Elementary Principal’s Blog

June 9th
Blog Post

Sandy Sheppard, Elementary School Principal

Dear all,

Today is the final school day in an incredible year at ISY. I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you all.

Thank you for entrusting us with the education and well-being of your children. It has been an absolute joy to serve as the Principal of the Elementary School and witness the growth and achievements of our students.

This year has been filled with countless moments of laughter, discovery, and triumph. Our school community has come together in remarkable ways, creating an environment that fosters learning, friendship, compassion, and kindness.

It is because of your unwavering support, involvement, and partnership that we have been able to create such a nurturing and thriving environment; thank you.

Wishing you all a very safe and happy holiday; see you in August.

See photos below of our math champions below; congratulations to Olivia, Ridhika, and Mabel from Grade 2, and Laurel, and Seunghyun from Grade 4, who filled up their entire Monday Math card. We celebrated with a pizza party for those who were still with us at school.

Ms. Sheppard

Our final assembly today included goodbyes, recognition of our Grade 5 student’s movement to Middle School, Grade 5 goodbye speeches, singing a game and a visit from the Chinthe mascot. 

Geometrocity: Where Elementary Students Turn Geometry into City Design!

Geometrocity was a project-based learning activity in Grade 4N where students took their geometry skills and designed their own city. This project doesn’t just focus on math skills, as there are components of social studies (mapping skills), writing, problem-solving, and comprehension skills too. Students created a city that uses 2D and 3D, practicing both plane and solid geometry.

Dates to Remember

16th August – 1st day of school 

Students visited the Middle School Impact presentations this week.

Bisque Tiles – Grade 4

    Grade 3 and 4 students shared presentations on local culture this week. Grade 3 made informative posters and Grade 4 made slide show presentations. Topics covered included: language, clothing, food, architecture, geography and history.

    Healthy Summer Time Activities

    As we quickly reach the end of the school year, it occurs to me that although many children are thrilled at the idea of relaxing without school expectations, many others struggle with the lack of structure and consistency. So while I believe summer is a time for relaxation and rejuvenation, I also believe that many parents need support in how to best help their children structure this time. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

    Brainstorm a List of Activities: At the start of break, sit with your child and create an extensive list of activities they might be able to do on their own when they report being “bored.” Being bored is not a terrible thing. Many creative activities are born out of boredom. Unfortunately, many children will flee to their screens the moment they feel bored. Having a prepared list of activities to refer to can remind or trigger more industrious activities.

    Must Dos and Can Dos: For children needing more structure, make a daily or weekly schedule of activities. Label them as “Must Dos” for those that are required for the day. These might be daily chores or planned outings. Include a list of “Can Dos.” These are activities that your child can elect to do, that might broaden their expectations or provide activities for less energetic times.

    Reading: Consistently studies show that children need to read daily over the summer months to prevent reading loss. 20-30 minutes a day of silent or shared reading is all it takes to maintain and in most cases, expand reading proficiency over the summer.

    Physical Activity: It is essential for children to remain active throughout the summer months. Beyond the obvious health and weight benefits, physical activity also develops leadership skills, confidence and coordination. Scheduling regular daily physical activities will help your child’s social emotional and physical being over the break.

    As always, Ms. Patty is happy to meet with you to discuss further summer time activities or other concerns that your family faces. It has been her pleasure to work and serve ISY. She can be reached at escounselor@isyedu.org Enjoy your summer holiday!