Educators from three U.S. Virgin Islands independent schools will come together this February for a joint professional development workshop focused on shared challenges, collaboration, and strengthening classroom practice across the territory.
Virgin Islands Montessori School & Peter Gruber International Academy, Gifft Hill School, and Antilles School will host a tri-school educational workshop, titled “Adapting & Striving for Success,” on Friday, Feb. 13, at the VIMSIA campus. The full-day, in-person experience will bring together faculty from all three schools for learning, dialogue, and collaborative problem-solving.
The collaboration grew out of ongoing dialogue among the three heads of school, who regularly connect to share perspectives on education in the Virgin Islands. Antilles Head of School Shannon Harris, who meets monthly with peer leaders, said what began as informal outreach gradually evolved into a more intentional effort.
“We were asking the same questions about how to best support students, teachers, and families,” Ms. Harris said. “When we saw an opportunity to learn together, it felt important to open the door wider.”
As discussions continued, Ms. Harris extended an invitation to bring educators together for shared professional learning, with VIMSIA Head of School Gloria Arpasi offering to host the workshop, transforming the idea into a district-wide professional development opportunity.
“This is about coming together as colleagues and collaborators in the face of similar educational challenges across the USVI,” noted Ms. Arpasi. “Since the pandemic, cell phones, social media, AI, and more, we constantly see teachers and families looking for help in partnering together for student success. Strong, effective education for Virgin Islands youth is essential to building a thriving future for our islands.”
The workshop will feature two education specialists with strong ties to classroom practice:
- Ms. Rachel Davis, Learning Specialist and Antilles School alumna, will lead sessions focused on supporting diverse learning styles and building positive classroom management strategies.
- Dr. Jeanette Moore, Reading and Dyslexia Specialist, will present on literacy development, executive functioning and identifying learning differences.
Organizers say the in-person format was intentional, creating space for meaningful discussion, collaboration, and shared problem-solving among educators. In addition to the visiting experts, the professional development day is also providing a venue for Antilles, Gifft Hill and VIMSIA educators to present their own best practices to their colleagues in a variety of intriguing breakout sessions. Topics explored will include promoting student leadership, fostering student independence and self-efficacy in math.
“I’m incredibly excited to have an opportunity to showcase the expertise of our own faculty presenters alongside nationally recognized experts,” shared Liz Kinsella, Head of Gifft Hill School. “Too often, we assume the best ideas must come from somewhere else, when in reality, no one understands our students, our challenges, and our community better than we do. This conference is a chance to both zoom out, learning from the national landscape of education, and zoom in, celebrating and sharing the pedagogical strengths and solutions that are already working right here in our territory.”
Continuing the Conversation with Families
As a complement to the Feb. 13 workshop, the three schools will also host a Tri-School Parent Education Session on Thursday, Feb. 5, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The virtual session will give parents practical tools to support learning at home and reinforce the work happening in the classroom, and will be led by the two visiting education specialists.
“Our collective goal for this session is to share strategies and tips for all parents to use in partnering with schools to benefit your child’s maximum success,” said Ms. Arpasi. “We’re honored to bring in Ms. Davis and Dr. Moore, who are leading experts in learning divergence in the United States, to guide this critical conversation.”
