Rotary Club of St. Thomas Held Peace Workshop at VIMSIA

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This past weekend the Rotary Club of St. Thomas held a series of peace workshops at VIMSIA titled “Building Peace Through Service” presented by Mr. Carlisi. Mr. Carlisi is a certified nonviolent communication trainer and founder of Building Peace Through Service, a Rotary Clubs initiative planting roots in the Virgin Islands.

There have been no studies of root of street crime in the territory in recent years, but educators, activists and others in the community nonetheless appear receptive to Mr. Carlisi’s message of peace-building through deeper listening through our own personal needs and those of others.

“Violence is a tragic expression of unmet needs,” Mr. Carlisi said, quoting the works of Dr. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi.

The Rotary Club’s Building Peace Through Service Program is in place in 165 countries, with outreach happening in the Virgin Islands, Tortola and the broader Caribbean, Mr. Carlisi said. Over the past week, he has visited the five Rotary Clubs on St. Thomas. He spent two days with students and educators at the Virgin Islands Montessori School and Peter Gruber International Academy and visited the Boys and Girls Club of St. Thomas.

VI Consortium Article

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VIMSIA Mathletes Compete at MATHCOUNTS 2020

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VIMSIA is sending a great team of 7th and 8th graders to the MATHCOUNTS Chapter competition at UVI next week!

Jackson Auchincloss
Divina Kamra
Amelie Zucker
Krishiv Amarnani
Zia Gibbs
Miles Tolud
Stanley Trotman
and
Coach Melissa Petrich

They have been holding practices during lunch once per week since the beginning of the semester. Last week, they practiced competing in front of an audience by holding a mock competition in front of the 7th and 8th graders during class.

MATHCOUNTS is a national competition series consisting of a sprint round, target round, team round and countdown round. The first competition in the series is the chapter competition.  Top students from each chapter, advance to their state/territory competition; the top 4 individuals from each state/territory competition advance to the national competition (all expenses paid) and the national champion receives a $20,000 college scholarship!

Avon Benjamin, the St. Thomas/St. John  Mathcounts Coordinator will be facilitating the St Thomas/St John chapter competition at UVI, in the ACC Building Conference Room on 2/27/2020 at 9 am.  I will be there, along with Mrs. Arpasi and our team of 7 mathletes. Parents are welcome (and encouraged) to attend as well. 

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Going Outs - Groceries and Rabbit Food

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Upper Elementary students in Ms. Satter's class planned a going out for supplies for the classroom rabbit this week. Students researched the best vegetables for rabbits to eat, the best place on island to buy the supplies and then did a going out to get the supplies. Classroom rabbit Jost is very thankful for their efforts! 

Sea Lion Excursion

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Dalton, Eli and Micah journeyed to Coral World to get up close and personal with Sea Lions.

This excursion was a “going out” an off campus experience that ties in with a research project they are working on in class.

Did you know that sea lions have one more whisker on the right side than the left?

Get Moving for your Brain

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We all know we need to move our bodies to be fit and in shape, but did you know that physical activity also contributes to brain development, emotional state, learning and focus, which can increase school performance? 
Our bodies are designed to move and be active.  According to Ben Medder, Movement Coach, in the U.S. physical activity has dropped by 32% in less than two decades.  When we are stagnant, all of the complex biological processes that are carried out by our body become stagnant too. 
Go run on the beach, play soccer with your kids, or have a water fight outside to increase family bonding while being physically active.  Your body, and your kids, will thank you for it.  Oh, and have FUN while doing it!  Those feel good hormones are pretty important too ;-)

Exercise and School Performance: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201410/8-ways-exercise-can-help-your-child-do-better-in-school

All About Movement: https://www.benmedder.com/movement

Study on Exercise Improving Attention in Individuals with ADHD: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6333702/

The “Green Body & Home” blog posts are brought to you by the PTA. They provide general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

"Brain character large set" by Oksana Grivina is licensed under CC BY 4.0

"Brain character large set" by Oksana Grivina is licensed under CC BY 4.0

Senior Support during Mock Exams

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Our 12th graders have spent the last two weeks taking their MOCK IB exams, as preparation for the real exams at the end of this year.  This is a nerve-wracking time for these kiddos, and it has become tradition at VIMSIA for teachers to bring in small, but meaningful treats to the exam room, as a sign of support and care.

Pictured are seniors enjoying homemade breakfast waffles.

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MSA Planning Commitee

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The VIMSIA community has begun the process of our MSA Self Study.  The Middle States Association (MSA) is an accrediting body that provides schools with a framework to evaluate areas in which they are successful, and where there is room for growth.  The Self Study Planning Team had a successful first meeting this week.  The Planning Team is responsible for creating a plan to respond to the findings from our self-study, and acts as a champion for the work of our school community as we implement the plan for the next seven years until our next re-accreditation.  An ideal Planning Team has about 15 rotating members, so there are still opportunities to get involved!  If you enjoy collaborative work and affecting positive change, please contact Gloria Arpasi or Jess Di Francesco.

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Green Body & Home - How much should my kid be eating?

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How much should my kid be eating?

Rule of Thumb:

Children should be eating about 1000 calories per day plus 100 for each year of age.  So a 4 year old should be eating about 1400 calories per day, and an 8 year old should be eating 1800 calories per day, and a 16 year old about 2,600 calories per day.  They should also be eating about 1g of protein for every two pounds of body weight. So a 60lb child needs about 30g of protein per day.

To get ideas about things to feed your kids to equal that in calories visit www.eatthismuch.com and plug in your #'s. 

Children who don't get enough total calories show irritability, anxiety, lethargy, crying easily, difficulty focusing/inattention, behavioral rigidity and/or insomnia.    

Adapted from Judy Converse's book "Special-Needs Kids Eat Right"

Here's another link to great recipes that are yummy and can be adapted to food allergies/sensitivites/intolerances:

https://www.facebook.com/mykidslickthebowl/posts/

The “Green Body & Home” blog posts are brought to you by the PTA. They provide general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

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Danish Student Exchange - An Adventure Packed Week

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The visiting Danes have had an action packed week after arriving last Friday. The visitors, along with Bennett Ott and other VIMSIA community members spent Saturday hiking at Perseverance Bay and and discussing Botanical Colonization. On Sunday they went to Neltjeberg Beach to hike the Dorthea trail and explore reef damage and human impact upon those particular reefs. On Monday, Virgin Islands culture bearer Kwabeena Davis and local educator and writer Willie Wilson lead them on a journey through VI history, culture, story-telling traditions and musical forms. 

This Saturday, February 1st will the last full day of the exchange! Please join us at Magens to send our visitors off with VIMSIA community love. Mr. Ott will secure a spot on the far left side of the beach - please bring your own food and beverages.

PTA GREEN BODY AND HOME - Food Allergies, Intolerances & Sensitivities

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Did you know that many kids (and adults) suffer from food intolerances or sensitivities, which are different than food allergies?  Since they are often harder to pinpoint than a food allergy, they are easily missed and overlooked.  Reactions to food intolerances/sensitivities can take days to show up and are quite varied. Some of the potential reactions include digestive issues (bloating, constipation), behavioral challenges (aggression, attention), pain (headaches, restless legs) skin issues (acne, eczema), picky eating, potty training issues, sensory processing challenges, shiners at eyes, frequent illness and sleep problems, we could go on and on.  

"Hmmm, Tasty!" by Mr. Dtb is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

"Hmmm, Tasty!" by Mr. Dtb is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Judy Converse, a renowned registered dietitian who has worked with suffering kids for decades, says that removing ALL gluten and dairy (lactose and casein) from most kids' diets who have food sensitivity symptoms will usually produce substantial results. Also for picky eaters, once you remove the sensitive foods their taste buds often change and they eat more of a variety of foods!

Take the quiz below to see where your kid(s) lines up.

Food Sensitivity Quiz:

https://healthynestnutrition.com/food-intolerance-quiz/

The “Green Body & Home” blog posts are brought to you by the PTA. They provide general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

VIMSIA Carnival 2020 - I Love You So

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Final deadline is Monday, March 2nd for students interested in participating in the VIMSIA Carnival children’s parade entry.

If you or your child would would like to get involved, please email the PTA at PTA@VIMSIA.ORG using “Carnival 2020” in the subject line.

We are accepting volunteers for the planning, grounds and costumes/design committee. The Carnival Committee Chairperson position is also available.

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PTA GREEN BODY AND HOME - SMOOTHIES

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Hey parents, last week we sent out a link with 20 different energy ball recipes to sneak tasty nutrition into your kids bellies... so this week we had to include smoothies, another amazing way to sneak in some amazing ingredients.  These are not just for toddlers, in fact kids of any ages and even us adults LOVE a good smoothie.  This link will show you how to make them nutritious without making the mistakes that leave your healthy smoothies tasking like sludge.  If you make them right, your kids (and YOU) may not be able to get enough.

https://www.yummytoddlerfood.com/recipes/breakfast/toddler-smoothies-with-hidden-veggies/

The “Green Body & Home” blog posts are brought to you by the PTA. They provide general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

The Danes are Coming!

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VIMSIA families, friends and students we are pleased to welcome our visiting Danish students, teachers and Head of School this Friday, January 24th.  They will arrive at 4:15pm.  We welcome and encourage anyone who would like to come to the airport to greet them to please come.  Contact Mr. Ott, Mrs. Arpasi or Mr. Bornn if you need more details.  

The visitors will be with us until the following Sunday, February 2nd.  Saturday, February 1st will be a Magens Beach and community day.  We encourage all to come and spend the last day with our visiting friends.  Mr. Ott will arrive early at Magens to secure a good shaded spot on the far left end of the beach.  Families please bring your own food and snacks, and as always Magens has food and drink options.  

Please feel free to contact Mr. Ott by email or phone (816-672-9036) if you have any questions or concerns.

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Mimi Boumedine named a National Winner of NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing

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Congratulations to Mimi Boumedine who has been selected as a national recipient of the NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing. This year, she is among the just 40 high school students to be honored as a National Winner. Award recipients are selected based on their aptitude and aspirations in technology and computing, as demonstrated by their computing experience, computing-related activities, leadership experience, tenacity in the face of barriers to access, and plans for post-secondary education.

Mimi’s achievement has been featured here in the VI Consortium

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