Spotlight: Marcus Norkaitis - Lead for "Rock of Ages"

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PGIA senior Marcus Norkaitis and actress & TV2 reporter April Knight in "Rock of Ages"   Photo credit Noelle Olive Photography

PGIA senior Marcus Norkaitis and actress & TV2 reporter April Knight in "Rock of Ages"   Photo credit Noelle Olive Photography

Marcus Norkaitis as "Drew" -  Photo Credit Noelle Olive Photography

Marcus Norkaitis as "Drew" -  Photo Credit Noelle Olive Photography

PGIA Senior Marcus Norkaitis plays the lead role of Drew in Pistarckle Theater's production of "Rock of Ages."  The play is a smash hit and will be adding extra shows to cover audience demands.  Marcus, by far the youngest performer, is a big hit with the fans as he portrays a rock star wannabe trying to win the girl.  Belting out rock classics including "I Wanna Rock" by Dee Snider and "Waiting for a Girl Like You" by Mick Jones - Marcus and the entire cast are bringing the audience to their feet.  Congratulations to Marcus, Director Frank Bartalucci, the entire cast and crew and to Pistarckle Theater.  

Bravo!

Karen Gauriloff - Lighting Technician,

Karen Gauriloff - Lighting Technician,

Kudos also to PGIA 9th grader Karen Gauriloff, lighting technician for the production.  

PGIA Reef Bay Field Trip

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Juniors and Seniors were sponsored for a scientific field trip to Reef Bay by Friends of Virgin Islands National Park.  National Park Ranger and great friend of the school, Laurel Brannick was their guide for the day.  Juniors and Biology Teacher Ms. Silva did a clean-up as a part of UVI's Coastweeks Cleanup.  Ms. Zakers and her 12th grade Environmental Systems and Societies class did individual directed research in areas including biodiversity, soil toxicity and endangered species.  Thanks to UVI, Friends of the National Park and Ranger Brannick.  This was a great experience for our students.

Montessori Students Take Home Free Books!

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The St. Thomas and St. John Rotary Clubs recently brought in thousands of gently used books to put into the hands of Virgin Islands children.  These were distributed through the schools. Here at VIMSIA, toddlers through Upper Elementary students selected their own books to take home and keep forever. Ms. Schlesinger’s PGIA Library Mania Enrichment students assisted the younger students. Coming soon: Distribution of free books to the Middle Schoolers!

Spotlight: Ali Bartsch and Alum Isis Collier and Ariel Stolz

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The USVI U20 girls national soccer team played an international friendly match consisting of two games vs. the Turks & Caicos Women's National team last Friday and Saturday on St. Croix.  USVI won both games, with scores of 1-0 and 2-0.

VIMSIA girls competing were junior Alison Bartsch and alumnae Isis Collier and Ariel Stolz.

Volts: Varsity Girls Volleyball Tiebreaker with CAHS

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Nalani Figueroa

The Volts defied the odds on  Tuesday by pushing the competition with CAHS to the extreme.  A Volts win in the first match, followed by back and forth tight victories for each team left the game to a tie-breaker in the 5th set.  CAHS took the tie-breaker, but no-one watching that game could question the powerhouse that is Volts Varsity Girls Volleyball.

I've done the math.  VIMSIA female population for varsity age sports is 25.  Yep - we have a pool of about 25 girls with which to build a team.  CAHS - well, I can't be sure, but a quick calculation and I am pretty confident that 600 is about right - or close enough to prove my point.  Our girls from this little bitty school rocked!  They were professional, supportive of each other and a force to be reckoned with.  I could not have been prouder.  As I watched the game, I realized that the 11th grade girls are the first students to have had the advantage of starting to play volleyball as 4th graders when our program first began.  Goes to show how important it is to build your teams starting at a young age.

Kudos to the team and Coach Figueroa.  A special shout-out to former Volt Volleyball powerhouse, Ms. Kendall Hebert for helping out this season.    Go Volts!  (I guess we're not just the smart school anymore.)

IB Learner Profile - Maya Ethridge

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Congratulations to 9th grader Maya Ethridge, this month's IB Learner Profile winner.  The IB Learner Profile Award is given to a student who embodies IB Learner traits on a daily basis.  

Maya Ethridge and Ms. Elger

Maya Ethridge and Ms. Elger

“Maya is bright, engaging, perceptive, inquisitive, judicious, thoughtful, spirited, and caring. She is a conscientious student, balancing academic and social commitments beautifully. Maya is reflective; she is mindful of her own actions, and she is mindful of how the actions of others impact her classmates. She sees the best in everyone, and she wants to do just in the world. In fact, one day, I am convinced Maya will make the world a much better place - she already has at the PGIA!”
— Mrs. Elger, MYP Math Coordinator & College Counselor

VOLTS Volleyball Weekend!

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Lots of Volts volleyball happening this weekend.  Today at 4:00 our JV girls play against Julia Sprauve at BCB followed by our Varsity girls' match against Kean at BCB with a scheduled start time of 4:45.  Then over to Antilles MCM for our Varsity boys' game against Antilles at 5:30.  Tomorrow afternoon our JV boys play Kean at Antilles at 1:00.

JV Girls after their win against Kean on Tuesday.

JV Girls after their win against Kean on Tuesday.

Congratulations to our teams thus far.  The JV boys had a tournament last Saturday with CAHS and tied.  Our JV girls are 1 and 0 with a win in their first outing against Kean on Tuesday. Our Varsity boys had a win yesterday against 7th Day.  Varsity girls are also in  a winning season thus far.  Stay tuned!  

Go Volts.

Thoughts from the Head of School: Education Reform

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The United States once had a highly ranked education system. Today depending on the measure, the US ranks at best in the top 12 at worst 32nd in global education. Finland is universally acknowledged as the leader in education. Since the early 1980s the US has been undertaking various efforts to improve its education system. Three principles that are now widely being adopted are:

Cognitive Learning, Self-Discipline and Collaboration.

1.     Cognitive Learning:

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Jean Piaget (1896-1980), a French scientist, is credited with first identifying the concept of cognitive learning. He wrote about stages of development: assimilation, equilibrium, new situation, disequilibrium, and accommodation. He identified that children learn at different rates as they progress through the above stages.  Jean Piaget taught about discovery learning; the idea that children learn best through doing and actively exploring. He emphasized “individual learning, flexibility in curriculum [and] the centrality of play in children’s learning, [as well as] the use of the environment, learning from discovery and the importance of the evaluation of children’s progress.  Teachers should not assume that only what is measurable is valuable.”(McLeod)

Read full article

 

 

 

Go Volts: Varsity Boys Volleyball, Great Season Start Against Kean

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I was so pleased to watch VIMSIA's first varsity boys volleyball game in at least 4 years!  For some reason, we have had many years without enough interest to field a team, but this year we are coming on strong with both JV and Varsity Boys teams.

Coach Figueroa has done a fine job of getting these great athletes prepared.  While they did not pull out a full win, they were very competitive against a seasoned - very big -  public high school team, that took the division last year.  They lost the first two sets by narrow margins (28-26; 25-17), won the third (23-25) but gave up the fourth (25-6).

This young team is athletic - they are coordinated and quick, they work well together on the court.  They will quickly improve throughout the season and be a contender.  My prediction.  Guess we'll see!

Astronomy Night - Lunar Eclipse

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8th grader Diego Zakers took this amazing photo on his iphone through the lens of one of the telescopes that was set up on the soccer field Sunday.  Dr. David Morris of the Etelman Observatory and our own "bow-tie physicist" Mr. Andy Palmer were on hand all evening to share their knowledge and help us get a great view of the Super Blood Moon Eclipse .  With Mr. Palmer giving mini-lectures in the planetarium and Dr. Morris on the field with the telescopes, our first Astronomy Night was a huge success.  Many thanks, Dr. Morris for sharing your vast knowledge with us - it is always a pleasure.  Kudos and thanks to Mr. Palmer for making it all happen.  Looking forward to the next one!

2016 End Session - An Adventure in Learning

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The PGIA has a well-established tradition of "End Session".  End Session, as you might guess, happens the end of each school year - the last two to three weeks.  It provides an opportunity for students to study an area of interest for the full period, without the distraction of other classes, homework, etc.  The PGIA staff put together 7 to 10-ish great programs for these periods and each teacher or two mentor their own program and group. 

This year's choices were announced last night to a full house of PGIA students and parents.   Without further ado, here they are!

ESS Students & Ms. Zakers Visit St. Thomas Cemetery

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These pictures are of the grade 12 Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) students taking data in the downtown St. Thomas cemetery today. We are studying birth dates versus death dates and life expectancy in the Virgin Islands during various time periods.

What do you think would affect changes in the VI demographics?

Very interesting!

DP Dancers Exceed World Average Assessment Scores

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The "DP Dancers" are PGIA Diploma Program students that have chosen to take High Level Dance as one of their three high level options for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program. 

Every year, DP students around the world are assessed both internally and by external international examiners. Student results are determined by performance against set standards, such that student results truly reflect their abilities relative to their peers globally, not just at their school.

For DP Dance, the students are assessed on performances, dance investigations and choreographies.  For the second year in a row, under the direction of Ms. Helen Sidiropoulos, these students have exceeded the world average!  

So, here on our tiny little island in the Caribbean Sea, our students' achievements are exceeding those of their peers in places like the U.K., Switzerland and Japan.

Kudos to Ms. Helen and the DP Dancers!

After School Program Registration Open to VIMSIA Parents/Students

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After School Program online registration is now open for VIMSIA students.  Check it out!  We have the great programs we have so happily offered for many years, plus some great newbies!

New offerings include PGIA Drama Club with Ms. Pamela New; PGIA Robotics with Mr. Andy Palmer, Spanish Culture and Cooking with Senora Santiago y Senora Santana, Elementary Basketball with Mr. Stocking, Upper El and PGIA Martial Arts with Grand Master Edward Scott, MMUN Prep with Ms. Morrison and Ms. Batten.  Lots of great new offerings.

Some changes:  Gymnastics will be split into three levels instead of two, if there are enough signups.  Ms. Ferguson is picking up the Full Day Primary and Lower El Art Club, in addition to her Upper El and PGIA Art Club - look for great works!  Ms. Mary is taking the Jazz and Modern dance and it will be back to back with Adv/Intermediate Tap on Wednesdays.  Ms. Helen is back with our little ones for Wed afternoon Pre-Ballet for 3 and 4 year olds.  These students can come out of BEC, or for those of you that pickup at 11:30, feel free to bring them back for the class.

PGIA has added a plethora of new academic support options through their academic ATTACK program.  See the schedule for Spanish, Science, Math and Writing Attack offerings.  Ms. Butler continues her oh so successful Academic Circles for Math and Reading at the Elementary levels.

Ms. Ferguson's art clubs

Ms. Ferguson's art clubs

We also have some excellent new talent for individual music lessons.  In addition to James Anderson on guitar and Mike Barr for trumpet and brass, Ms. Luba Dolgopolsky is offering piano and voice lessons, Mr. Sheldon "attiba" Bernard is offering flute and bass lessons.  You can contact them directly to schedule:

Home school students over the age of 5 may be able to participate in our after school programs depending on space availability and instructor discretion.  Please contact Ms. Hunt or Ms. Huttel at VIMSIA - 775-6360 - if you would like more information.