VIMSIA Welcomes Ms. Hess Back and Wishes Ms. Ludick Well

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It’s that time of year when we say good bye to some of our teachers as they venture off on their next chapter and welcome in any new staff. Ms. Ludick will be moving on after this year to spend more time with her family in Ohio - we wish her all the best and thank her for her time with us. She moved on island about two weeks before the hurricanes hit us in 2017 - so we certainly welcomed her in with flair! Good luck Ms. Ludick! Enjoy this appreciation note from Erica…..

Ms. Neysa Hess will be coming back to VIMSIA to replace Ms. Ludick. Ms. Hess was with us for two years in Lower Elementary and was forced to leave island due to the storms. We welcome Ms. Hess and her children back to VIMSIA!

Yearbook Committee Advisor Needed for Next Year

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We are looking for next year's Yearbook committee advisor.

Mrs. Ethen was our advisor for the last 2 years and is ready to step down. Thank you, Mrs. Ethen, so much for all you’ve done these past 2 years!

We need an adult who will be able to motivate the students each week during Enrichment to take photos and complete necessary tasks, using the software provided by the school.

Enrichment is on Wednesdays from 1:25pm to 3:15pm.

In addition to Yearbook Committee Advisor, we are looking for anyone from the greater community that would be interested in volunteering their time and sharing their expertise with the students for the 2019-2020 Enrichment classes.

Volunteers can offer any type of classes from cooking, jewelry making & yoga to astrophysics, marine biology & robotics!!

Ideally, we'd love someone to replace our previous volunteer gardener, since our garden is looking kinda shabby these days.

Lastly, I am looking for anyone who can sew. Our Bhangra costumes need a little TLC after many years of use.

Please contact Ms. Helen, hsidiropoulos@vimsia.org, if you are interested.

Documentary on Hannah Upp's Disappearance

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Most of our families are aware that our beloved Hannah Upp went missing after Hurricane Irma. ABC Network has done a documentary on Hannah that will air May 16. Hannah’s family is asking that we spread the word - any connection could be the one that leads to Hannah. Below is the letter that they have written regarding the documentary and sharing it.

 From Hannah’s Family:

We want to let you know about the upcoming air date and time for an hour-long documentary produced by ABC about Hannah and the ongoing search for her.  We worked with the Lincoln Square Productions Team in extensive interviews, including filming on site in Saint Thomas, in the hope that wider knowledge about Hannah’s situation would increase awareness and could reach someone who might have some knowledge about her whereabouts. 

The program is currently scheduled to be aired on the Arts and Entertainment (A&E) network on Thursday night, May 16. It will be at 9 pm Eastern and Pacific time.  We do not know the time for Central or Mountain yet, and it is possible that there may be some variation in date and time due to cable company variations.  You may need to check your local listings for A&E in your area.

 The title of the documentary is:  “Vanished in Paradise: The Untold Story"

Description: "Elizabeth Vargas explores the mysterious disappearance of Hannah Upp, a 32 year old teacher from Oregon, who vanished in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2017 in the time between two category five hurricanes.  Having previously been diagnosed with dissociative fugue, those closest to her believe her disappearance follows a pattern and that she may still be alive. Vargas will help retrace Upp's last known steps by sifting through clues from her past as well as speaking with Upp’s mother, friends and law enforcement who are still searching for her.” It will also include a discussion with Dr. David Speigel at Stanford University, who is described as the preeminent expert in the field of dissociative fugue.

 We would like to ask for your help in spreading the word about this program, if you feel comfortable to do so. We are not doing this for publicity purposes but simply in the hopes of continuing to create awareness and reaching a wider audience. We want you all to know that we struggled with the decision of whether or not to support and contribute to this documentary at all. Eventually, there were two key factors that led us to make the choice to do so. One, a program was probably going to be made whether we contributed or not, and we desired to do what we could to ensure that the information presented in the program was factually correct to the best of our knowledge. Two, if Hannah is still out there somewhere, we never know what unexpected connection may lead us to a clue to locating her again. All it would take is for one person to see the program and recognize her. True, there may be some erroneous reports as well, but we feel that it is worth the trouble to sift through them if it gives us a chance to locate Hannah.

 We should also mention that while we have contributed to the documentary, we do not have any creative control over the end product, nor will we have the opportunity to preview it before it airs. We are admittedly nervous about this, but are hoping and praying that the overall message of the program is accurate and consistent with our mutually expressed desires to help find Hannah without descending into sensationalism.

 In case you do not have these links and would like to share them, the Facebook group dedicated to finding Hannah is https://www.facebook.com/FindHannahUppUSVI. Any updates or developments will be posted here, and it is the primary resource hub to find products such as fliers or to leave a message for the organizers. Additionally, the link to the GoFundMe that is raising funds to keep the search going is https://www.gofundme.com/findhannahupp.

 Thank you so much for your love and support for Hannah and the ongoing search. The circle of friends and family who miss her is still wide and strong, and each link matters. We take hope from the connections that continue and all who join us in reaching out to find Hannah.   We appreciate what each one of you do to express in your own way your deep care and prayer. It means a great deal to us.

  Gratefully,

  Barbara Bellus & Dan Upp

Interest in VIMSIA Group or Individual Tennis Lessons

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We are interested in offering tennis at VIMSIA through our after school programs. In order to do so, we need to know the level of interest from our parent community. If you are interested please complete this brief survey.

Interest in VIMSIA Sailing Program

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We are interested in pursuing a sailing program again at VIMSIA. In order to do so, we need to know the level of interest from our parent community. We will also need to acquire boats, an instructor and parent volunteers. If you are interested please complete this brief survey.

Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals VI ACE Academy Applications Now Open

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2019 OBAP Virgin Islands ACE Academy Applications are now OPEN!  This is a unique summer opportunity with the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals (OBAP) and its Virgin Islands Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy. The purpose of ACE is to offer first level exposure to the aviation industry by providing aviation career exploration for middle and high school students. Academy participants learn about aviation history, theory of flight, and other aviation related subjects. Students will have the opportunity to go on field trips to aviation facilities, museums and participate in other hands on activities designed to give students a total aviation experience. 

Flyer with Registration Information and Requirements

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Community Garden Project - Volunteers needed

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PTA and Ms. McGavick (who is a Master Gardener) are starting a Community Garden Project. First meeting and work day will be May 18th 8AM - 11AM at vimsia. Parents volunteers needed. Wear closed toes shoes, working gloves bring water bottle. help comunicty garden. Please let Ms. McGavick know if you can make it. Email mmcgavick@vimsia.org. 


Megan has more details if needed

Wizard of Oz Tickets and Volunteers Needed

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Tickets for the Wizard of Oz are available online or at the front office with Mrs. Gribble! Don't wait to purchase your ticket! www.vimsia.org/events

Volunteers are needed for the Wizard of Oz! Mrs. Bump and Mrs. Engle are looking for a few more parent volunteers to help work concessions, ticket sales and the candy gram booth. If interested, please sign up here. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yomdhf3MecBcPv4ci7D4CQNfBFhCe-XAtjdwY2Yxi0w/edit