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We are fortunate to have a dedicated and excellently trained group of educators and support staff at Virgin Islands Montessori School and International Academy. All of our teachers from the Toddler Program (Learning Activity House) through Upper Elementary have Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) teaching diplomas. All of our highly qualified and dedicated Academy teachers have received additional training in the International Baccalaureate curriculum.
SPANISH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR LOWER & UPPER ELEMENTARY  Adalio Araujo - Spanish & Physical Education Senor Araujo is a native of Sao Tome, a Portuguese principality, and holds a MA in Linguistics obtained in Bescincon, France. Since 1989, “Senor” has been offering a quality Spanish program to students starting at the elementary level. In addition, “Senor” teaches Physical Education and coaches our Soccer teams. He is a FIFA-certified soccer coach and has refereed JV/varsity soccer for 13 years. Our soccer program is unparalled on the island - thanks to Senor (and our kids of course). LEARNING ACTIVITY HOUSE - Toddler Program  PRIMARY 3 to 5 year olds
 Mandy Boyle – Primary Directress Ms. Boyle has both AMI Primary and Elementary Teaching Diplomas. Ms. Boyle has been a Primary Directress with us since 1993. She was born in Dublin, Ireland. After taking both trainings in Ireland, Ms. Boyle moved to St. Thomas and has made it her home. Eve Matthews – Primary Directress Ms. Matthews holds an AMI Primary Teaching Diploma and a BS in Social Science. She also joined VIMSIA in 1993. Prior to coming to St. Thomas, Ms. Matthews taught for five years in Ireland and New York. She was born in Maryland, and raised in Ireland. Simone Summer – Primary Directress Ms. Summer holds an AMI Primary Teaching Diploma and a BA in Elementary Education. Prior to joining VIMS in September 2002, she taught for five years in Montessori Schools in the United States and New Zealand. Ms. Summer was born on St. Thomas and is a proud alumni.
LOWER ELEMENTARY 1st-3rd grade
Lolitia Johnson--Lower Elementary Directress
Ms. Johnson, who grew up in Jamaica, is currently living in Harfford, CT. She is very excited about returning to her Caribbean roots and joining our VIMSIA team. Whilte this will be Ms. Johnson's first
opportunity as Head AMI teacher in an Elementary classroom, she was an Assistant Teacher in both AMI Primary and AMI Elementary classrooms over the past several years. Ms. Johnson did her student teaching
in AMI Elementary and Special Education at Annie Fisher Montessori School.
Sarah Fary--Lower Elementary Diretcress
Ms. Fary hales from Silver Springs, MD. She has recently received her AMI Elementary Teaching Certificate from Loyola University and is currently completing her Masters in Education. Ms. Fary
visted our school in June and is very excited about joining our VIMSIA and Virgin Island communities.
Kirby Belcher--Lower Elementary Teaching Assistant
Ms. Belcher has recently moved to St. Thomas. Her interest in Montessori led her directly to us and we began utilizing her as a substitute teacher at all levels. Prior to St. Thomas, Ms. Belcher worked at Florida's
Discovery Montessori School as an assistant at the Lower Elementary level for two years. She has an undergraduate degree in Elementary Education.
Kirsten Ottley--Lower Elementary Teaching Assistant
Ms. Ottley is a long time resident of St. Thomas and has over 20 years experience teaching elementary school in a traditional setting. The Ottley family returns to our school after an absence of a few years while they resided
in Washington, D.C. Ms. Ottley is bilingual and has experience teaching Spanish and ESOL, in addition to her elementary background. Her husband, Basil, is an alumnus of VIMSIA.
 Ms. Woolward --Lower Elementary Teacher's Aid Ms. Woolward has been with VIMSIA for over 30 years! She is a native of St. Thomas.Ms. Leader joined our Elementary staff in January 2010. She was born in St. Thomas and attended High School at CAHS. She is currently pursuing her B.A. in Early Childhood Education at Kaplan University and at UVI.
UPPER ELEMENTARY 4th-6th grade
 Vadha Rajaratnam - Upper Elementary Directress Ms. Rajaratnam is AMI certified as both a Primary and Elementary Montessori Directress. She began her Montessori career in 1972 and has been Primary Directress, Elementary Directress (mostly 9-12) and an Administrator. Ms. Rajaratnam is also educated and trained as a Suzuki Piano Teacher and has been teaching adult and children's piano lessons for over 30 years. A native of Sri Lanka, she comes to St. Thomas from Boston and we are very happy to welcome her into our VIMSIA family.
 Jessica Murphy - Upper Elementary - Assistant Teacher Ms. Murphy joined VIMSIA in 2008 as the Director of the Bougainvillea Enrichment Center and was responsible for developing and overseeing our After School Programs. During the course of the year, she began helping out in the Upper Elementary program and found a passion for the Montessori method of education. Summer 2009 marks the first of three summers that Ms. Murphy will spend in AMI Elementary Teacher Training. She is thrilled to be working toward this career and we look forward to her continuing to add her energy and enthusiasm to the Upper Elementary Program. Ms. Murphy has a BA in Liberal Studies from Champlain College in Burlington VT and is originally from Massachusetts. She is also a USCG Sailing Captain. She plans to add her talents to our after school programs by developing a VIMSIA Sailing Program and facilitating the development of our VIMSIA Track Program.INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY - IB MYP 7th-10th Grades and IB DP 11th and 12th Grades
Camille McKayle has served in this role before, as VIMSIA began the journey toward both MYP and DP authorization by the International Baccalaureate Organization. She was instrumental in researching the IB program and, along with the full board, determining that this was the direction in which to take the school as we further expanded into the upper grades. She liaised with the IB Organization during parts of the application process, and designed the curriculum for the VIMSIA IB Mathematics HL and SL. As co-Director, she will work closely with David Jenkins and Gloria Zakers to chart the overall direction of the IA program. Camille’s main role will be overall coordination of the IA programs, while serving as a bridge with the Board of Trustees, and to the Montessori Program. She continues as Dean for the College of Science and Mathematics at the University of the Virgin Islands, and is currently the longest serving member on the VIMSIA Board of Trustees.
 Gloria Zakers – Co-Director of International Academy, IB Diploma Program Coordinator/High School Coordinator/Dean of Students and Science Educator. Gloria Zakers, currently DP coordinator, has worked in the creation of the IA curriculum over the years, including what preceded the IB program at VIMSIA. In addition to teaching science & mathematics at VIMSIA for 4 years, Gloria has served in many administrative roles, including DP Coordinator, High School Coordinator, Dean of Students and Middle States Accreditation Supervisor. Prior to joining the team at VIMSIA, Gloria worked as a marine biologist and education specialist at Coral World Marine Park, as well as a coral reef researcher and science educator for the University of the Virgin Islands. She has participated in IB training for DP coordinators and the DP course Environmental Systems & Societies, as well as MYP Science and MYP Technology. Gloria has played a large role working to create a unique identity for VIMSIA as a ecologically responsible and globally focused educational institution. Gloria was an integral part of both teams that helped VIMSIA to gain both IB MYP and DP authorizations, in addition to coordinating the team that secured our Middle States Accreditation as a K-12 school. She was involved with the Montessori Model United Nations, and has created a course on endangered species which took students to Mexico & Costa Rica to study endangered whales and leatherback turtles. As co-Director, Gloria’s first priority will be the coordination of the Diploma Program (grades 11-12), in addition to helping with all other administrative and curriculum aspects of the high school. Originally from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Ms. Zakers followed her love for the ocean and moved to the Virgin Islands in 1994. In St. Thomas, she attended the University of the Virgin Islands and graduated with a B.S. in Marine Biology in 1997. She formerly worked as an aquarist and in the student education program at Coral World, and as a research scientist studying the health of Caribbean coral reefs and endangered sea turtles. She has taught science at the both the high school and college level. Ms. Zakers has attended two IBO Middle Years Program Workshops and has also attended the IB Diploma Program Coordinators training and the IBDP Environmental Science and Societies training. She plans to work towards her master’s degree in Marine Science and Education at UVI in the near future. A few of her proudest accomplishments at VIMSIA include her involvement with the Montessori Model United Nations, her specialized course on endangered species which took students to Baja, Mexico to study endangered whales and Costa Rica to study leatherback sea turtles, as well as her efforts towards helping to develop a “green” campus. Ms. Zakers has two beautiful children, Diego & Bella, who also attend VIMSIA. She has been a resident of St. Thomas for almost 15 years. She loves being a part of the VIMSIA community and is excited and enthusiastic to be the new IB Diploma Coordinator.  David Jenkins - Co-Director of International Academy and IB Middle Years Program Coordinator/English/Humanities. David Jenkins, currently MYP coordinator, comes to the IA with a wealth of administrative experience. David served as MYP, DP coordinator and Head of Secondary, overseeing the implementation of both programmes within three years (Westlake Academy is one of only five schools in the US to be authorized for all three IB programmes). David joined VIMSIA after serving as High School Principal at the American School of Bilbao. As co-director, his first priority will be the coordination of the MYP program (grades 7-10), among other administrative duties. After spending his childhood in Denmark, Iran and Portugal, David relocated to the UK, where he finished a degree in History and Politics. From there he went to Denmark to work at an international school in Copenhagen teaching History and English, and coordinated the IB Middle Years Programme for three years. In 1996 David served as MYP coordinator at Horsholm International School Copenhagen, Denmark. After teaching IB and AP European & World History at the American School of Bilbao, Spain, David worked in London with the British educational system. In 2000 David moved to the American School of Bilbao, Spain, teaching English, History and coordinated the Model United Nations programme. After three years he returned to the UK to finish his Masters in Education. From there he was appointed MYP Coordinator at Westlake Academy, Texas. After four years he was the wearer of multiple hats including the MYP and DP coordinator, Head of Secondary, and had classes in History. In those four years the school was authorized for the PYP, MYP and DP, making it one of only five schools in the US to offer all three IB programmes. More importantly, it was also where he met his beautiful wife, who is teaching Science and Math at the school. Two years ago they had a baby boy. In 2008 they relocated to Spain, and his former school, where he was the Upper School Principal and taught classes in Psychology and History. In his spare time, David likes to relax, spend time with his family, and play football, although his pace has slowed somewhat! This will be his second year at the VIMSA, and he is thoroughly looking forward to it! J. Donovan Carroll - International Academy Mathematics/Math Counts Mr. Carroll has a BS in Interdisciplinary Studies: Math Education 8-12 from the University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to joining us in 2008, Mr. Carroll taught in the Texas Public School System. He is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and a Mensa member. As with all of our Academy level teachers, he has attended numerous IB Training workshops and is very excited to start teaching DP (Diploma Programme) level math in 2009. Mr. Carroll is a self professed Math Geek as well as an extensive world traveler. He looks forward to continuing to develop an unparalleled Math Program at VIMSIA.   Jon is an educational technology specialist and certified K-12 teacher of Spanish who recently completed a Master’s degree in educational leadership with principalship certification. He implemented a number of pioneering technology programs at one of New Jersey’s top public high schools, where he has taught for the past six years. Jon redesigned curricula for a variety of Spanish courses to incorporate his project-based approach to instruction and his commitment to 21st century education. Jon’s multi-class website, www.languageconnects.us, was one of the first in his school to create an academic and social network between students across three continents. He is also a professor of Spanish at the College of New Jersey, a highly competitive university, where he has successfully customized a language learning lab and built a library of digital language exchanges at www.spanishconnects.us. Jon is frequently invited to deliver seminars on technology in education, and has been recognized as an innovator in his use of Moodle, Skype, the Tablet PC, and an abundance of Web 2.0 tools in his own classrooms.
Elizabeth Steveson- Humanities and English-MYP Elizabeth Stevenson is happy to join VIMSIA as the 7th & 8th grade Humanities and English teacher. She earned her BA in History from Carleton College, Northfield, MN, in 2002, and an MA from the University of Maine, Orono in 2006. Although originally from Minnesota, she is coming to St. Thomas after 5 years teaching at an American curriculum & IBO school in Manama, Bahrain. While in Bahrain, she taught a variety of subjects, including Geography, US History, and English. In addition to teaching in Bahrain, Elizabeth also worked in high schools in Minnesota and Maine. From 1999-2004 she taught German during the summer at Concordia Language Villages, Bemidji, MN. Her interests include German, travel, writing, reading, swimming, and spending time with her husband, Steve, and 2-year-old son, Nicholas.
Steven Stevenson- MYP and DP English Steven Stevenson holds a BA in English from Colorado College. He is originally from Conroe, Texas but moved to Manama, Bahrain in 2003. There he taught 9th & 10th grade English, DP English (A1, A2, & B) and TOK at Modern Knowledge Schools. In 2006 he moved to Bangor, Maine after getting married to Elizabeth. They returned to Bahrain in 2007, where their son Nicholas was born. After another 3 years teaching A1, A2, and TOK, Steven is now eagerly anticipating teaching 9th-12th English at VIMSIA. He plans to continue reading, writing, puzzling, and enjoying life while in St. Thomas.
 Gil Anspacher--Math and Technology and IT Director
Gil Anspacher (a.k.a. Skyler and Kaia's Dad) has been working for VIMSIa part-time this past year ensuring that our IT infrastructure is running smoothly. He will move to a full time position in August, continuing in his
IT role and additionally teaching Technology and Math for the International Academy. Gil has a B.S. in Science Education and a B.A. in Chemistry and Marine Sciences.
Mrinal Bali has eleven years of international school experience and has taught IB Diploma Level Physics, in addition to IGCSE (from Cambridge) physics to students in grades 9-12. He has most recently taught in VedVakya School and the Pathways World School, an IB school in India. He came to teaching from a background in industry, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, and a Master of Science, also in Engineering from Northwestern University in Illinois. He has many interests that he will share with our students, including robotics and photography.
Diandra Jones, an IB graduate, will complete the IA team, designing an interdisciplinary arts program for students in grades 7-10. Diandra is multifaceted, having most recently taught Physical Education and Dance for students in grades 6-12 at Lincoln Community School in Ghana at an IB School. She has also used the arts and digital media to engage peers around the world to learn about each other. In addition she has extensive dance teaching experience in various genres. Diandra has also taught English and Writing at the Middle and High School level. Diandra holds a B.A. in English and Secondary Education from Loyola University Chicago, IL and an M.A. in Interdisciplinary Arts with focus on History and performances of integrated art forms from Columbia College, Chicago, IL. She is an honors graduate from Mercyhurst IB Preparatory School in Erie, PA and has trained in many forms of dance, including African, Hip Hop, Modern and Irish Step.
LIBRARY CENTER AND INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY LIBRARY
Kathy Schlesinger--Librarian
Ms. Schlesinger (a.k.a. Alison and Axel's mom) will be joining our staff as librarian. Ms. Schlesinger has been a part of our community for many years and has been a manager at Dockside Bookstore since the 1980's. She is very excited to begin her librarian career at VIMSIA. She has a wealth of experience in the literary world and has been an active member of our library committee sinces its inception. AFTER SCHOOL BOUGAINVILLEA ENRICHMENT CENTER
Erolyn Phelan - BEC Director Kenner Lohn - BEC Assistant ADMINISTRATION
 Shournagh McWeeney - Montessori Director Ms. McWeeney has been with the school since 1977. She taught for three years and then took over as the Head of School in August of 1980. She wore that hat (and the hundreds of others that come with it) until 2008. Since we have refused to allow her to retire, she continues as the Montessori Director (still wearing many hats) and has been instrumental in facilitating the transition to our new Head of School. She holds an AMI Primary Diploma and taught Montessori for ten years prior to joining VIMS in 1977. A native of Dublin, Ireland, her teaching took her to the U.S. mainland where she taught in Boston, Denver and San Francisco before moving to St. Thomas. Katherine Huttel - Office Manager Prior to joining our staff in January 1997, Ms. Huttel was a very active PTA member and served on its Board for a number of years. Her two daughters, Margo and Lauren graduated from VIMS Upper Elementary. She is originally from Texas, and moved to St. Thomas in 1979.
 Peggy Hunt - Business Director Ms. Hunt has a degree in Business Administration from The Ohio State University. Her experience includes working at two major Fortune 500 companies for over 18 years in Operations and Computer Systems Development. Ms. Hunt moved to St. Thomas 1997. She and her husband, Harry Gauriloff, have a daughter Karen, who has been flourishing in the Montessori environment since her admission to LA Casa in 2003. Ms. Hunt has been very active with our school, including serving as VIMSIA President and Vice President prior to coming on board as part of our staff in 2007.  Erika Gomez de Luna - Director of Admissions-Marketing and Development Manager
Ms. de Luna started with VIMSIA in 2008, and hails from Chicago, The Windy City. Ms. de Luna holds a B.A. in Public Policy Environmental Science and is Certified in Geographic Information Systems from DePaul University, Chicago, IL . Ms. de Luna has 10 years previous experience in research and development with non-profits at the University level including spending six years implementing and directing a program tracking first year Freshmen students entering University or Colleges and increasing student retention rates. She has brought much of that experience to bear here at VI Montessori and International Academy and has also brought our graphics and Public Relations materials to great new heights and we so appreciate her dedication. This will be Ms. de Luna 3rd year with VIMSIA and she is looking forward to enrolling more students.  Maryann Paul - Front Office Secretary Ms. Paul, a native New Yorker, moved to St. Thomas in 1987. She attended Drake Business School in New York before joining VIMSIA in December 2000. Ms Paul has her desk in the front office and takes care of parent, staff and student needs. Ms. Paul has four children and a beautiful grand-daughter. This page is incomplete and still under construction |
