Ocean View Academy - SXM

🎓 Ocean View Horizon | Awards Celebration & Graduation Night 2026 🌅

On Friday, June 12, the Ocean View Academy community gathered at The Setai in Indigo Bay to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and honour the graduates of the Class of 2026.

Against the backdrop of a stunning Caribbean sunset, this year's theme, "Ocean View Horizon," reflected both the journey our students have completed and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead.

We were honoured to welcome Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina as keynote speaker, whose inspiring address encouraged graduates to embrace the future with confidence, perseverance, and purpose. We were also privileged to hear heartfelt remarks from Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs, whose reflections on individualized education and student success resonated deeply with those in attendance.

We were proud to celebrate the achievements of our graduates:

🎓 Grade 12 Graduates
AJ Marks
Christopher Rogers

🎓 Grade 8 Graduates
Michelle Lin
Nate Judd
Skyla Richardson
Riley Prudent

The evening concluded with a beautiful reception overlooking Indigo Bay, where graduates, families, educators, government representatives, and community supporters gathered to celebrate this important milestone.

A sincere thank you to Artemia Catering for the outstanding food and service, The Setai for providing such a spectacular venue, and Souleyman Photography for capturing the evening so beautifully.

At Ocean View Academy, we believe that education is about more than academics. Watching our students grow in confidence, character, independence, and leadership remains one of the greatest rewards of our work. We are incredibly proud of each student we celebrated that evening and look forward to seeing all they accomplish in the years ahead.

❤️ Congratulations, Class of 2026. The horizon is just the beginning.

📰 We are grateful to The Daily Herald for highlighting Ocean View Academy's 2026 Awards Celebration and Graduation Night.

🎓 The evening celebrated the achievements of our graduating class, including four Grade 8 graduates and two Grade 12 graduates, and featured inspiring remarks from keynote speaker Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina and a heartfelt address from Minister of Finance Marinka Gumbs.

Congratulations to all of our graduates and their families on this important milestone! 🌟

📸 Stay tuned as we share more highlights, memories, and photos from this special evening in the days ahead.

🎓✨

We were honoured to have our community cleanup initiative featured in today's Daily Herald. Thank you to our students for their hard work and commitment to giving back to the Indigo Bay community. We are proud of the positive way they represented Ocean View Academy.

Read the full article here:

Ocean View Academy gives back to Indigo Bay Community The clean up in progress. INDIGO BAY--Ocean View Academy students wrapped up their school year by giving back to the community they call home. For...

🌴 Giving Back to Indigo Bay 🌴

What a fantastic final day of school at Ocean View Academy!

Today, our students had the opportunity to give back to the community that has been home to our school over the past five years. As part of our last day of school activities, students participated in a cleanup of the Indigo Bay area surrounding our school, as well as the beach in front of Indigo Beach Restaurant.

We were incredibly proud of how engaged and enthusiastic our students were throughout the morning. They worked hard, showed great teamwork, and demonstrated a genuine understanding of the importance of caring for our environment and community.

After the cleanup, students enjoyed some well-earned beach time, including games, races, swimming, exploring the shoreline, and spending time together enjoying the beauty of Indigo Bay.

A special thank you to Sylvia and the team at Indigo Beach Restaurant for generously providing complimentary lounge chairs and umbrellas for our students and for hosting our final Community Luncheon of the school year. The food was excellent, the service was outstanding, and it was the perfect way to celebrate a successful year together.

We could not be more proud of our students and the positive way they represented Ocean View Academy today.

🌊 Ocean View Academy: Island Adventure 2026 🛥️

Today our students enjoyed an unforgettable day exploring the beauty, history, and marine life of St. Martin as part of our year-end celebrations.

From snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles at Tintamarre Island, to hiking and exploring Pinel Island, enjoying lunch in Grand Case, swimming at Baie Longue near La Samanna, and watching planes land at Maho Beach, the day was filled with adventure, learning, and fun.

We were especially proud of our students, who represented Ocean View Academy with enthusiasm, respect, and a willingness to fully participate in every activity throughout the day.

A special thank you to Balazs and the crew at Billy Bones Boat Charter for creating what was, without question, the best boat trip our school has experienced. Captain Damian shared local history, stories, and fascinating facts about the island as we travelled, adding an educational component that our students thoroughly enjoyed. First Mate Tomas was outstanding, helping students with snorkeling equipment, serving snacks and drinks, and making everyone feel welcome throughout the day.

The students loved the speedboat experience, which allowed us to comfortably explore so many beautiful locations around the island in a single day.

Thank you to Balazs, Damian, and Tomas for helping us create such a memorable experience for our students!

Our Ocean View Academy students had the opportunity to visit The Setai St. Maarten in Indigo Bay, continuing a relationship that began with our visit to the project last year when it was known as Vie L'Ven.

Returning a year later allowed students to see the remarkable progress that has been made while learning more about the project's evolution into The Setai St. Maarten. As neighbours in Indigo Bay, it was especially meaningful to learn more about a development that will play an important role in the future of our community.

Before the visit, students developed inquiry questions focused on tourism and hospitality, construction and engineering, business and branding, environmental sustainability, careers, and community impact. Their thoughtful questions led to engaging discussions about hurricane-resistant construction, environmental stewardship, local employment opportunities, luxury tourism, and the long-term impact of major developments on St. Maarten.

A special thank you to Shirley, Melissa, and the entire team for their warm hospitality and for sharing their knowledge with our students. We also appreciated the opportunity to hear directly from the construction manager, who joined the discussion to answer questions about the project's recent progress.

Experiences like these help bring classroom learning to life and show students how the concepts they study connect to real projects happening right here on our island.

We are grateful for this continuing relationship and look forward to celebrating our graduation ceremony at The Setai sales office overlooking beautiful Indigo Bay on June 12.

Thank you, The Setai St. Maarten, for an outstanding learning experience.

🎾☀️ A fantastic way to wrap up our final PADEL trip of the year!

Yesterday, Ocean View Academy switched things up from our regular visits to Belair PADEL Club and headed over to Port de Plaisance for a full day of skill development, friendly competition, and learning beyond the classroom.

A huge thank you to SXM Padel Club and Ignacio Jauregui for helping build this partnership over the past few years and giving our students these opportunities.

A special thank you as well to Coach Pieter for an excellent lesson yesterday. It was our first time working with him, and the students had a great experience.

It has been incredible watching the growth in skill level, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the year. 🎾

After the lesson, students had an opportunity to cool down in the pool before enjoying an excellent lunch delivery from Pollos Hermanos SXM. Finishing the afternoon with some free PADEL play was a great way to wrap up an amazing day! 🏊🍔

And we are already looking ahead to next year...

Our Thursday afternoon Physical Education and Wellness Program will continue to expand and include rotations between:

🎾 PADEL lessons and trips to Belair and Port de Plaisance

🏊 Belair Community Centre visits, which will feature swim instruction and pool activities, fitness sessions, and Zumba classes

⚽ Outdoor athletics at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, including soccer, running, and athletic training

🌴 Outdoor wellness and activity days, including field trips, beach activities, and hikes in the surrounding area

🏃 OVA Running Team, with plans to participate in events such as the Around the Island Relay and other interscholastic runs

Learning at OVA goes beyond the classroom. Building healthy habits, confidence, teamwork, and resilience continues to be an important part of who we are.

Yesterday at Ocean View Academy, students celebrated Cinco de Mayo through food, history, creativity, and collaboration 🌮🎨

Following our Carnival break, it was a great way to reconnect as students learned about the history and significance of Cinco de Mayo, including the Battle of Puebla, while also making connections to cultural traditions and celebrations here in Sint Maarten.

After viewing and discussing the history behind Cinco de Mayo, students completed a follow-up writing activity where they combined historical understanding with creativity through newspaper-style articles inspired by the battle itself.

Students also helped prepare and set up a colourful taco luncheon filled with fresh toppings and flavours, while Miss Kimberley led a Cinco de Mayo–inspired art activity featuring patterned tile designs inspired by traditional Mexican art.

It was a fun and meaningful day that highlighted the creativity, teamwork, and positive atmosphere that make Ocean View Academy so special.

🎉 Celebrating Carnival Through Culture and Creativity at Ocean View Academy 🎨

This week, leading into our Carnival break, our students explored the rich history and traditions of Sint Maarten Carnival while connecting it to celebrations around the world.

As part of a meaningful research project, students compared our local Carnival to other world-renowned festivals, discovering the unique traditions, music, costumes, and cultural significance that make each one special. It was impressive to see the depth of their thinking and the connections they made across cultures.

Bringing that learning to life, Ms. Kimberley led a vibrant Carnival art session where students designed and created their own Carnival masks. The colour, creativity, and energy on display truly captured the spirit of Carnival and the pride we have in our island.

A wonderful week of learning, creativity, and community — and a reminder of how special this time of year is here in Sint Maarten 🇸🇽✨

Wishing all of our students and families a restful and rewarding Carnival break, and an exciting time enjoying the celebrations across the island!