Yucatàn End Session Group Visits the Cenotes

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Sean on his trek down (through this itty bitty space!) to an underground cenote

Sean on his trek down (through this itty bitty space!) to an underground cenote

Dear parents:

We write tonight after a day filled with excitement and great memories. Students selected experiences that included a visit to three cenotes in Cuzama or a visit to the Great Mayan Museum of Merida followed by a local spa session. 

The cenote group took a colectivo to get from our hotel to Cuzuma. Once there, they got in motor taxis to make their way to the three cenotes. There, they navigated the deep misteries and secrets of Mayan culture. The experience was one of a kind and they all had a great time. 

The Mayan Museum group was taken by the amazing exhibit and the interactive presentations throughout the building. Our students got a chance to share time with a local school group who was also there for a visit. Students were in awe of the beauty of each item they saw and spoke with the curators as much as they were able to. After this, a visit to a local spa gave them a chance to experience the manners and charm of a yucateca host. 

As you can see, this was a day to be remembered. Tomorrow we head to Chichen Itza, we will tell you all about it in a few days. 

Feeling grateful for the opportunity,

Dean Vazquez and the crew

Chichen Itza Visit for Yucatàn End Session Group

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Dear parents:  

A quick note today to keep you posted. We had a great day yesterday. It started early with our visit to the temples and city of Chichen Itza. 

We had an educational tour of the ancient city, followed by lunch, local shopping, and pool time at the Mayaland Hotel. The day ended with the light and sound show in the Chichen Itza grounds. 

We got back around 11:30 pm and it was another amazing day. 

Happy Sunday!

Dean Vazquez 

On the "Road to the Oscars"

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From dreams of space and NASA's impact on our lives to the search for a local legend, production is in full swing for the "Making Short Films" end session. 

Students have spent the first half of the course developing their ideas, writing screen plays, memorizing lines and creating production plans. They have also begun filming and learning about camera angles, lighting, sound design and creating voice overs.

We are now in the process post production, editing and shooting final components in preparation for project premiers next week!

- Mr. Williams, Mrs. Bump & the Short Film Students.

Letter from the Yucatàn End Session Group

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Cancun Underwater Museum

Cancun Underwater Museum

 
Maya with one of the statues they will see on their underwater museum tour

Maya with one of the statues they will see on their underwater museum tour

We have now had two full days of great fun and adventure. We have gotten to know Cancun, traveling by public bus and really experiencing how the everyday folk here moves about and interacts with the city. 

Yesterday we saw the MUSA underwater sculptures and park, a sight to be remembered. Following that, we visited a local mall, ending the day with a bouncing indoor park experience called "Sky Zone".  

It was great to see students throughout the days speak Spanish to the locals, read signs and look for directions, make accounts about their money considering the exchange rate and such. Many were looking for items to bring back that would be just the right fit for their loved ones. Indeed a cultural immersion they will remember for life. 

Today, the Yucatecos head to Merida and the adventure shall continue. We will remain in touch and will share pictures soon. 

With excitement, 

Dean Vazquez 

Biodiversity End Session in Full Swing

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The Biodiversity End Session with Ms. Silva, Ms. Chipley and visiting biologist Meg Malone is well underway, and usually underwater!  They have set up food patches to study fish foraging behavior and recorded data on the sea life they have encountered over the past week.

The group have done class work to prepare for the field work they are doing at places like Sapphire, Megan's, the lagoon and more.

 

Bon Voyage to our Yucatàn End Session Crew

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Viajes seguros, safe travels, to Mr. Elger, Señora Vazquez, Ms. Ferguson and their 17 PGIA student travelers as they are on their way to Mexico for a week of Spanish language immersion, arts and local culture.  Exploring Chichen Itza, snorkeling in the Cancun Underwater Museum MUSA and in the cenotes of Mexico's Yucatàn Peninsula, swimming with whale sharks....and, of course, que estarán hablando en español!  Jealous anyone?  I am!

Amsterdam Update

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Good night everyone,

Today was a day that began for me when I was in second grade and discovered the artist/crazy mathematician MC Escher. We took a day trip to The Hague to visit the Escher Museum and saw many of his original works. There were also many interactive exhibits that were simply fascinating. So so so so cool!  We saw the church where Farenheit is buried, the grave of Spinoza, the congress buildings for the Netherlands, a beautiful park, cool sculptures around the city, and an antiques market. We ate a leisurely lunch in a huge square and enjoyed people watching. We travelled back to Amsterdam and had dinner at De Food Hallen, the same place we ate on our first night because it was that good. We all tried different things tonight and everything was oh so yummy. We are all going to miss the food! Tomorrow, Vanshika will be with her aunt, Donovan will take the girls shopping, and I will visit with a Dutch family we were close with during our time in the Republic of Georgia. We will all meet at the Pancake Boat for a canal cruise and all you can eat pancakes! Until then...hugs and misses from Amsterdam.

Lots of love,
The Amsterdam Girls

PGIA Graduates Largest Class Ever!

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Peter Gruber International Academy Class of 2016

Peter Gruber International Academy Class of 2016

Sunday, May 22, was a glorious day at VI Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy.  Seventeen bright and beautiful graduates of the PGIA took their final walk as high school students.   These 17 promising young people are ready, nervous, anxious, excited, scared - you name it - to start the next chapter of their lives.

All 17 students will be attending university in the fall.  They were accepted to over 50 universities and received scholarships of over $4 million.

Marcus Norkaitis leads the class as Valedictorian.  Naren Advani is Salutatorian.  Nicholas Figueroa was chosen by his class as the class speaker.  Jessie Wyatt was awarded the Masjid Nur Organization's International-Mindedness Scholarship.  Mrs. Elger had the honor of addressing the students as their choice for teacher speaker - not a dry eye in the house!  Mr. David Edward Garcia, a "pent-lingual" teen motivational speaker and comedian was the keynote speaker...and he was a hit!

Imani Sidiropolous-Kearney returned to the PGIA from her first year at Johnson and Wales to graduate with her classmates. Imani attended Johnson and Wales during 2015/2016 to complete her senior year of high school and begin her undergraduate studies.  

Our graduates will be attending:

  • Naren Advani, Elon University (Elon, NC)
  • Kiyalyn Bump, Dalhousie University (Halifax, Canada)
  • Shakima Esprit, The University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, USVI)
  • Ca-Jani Fahie, Indiana Institute of Technology (Fort Wayne, IN)
  • Nicholas Figueroa, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL)
  • Abraham Hamed, Valencia College (Orlando, FL)
  • Christian Kean, American University (Washington DC)
  • Naomi Laing, University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
  • Germaine LaRonde, King University (Bristol, TN)
  • Xiara Lima, Lynn University (Boca Raton, FL)
  • Christopher Murphy, The University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas, USVI)
  • Marcus Norkaitis, Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
  • Dakarai Potter, Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • Khalese Potter, American University (Washington DC)
  • Isabel Setorie, Drew University (Madison, NJ)
  • Imani Sidiropolous-Kearney, Johnson and Wales (continuing)
  • Jesse Wyatt, St. John's University (Queens, NY), or Lincoln Christian University (Lincoln, IL), or Ball State University (Muncie, IN)

SCUBA End Session

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We managed to complete the skin diving and two first confined water training dives on Tuesday. All students successfully demonstrated their water skills. Here are some pictures from our first day in the water. Our first encounters included a squadron of 4 squid and this spider crab. Looking forward to another set of dives today and tomorrow.  - Marc Corbeil, Math Teacher and Scuba Instructor. 

Montessori Elementary Soccer - STT/STJ Champs - 5 Years Running!

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Montessori's Elementary Soccer Team took first place for St. Thomas St. John, yet again!  This will be the Volts' 5th consecutive reign as champs. The final match went 3-0 against Antilles School on Tuesday, May 24.  Chris Griffith was chosen by his teammates as MVP for Tuesday's match.

Señor Araujo - no surprise and well-deserved - was honored as Coach of the Year!

Update from our Amsterdam Crew!

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Good night everyone,

We began the day with emotions of children...bliss, glee, and terror! We spent three hours biking in the park, one of the largest in the city. Two of us were fairly novice riders, hence terror. Three of us were gleeful. And one of us was experiencing pure bliss! This was the reason she came to Amsterdam. It was also great people and dog watching. We returned the bikes and grabbed lunch. We walked the long way to the Anne Frank House shopping, seeing tulips, and taking in mathie sights along the way. We waited in line and then experienced sadness, grief, and empathy as we toured the home. "It was definitely a learning experience," said one student. "It made it real," said another. It impacted me greatly...there really are no words. We then went to Donovan and Klaus' house for a typical Dutch home cooked meal. Their neighbor, Ms. Kitty, came over for dinner as well. She began telling her story of being in an internment camp in Indonesia when she was a child and coming to the Netherlands as a refugee. Amazing conversations ensued over delicious food. We left the apartment and went shopping because the stores were open late. Tomorrow we have a busy busy day ahead. We are definitely making the most of our experiences here. Misses to each of you and hugs from the Amsterdam girls.

Take care,
Elizabeth

Having a great time in Amsterdam!

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Good night everyone,

What an incredible day we've had!  We started off at the I AMSTERDAM sign...such a cool landmark. We then visited the Van Gogh Museum...breathtaking. We ventured across the street to a modern art museum that provoked varied reactions among the group and prompted some interesting discussions. We headed to a market for lunch but ended up eating at a cafe to avoid a light shower. We then took in the market and walked to one of the biggest squares in Amsterdam. We explored the red light district which is also the medieval center and discussed many math related landmarks. Again, very cool discussions ensued. We shopped and bought various treats on our walk back to the hotel. We rested for a bit and then headed to dinner at an Indian restaurant. Delicious! Tomorrow we visit a local museum, the Anne Frank House, go to Donovan's house for dinner and shop, shop, shop! It was a long day of walking and seeing lots of sights.  It was also a little cold. The girls were all amazing troopers and are really soaking up the experience in very unique ways. I'm really enjoying seeing this experience through their eyes.  I'll send more pictures tomorrow but enjoy these for now!

Hugs from Amsterdam

Amsterdam End Session Arrives

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Good night everyone,

We are here safe and sound. We were greeted by Donovan. We took a train in to the city and then a tram to our hotel...which is so cool and artsy. We all love it. We showered, which felt amazing!  Donovan then walked us to the Food Hall which used to be a tram repair shop.  Gorgeous architecture. The hall had every kind of food you can imagine and live music. It was awesome people watching and AMAZING food. We soaked it all up. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the grocery market to get a few things for breakfast. Cool choices and delicious looking fruit.  I then tucked everyone in with goodnight hugs and off to dreamland we are heading.Tomorrow we are visiting the Van Gogh Museum first. I'm not sure what all Donovan has planned after that but I know it'll be amazing. All six of us are in love with the city...a bit colder than we thought but still really awesome!

I'll write more tomorrow. 

Hugs

Mrs. Elger

Bon Voyage to our China End Session Travelers

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Safe travels and well wishes as our PGIA "Journey to the Red Dragon" End Session trip to China gets underway.  Mr. and Mrs. Stocking, both teachers at VIMSIA, will be leading these 14 PGIA students on an adventure through China to experience the Eastern way of life through culture and history.  Their trip includes a service project along with visits to Beijing and Xi'an...as well as that trivial concept of a LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE!                   安全旅行