Welcome Back to School 2022

 

Welcome back to school!  It is hard to fathom that just yesterday we were hosting graduation for our graduates (Kindergarten, Grade 8 and High School) and in the blink of an eye the summer is just about over and we are gearing up for another school year.

 

There is one thing that I do not worry about when it comes to the opening of our school year.  I never question if It will be a successful year.  That might sound a bit arrogant, but my statement is not based in arrogance but rooted in confidence.  Confidence in our team, our students and our parents.  We have proven that no matter what happens, ‘we’ve got this!’  

 

The past few years have shown that no matter what is thrown at us, the SKI Family is resilient.  This resiliency has allowed us to shine despite all that Covid has done to slow us down.  Overnight we became virtual educators, then we became pros at offering learning solutions to students at home and in school simultaneously.  We learned to teach in new ways to maintain distancing and how to make it through a whole day of instruction wearing masks.

 

We held firm to our Covid protocols.  We made sure that student learning was paramount and we concluded three successful school years.  Toward the end of last year, we were able to even welcome parents back on campus in a controlled and safe way and that felt great!  Seeing our entire learning community (students, teachers and parents) come together once again, honestly brought tears to my eyes.

 

As we embark on yet another new year, we do so with the same confidence that has carried us through so much!  We will continue to do what we do best… provide our students with a high-quality yet nurturing educational program that will help them be prepared for the challenges that life will throw at them.  We will continue to foster in them empathy and compassion, two things this world needs right now.

 

We have many new members of our team this year, and for that I am excited.  Leveraging the strengths of our existing and new team members will help us continue to soar to new heights.  As we begin this new year, I want to thank everyone who continues to make SKI Academy an outstanding learning institution; our team, our students, our parents, our director and all the countless other people that support us.

 

 

Here’s to a great year!

Principal James

kjames@skiacademy.net


2021 Welcome Message

 

To the St. Kitts International Academy Family,

 

We are about to commence another school year.  My third September back at S.K.I. Academy and Covid has still managed to derail many of our plans.  Despite that our dedicated team, supportive parents and fierce students have all worked together to ensure that the past two years were a success.  We have become masters of the virtual classroom, although we prefer face-to-face learning.  Over the past two years, we've learned to become more resilient than ever imagined.  Teachers have reinvented their teaching, while learners have also discovered new ways to learn and engage.

 

We were one of the luckiest schools on the planet last year, being able to hold most of the year in person.  We were able to host events in new ways with Covid protocols in mind such as our Independence Concert on the Flats, our LEAP into Reading program, the Recycling Challenge and three virtual graduation ceremonies at Kindergarten, Grade 8 and High School.  

 

What makes me most proud of leading this learning community is that we have come together to ensure that our students are at the forefront and receiving the best education possible regardless of the platform.  While there is always room for improvement and continuous growth and reflection we have so much to be proud of.

 

As the 2021-2022 school year begins, I want us to enter with the resolve that we can do it!  We have so much to look forward to and our team can't wait to get started.  We look forward to continuing our goal of creating empowered global citizens who are both strong academically and compassionate and kind global citizens.

 

Last year, I promised that the year would be different and that different can be great!  Together we will make this year great too!

 

Here's to a safe, healthy and exciting school year!

 

Principal James

 

 


2020 Welcome Message

 

To the St. Kitts International Academy Family,

 

As I enter the 2020 school year, it is with mixed emotions.  My first year back at SKI as the Principal, wasn’t exactly what I expected. In my wildest dreams I never saw 2020 coming!  Despite the challenges, as a team, we accomplished so many wonderful things in person and also in the remote environment.  Here are a few to highlight:

 

Ö     New ELA & Social Studies Curriculum K-8

Ö     New Textbooks & Class Novels

Ö     Implementation of Writing Portfolios

Ö     Implemented college planning at High School level and additional teacher support.

Ö     Social Studies Fair

Ö     Graduation Ceremonies

Ö     Additional Professional Development

Ö     We became online educators!

 

I am overjoyed to welcome all of our students back to our campus this September.  After ending the school year in a remote learning environment, we are all thrilled to have the students physically back on campus with us. A school without ‘kids’ was so empty and being able to be together again means so much to all of us!

 

Worldwide we have been forced to learn new methods of teaching and learning.  I must commend our entire SKI Team for the amazing speed in which we learned to be online educators. We had to push ourselves outside of our comfort zone and adapt quickly.  This year as we journey back into the classroom, we do so with a little trepidation.  While we are all accustomed to our school compound, we have new rules to learn and be governed by in order to keep our entire SKI Family healthy and safe.  

 

We promised the students that we would do all in our power to ensure that we still keep some FUN in our school too, despite some restrictions.  We plan to work together to make this year a memorable one for our students.

 

Regardless of the platform, we are ready to learn, grow and have fun.  We will cherish this opportunity to be together in our classrooms and hope we can sustain this model as long as possible.  However, if it becomes necessary to switch back to remote learning, we are in a much better space to do so having learned invaluable lessons the first time around.

 

As I told the students, this year will be DIFFERENT.  Different does not mean bad, it often means GREAT.  I’m looking forward to experiencing this ‘different’ year with the entire SKI Community.

 

Here’s to a healthy, safe, happy, and fun educational journey!

 

 - Principal James

 

*Please click here to view the welcome video I shared with students on the first day of school.


2019 Welcome Message

 

To the St. Kitts International Academy Family,

 On behalf of the dedicated St. Kitts International Academy team, I want to welcome you to the 2019-20 school year!  While I know many of our colleagues, parents and students, allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Krista James.  I worked at St. Kitts International Academy when it was still run out of the original location in Wades Garden about eleven years ago, when I first arrived on the beautiful island of St. Kitts.  I worked several years at Immaculate Conception Catholic School as the Business & Development Administrator. For the last six years I have been the Superintendent of the Ross Preparatory School here in St. Kitts.  I am truly delighted to return home to St. Kitts International Academy and to have the opportunity to work with the entire school community to make our school the best it can be!

 

We are now in our 18th year at St. Kitts International Academy.  As a school community we are proud of everything that has been accomplished to date.  Combining our bright students, talented staff and dedicated parents, and working diligently together, I see a very bright future for our learning community.  We look forward to continuing to develop our students into life-long learners and responsible citizens, who will make a big difference in this world.  Through a joint partnership between home and school if we support our learners, exhibit kindness and compassion and a sincere willingness to work together our future will be bright. 

 

We have a dynamic group of teachers to lead our students in 2019-2020 and beyond.  We have a lot of new initiatives in place.  We have worked on a more robust, international curriculum in the areas of Language Arts and Social Studies.  We are striving for academic excellence by implementing more detailed descriptors in our grading system and implementing Honor Roll and Principal’s List.  We are celebrating academic achievements in the form of Kindergarten, 8th Grade and High School graduation ceremonies.  Many favorite events from our past like Donuts with Dad, Muffins with Mom, our annual Independence Celebration, International Day of Peace and many new activities have been added to our calendar. 

 

 

Our promises to you this year include:

 

-New curriculum initiatives that encompass previous standards yet enhance our program to more international standards

 

-Revised parent/student handbook

 

-Increased communication

 

-Revitalizing the PTA Executive Committee and introducing room parents; thus creating more ways for parents to be involved in our school.

 

-Celebrating and encouraging academic achievement (Honor Roll/Graduation)

 

-New technology initiatives

 

 

I would like to thank the entire facilities and housekeeping team for all of their hard work this summer.  The entire campus has been repainted and all classrooms have beautiful accent walls.  Each color represents the colors on our star.  In addition several new work spaces have been created.  The Kindergarten and Grade 11/12 room had complete renovations and look amazing.  New signage has been installed throughout campus as well.  The crisp look and feel has the entire team excited to welcome the students back to school!

 

As much as I promise increased communication, please know that I also value face to face meetings.  I welcome opportunities to meet and talk with students and parents.  We look forward to providing a safe and nurturing school as well as ensuring we provide a challenging and diverse curriculum. I look forward to meeting our students and parents and working with our team to make this year the best year yet at St. Kitts International Academy! 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Krista L. James

 

Principal

kjames@skiacademy.net