Dear Chinthes,

This week was another busy week for our student athletes. Our high school basketball teams played a city wide tournament on the weekend and then they played a league game on Thursday. Continue reading for a report on how the girls and boys played.
Our middle school boys football team played last Friday and have a match today. Please continue reading for more information about their last match.
Sign up for community activities for parents and staff will be live at 7:00 PM tonight. Please read below for what activities there are on offer and how to sign up.

Community Activities

Community activities will start on the 27th of February. ISY will be offering activities and classes for the community. These classes are, zumba, yoga, cooking, burmese language, Latin dancing and beginning SCUBA classes.
Please click on this link for a guide on how to sign up for Community Activities on PowerSchool.
Zumba will be drop-in classes. This means that you do not have to register for these classes. These classes will be 15,000 MMK per class.
For the cooking, Burmese language, Latin dancing and SCUBA classes you will need to register. SCUBA and cooking classes will be for 5 weeks, the Burmese and Latin dance classes will be for 10 weeks.
You will be able to register for these classes through PowerSchool from 7:00 PM, Friday the 17th of February.
*Registration fees need to be paid by Friday the 24th of February.*

What, Where, When and How Much:

Zumba
These will be lessons taught by a qualified zumba instructor.
Where: 200W
When: Tuesdays 4:00-5:00
Fee: 15,000 MMK

Burmese Lessons
If you are new in Myanmar, or just want to be able to make your life a little easier come and join this class. Because of the low number this class will be catered for your needs, experience and level. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn Burmese. You will be able to choose from Monday or Friday classes.
Days: Monday or Friday
Time: 4:30 PM -5:30 PM
Maximum no: 5 pax per class
Fees: USD 100 for 10 week session
Location: 408W

Baking Class
In this class you will have the opportunity to learn the skills needed to bake your own wonderful treats! This is a 5 week course in which you will gain experience, skill and confidence in the art of baking. All materials are included in the cost of this course.
Day: Saturday
Time: 10 AM to 12 noon
Maximum no: 10 pax per class
Fees: USD 65 for 5 week session (includes ingredients supplied by the chef)
Location: Cafeteria kitchen

SCUBA Diving Class
Here is your chance to try SCUBA diving without the cost. Or, here is your chance to get SCUBA certified. This 5 week course can be an introduction to SCUBA diving or the start of getting your SCUBA certification. It can be your choice! If you enjoy diving and want to take it further then it can be arranged for you to attain your full diving certification. You choose.
Days: Tuesday or Thursday
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Maximum no: 4 pax per class
Fees: USD 70 for beginner 5 week session with an option of an extra USD 205 for those people wanting to complete an (J)OW certification. However, that price would not include travel and accommodation costs to/from Ngapali Beach. Regarding those who upgrade to the full certification, will need to complete an eLearning course and pass an exam and there would be one session in Uniteam’s 5m pool in Sanchaung (near Asia Royal Hospital) before a trip to Ngapali to complete the certification (with the dates/times to be discussed with the students).
Location: ISY school pool

Latin Dance Class (Salsa, Bachata, Ballroom)
Time to swing those hips and learn a new skill. This class will be suitable for any level. Latin dance is a fun way to get moving as well.
Day: Friday
Time: 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Maximum no: 5 pax
Fees: $100 USD for 10 classes
Location: 200W

Southeast Asian Activities and Sport Conference (SEASAC) News

On Thursday next week ISY will send two groups to two very different SEASAC events. One group will travel to Singapore for the SEASAC senior swimming meet. This will be a boys team of five athletes looking to improve on their previous performances and represent ISY with pride.
The other group is the Model United Nations (MUN) delegates from ISY. This group will be competing in Vietnam at Saigon South International School. In this competition the delegats (students), debate policy and resolutions in a three day conference format. This group will also represent ISY to the best of their abilities.
We wish both groups the very best in both their competitions.

Middle School (MS) Athletics

Last Friday our middle school boys football team traveled to International School Myanmar (ISM) for their latest match. This game proved to be an exciting encounter with the final result still in contention until the final whistle.
ISY started strongly and scored two goals in the first half. If anyone thought this would end up being a high scoring ISY victory, they had another thing coming. In the second half ISM came roaring back and scored two goals of their own! This left the scores at 2-2 heading into the final quarter.
With only minutes to play ISY were able to secure victory with a well constructed goal. The game ended in a win for ISY 3-2.
The next matches will be played today, 17th of February, and then another match on the 22nd of February at ILBC International School.

High School (HS) Athletics

Over the last weekend our high school girls and boys basketball teams played in the Yangon City Wide Tournament. For this tournament, all international schools in Myanmar are invited to come and play. The tournament was held over two days, Friday evening and Saturday.
After a tough SEASAC tournament the previous weekend, our young basketballers were keen to use what they learnt over the last weekend with our local rival schools. We had three teams enter, a girls varsity team and boys junior varsity (JV) and varsity teams.
I am pleased to report that although our JV team was participating for more playing time and experience they were able to win their final match. Our two varsity teams were looking to be more competitive, which proved the case.
The girl’s side of the draw was held at Yangon International School. The girls started with a game against International School Myanmar (ISM). They are a good side that are well coached. The girls were not able to match ISM in rebounding which meant ISM were able to take more shots. ISM won the game in the end.
Next up was Ayeyarwaddy International School (AIS), an international school that had traveled down from Mandalay. Mandalay is a traditionally strong basketball area so we knew we were in for a good game. The ISY girls started strong and continued that way for the whole game. All the members of the team were able to get quality playing time and experience. ISY ran out comfortable winners in the end. That was all for Friday evening’s games at YIS.
Over to ISY where the boys side of the draw was being held. ISY had two teams, varsity and junior varsity (JV), in this tournament.
For the JV team, this tournament is a time to get playing time, experience and enjoying themselves. They played well, with spirit but were unable to win a game on Friday, although they did have a couple of close contests!
Our varsity team fared a little better on Friday by winning all their games and progressing to the next phase of the tournament as the top seed in their poor. The boys had just come from a tough tournament in Bangkok and used that experience to their advantage.
On Saturday the boys and girls teams played their respective playoff games. The JV boys won their last game which is a credit to the boys in that team. The varsity girls and boys were next to play. The girls were up against a team that looked very good on Friday night and were the top qualifiers in their pool, Yangon International School (YIS). This was always going to be a close and exciting game.
The game started very well for ISY going out to a small lead.That lead was lessened in the second quarter and then ISY extend it again. This was how the game was to go for all four quarters.
Late in the final quarter ISY had a 6 point lead and looked good to comfortably win the game. However, YIS weren’t going down without a fight, and through some interesting plays, ISY were suddenly only up by 2 points with 5 seconds to play and YIS having possession of the ball! In the end ISY won the game with 2 points difference and they were into the final. The girls worked very hard in this game and many were injured or carrying small injuries.
The varsity boys team had a little less drama in their semi-final game against International School Myanmar (ISM), and controlled the game for most of the match. They were able to win comfortably with everyone in the team making good contributions.
Finals time! ISY girls versus ISM girls and ISY boys versus YIS boys.
The first game was our girls team. The girls played their best but injuries and a well drilled opposition meant that although they were competitive, ISM had the game under control. All in all this was a successful tournament for our girls team. They should be proud of their efforts.
The boys were going into this game as top seeds and they showed it. Their experience and athleticism were too much for YIS. The boys controlled the game and, mostly, negated any threats from the YIS team. Well done boys!
The Yangon Athletic Conference rolls on and so there was more basketball to be played. This time ISY hosted YIS on Thursday afternoon. For the girls, this was a chance to show that their win over YIS in the weekend was well earnt, and for the boys, this game would be a chance for them to continue to assert themselves as a basketball power in Yangon.
The girls varsity team had a quiet start to the match and found themselves down by 6 points. When this happens teams can often drop their heads and let more points in. However, this would not be the case! Our ISY girls showed great determination in defense and started to click in offense. They only let YIS score 4 points in the second half, which is a feat in itself. Our offense worked very well. Players were moving and creating space and our shots were going in. In the end the ISY girls won by more than 10 points. This was the girls’ best win of the season.
The boys varsity team is proving that they are the team to beat. The boys played with a high skill level and great teamwork. They went out to a healthy lead so were able to put in the younger members of the squad. Coaches do this to give the younger players more experience and to make the game more even. However, your younger players played so well that the lead kept on extending. In the end the ISY boys won by 40 points.
Both ISY teams played great basketball and should be happy with their efforts.

After School Activities: ASA

The last day of ASAs is the 7th of April.

Swim Team

The swimming team will continue their training this new year. The secondary school team trains on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and the elementary school team trains on Monday and Friday.
It is not too late to try out for the swim team. If a student is interested they can talk to Coach Chu Chu and arrange a trial swim. All competent swimmers are welcome.

Facility Schedules

Fun Fair

The ISY Fun Fair will be held on the 18th of February.
This will affect the facility use times.

Outdoor: Closed
Fitness Area: Open until 4 PM
Pool: Closed at 12:00
Tennis Court: Open until 4 PM

Please remember that to use any of ISY’s facilities you must fill out the booking form.

Tennis Court

Weekdays 2:30-6:00PM

Weekends 8:00AM-5:00PM

(Middle and elementary school students need to be accompanied by an adult)

Swimming Pool
Mornings
Open 6 – 7:30 AM Monday – Friday
Afternoons
Monday 5-6 PM
Tuesday 3:30-6 PM
Wednesday 5-6 PM
Thursday 3:30-6 PM
Friday 5-6 PM
Weekends
Open Saturday 8 AM – 12 PM
Closed Sunday
(Please note to use the Swimming Pool you must book your place)

Fitness/Weights Room
Weekdays
Closed 7 AM – 2:30 PM (School hours)
Weekends
24 hours (Please note to use the Weights/Fitness Room you must book your place)

**Please note** The Fitness/Weights Room is busy with a lot of equipment in it. Could all users please tidy up after themselves. This means wiping down equipment after using them and returning all weights and moveable equipment back to its correct place. This will make for a much more pleasant experience for everyone!

HS students may use the Fitness/weights Weights Room unsupervised.
MS students may use the Fitness/Weights Room only with adult supervision.
ES students are not allowed in the Fitness/Weights Room.

Outdoor Areas
Weekdays
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 3:30 – 6 PM
The Field
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday the field will be used until 5:30 for ISY sports teams practice.

(Please note that to use the Outdoor Spaces you must book your place)
Weekends
8 AM – 6 PM
**These times may change once more sports start up at ISY**

Questions or More Information

As always, if you have any questions about what is in this blog or anything else that you may think of related to activities or athletics please feel free to contact me at:

josullivan@isyedu.org

Kindest regards,

Mr. Jonathan O’Sullivan

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