Getting Closer.....

My stuff on a wooden skid getting ready to be shipped to St. Kitts!

Well - it is official... I'm down to less then a week before the big move.  Today, my father and I took my stuff - 8 large boxes - to Tropical Shipping in Kearny, New Jersey.  My 8 boxes were put on a 4 foot by 4 foot wooden skid, and then shrink wrapped with the largest roll of plastic wrap I've seen!  The journey for my packages is a two week journey.  They will leave any day for the Port of Palm Beach, in Florida.  From there they will set sail to St. Kitts.  They will arrive on August 5th.  This morning was a unique experience.  Before parting with my "stuff" I was able to take a picture it as it was loaded onto a fork lift. 

As my time gets closer - I've been trying to spend as much time with family and friends as possible.  People have been booking me for breakfast, lunch and dinner plans.  It is nice to spend time with everyone before I leave.

I have to apologize for the delay in posting, I've been so busy packing my house for shipment and storage.  It has been a hard, long process.  It seemed never ending at some points.  It is amazing how much stuff you can pile up in 30 years.  So I've decided that less is more and I've really simplified what I have in terms of material items.  The important things are those that remind you of the people in your life - so the most important things for me are pictures!  I've packed lots of them!! 

Once I arrive in St. Kitts I will be sure to post a picture of my new home, and of my wonderful friends Dominic & Mary Stevens with whom I'll be living.  Dominic has been a friend of mine for about 13 years, I've often thought of him as the brother I never had, and he married a wonderful woman Mary - who is one of the kindest people I know.  I'm excited to stay with them - so that they can help me settle in to my new life in St. Kitts.

I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far.  Please keep reading - I'll have more to share soon!

Ms. Vics

A Video Tour of St. Kitts!

Hi Everyone!

I thought you might enjoy a video tour of St. Kitts & Nevis.  I made this for another purpose but thought you might enjoy seeing lots of pictures of St. Kitts.  I personally took all the pictures, and the music is from the most popular band on St. Kitts.  They are called Nu-Vybes International.  They are a very fun-loving, up-beat band!  I hope you enjoy a small sample of the type of music I'll be hearing a lot of when living on St. Kitts!

I hope you all have a happy 4th of July tomorrow!!  

More soon!

Love,

Ms. Vics

My New School: The St. Kitts Montessori Academy

(My new school, the St. Kitts Montessori Academy)

On my last day at Riverdale, I told many of you that I would be starting a new 7th and 8th grade classroom at my new school.  The original plan was that I was supposed to be teaching a 3rd and 4th grade classroom, and I'm back to the original plan.  I'll be the teacher of 3rd and 4th grade students.  At last check there were 16 students enrolled in my class!  I'm very excited to meet them and to get to know them!  I hope they are as fun-loving as all of you!

I wanted to tell you a little bit about the school I'll be teaching in, the St. Kitts Montessori Academy.

• The school opened in 2001.
• The school spans grades 1-8.  They have two grades per classroom.  So they have grades 1 & 2, 3 & 4, 5 & 6, and 7 & 8.
• The school has three trimesters (we have 4 marking periods).  That means we have three sessions: 

1)  September until December (then three weeks off) 

2) January - April (then three weeks off) 

3) April - July (then two months off)

• Students are in class from 9:00 am until 3:15 pm.  Students get an HOUR for lunch, and a 20 minute snack break!
• It is a private school, that means the parents have to pay for the children to go to this school.

I'm sure I'll have lots more to share once I get to St. Kitts!  However, I wanted to be able to share a little bit about my new school with you!  It looks so different from Riverdale School, right?  It is so colorful with a big palm tree on the front lawn - not a big pine tree!

I hope you are all enjoying summer....  more soon!

Love,

Ms. Vics

St. Kitts: A Brief Introduction.

Here is a map of St. Kitts.  

If you look at the image to the right you'll see how far it is from Miami, Florida.

(Frigate Bay Beach, St. Kitts)

You all have heard so many stories about St. Kitts over the years.  However, I thought it would be a good idea for you to learn a little bit about this mysterious place I'm headed to.  The federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is a twin-island nation, formerly a British territory.  They gained their independence from Great Britain on September 19, 1983 (that is like our 4th of July!).  As a result of their British heritage there are several things that are different then here in the USA.  Some differences are :

• You drive on the opposite side of the road there!
  
• The steering wheel of my new car will be on the passenger side of my car!
• Things are spelled differently too:  color - colour, flavor - flavour.

Here are some fast facts about St. Kitts:

• St. Kitts is about 4,000 miles from NJ.
• St. Kitts is 68 square miles (smaller then West Milford).  Nevis is 36 square miles.
• The population of St. Kitts is about 33,000 people, while Nevis has about 12,500 people.
• English is the main language spoken in St. Kitts & Nevis.
• St. Kitts is a volcanic island.  Mt. Liamuiga is a dormant (non-active) volcano.
• They use two types of money in St. Kitts:  the US dollar and the EC (Eastern Caribbean dollar).  1 US dollar is worth 2.65 EC dollars.
• The temperature in St. Kitts & Nevis, on average is 80 degrees year round.  There are great breezes, and they have low humidity.
• The capital of St. Kitts is Basseterre.  The capital of Nevis is Charlestown.

There are so many great places to visit on St. Kitts!  Aside from lots of beautiful beaches, there are old plantations, Brimstone Hill Army Fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage Site - pictured above), Romney Manor, the black rocks, the Golden Lemon.

There are also lots of fun things to do: catching some sun on a beautiful beach, water sports, catamaran trips, horseback riding, the St. Kitts Scenic Railroad.  

(South Friars Beach)

I hope you've enjoyed this installment of my St. Kitts Adventure.  If you want to comment on any of my posts or have any questions, there is a "comment" button underneath the post.  Click on it and you can write to me.  I hope you are all enjoying your summer so far!

More soon!

Love,

Ms. Vics

A Tearful Goodbye!

I'm still sitting at my desk at Riverdale School.  It is the last day of the year, and I've just said my goodbyes to all of you, my students, who have been a part of my life for as many as 8 years.  The choice to move has not been an easy one, and saying goodbye to you today was one of the hardest things I'll have to do!  

You have all touched my life in so many ways...  you've taught me so much, you've made me laugh & cry.  You've shared the good times and bad times in your life with me.  I've truly been blessed to be your teacher and will truly miss each and every one of you!

Your cards (which I can't read because they are making me cry) will move with me to St. Kitts.  My new students will hear all about the wonderful people I know in a tiny town with a huge heart called Riverdale, New Jersey!

So, as  I sit at my desk here on the last day of school, my mind is full of so many happy memories.  Although I'm leaving the country I'm not leaving your lives.  This blog will be a place for you to share in my new adventure and for you to keep in touch with me.  

This is not goodbye.  It is a new chapter in my life... and I look forward to you all sharing it with me.

Remember if you are ever in St. Kitts - I'd love to share my new country with you!

Thanks for reading... come back soon!

I will always have endless love and gratitude for the past 8 wonderful years of my life here in Riverdale!

Love,

Ms. Vics