Governor Albert Bryan Jr and Education Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin look on as students attending school virtually at Yvonne Milliner-Bowsky Elementary School interact with students in the classroom when schools reopened for in-person learning in March. On Aug. 9, all students will return to virtual learning due to the current surge in COVID-19 cases in the Territory.
The Virgin Islands Department of Education will hold a series of virtual back-to-school events on Aug. 5 and 6 that are designed to motivate and inspire educators returning to work for the 2021-2022 school year.
“This is an exciting time for us at the V.I. Department of Education, when we welcome our educators back to school,” said Education Commissioner Racquel Berry-Benjamin. “While we could not hold these activities in person due to the current health conditions in our territory, we want our educators to feel welcomed, we want to celebrate the important work that they do, and we want to provide them with meaningful and impactful information that will guide them for the duration of the school year.”
Berry-Benjamin said that for the 2021-2022 school year, among the other focus areas of student achievement and parental involvement, the Department of Education will give greater attention to Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), which deals with the process of developing the self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills that are central for school, work, and life success. SEL helps students develop coping skills and set goals, work well with others and resolve conflicts, and build self-esteem.
“As we educate students in this stressful environment of a global pandemic, it is important that we focus on their mental health needs and overall wellbeing,” Berry-Benjamin said. “While academics will continue to remain a priority, we want to bring SEL into the mix because it directly affects students’ academic performance. We are committed to educating the whole child.”
Territorial Welcome Back-to-School Virtual Celebration
A Welcome Back to School Virtual Celebration is planned for Aug. 6 at 9 a.m. on Zoom for educators in the two school districts. The event will feature motivational and inspirational presentations from Department and district leaders, as well as elected officials. Initially planned as two separate in-person events prior to the current COVID-19 surge, the now-combined virtual event will bring educators in the two districts together for an hour-long
Attendees will receive a link and login information to connect to Zoom.
St. Thomas-St. John District 2021 Back to School Professional Development
As part of its back-to-school activities, the St. Thomas-St. John District will host two days of virtual professional development (PD) for support staff and educators on Aug. 5 and 6. The extensive lineup features more than 35 workshops and is themed “Everyone Drives Student Achievement,” which is also the district’s theme for the new school year.
According to St. Thomas-St. John District Superintendent Stefan Jurgen, PhD, the professional development offerings have been made available through partnership with the University of the Virgin Islands and are “an attempt to bolster the development of the educators and support staff in the territory.” Sessions will focus on social-emotional learning, creativity theory, social justice, educational leadership, COVID-19 best practices while teaching, and strategies and pedagogy that address learning loss.
A number of certification and masters’ programs will also be offered at the university level in the coming months “to assist more teachers with certification, and increase the number of librarians, social workers, and school psychologist, which are areas of high importance,” Jurgen further explained. The programs were created developmentally for Department of Education employees through a memorandum of understanding with UVI.
Educators in the St. Thomas-St. John District may register for the Aug. 5 and 6 professional development sessions through the information they received via email.
Joseph Bess coordinates professional development in the St. Thomas-St. John District.
St. Croix District Back to School Professional Development
The St. Croix District will also host a back-to-school virtual professional development session for its educators on Aug. 6. Attendees will enjoy workshops on social-emotional wellness, data-driven instruction, and more.
During a virtual welcome back ceremony with school administrators on Aug. 2, the St. Croix District theme was revealed as “Reengage, Reignite and Recover Learning.”
“Data shows that the most effective teaching and learning occurs when both teachers and students are present in the classroom,” Superintendent Carlos McGregor said. “However, if we have to remain virtual because of COVID-19, we will continue to strive for excellence.”
St. Croix educators may access the Aug. 6 professional development sessions through the Frontline platform.
Kandiss Benjamin coordinates professional development in the St. Croix District.
Throughout the month of July, the two districts also hosted a series of technology trainings to prepare educators for administering virtual instruction for the second year in a row, including Schoology, PowerSchool, Promethean, and others.
Public school students will return to virtual learning on Aug. 9, the first day of school for the 2021-2022 school year. School administrators returned to work on Aug. 2 and teachers returned on Aug. 3.