August 30th
Blog Post
Dear Parents,
Next week, we have Back to School Night. Please see below for more information. We hope you can join us.
Practicing our drills to ensure that our students are familiar with them is important for all our community’s safety. At the start of each school year, we go through all our drills with the students. This week we had a fire drill on Wednesday and a Lock Down Drill today. Next week we will practice the earthquake drill.
We are pleased to share some new initiatives in the Elementary School that reflect our commitment to fostering a healthy, balanced environment and a strong sense of belonging for our students.
Key Initiatives:
- Technology-Free Steps: To encourage face-to-face interaction and maintain a continued break from screens after school, students will no longer be allowed to use devices on the school steps. Phones should only be used for communicating with drivers when necessary.
- Library on the Steps: To further promote a love for reading, we will set up a small library on the steps for students to use while they wait. We also encourage students to keep a book in their bag. We will continue introducing new reading initiatives throughout the year, so please keep an eye on the blog for updates.
- No Smartwatches in Elementary School: In our effort to reduce distractions, smartwatches will no longer be permitted during school hours.
- Common Sense Media Curriculum: We are incorporating Common Sense Media resources into our elementary school curriculum. These lessons will be integrated into units taught throughout the year. The first lesson occurred this week, with all Grades 1 to 5 students reviewing the ISY technology agreement. As your children sign these agreements, you will receive an email to acknowledge and sign as well.
We believe these initiatives will significantly benefit our students by reducing screen time and encouraging healthier habits. Thank you for your support in helping us create a more mindful and connected school community.
We had our first Elementary School, Chinthe Communities, today. This is a new initiative to build community across the school. Each student from Grades 2 to 5 has been placed in one Chinthe Community. At the moment, these are represented by a color—yellow, orange, blue, black, green, and red. We are encouraging students to wear their Chinthe Community color on Fridays. We will keep you updated on more events around these new communities.
REMINDERS
Please remember that during this time, we only have dedicated adult supervision on campus in the morning from 7:30 AM. Elementary School Students go directly to the steps at dismissal unless they have an after-school activity.
Warm regards,
Ms. Sandy Sheppard
CHINTHE COMMUNITIES
Dates to Remember
2nd September – Lent Day – no school
3rd September – After School Activities begin
9th September – Chinthe Parent Connections – 8:00 – 9:30; see below for more information
4th September – Back to School Night 5:30 – 7:30 – an email will come home on Monday with more information
12th September – 8 AM Parent Association, Annual General Meeting – look out for an invite
CHINTE PARENT CONNECTIONS
We will be inviting our ISY community to participate in our new ‘Chinthe Parent Connections’, a series of gatherings led by Dr. Gregory Hedger, Ms. Sandy Sheppard, and Mr. Mike Simpson, where we can meet and learn together on important topics that impact children. Our first meetup will be on Monday, September 9 at 8:00 AM till 9:30 AM in the Multi-Purpose Room. The topic for this meeting will be about the use of digital devices, followed by our counselors providing information about child protection. Please sign up here to attend. We can’t wait to see you there!
PARENT ASSOCIATION
If any parent is interested in joining the Parent Association (PA) in any of the key positions detailed below, please email Gary Owen at communications@isyedu.org by Wednesday, September 4th.
The purpose of the Parents Association is to promote a sense of community by connecting parents with their children’s school, connecting with other parents, and connecting with their children.
Key positions include President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. General membership is also available at the annual general meeting.
The job descriptions for each of the key positions are summarized as follows:
PA President – overall responsible for overseeing the Parent Association, calling and leading at least four general meetings per year.
PA Vice President – supports the PA President.
Secretary – Handles all PA communication, parent emails, and meeting minutes.
Treasurer – Works closely with the ISY Finance Department to manage the PA finances and budget. Presents in meetings the PA finances.
We look forward to your support.
Elementary & Secondary School Back to School Night
Wednesday, September 4
5:30pm – 7:35pm
Starting in the Multi-Purpose Room (above the Library)
We believe that fostering a strong partnership between parents and teachers is crucial for a successful academic journey. This event is designed to provide you with insights into the broader aspects of our school’s curriculum and educational approach, as well as an opportunity to connect with the teaching staff.
Back to School Night is aimed at sharing information with parents so students do not need to attend.
We will start at 5:30 pm in the Multi-Purpose Room (follow the signs) with a welcome from our Director, Dr. Hedger.
A full schedule will be emailed to parents on Monday from the School Office. For ease of reference, these schedules will be specific to parents of just Secondary School students, just Elementary School students, and parents who have both Secondary and Elementary School students.
When to Keep Your Child Home
COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Elementary Counseling Services Available at ISY
As the elementary counselor for the past 9 years, it has been my pleasure to work with and be a part of this amazing community. Throughout the years the counseling department has adapted and navigated as the needs of the community have changed. Here are some of our current services:
- Counseling Services for students, parents and families. These confidential sessions support community members regarding a variety of issues including, but not limited to: child development, parenting, family crisis and behavioral support.
- Group Work: Students are supported in a group setting with issues such as social interactions, emotion regulation, transition support and leadership.
- Social-Emotional Learning: Life Skills is a class taught in Grades 1- 5 which teaches problem-solving skills, conflict resolution, assertiveness, digital citizenship, personal safety and effective communication.
- Academic Support: Ensuring student success as they navigate their academic journey through collaboration with classroom teachers and Learning Support Service. Direct teaching of executive functioning skills and emotion regulation.
If any of these services can support your child or family, please reach out at escounselor@isyedu.org. I am happy to support and assist your child and your family.
Warm regards, Ms. Patty
The International School Yangon
20 Shwe Taungyar Street
Bahan Township
Yangon, Myanmar
+95 (0) 9 880 441 040