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Stay Indoors and Off the Roads – No All Clear Yet – BVIDDM warns

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As Tropical Storm Ernesto continues to impact the British Virgin Islands, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) is urging all residents to remain indoors and avoid unnecessary travel.

Numerous trees have fallen, particularly in the countryside areas on the northern side of the islands, posing significant risks. Sightseeing is strongly discouraged, as there is a high likelihood of becoming trapped by debris.

Road crews are actively assessing the damage and working to clear debris from the roads. However, the all-clear has not yet been given. Residents are advised to stay off the roads until further notice. The DDM emphasises that the teams are prioritising the clearing of main roads first, but their safety is also paramount. The public is urged to exercise patience as these efforts continue.

Tropical Storm Ernesto, which is expected to strengthen into a hurricane, remains a serious threat. As of 2 a.m., the storm was located near latitude 19.0 North and longitude 66.0 West, approximately 86 miles west-northwest of Road Town. Moving northwest at 17 mph (28 km/h), the storm is expected to take a turn toward the north-northwest and then north, gradually decreasing in speed by Wednesday night and Thursday.

On its current trajectory, Ernesto is forecasted to pass to the northeast and north of Puerto Rico by early Wednesday, then move over the western Atlantic later in the week, potentially approaching Bermuda by Friday.

With maximum sustained winds now at 70 mph (110 km/h) and further strengthening anticipated, Ernesto is likely to become a hurricane by early Wednesday. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 125 miles (205 km) from the center, and residents should be prepared for heavy rain, flash flooding, and hazardous marine conditions.

The Department of Disaster Management continues to monitor the situation closely and will provide updates as necessary. Residents are strongly encouraged to stay informed and take all necessary precautions to protect themselves and their property during this critical period.

 

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Minister Rymer Briefed on Airport Infrastructure Enhancements

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Minister of Communications and Works, Honourable Kye Rymer, has received a briefing on recent infrastructural upgrades completed at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.

The update was provided by Mr Kurt Menal, Managing Director of the BVI Airports Authority (BVIAA), who highlighted key improvements designed to enhance passenger experience and operational efficiency at the Territory’s main airport.

Among the completed upgrades is the installation of a new luggage conveyor belt and expanded baggage collection area. The upgraded system has a greater capacity than the previous setup, aimed at improving the flow of passengers through the arrivals process.

Mr Menal also pointed to the commissioning of a modern sewage treatment plant, which has the capacity to accommodate up to 500,000 passengers annually. The environmentally sustainable system supports the BVIAA’s broader objectives of expanding airport capacity while meeting international environmental standards.

“The BVIAA continues to meet the safety and regulatory requirements outlined in the Air Navigation (Overseas Territories) Order 2001 and other applicable instruments,” Mr Menal said. “We are also focused on maintaining an environment that fosters employee excellence and high standards of service.”

The infrastructure enhancements form part of the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the Territory’s transportation network and prepare for anticipated increases in passenger traffic.

 

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Education

Twelve Primary Schools Advance to Final Round of 2025 Spelling Bee

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Twelve primary schools in the Virgin Islands have secured places in the final round of the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports’ 2025 Spelling Bee Competition, scheduled to take place on 4 June.

The finalists were selected from a group of 17 schools that participated in the preliminary round, which featured a total of 34 students. Competitors prepared by studying a word list comprising approximately 3,000 words ahead of the event.

The final round of the competition will be streamed live on the official Facebook page of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

A recording of the preliminary round is also available for viewing on the same platform, at BVIGovernment.

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BVI Officials Host Panel on Early Childhood Development Challenges and Solutions

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Officials from the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports in the British Virgin Islands recently convened a panel discussion addressing the challenges and opportunities in early childhood development across the Territory.

The panel brought together voices from education, health, and the private sector. Participants included Chief Education Officer Mrs Orlandette Crabbe; Consultant Paediatrician in the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) Dr Natasha Frett; Founder of Imagination Academy VI Ms Sharia de Castro; and Education Officer responsible for Early Childhood Development Ms Kimberly George.

The session focused on the importance of early childhood education and the need for strategic approaches to prepare young children with both academic and non-academic skills.

Chief Education Officer Mrs Crabbe emphasised the value of foundational skills in preparing children for formal schooling.

“In formal schooling we start from the very beginning, but let me tell you what we want,” Mrs Crabbe said. “We want a child that can listen, and follow instructions, who can relate to their peers without throwing a tantrum and falling down because they have to share a pencil or crayon.”

She continued, “We want our centres to be empowered to focus on what matters, and those are those non-academic skills that come about through engagement in a child’s natural environment, which is play.”

Education Officer Ms Kimberly George echoed this sentiment, reinforcing the Ministry’s focus on long-term impact.

“In the Ministry, we worked to add the tagline ‘Early Learning, Lifelong Impact’ because we believe that early learning does have a lifelong impact on our children in the future,” she said. “As a Ministry, we are committed to ensuring that students receive the quality learning experience that they deserve at that level.”

From the health sector, Dr Natasha Frett provided insight on brain development in early childhood and its connection to future learning.

“I am sure many of you would have heard that in the first five years of life, it is very critical for mental and brain development,” Dr Frett stated. “It is during that time that about 90 percent of the brain is being developed, under the age of five. Here we have this opportunity where you have all these neural pathways and connections being formed.”

Dr Frett described this period as “a perfect opportunity to develop certain learning skills—cognitive learning skills, social learning skills—all of these are very important for the age of five because the brain is maturing.”

Founder of Imagination Academy VI Ms Sharia de Castro contributed her perspective from the private education sector, calling for a shift from traditional instruction to more interactive, skill-based learning.

“I think we have to move away from the culture that is quick to put a pencil into their hand and give them a worksheet,” Ms de Castro said. “Instead, give them interactive experiences where their whole body is engaged.”

She explained, “For example, if we are focusing on letter identification or formation, instead of giving them a pencil and asking them to do that, we give them some playdough and ask them to form it instead—because we are building finger muscles and everything that we need for later learning.”

The panel discussion was part of Early Childhood Awareness Week. The full video is available for public viewing on the Government’s official Facebook page at BVIGovernment.

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