which will land on a Friday and Saturday.

Photo Credit to Tams-Witmark

Photo Credit to Tams-Witmark

DANCING INTO BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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Wednesday afternoon was a Black History celebration through music and dance!

Lower Elementary teacher Jessica Di Franceso, students Lilly Tulk, Erica Simcic, Natasha Webster and Morgan Tolud participate in a traditional basket dance with Mama Azia. 

 "The Echo People" vocalist and drummer, Ital Anthony explaining Moko jumbies to an assembly of children.

Students Lilly Tulk, Patricia Cannon, Erica Simcic, Morgan Tolud and Evelyn Wilson wait for instructions from Mama Azia.

Student Thank-a-Thon

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With the help of Peter Gruber International Academy students, the Advancement Office held its first student run Thank-a-Thon to show our donors some #KINDNESS and love this Valentines season. It's because of our amazing supporters that #VIMSIA is able to continue to provide students with quality education and create a love for learning unlike any other. Thanks to all who volunteered, helping us reach out to over 150 supporters of our school and embracing our #cooltobekind theme! 

A Night at The Museum

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Upper Elementary Wax Museum presentations were a hit Thursday night.  Students prepared first person narratives from past to the present for family and friends. Each student dressed up in character and delivered their speeches flawlessly all while pretending to be a wax statue. It is an interactive presentation held at VIMSIA in honor of black history month.

As a culmination of 6 weeks work these notable personalities came to life to share their stories representing a diversity of backgrounds of social activism, education, literature, medicine, sports, NASA and the entertainment world.