September 27, 2019

Dear Parents,

This weekend the campus will be full of life with our middle school basketball tournament. Followed by our high school volleyball tournament on Monday and Tuesday.  Please join us in cheering on our Chinthes.

Please take a moment to take part in ISY's World Language survey

Saturday

• Prem Fall Classic Soccer Tournament - Chiang Mai
• Middle School Basketball Tournament at ISY

Monday

• High School Volleyball Tournament at ISY

Tuesday

• High School Volleyball Tournament at ISY
• Glion and Les Roches visit - Hospitality universities- Lunchtime visit

Wednesday

• New York Institute of Technology -Lunchtime visit

Saturday

• SAT Exam

September 20, 2019

Dear Parents,

This upcoming week there are many activities for you to be aware of. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the secondary office.  (secondaryoffice@isyedu.org)

Bullying and Child Safeguarding at ISY:  All families are invited to attend a presentation on Thursday, September 26th at 5:30 to explore the many ways ISY works to safeguard your children.  The evening will address the issue of bullying world-wide and how ISY addresses the issue.  We will explain our Child Protection policy and the strategies it uses to prevent abuse.

'Forgiveness Starts in the Home': This presentation will be held on Tuesday 24th September at 5:30pm at ISY. Parents greatly determine their children's behavior. Children are like sponges--they model everything a parent does and incorporate what they see into their own lives. It is important that parents set the right examples for their children. Negative examples can be detrimental to a child's development. How do couples forgive each other?

Learning Journey: In middle school, we are working at creating opportunities for students to express and reflect upon their learning journey. In an effort to ensure that the process is meaningful, next week our technology team will be meeting with middle school students to brainstorm ways to document their learning over time. Students will have a choice in what platform they use and what they post. In addition, the platform that is being used will be open to the public as it is felt that if the platform is open to the public, there will be an audience and the process will be authentic. Teacher support will be provided and will ensure that the content is monitored. Teacher mentors will ensure students are presenting material in a manner that is appropriate and that appropriate digital citizenship skills are utilized. We will keep you posted on this journey as we progress.

Middle School WWW: In the event that you missed the Monday presentation, please see links to the ppt that was shared during the parent information evening.

• Grade 6 WWW presentation
• Grade 7 WWW presentation
• Grade 8 WWW presentation 

This Week in Secondary School 

Monday

• Board Meeting:6:30 – 8:00pm

Tuesday

• Santa Clara Univ visit - California: Lunch VIsit 
• HS Volleyball with ISM at ISY
• Forgiveness Starts in the Home - Parent Workshop at 5:30 PM

Wednesday

• MS Basketball with ISM at ISM

Thursday

• Boston Univ Lunch visit
• HS Volleyball with ILBC at ISY
• Bullying and Child Safeguarding at ISY at 5:30PM

Friday

• YAC MS Basketball Tournament at ISY
• Prem Fall Classic Soccer Tournament - Chang Mai

Saturday 

• YAC MS Basketball Tournament at ISY
• Prem Fall Classic Soccer Tournament - Chang Mai
• JV HS Volleyball Tournament @ YIS

September 13, 2019

Dear Secondary Parents,

If your child is in middle school, please make sure to complete the WWW trip preparation forms that were emailed to you on Thursday. If you need help, please contact the secondary office.

This Week In Secondary School 

Saturday 

• MS/HS Movie Marathon- (Infinity wars and End Game) 11:00AM -5:00PM in the Drama room 

Monday

• Yale-NUS visit- 9:30-10:30
• MISCA college fair at YIS 12:00-4:30 PM all twelfth-grade students and interested grade 11 students will be attending. 
• WWW MS Parents Information Sessions at 5:00PM 
• Grade 6 in SAS 411E
• Grade 7 in SAS 501E
• Grade 8 in D104

Tuesday 

• HS Volleyball  at I.S.M
• The State University of New York at Oswego visit at 9:30
• The University of British Columbia, Chinese University of HK visit at 12:30
• IB Transition and Looking forward at 5:30 PM in the cafeteria

Wednesday

• MS Basketball with ISM at ISY
Hong Kong Baptist University Visit at lunch

Thursday 

• HS Volleyball vs ILBC
• MS Basketball with YIS at ISY

Friday

• 11:45 dismissal for students

Flood Drive: Community in Action service learning group will be holding a flood drive next week where materials including; soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, mosquito nets, blankets and basic English and Burmese books are to be collected school-wide. The donations will be given to Mr. U Win from the Ayeyarwaddy Foundation, and also to the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation, and will be sent to relief camps in every township, in the city of Mawlamyaing, Mon State, where the flood has made the heaviest impact.

According to Mr. U Win, the flood has reached 12 feet and in places up to the roofs of people's homes. More than 100 lives have been lost in these heavy floods, and villagers have lost many of their possessions. The Service Learning group's aim is to collect the most required items (listed below) from grades Pre-K through 12th grade and donate them.

The collection will start next week on Monday 16th and last all week until Friday 20th.
Relief food is being provided by the organizations so they have asked for other kinds of items much in need. Here is the list of items required by each grade level:

• Elementary students, please donate any items
• Grades 6 to 8: toothbrush/toothpaste
• Grades 9 to 12: bar soap and English/Burmese books that are simple to read

Labeled baskets will be left in front of the gym between Monday to Friday where the donations will be collected.

MAP Testing: Next week will be our last week of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments for our Grade 6 to 9 students. Grades 1 to 5 have already completed their assessments. As we are preparing to analyze our data, I would like to take this opportunity to explain why and how MAP assessments are administered at ISY.

What are MAP assessments?
MAP assessments are online adaptive assessments that provide useful data in developing a fair and accurate assessment of student academic achievement and growth. MAP Growth uses a scale to measure what students know, regardless of their grade level. It also measures growth over time, allowing us to track our students throughout the school year and across multiple years.

Why do we do MAP testing?
The academic achievement and growth data obtained from MAP assessments forms one part of a student’s data profile. MAP assessment data is combined with data gathered by classroom teachers to ensure that we have a fair and accurate understanding of each student’s academic and learning needs. This understanding of student academic and learning needs then guides teacher planning and instructional practices in meeting the needs of individual students.

As well as providing important data that guides planning and instruction for individual students, MAP data also guides our continuous school improvement efforts. We can use school, grade and subject level MAP data to identify which academic areas we need to focus our improvement efforts on.

How do we do MAP testing?

Our processes around MAP testing at ISY are designed around the reasons why we have our students sit the tests and our commitment to fair and accurate assessment practices. For a summary of our MAP testing processes, please refer to this document.

Student MAP data is shared, along with other teacher collected student achievement data, with parents during parent conferences. However, if you would like to have access to your child(ren)’s assessment data prior to a conference, please email Mike Simpson, our Director of Curriculum and Learning at msimpson@isyedu.org and he will be happy to forward that information to you. Student MAP reports are also posted to Powerschool after conferences.

September 6, 2019

Dear Parents,

Next week, we will start MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) testing in the Secondary School (Grades 6 to 9). MAP assessments are online adaptive assessments that provide useful data in developing a fair and accurate assessment of a student’s academic achievement and growth.

To ensure a fair and accurate assessment of a student’s academic growth and achievement, teachers combine MAP assessment data with all other student data that they have collected in the classroom. This combination of data informs teacher instruction in meeting the needs of each student.

Students will sit the MAP tests on their own computer. Students will need to bring their computers fully charged throughout the week.

Middle School Week Without Walls: On September 16, 2019, at 5:00, the middle school team will be facilitating a parent information evening regarding middle school WWW adventures. Room locations will be shared at a later date. 

• Grade 6 - Location: Pyay, Dates of Travel: October 7-October 10
• Grade 7 - Location: Bago, Dates of Travel: October 7-October 10
• Grade 8 - Location Chang Mai, Dates of Travel: October 7 - October 11 

This Week in Secondary School 

Monday 

• MAP Testing for grades 6-9

Tuesday 

• MAP Testing for grades 6-9

Wednesday

• MS Basketball with ILBC at ISY 
• MAP Testing for grades 6-9

Thursday 

• Senior University Night at 5:30 in the cafeteria
• HS Volleyball with YIS at Y.I.S
• Ohlone College (CA)  lunch visit
• Seattle Central College lunch visit
• MAP Testing for grades 6-9

Friday

• MAP Testing for grades 6-9

Saturday 

• MS/HS - Movie Marathon (Avengers) 11:00AM-5:00PM in SAS411

August 30, 2019

Dear Parents,

Thank you for attending Back to School Night. I hope you enjoyed the evening and had the opportunity to learn more about your child's classes. Please let us know if you have any feedback to improve the evening.

Internet Access for Students: Students and parents are required to sign the ISY Student Agreement of Acceptable Technology use by Monday, September 2nd. If this is not completed it will result in the student losing access to the school WiFi. After students complete and submit the agreement, both parents/guardians will receive the form to sign. Only one parent needs to sign the form.

October 11, 2019, Public Holiday and MS WWW - With the additional holiday on the 11th of October, we continue to investigate the possibility of adjusting our WWW schedule. More information will be shared next week once confirmation of the adjustment is obtained.

This Week in Secondary 

Monday

• School Holiday

Tuesday

• Girls and Boys High School Volleyball game will take place at ISY at 4:00PM. Parents are encouraged to attend.
• Parent Focus Group- Parent focus groups will be occurring throughout the day.

Wednesday

• 6th-grade Parent Coffee- Please stop by the cafeteria on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, at 2:30 to talk to the 6th-grade leadership team. This would be an ideal time to ask questions or seek clarification on middle school topics. In addition, our technology integration specialist will be present to answer any google classroom questions you may have. This session will not have a formal presentation.
• Parent Focus Group- Parent focus groups will be occurring throughout the day.

Thursday 

• 9th grade parents night: Setting the Stage (register on Naviance, topics covered during 9th-grade guidance, individual meeting with the counselor)
• Parent Focus Group Feedback Session 

August 23, 2019

Dear Parents,

We look forward to having you join us for Back to School Night on Thursday, August 29, 2019, starting at 5:30 PM. The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for you to get to know your child's teacher and to better understand class expectations. Here are a few key things regarding the evening:

• For a complete program of the event please see this link. 
• As ISY is becoming more environmentally friendly, we will no longer be printing your child's schedule for parents to follow. Instead, you will find your Back to School Night Schedule in PowerSchool. 
• Please log into Power School. 
• On the left-hand column, you will find Back to School Night. 
• Please select this and download the schedule to your phone. 
• Wear comfortable shoes as you will be moving from one classroom to the next.

October 11, 2019,  Public Holiday and MS WWW - With the additional holiday on the 11th of October, we are investigating the possibility of adjusting our WWW schedule. More information will be shared next week once confirmation of the adjustment is obtained.

Internet Access for Students: Students and parents are required to sign the ISY Student Agreement of Acceptable Technology use by Monday, September 2nd. If this is not completed it will result in the student losing access to the school WiFi. After students complete and submit the agreement, both parents/guardians will receive the form to sign. Only one parent needs to sign the form by September 2.

After School Spanish Language Classes at ISY - It is important that we celebrate and support the languages of all of our students. One way that ISY can do this is by supporting our community’s nationality and language groups to set up their own mother tongue language instruction classes as part of our After-School Activity (ASA) program. If a minimum number of ISY students are participating in the classes, ISY will provide a classroom free of charge. The program itself, including the cost of the instructor, instructional materials, and program planning, would be the responsibility of the parents of the students involved.

This year, we are pleased to announce that Yangon Spanish School will be facilitating Spanish language classes at ISY as part of our ASA program.

Native Spanish speaking teachers will be offering classes for students of all ages (four years old and older) and all language backgrounds (from beginning Spanish learners to fluent native speakers). To meet the needs and interests of all students, students will be organized into small specialized groups according to their ages and Spanish language background.

If you are interested in this opportunity for your child(ren), please contact Oriol Mayol, the coordinator at Yangon Spanish School at info@yangonspanishschool.com.

Some of you may have registered your interest last year via a survey that was sent out to our community. We have passed this information onto Yangon Spanish School but we still encourage you to contact Oriol to share your child(ren)’s interests and needs in learning Spanish.

This Week in Secondary School

Monday

• ASA Session 1 Starts

Wednesday

• First PA General Meeting at 8:00 AM in the Cafeteria

Thursday

• Secondary School Back to School Night starting at 5:30 in the Gym

Friday

• HS Volleyball (Invitational) at YIS

August 16, 2019

Dear Parents,

We are excited to have your children back on campus and to have had a great start to the school year. To help ensure that parents have up to date information related to secondary school, I will be sending, on Fridays, a weekly link to the secondary blog. On this blog, I will highlight important items that are taking place during the week. My goal will be to keep the blog short, but informative.

Paul Self (IB Teacher) - Mr. Self, unfortunately over the summer, suffered a stroke and is in the process of finishing up his rehabilitation schedule. We anticipate he will return to ISY in late October. In the meantime, ISY is lucky to have Dr. Swati Rai, a literature teacher, who is teaching his classes.

Student Dress code: Next week we will be reminding students of the ISY dress code. Shirts are to be full length, beer logos and/or insensitive slogans are not permitted. Shorts should be around 2-3 inches in length at a minimum. PE uniforms are required for PE classes.

School Store- The ISY store, which sales T-shirts and notebooks and other ISY items, is open at the following times:

7:45-8:15

11:30-12:30 

2:30-3:30 

Once again, I look forward to a great school year and seeing you all on campus soon.  Below are a few items for you to be aware of.

This Week in Secondary School

Monday

• Student  Photos- Grade 6 and Grade 7
• ASA sign-ups will begin. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office

Friday 

• Lunchtime Visit University of Massachusetts Amherst Visit

Saturday

• Parent Association 'Pool and BBQ' Event  Saturday, August 24⋅ 4:00 – 8:00pm. Tickets are on sale in the B.O. (20 MMK for adults and 10 MMK for children)

May 24, 2019

Dear Parents,

The last few days of school are before us. Over the next two days, there will be a variety of activities and items that will need to be taken care of. In order to help ensure a smooth end to the school year, I have outlined below the main items to be aware of.

End of the year check-out forms - On Friday, May 24, 2019, students obtained their check out forms. This form requires students to return all text and library books, clean out lockers and return locks. (grade 11 students can  keep their textbooks) Students will have time during the school day to complete this process on Monday. If the form is not completed on Monday, the office will email parents and students. Report cards and yearbooks will not be released until the form is complete and submitted. 

End of term Grades - Grades will be made available on PowerSchool on the evening of Tuesday, May 28. 2019.  As this is the end of the year, you will note that report cards do not have comments. This is done intentionally as action on suggestions for improvement cannot be acted upon.

ISY's class of 2019 will be graduating at 5:30 PM on May 27, 2018, at the Sedona hotel. Rehearsal for graduation will take place from 8:30-11:30 AM. Grade 11 and Band students will be transported from ISY and back for rehearsal. Graduation incorporates many traditions. One special event is the Traditional Lighting of the Candle Ceremony where our grade 12 students pass the light, and symbolically, leadership to our grade 11 students. We anticipate grade 11 students will take part in these important traditions. If your child is unable to attend the ceremony, please let the office know so we can make adjustments as needed.

Middle School Student Showcase for Learning: This event will take place on May 28, 2019, from 12:00-3:00 PM. Parents are requested to attend as students will be demonstrating their learning in specialist classes and will be sharing with you their learning portfolio. (Schedule)

Grade 8 Moving on Ceremony: Following the Middle School Student Showcase for Learning on May 28, 2019, at 3:15 PM, the grade 8 students will be participating in a moving-on ceremony which recognizes the transition from middle school to high school. Parents of grade 8 students are encouraged to attend.

Next school year supply list. Please take a moment to review.

Student Schedules for 2019-2020 grades 8-12: Students course lists have been shared giving students an opportunity to review what they have been registered to take for the 2019-2020 school year.  Students have been allowed to request changes and the changes that were able to be made have been completed. A final course list of courses for the 2019-2020 school year has been posted on PowerSchool for parents to review. Please check the left-hand column of PowerSchool and select 19-20 student course list.

Last day of school Wednesday, May 29, 2019.  On Wednesday students who returned their checkout forms will receive their yearbook. In addition, both Middle and High school students will participate in an end of year assembly. School dismisses at 11:30,

As some of you are already planning for the next school year, here are a few important dates to remember.

2019-2020 School Year 

We are all excited about the upcoming summer holiday but as many of you plan your holidays months in advance, I would like to call your attention to some travel dates for secondary students for the 2019-2020 school year.

• The first day of the new school year: August 14, 2019
• Secondary start time will be at 8:15 and school will end at 3:00 PM

Next school year our Week Without Walls will take place at the following times. 

Middle School WWW- October 07, 2019, to October 11, 2019
Trips will generally arrive back in Yangon by 6:00 PM on Friday evening.
Location of each trip

• Grade 6- Pyay, Myanmar
• Grade 7- Bago, Myanmar
• Grade 8- Chiang Mai, Thailand

HighSchool WWW- Sunday, December 8, 2018, to Thursday, December 12, 2018
The Sunday departure was decided in order to ensure that all students were back in Yangon on Friday so that families can travel during their holiday as planned
Location of each trip

• Grade 9- Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar
• Grade 10- Hpaan, Myanmar
• Grade 11- Kalaw, Myanmar
• Grade 12- Hong Kong
• Optional - Village of Wan Kong (UWS)
• Optional - Shwetaungyan Village (Eco trip)

May 17, 2019

Dear Parents

Next week is the last full week of the 2018-2019 school year, and there continue to be a tremendous amount of activities occurring. Below are a few essential items to be aware of followed by the list of things that are happening this week. Please contact the secondary school office if you have any questions.

ISY's class of 2019 will be graduating at 5:30 PM on May 27, 2018, at the Sedona hotel. This event incorporates many traditions. One special event is the Traditional Lighting of the Candle Ceremony where our grade 12 students pass the light, and symbolically, leadership to our grade 11 students. We anticipate grade 11 students will take part in these important traditions. If your child is unable to attend the ceremony, please let me know so we can make adjustments as needed.

Middle School Student Showcase for Learning: This event will take place on May 28, 2019, from 12:00-3:00 PM. Parents are requested to attend as students will be demonstrating their learning in specialist classes and will be sharing with you their learning portfolio. (Schedule) 

Grade 8 Moving on Ceremony: Following the Middle School Student Showcase for Learning on May 28, 2019, at 3:00 PM, the grade 8 students will be participating in a moving-on ceremony which recognizes the transition from middle school to high school.  Parents of grade 8 students are encouraged to attend.

Next school year supply list. Please take a moment to review.

Student Schedules for 2019-2020: This week High School students course lists have been shared giving students an opportunity to review what they have been registered to take for the 2019-2020 school year.  Students have been allowed to request changes. A final course list will be posted on PowerSchool by May 27, 2019.

This week in Secondary School 

Friday 

• MAP Testing continues 
• Secondary School Concert - 5pm in the Gym

Monday 

• Deadline for all Library books to be returned. 
• MAP Testing continues 
• Annual General Meeting, 6pm - Cafeteria. All parents are invited and encouraged to attend.

Tuesday

• MAP Testing continues 
• HS Theatre Parental Showcase at ISY starting at 5:30 PM

Wednesday 

• MAP Testing continues 
• Parents Association General Meeting - 8 to 9 a.m. in the Cafeteria. The final general meeting of the year, at which we will catch up on this year's activities, approve next year's budget, and elect next year's officers. All parents are invited. The PA is looking for nominees for next year's board. Any parent can serve! Nominations can be made at next week's general PA meeting. Questions? Email paboard@isyedu.org

Friday

• MS STUCO Dance from 6:00-8:00 PM at ISY SAS fourth floor
• Alumni Reunion from 6:30-8:30 at ISY gym

Saturday

• ISY High School Prom 2019 from 6:00 - 8:30 PM at the Pan Pacific Hotel. Students who attend Prom are required to remain at the event until 8:30. In and Out, privileges will not be granted. Students who wish to leave early will need to have a parent pick them up at the gate. 

May 10, 2019

Dear Parents,

A big thank you to the PA for organizing the teacher's lunch appreciation. Thank you for the wonderful food and support.

MAP Testing will begin this week for students in grades 6-9. (Schedule). Just a reminder that the only preparation needed for MAP is a good nights sleep.

Next school year supply list. Please take a moment to review.

This Week in Secondary School 

Thursday 

• ACT Presentation - 5:00PM in the cafeteria 

Friday

• Secondary Spring Concert - 5:00 PM 

May 3, 2019

Dear Parents,

We hope to see you this evening at Broadway night or at Byblo's for Saturday's Brunch. Tickets will be sold at the door. With only a little over three weeks left of school, there is a great deal going on. Please let us know if you have questions regarding any upcoming events.

This week our grade 12 students will begin their IB exams. 

This Week in Secondary School 

Friday

• Broadway Night 6:00PM at ISY

Saturday

• UWS Bruch at Byblos 11:30 AM-3:00 PM
• SAT Exam at ISY
• YAC Badminton for Middle School
• SEASAC Jr Swim 

Monday 

• Board Meeting at 6:30 PM

Tuesday 

• Teacher appreciation 

Friday 

• Middle School MUN 

Other Important Information

Spanish Mother Tongue for Spanish Speaking Students
It is important that we celebrate and support the languages of all of our students. One way that ISY can do this is by supporting our community’s nationality and language groups to set up their own mother tongue language instruction classes as part of our After-School Activity (ASA) program. If a minimum number of ISY students are participating in the classes, ISY will provide a classroom free of charge. The program itself, including the cost of the instructor, instructional materials, and program planning, would be the responsibility of the parents of the students involved.

Ms. Whitney Elliot, an ISY parent, has expressed interest in organizing a Spanish Mother Tongue program for Spanish speaking children. On Whitney's behalf, we invite you to fill out this Expression of Interest to register your interest in having your Spanish speaking child(ren) participate in this program. The details you share will be forwarded to Whitney who will be in contact with you directly. You can also contact Whitney at whitney.elliot@gmail.com.

BYBLOS Brunch for United World Schools
Don't forget the Byblos charity brunch tomorrow at Byblos Pub and Grill between 11:30 - 3:30. All the money raised will go towards the United World Schools Project. If you haven't already bought your tickets you can buy them at the event itself.

What are the Sustainable Development Goals?
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. The Goals interconnect and in order to leave no one behind, it ís important that we achieve each Goal and target by 2030. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

The SDGs at ISY
As a community of compassionate global citizens, ISY is adopting the SDGs as our guiding framework for promoting our Mission and Vision. Our Vision is to develop lifelong learners who will be a force for positive change in the world. Since we adopted our Mission and Vision near the end of last academic year, we have been reviewing and experimenting with different curriculum frameworks that ensure that our Mission and Vision are at the center of all teaching and learning at ISY. After careful consideration, we have decided to incorporate the SDGs into our existing curriculum framework.

The SDGs are applicable to learning in all grade levels and subjects areas. They directly address the intention of our Mission and Vision and will help us meet our strategic goals in relation to inclusion, service learning, environmental consciousness, culture and diversity, and technology integration. In a curriculum framework that will continue to focus on student achievement and growth, the SDGs will provide authentic and meaningful contexts for students to develop compassion, to apply their learning, and to develop important critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creative skills.

April 26, 2019

Dear Parents,

Even though the heat is rising ISY's pace continues to move swiftly. Great things continue to be happening.

Next week in secondary middle school Soccer mini-league will begin. Please see the schedule for actual days and time of the games. The first game will start on May 1,2019. Mini-league is a great way to develop school spirit and to enjoy the company of friends. Please feel free join us and enjoy the fun.

High School Exams: (HS exam schedule) High school exams will finish up this week. Grade 9 and 10 students will have their final exam on Monday. Grade 9 and 10 students will return to normal classes on Tuesday.  Grade 11 will have their final exam on Tuesday followed with normal classes on Wednesday.

Summer Academies: The deadline for registration is next week, April 30th.
https://www.isyedu.org/chinthepride/events-article/~board/events/post/summer-academies-june-2019

All library materials will be due back on May 20th. On May 22nd, summer checkouts will begin for any member of the ISY community who have returned all of their materials and is returning to ISY for the 2019-20 school year. Each library user may check out up to 10 items at that time. If you or your child would like more than 10 items for the summer, you are welcome to come back to the library from May 27th to check out any other books. All summer check-outs will be due back on August 16th. Email library@isyedu.org with any questions!

This Week In Secondary School

Saturday

• ISY Jazz Band will be opening for Int. Jazz Day at the French Institute
• YAC Badminton (HS) starting at 8:00AM at ISY

Monday

•  High School Exams - (HS exam schedule)  Last day of exams for grades 9 and 10 

Tuesday

• Last day of High School Exams for grade 11 students 
• Principal Chat: Third Culture Kids and Transitions at 5:30 PM

Friday

• Broadway Night: An ISY tradition of student performances. The show begins at 6:00PM

Saturday 

• SEASAC Jr Swim @ BPS
• SAT Exams
• UWS Brunch at Byblos 11:30-3:30

April 12, 2019

Dear Parents 

Happy Thingyan Holiday. I hope you all have a restful and relaxing week. We will look forward to seeing our students back in school on Monday, April 22, 2019. 

Don't forget to pick up your Byblos Brunch ticket at the business office for our last fundraiser of the year for the UWS Project happening on Saturday, May 4th.

Grade 12 students have a week of study sessions where students are encouraged to attend their normal classes in order to review for their IB exams. Although these study sessions are not mandatory, we highly encourage students to attend. 

High School Exams: Wednesday, April 24, 2019, to April 30, 2019, our high school exams will be taking place.  Here is a link to the exam schedule. These exams are only one measure of how well your child has retained and learned the course content. 

The end of the year exam is a summative assessment where students have an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the school year. The exams take place early in order to allow teachers to assess students’ long term learning and provide feedback to the students. The timing of the exam allows teachers time to introduce a final unit before the end of the year which will be assessed and included in the quarter four report card. This allows for teaching and learning to occur until the final day of school. As high school students progress through the years learning how to study for cumulative exams is imperative, as at the end of grade 12, all students take exams which assess two years of academic content.

During the Exams

• Students in high school will need to be on campus only when they have an exam.
• The morning exam begins at 8:00 AM and the afternoon exam begins at 12:00 PM
• Students who are late to the exam will not be given extra time
• Students in grades 9 and 10 may not leave the exam room early. Students in grade 11 will follow IB rules, which state that they cannot leave an exam during the first hour of the exam, or during the last 15 minutes.
• Students are not allowed to bring bags, mobiles, food or personal items into the exam room. Only a transparent pencil case, pen or pencil, water bottle, a book to read, and sweater are allowed

Prior to Exams

• Students should obtain a good night sleep prior to the exam. Cramming for an exam is not effective.
• Have a good breakfast
• Bring a sweater in case exam room is cold

2019-2020 school year start times and end times

• Elementary will start at 8:00 AM and end at 2:45 PM
• PreK will start at 8:00 AM and end at 1:30 PM
• Secondary School will start at 8:15 and end at 3:00 PM

Grade 5 to 6 Transition- On Tuesday, April 23, 2019 grade 5 students will be visiting grade 6 in order to better understand what to expect from middle school. This will be followed up with a parent information session for 5th-grade parents at 5:00PM in the cafeteria. 

Enjoy your holiday. 

April 4, 2019

Dear Parents,

Thank you for your participation in parent-teacher conferences. If you would like to schedule conferences for Friday please contact the secondary office at 5127793-5 to arrange appointments or secondaryoffice@isyedu.org.

ISY has an exciting weekend ahead with the Makers Fair, Swim Meet and Limelight. On Saturday the ISY campus will be hopping with activity.

• Makers fair: 9:00-12:00 in the ISY Gym
• Swim Meet 12:00-6:00 in the ISY Pool
• Limelight: 6:00- 8 PM on the ISY campus

SEASAC Awards Evening: On Monday, April 8, 2019, at 5:00PM ISY will host the SEASAC Awards Evening where SEASAC participants are acknowledged and their efforts celebrated.

Seniors last official day of classes: Friday, April 12, 2019, will be the last day of official classes for our year 12 students. After the holiday IB teachers will continue to offer review sessions during normal class times. Students are encouraged to continue to attend classes and take advantage of their support.

Thingyan festival: The Myanmar parents group have generously offered to provide lunch for all the students and staff on April 12, 2019. Lunch will be provided during the normal lunch time. Students are asked to bring empty lunch boxes to minimize the use of paper plates.

At 2:15 PM students will be allowed on the field to celebrate the festival. There will be a designated space available for those who do not wish to get wet. Students are encouraged to bring a change of clothes especially if they are taking the school bus home. 

• White T-shirts are discouraged 
• No water guns allowed 

March 29, 2019

Dear Parents,

If you have not done so, please review your child's quarter three report card. In addition, please take the time to sign up for parent-teacher conferences which will occur on April 4 & 5, 2019. (Power School link )

Please note, that on Thursday and Friday the secondary students will have an altered schedule. On Thursday, April 4, 2019 students will be released from classes at 11:30 AM. On Friday students will not have school as there will be a full day of conferences  Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

If you have difficulty accessing your child’s conferences sign up, please know that you can contact the Secondary School office by email (secondaryoffice@isyedu.org) for assistance. Parents who prefer to visit the office for assistance are welcome to come between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.


Winter MAP Data for students in Grades 6-9:

These assessments provide data that helps determine your child’s instructional level and also helps measure her/his academic growth throughout the school year and from year to year.

MAP Growth assessments from NWEA® are unique in that they are adaptive assessments taken on a computer. This means the assessment became more difficult when your child answered a question correctly. And when your child answered a question incorrectly, the assessment became easier. Ultimately, your child took an assessment that was intended to specifically target his/her learning level.

Your child’s MAP Growth results are represented as RIT scores. Like inches on a ruler, the RIT scale measures in equal intervals, regardless of a student’s grade—and it remains stable over time. As a result, we can accurately measure students’ growth in MAP Growth assessments in between assessments. RIT scores enable teachers to recognize where to focus attention to optimize your child’s learning and to monitor her/his progress.

Please keep in mind that the MAP Growth is one of the many tools used to help teachers monitor student progress, and that ISY considers several data points that, together, provide an accurate profile of a student’s skills, abilities, and knowledge.

If you would like more information about the MAP Growth assessment, please visit the ISY web site: www.isyedu.org/learning/assessment or visit NWEA.org/Parent-Toolkit. For more details about interpreting the report or to discuss your child’s results, please contact your child’s teacher or email Mike Simpson at msimpson@isyedu.org.

This Week In Secondary School

Thursday, April 4

• Secondary School Students Early release at 11:30AM
• Parent-Teacher conferences from 11:30-6:00PM
• High School Art Show

Friday, April 5

• No School for Secondary Students
• Parent-Teacher Conferences from 8:00-4:00PM
• High School Art Show

March 22, 2019

Dear Parents,

We hope will join us at ISY's 3rd Annual Gala event at the Sule Shangri-La Hotel on Friday, March 29, 2019, at 6:00PM. Tickets are available in Building B.

If you have a bit of spare time this weekend, come and cheer on the Girls softball team as they compete in the SEASAC tournament at the American Club.

Game times on Saturday:

• 7:30 - ISY - Bangkok Patana School
• 11:15 - ISY - Ruamrudee Intl School
• 3:00 - ISY - NIST

Softball information and results can be found on the following website

Quarter 3 reports cards will be available by Friday, March 29, 2019, and will be followed by Parent-Teacher conferences on April 4th and 5th.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Sign-up are now available on Power School. Please take a few moments to sign up for conferences.

Please note, students in secondary will be released from classes at 11:30 AM on Thursday, April 4, 2019. As Friday will be a full day of conferences there will be no school for students on Friday. Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

If you have difficulty accessing your child’s conferences sign up, please know that you can contact the Secondary School office by email (secondaryoffice@isyedu.org) for assistance. Parents who prefer to visit the office for assistance are welcome to come between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

*Accessing PowerSchool*

• Click the following link to access PowerSchool
• Enter your username
• Enter your password – If you have forgotten your username and password contact secondaryoffice@isyedu.org for assistance.
• Click on the log in button

*Signing up for Parent/Teacher Conferences*

• Click on student name
• Click on Parent/Teacher Conferences icon on the left side of the screen
• And conferences sign up will appear on the screen

This Week In Secondary School

Thursday

• AMIS Boys and Girls Choir
• IB Art Show

Friday 

• YMUN

Saturday

• YMUN

March 15, 2019

Dear Parents,

We hope to see you all on campus tonight, March 15, 2019 from 5:00-8:00 for our Family Fun Night. The event will be a fund raiser for the United World Schools Project where we still need to raise $13,000 to fund the building of the school. The evening will be filled with lots of fun and entertaining activities for all ages. Please join us, and help us reach our goal.

Entry fees are as follows: Students - 5,000 MMK and Adults - 10,000 MMK - (Some activities require an additional fee)

Family Fun Night Activities Include the following

• Sports games for all levels
• Board Games room
• Movies for all age ranges
• Family Swim from 5:00PM -7:00PM
• KARAOKE rooms (25,000 MMK per room)
• 3 Escape Room Challenges (10,000 MMK per person)
• Sumo Challenge (2,000 for three rounds)
• Ping Pong (2,000)
• Yangon Ninja Warrior Course (3,000)

Food and drink will be available for purchase throughout the night.

***************************************************************************

Quarter three will be ending on Friday, March 22, 2019. Quarter 3 reports cards will be available by Friday, March 29, 2019 and will be followed by Parent-Teacher conferences on April 4th and 5th.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Sign-up are now available on Power School. Please take a few moments to sign up for conferences.

Please note, students in secondary will be released from classes at 11:30 AM on Thursday, April 4, 2019. As Friday will be a full day of conferences there will be no school for students on Friday. Parent Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday from 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

If you have difficulty accessing your child’s conferences sign up, please know that you can contact the Secondary School office by email (secondaryoffice@isyedu.org) for assistance. Parents who prefer to visit the office for assistance are welcome to come between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

*Accessing PowerSchool*

• Click the following link to access PowerSchool
• Enter your username
• Enter your password – If you have forgotten your username and password contact secondaryoffice@isyedu.org for assistance.
• Click on the log in button

*Signing up for Parent/Teacher Conferences*

• Click on student name
• Click on Parent/Teacher Conferences icon on left side of the screen
• And conferences sign up will appear on the screen

This Week In Secondary School 

Tuesday

• PSAT Exam for all grade 10 students from 8:00-12:00 

Thursday

• Yangon Choir Festival
• SEASAC Badminton
• SEASAC Softball

Friday

• Yangon Choir Festival
• SEASAC Badminton
• SEASAC Softball

March 8, 2019

Dear Parents,

I hope to see you all on Campus on Friday, March 15, 2019 from 5:00-8:00 for our Family Fun Night. The event will be a fund raiser for the United World Schools Project where we still need to raise $13,000 to fund the building of the school. The evening will be filled with lots of fun and entertaining activities for all ages.  Please join us, and help us reach our goal.

Family Fun Night Activities Include the following

• 3 Escape Room Challenges for Elementary, Middle and High School
• Sports games for all levels including some student versus teacher and parents 
• Board Games room
• Movies for all age ranges
• Family Swim
• Ping Pong
• KARAOKE rooms!!

Please note some of the activities will require an extra fee. The list of additional fees will be announced next week. Food and drink will be available for purchase throughout the night.

Entry fees are as follows:

• Students - 5,000 MMK
• Adults - 10,000 MMK

This Week in Secondary School 

• Grade 12 Mock Exams will continue until March 14, 2019. Mock Exam Schedule
• April Exam Schedule for High School Students 
• ASA Session 3 will begin on Monday
• AAPPL Testing (Grades 6-10) continues 

Thursday 

• University Information Night from 5:30-6:30 in the ISY Cafeteria. University Information Night on Thursday, March 14th at 5:30 in the cafeteria.  The information provided will be focused on university admissions in the United States and Canada.  We will do a deep-dive into what universities want and how students can navigate the university search process.  Parents of current juniors are highly encouraged to attend, but anyone in the ISY community are welcome.

Friday

• Family Fun Night: 5:00-8:00 PM 

March 1, 2019

Dear Parents,

In an effort to keep up with research and best practice ISY is investigating the feasibility of moving the start of school to a later time. Recently the secondary parents, students, and teachers completed a survey gauging the support for this initiative. The results of the survey are outlined at the end of this message. Many parents, students, and staff are in support of an 8:30 AM start time. However, before taking on this initiative, there are a variety of factors that will need to be considered such as the impact on traffic, ASA’s, SEASAC activities and busing to name a few.

A shift in start time will not add more hours to the day, or be a magical solution to the lack of sleep many of our secondary students are experiencing.  However, it could potentially allow adolescence a little more time when it matters most. Over the next few weeks, ISY will be investigating the impacts of moving the start time of the school day. If the start of the school day is changed to 8:30 AM, this will be articulated to the community the first week of April.

Update from the Counselor: This week Mr. AG took time out of his busy schedule to visit eight universities in Hong Kong. As students explore their many university options, Hong Kong is an area to take into consideration. We look forward to Mr. AG sharing his experience and knowledge gained through these visits. 

Lisa Isom : ISY's New Director of Athletics and Extra-Curricular Programs will be on campus this week. 

Spring Exams for high school students: High School exams (Grades 9-11) will take place the week of April 24th. The spring exams  are summative assessments where students have an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned throughout the school year. The exams are at the end of April to allow teachers the opportunity to assess students’ long-term learning and provide feedback to the students. The timing of the exam allows teachers time to introduce a final unit before the end of the year which will be assessed and included in the quarter four report card. This allows for teaching and learning to occur until the final day of school. As high school students progress through the years, learning how to study for cumulative exams is important as, at the end of grade 12, all students take exams which assess two years of academic content.

April Exam Schedule

This Week in Secondary School  

• Grade 12 Mock Exams will begin on March 7, 2019 to March 14, 2019. Mock Exam Schedule
• AAPPL Testing (Grades 6-10): Students in their language classes will be taking a language proficiency test to help us better understand their growth. This information along with other data points will be used to help determine their language class for next school year. The Exams will take place over the next three weeks. 

Start Time Survey 2019 Summary

1.       I support having grades 6-12 school start at 8:30 am. This would likely mean that the school day would be from 8:30-3:15 PM. 

	Parent	Students	Staff
Agree	53%	58%	45%

2.       I support having grades 6-12 school start at 9:00 am. This would likely mean that the school day would be from 9:00-3:45 PM. 

	Parent	Students	Staff
Agree	33%	36%	28%

3.       If the school day started later, I would support the creation of an optional class period for electives that run before the start of the school day.

	Parent	Students	Staff
Agree	42%	49%	45%

4.       If the school day started earlier, I would support an increase in morning scheduled practices and meetings for clubs and sports.

	Parent	Students	Staff
Agree	49%	49%	68%

February 22, 2019

Dear Parents,

I hope you all have the opportunity to join us this Friday and Saturday night for our secondary school performance of Clue. Tickets are sold at the door. Play starts at 7:00 PM in the SAS building level 3.

Just a reminder that on Monday there is no school for students as the teachers will be participating in professional development.

Those of you who have children in grade 12. Please be aware that the Mock exam schedule has been shared with students. For your convenience, I have linked the schedule below. Please let me know if you have questions.

Mock Exam Schedule 

This Week In Secondary School 

Saturday

• Swim Meet at BSY 
• School Production of Clue at 7:00PM

Monday

• No School for Students

Tuesday

• AMIS HS Choir will be traveling

Friday

SEASAC Math Competition will be traveling 

SEASAC Swim will be traveling  

SEASAC MUN will be traveling 

February 15, 2019

Dear Parents,

I look forward to seeing you at International Day. The Parade will begin at 4:00 PM. It is a great day of celebration for our ISY community. For more information, please see this link.

College Information Evening: You are invited to attend a presentation on university systems within countries that are outside of the United States and Canada. The presentation will occur on February 19th starting at 5:30 pm in the cafeteria. It will be geared for juniors, but anyone within the ISY community is welcome to attend.

Senior Graduation Photo: The group photo which will be used for the graduation invitation and yearbook will be taken on Tuesday, February 19, 2019. An ISY bus will depart at 4:45 and will return to ISY around 5:45. 

Clue: ISY School Production: Join us for the exciting production of Clue which will take place on February 22- 23 2019  starting at 7:00 PM. The production will take place on Level 3 of the SAS building.  

This Week In Secondary School

Friday

• Secondary School Movie Night from 6:00 PM-8:00 PM

Saturday

• International Day 

Monday 

• University lunch Visit; California State U - Sacramento
• Board Meeting at 6:30 PM

Tuesday

• Senior graduation photo- Bus departs ISY at 4:45 PM
• University information session: 5:30 PM in the cafeteria

Thursday

• YAC Basketball Tournament at ISY 

Friday 

• YAC Basketball Tournament at ISY 
• Clue: ISY School Production: starting at 7:00 PM- Level 3 of SAS building 

Saturday 

• Swim Meet at the British International School
• Clue: ISY School Production: starting at 7:00 PM- Level 3 of SAS building