Rhea James - 1st Place Winner of United Way Summer Book Club Contest
/Congratulations to Rhea James for winning first place in the United Way Summer Book Club, “In It To Win It” contest.
Blog
Nurses Now: Staying Safe in the Rain
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We’ve had a lot of rain this week, making our ramps and pavements slippery. Whether you are on or off-campus, be sure to take care when walking to prevent injuries from slipping and falling!
You can reduce the risk of slipping on wet ramps and pavement by:
taking your time and paying attention to where you are going
adjusting your stride to a pace that is suitable for the walking surface and the tasks you are doing
avoid running - especially on upward or downward hills/pathways
walking with the toes pointed slightly outward
making wide turns at corners
bending slightly forward to center your gravity and keeping your hands free from pockets or holding objects
Nurses Notes: Mask Storage
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Who hasn't had trouble finding where they left their mask in the house when running out the door? Can't tell whose is whose? Found its way to the bottom of a purse, or hanging from the rearview mirror? This is a common scenario for us as we adjust to the new normal in a COVID-19 world. Here are some tips for keeping your family's masks clean, handy, and ready to go with you!
Mark a quart-size Ziploc bag with your name, and one for each household member, and keep the mask in the bag when not in use.
Create a designated space in the house for masks to be stored - ideally a small table or shelf near the entrance
If you're creative, a "DIY" project can make coat hooks into "mask hooks" with a hook for each family member, so the masks don't get mixed up
Missed College Planning Night? Here is the Recap.
/College Planning Night was a success! Thank you to our guest presenters from The University of Chicago and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Zoom Recording - Financial Aid 101
As always, families are welcome to visit our Online Collection of Resources to learn more about the College Search, Application Process, Financial Aid and more!
9/11
/A score ago, minus one year, Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist organization brought the Muslim Intifada to the United States. Nineteen terrorists hijacked four airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the field in Pennsylvania. A total of 2977 people died that day.
The attack prompted the United States to escalate its efforts against Muslim terrorist groups around the world. Indeed the Bush administration implemented a new policy of Preventive War. President George Bush said, “I will not wait on events while dangers gather. I will not stand by as peril draws closer and closer. The United States of America will not permit the world’s most dangerous regimes to threaten us with the world’s most destructive weapons.”
Today we are still at war. Approximately 7,000 Americans have died in the Middle East conflicts since 2001. (Approximately 200,000 people have died in the US from COVID-19 in the last 7-months).
One should know and study history to learn from past actions so that, hopefully, one does not repeat the same mistakes over and over again.
On November 19th, 1863, Abraham Lincoln stated at the Gettysburg battlefield:
"Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure.”
Please engage and make a difference; it all starts with quality education.
Yours in education,
Michael Bornn
"Smile Masks"
/VIMSIA has procured a collection of "smile masks" as an additional way to support learning in the classrooms. Optimally, language development requires the use of multiple senses and it is best when the ears and eyes can work in partnership. We are excited that our students will be able to hear AND see their teachers using these masks.
Happy Birthday Maria Montessori - August 31st
/On Monday, August 31st, we will celebrate Dr. Maria Montessori’s 150th birthday. Dr. Montessori was born in Chiaravalle, Italy and became Italy’s first female physician. Social Justice and World Peace were her goals. She was first a scientist and medical doctor, not an educator. Dr. Montessori developed her method and pedagogy through her observation of children and her deep understanding of Human Development.
Her work took her worldwide. These travels confirmed her observations that all people hold Universal Human Tendencies and that all humans develop and grow in the same way, regardless of where they are born. Ultimately encouraging and promoting the idea that, at our core, we are all the same. This supported her vision of World Peace. She felt very strongly that the place we need to begin to achieve this peace is the child. Children are capable of so much and are born without prejudice and hate. If we can support their development and encourage the inner peace that they arrive on the planet with, we have the possibility of changing the direction of the current world status.
She opened her first Casa dei Bambini in 1907 in San Lorenzo, Italy. It is still an operational classroom today. Her work over 100 years ago is still very relevant and essential today. Words from her from long ago still ring true.
“Establishing lasting peace is the work of education; all politics can do is keep us out of war. Within the child lies the fate of the future.” MM Education and Peace
We are grateful for the contribution she has made to the Universe and that we can celebrate her life on Sunday with other Montessorians around the world.
There is a global initiative called montessorieverywhere.org. Everyone is welcome to join in the day-long celebration with happenings from all over the world. We are proud that VIMSIA and all of our staff and families are part of this important work, not simply educating our young people and developing the potential each of our children have to make a great change in the world. Thank you, Dr. Montessori and Happy Birthday.
PGIA InteGIRLS team wants YOU!
/Calling all Female and Non-Binary PGIA students!
Do you like the feeling when you finally get the solution to a tricky puzzle? Do you sometimes struggle in Math and would love to find a fun way to build your skills? Are you just looking for something new to do with a great group of PGIA students?
You are officially invited to join the PGIA InteGIRLS team. No experience necessary!
InteGIRLS, an award-winning global non-profit founded to empower girls in Math, has announced an online puzzle-solving competition for female and non-binary students. PGIA is planning to field a middle school and a high school team for the competition season expected to start in November, 2020.
InteGIRLS is a creative, challenging, and fun online competition that's a great college resume-booster.
There is an introductory puzzle-solving session THIS SUNDAY, August 30.
Learn more at: www.integirls.org
If you think you might be interested, please e-mail Mrs. Hoffart a.s.a.p.: rhoffart@vimsia.org
Ms. Mattingley's Class - Spooning Work
/"Today was our 3rd day of zoom lessons and the children's engagement and enthusiasm is blowing us away. We are so grateful to our parents for their support in setting up their children's environments at home and then allowing their children to do it for themselves. This is how the child begins to build their independence by doing it for themselves (even when it isn't perfect). Thank you Montessori parents, you are amazing!" - Ms. Mattingley
Welcome Back to the Library!
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Ms. Sampson choosing books for her students
Print books are available for check-out to go home. Enjoy some learning time off screen! Reserve books at our library. Books will be processed on Tuesdays and Friday afternoons, after which you can pick them up anytime on the car deck. Elementary children have had an introduction to using the catalog this week, and instructions are posted on the website.
Please return your books in a timely manner! Many students still have books checked out from last year - these should be brought back to campus now! There is a plastic return bin by the front office door for your returned library books.
Email library@vimsia.org with any questions.
Mimi and Team is "Best Overall" in Junior Achievement's Fresh Food Innovation Camp
/In July, Mimi Boumedine was one of 25 high school students selected to participate in Junior Achievement’s two-week Food Fresh Innovation Camp. Participants learned how artificial intelligence techniques could be applied to improving fresh food options in the USVI, as well as how to research and pitch a business plan idea.
The 25 students were assigned to groups - Mimi worked with two other students, one from St. Croix’s Educational Complex and one from Ivanna Eudora Kean. Love of Broccoli and New York City brought the team together. Mimi's group was awarded the highest accolade "Best Overall" and she and her teammates will each receive a $75.00 prize award. The team was accoladed for going the extra mile and for their creativity.
Read more about the Food Fresh Innovation Camp, here.
Read more about Junior Achievement USVI, here.
Kira Brightens Up Mural
/Over the summer Kira Mitchell updated the mural in the outdoor La Casa play area.
Thank you Kira!
Spotlight: VIMSIA Student Artwork in Online Contest
/From the Inside Out Expressive Arts Program presented the online art contest, “Love & Change In the Time of Corona.” All the art is hosted on Facebook on the VI Student Gallery Online. Congratulations to Deja Marie and Ellis!
Deja Marie Simon
Title of Artwork: We survive this!
Description: This drawing was inspired by face mask. Due to this pandemic masks have become a important part of our wardrobe. I have noticed that lots of people in my community respect the safety of everyone around them. It is important that you protect yourself and everyone around you too.
Ellis Wiseheart
Title of Art: "Love is in the Air"
Acrylic on canvas
My painting, "Love is in the Air" explores how the power of love can help you through difficult times. This shows our current situation with the Coronavirus, but the idea can apply to a variety of struggles that we all face.
PGIA Students “Explo” Online Summer Courses
/PGIA students had the opportunity to take experiential online courses through EXPLO, an innovative educational non-profit organization. VIMSIA was awarded 20 scholarships so our students could participate in a wide variety of classes from Cooking to Engineering and Neurology to International Relations. Read more about all the online offerings here.
Divina who is entering the 9th grade this fall shared, “We learned about the different kinds of studies in medicine such as neurology and radiology and specific illnesses such as type one diabetes. We also played fun games such as role-playing where there would be a doctor and a patient and we would be assigned a personality and illness and the doctor would have to ask certain questions about family history and the patient’s symptoms. While doing this with others I made a few friends and when we got time we would talk about other things. I made a friend from Montreal and Toronto.”
Mya also a rising 9th grader, used this experience to explore careers options. She says, “The Explo summer program experience was very delightful and helpful for my career choice. As I want to be an engineer, I participated in this program. It taught me to learn the main components of the engineering cycle. We were given prompts to create a specific object. This really helped to open our minds and design objects useful for the world. This was a very effective and awesome opportunity that I was able to attend.”
AnaPia, a rising 12th grader says, “The EXPLO International Relations program has exposed me to a variety of international situations as well as a chance to negotiate a solution. Through simulations and guest speakers, I have had the opportunity to better understand the power dynamics within the international community.”
VIMSIA is one of founding member schools of EXPLO Elevate - Independent Schools Consortium. EXPLO Elevate’s mission is “to help schools design, build, implement, and continuously improve the environments needed for all learners to thrive now and in the future. EXPLO Elevate is a division of Exploration Learning, a 43-year old non-profit international leader in education innovation. EXPLO inspires students and teachers to explore the world of people and ideas, and to experience the joy of learning in pursuit of purpose and meaning.”
VIMSIA update from the Head of School
/Good day, VIMSIA Families.
Given the present COVID-19 status in St Thomas and the Territory, VIMSIA continues with our plan to reopen on August 18th as an on-campus school. The decision to open our campus or not in these times of COVID-19 is largely influenced by local conditions. Safety is our first priority, yet the detrimental education and emotional long-term impact on students and families are also of concern. We will continue to monitor the situation and act accordingly. Our COVID-19 safety and operational plan remains available on our website.
Re-opening updates
Testing will be required of all staff and students ages 3+ before returning to campus (whether you traveled this summer or not.) Staff antibody testing will be conducted on August 7th. Student testing will be available on campus on August 12th, 13th, or 14th. Times are TBD - costs should be covered via your health insurance; uninsured will need to pay out of pocket. The antibody test involves blood being drawn with same-day results. VIMSIA will only be accepting test results from providers in the Virgin Islands. PCR swab tests can also be conducted. One can utilize your healthcare provider or the service provided by VIMSIA at school.
Thermal screenings will be conducted daily on campus by staff. A person with 100.4 temperatures will be sent home. An additional temperature screening procedure to be conducted by parents at home before leaving for school is being pursued.
Social distancing will be practiced throughout campus.
Washing hands frequently will be institutionalized. Twelve new hand-washing stations have been installed around campus in addition to existing bathrooms. Handless water faucets have been and are being installed on all faucets.
Water bottle filling stations are replacing water fountains. Each student is to bring his or her own-labeled water bottle.
Facemasks are to be worn by all staff and students when not practicing social distancing. LaCasa and Primary students will be taught the procedures of facemasks usage, but we do not anticipate their full compliance all day. Face shields are optional for staff and students.
ACs and fans will operate with windows open. Regular cleaning of AC units has been instituted.
Sanitization: Classrooms will be disinfected on a regular basis with CDC approved products. Our maintenance/cleaning staff will continue to do their routine cleaning and a third party vendor will disinfect daily.
Nine new outdoor learning areas have been created with shade and waterproof covering to facilitate social distancing.
Five new enclosed classrooms have been created.
Class sizes have been cut in half. Small Pods of students have been created to restrict interaction between students.
An area designated for students that show signs of illness has been established and procedures established to have them sent home immediately.
No after school activities, study hall, or BEC for the fall semester. Campus will be physically closed to students at 3:30 pm.
Our Covid-19 task force has met and will continue to review and to update our protocols. Members are Atty. Greg Ferguson, Kellerhals Ferguson Kroblin PLLC, Mr. Kevin Likens, Baker Magras, Dr. Brad Kappel, Caribbean Chiropractic Center, Dr. Brendan Anzalone Chief Medical Officer AeroMD and Michael Bornn.
Staggered start to the school year
Montessori: To facilitate safe and timely arrival procedures, all Montessori families must enter campus through the lower main parking lot, starting at 7:30 am. Montessori families may not enter school through the upper parking lot. Thank you for your understanding.
All parents wait in cars while temperatures are taken. Primary and Elementary groups for the first two days will be determined during staff week and parents will be notified on August 11th.
The purpose of these staggered start days is to help transition the students in smaller groups to the new procedures and protocols that will be happening on campus.
The staggered start times each day will continue daily. Please be respectful of the time slots for drop off, siblings will be invited to join at the time their oldest child arrives. This will help disperse the number of children.
Tuesday, August 18
7:45 -8:00 Elementary - Group A full day
8:00 -8:15 Primary - half of the class for a full day
8:15-8:30 La Casa - returning students only, staggered start dates for new students will be as notified by teachers
Wednesday, August 19
7:45 -8:00 Elementary - Group B full day
8:00 -8:15 Primary - half of the class for a full day
8:15-8:30 La Casa - returning students only, staggered start dates for new students will be as notified by teachers
Thursday, August 20
La Casa will continue staggered starts for new students
Primary and Elementary will be fully present
PGIA: To facilitate safe and timely arrival procedures, all PGIA families must enter campus through the upper PGIA parking lot, starting at 7:30 am. PGIA families may not enter school through the main parking lot. Thank you for your understanding. Temperatures will be taken upon arrival at the car.
PGIA Staggered Start Dates:
Tuesday, August 18th - Grades 11 & 12 will attend
Wednesday, August 19th - Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12 will attend
Thursday, August 20th - Grades 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 will attend
Friday, August 21st and forward - all Grades 7-12 will attend
The PGIA school day runs from 8 am - 3:15 pm
Other news
Curriculum expansion: Spanish classes have been expanded in the Montessori program. Music classes have been added for Montessori students. A learning specialist has been added to the staff to assist Kelly Butler with her duties. Chemistry, Physics, and Information Technology in a Global Society are now offered within the DP curriculum. Online courses through the IB and other sources will be added this year to expand course offerings in the PGIA.
VIMSIA is also prepared to provide distance learning classes and education in the event the COVID-19 scenario requires such. Teachers have taken numerous PD courses and webinars over the summer to improve distance-learning skills.
This summer VIMSIA has greatly explored and invested in live streaming education. The systems we are developing are based on university methods modified for k-12 schools. Incorporating these strategies and technologies is a process that we are committed to beyond the current crisis. While live streaming will be an addition to our school in the future, VIMSIA will be an on-campus school for the Fall 2020 semester. PGIA students who cannot be on campus for certain periods of time will be supported in their education by teacher office hour sessions, managebac, and email. Please reach out to us if you feel you are in need of special assistance for the Fall semester.
Bus service will be provided by the Dept. of Education once public schools open. ONLY STUDENTS THAT HAVE NO OTHER OPTION FOR TRANSPORTATION SHOULD REGISTER FOR BUS TRANSPORT. Online registration is required through the Department of Education and due by July 31.
Ferry service from St. John continues to be worked on. The Department of Education has announced their reopening date as September 8th. We do not anticipate the morning ferry for students running until then. There has been no confirmation of an afternoon student’s only ferry. I will convene a St. John parent zoom call next week to finalize alternatives. Presently there are two alternatives: Private vans on the car barge in the morning and the afternoon or the passenger ferry each way.
Yours in Education,
Michael Bornn
STATEMENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGARDING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR
/During the past four months, the Board of Trustees has been actively engaged in managing the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for our school. Through one-on-one interactions with staff, teachers, parents, students, and from attendance at the town halls, committee and staff meetings, we realize that there are many outstanding questions and concerns regarding the Board and how it makes the decisions that guide this school. In response to these concerns, the Board takes the opportunity to provide this statement to our VIMSIA community.
We would like to begin by addressing the decision to not offer tuition refunds for the latter half of the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year. As a Board of Trustees, we are entrusted with safeguarding the institution not only for any given school year, but for generations to come. We are also mindful of the legacy we inherited from decades of Trustees before us who worked hard to make the school what it is today. It is important for everyone to understand that VIMSIA did not arrive at its current institutional stature overnight, but through generations of sacrifice and dedication of countless community members before us. As per our charter, the Board needed to take into consideration not only the year 2020, but the years 1990, 2030, 2050, and beyond.
All teachers and staff are hired under one-year contracts that VIMSIA would need to honor even if tuition refunds were given. VIMSIA has always made an effort to make its education affordable for the entire community, and because of this, even full tuition is less than the actual cost incurred by the school for educating each child. Furthermore, nearly 70% of the student body receives some financial accommodation against tuition. VIMSIA always makes up this shortfall in income through fundraising, something that has been significantly hindered because of the pandemic. Therefore, if the Board had offered tuition refunds to parents it would have necessitated layoffs in staff and teachers, caused disruption in the continuity of VIMSIA’s educational program for students, unsettled VIMSIA’s strategic planning and budget, and set the school back in its progress many years, if not decades, all for a crisis, that while epic in scope, will be temporary. This was not a tradeoff the Board felt would have been responsible to take as stewards of this institution.
The Board recognizes the hardships experienced with the distance learning program, and that some parents felt the value received from the distance learning program was not equal to the value of the tuition paid. However, it is important to understand that the transition to the distance learning system required staff and teachers to quickly learn and adopt new technologies to provide continuity of learning. Our entire community gave more time, and exerted more effort, than if school had just continued normal on-campus learning. Asking our entire faculty of staff and teachers to give more and do more, while experiencing layoffs and pay cuts was not the fair way to handle this situation. We are extremely grateful to our VIMSIA Head of School, administrative and staff teams for their dedication and commitment to the school. As they did after Hurricanes Irma and Maria, they rose admirably to the challenge and went way beyond the call of duty to provide an element of stability and educational continuance to our student population, in extraordinarily trying circumstances.
We understand that distance learning was difficult for young children, but the Board must also balance that recognition against the fact that no school anywhere in the world had the perfect distance learning program. The reality is that the perfect distance learning program is not something that is achievable anywhere because distant learning is not as beneficial as on-campus education for younger children. Nevertheless, in recognition that distance learning for younger students does not work for every family, the Board decided to offer a refund program for the 2020-2021 school year for La Casa and Primary. The refund policy in 2020-2021 was made possible with the aid of forward planning, but will still create a significant financial hardship on the school if it has to be implemented.
Please keep in mind that VIMSIA always works with families that need financial assistance. These financial accommodations are always done on a one-on-one basis in a confidential and dignified manner.
The Board understands the difficulty the pandemic has caused VIMSIA’s families and community, not only financially, but emotionally as well. For this reason, we did not arrive at our decision lightly, but only after much research, internal debate, and thoughtful consideration.
The Board also takes this opportunity to discuss some of the developments that we have been working on prior to and even during this crisis, namely the continued development of our academic leadership team at the school. VIMSIA made some phenomenally talented strategic hires and promotions in both Montessori and in the PGIA. In Montessori, we welcomed Ms. Heather McCabe to lead our Montessori program in 2019, and she will continue to grow in her leadership role in the coming years. Over at PGIA, we promoted Alex Silva to head of MYP and Matthew Stocking to head of DP to strengthen the PGIA program led so aptly by Gloria Arpasi for the last decade. In the coming years, we expect to continue developing our education leadership positions at the school, and we remain actively recruiting and looking for talent to fill those roles.
Our next focus of growth opportunity is going to be in the improvement of the Montessori Skills Assessment. The Board understands that the nature of the Montessori program does create a feeling of risk for some parents because the educational development cycle of students is different, and the payoff in unmatched educational achievement and results is sometimes not understood until later. This different cycle, coupled with the fact that Montessori does not give grades, makes the End-of-the-Year Assessment particularly important for parents. The Board plans on working with Ms. McCabe this coming school year to make substantive improvements to the End-of-the-Year Assessments, understanding that this year will be unique and challenging because of the continuing pandemic.
In addition to improvements in education, the Board intends to improve on its community outreach and transparency with concerted efforts to create better communication with parents, teachers, staff, and students. The Board agrees that greater transparency about school finances would be beneficial for the entire community. The Board is currently vetting several options, including Finance Committee newsletters, an annual Open Board Meeting for parents to attend, Finance Presentations at PTA meetings, and changes to student contracts to inform parents about the value of education and how the tuition money is spent.
Recently, some have questioned whether Board Meetings should be open or whether Board minutes should be public. The Board disagrees that open Board meetings and public minutes are healthy ways to address Board transparency. The school is a private non-profit, under no legal obligation to publicize its Board minutes or finances. The Board of Trustees is an all-volunteer board, and there is not a single person on the Board that receives remuneration of any kind in exchange for dozens of hours of work per month. Board members are nominated, recruited and retained for the professional experience (fiscal, insurance, legal, medical, mental health, academic, entrepreneurial, organizational development and human resources) they bring to the table, so that VIMSIA does not have to spend its limited fiscal resources paying for these services. For the Board of Trustees to function, it is imperative that each member be able to voice concerns in strict confidence. Having open Board meetings would hinder frank discussions and make finding quality members for our all-volunteer Board more difficult. That being said, in an effort to improve transparency, the Board will implement one annual “open” board meeting for parents to attend, and a Board member will be present at the end-of-the-year PTA meeting going forward.
While this statement does not address each and every concern, the Board is here to make the school better and for that reason, we are always happy to hear the suggestions and feedback from every stakeholder in our community. We attach a separate brief on our roles and responsibilities as a Board of Trustees of a non- profit educational institution. Our individual profiles are listed on the school’s website. We remain open to discussing and addressing valid concerns (understanding that the school also has a well-documented grievance policy and competent academic and administrative teams as first points of call for individual issues) while always staying mindful of our obligations to the institution and community as a whole.
We look forward to many more generations of educational excellence and community development.
Most Sincerely,
Greg J, Ferguson, President
on behalf of your VIMSIA Board of Trustees
Get S.C.E.T. Training Concludes - PGIA Wins Again!
/On Friday, July 17th four VIMSIA students: Krishiv Amarnani, Mireille Boumedine, Zack Edwards, and Amelie Zucker completed the Get S.C.E.T. (Sandia Cyber Education Training) held by Sandia National Laboratories, which provides cybersecurity for the U.S. nuclear energy program.
During the week, the students gained points for answering challenge questions requiring them to apply newly-learned skills in networking, scripting and programming, cryptography, and cybersecurity. The week ended in an intense, four-hour challenge competition on Friday.
Krishiv participated in this high school level program even though he is still in middle school. He did well, managing to overcome some technical difficulties with his computer. Despite this being the first time in any kind of similar training or competition, Zack finished at number 12. Amelie, a veteran of the VIMSIA CyberPatriot team, was also participating in her first competition of this type and placed at number 5 on the leaderboard. Mimi finished in the first place! Mimi and Amelie were the only two Virgin Islanders in the top 5.
Advisor Rebecca Hoffart said, “I am ridiculously proud of them. They did a great job representing our school and our territory, and I am sure Sandia now has these kids on their radar.”
Left to Right: Krishiv Amarnani, Mireille Boumedine, Zack Edwards, and Amelie Zucker
Semester 2 - PGIA Honors 2020
/The young ladies and gentlemen listed here have worked extremely hard to end the school year with an IB 6-7 average. Their work ethic and tenacity are to be noted and celebrated.
We are incredibly proud of the entire PGIA and the determination you all showed over this school year. Challenges and new experiences make us stronger and more capable of tackling the future.
