March 14th
Blog Post
Dear Parents,
The students are currently participating in Measures for Academic Progress (MAP) testing. For more information about this, see below. Also, you can find information out about the upcoming musical.
On Friday, Mr. Geoff Heney and his wife, Kate, who will be teaching Kindergarten, visited the school. Geoff is our new Elementary School Principal for the next school year, and we were excited to have him back at ISY. Mr Heney led an assembly to give the students the opportunity to get to know him better.
Gala Tickets
Ms. Sandy Sheppard
HOT WEATHER
As the weather warms up, we want to remind everyone of the importance of staying safe in the heat. Younger children are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, so it is essential to take preventive measures. ISY will monitor the weather daily and implement necessary actions to ensure everyone’s safety, such as adjusting outdoor activities, encouraging hydration, and providing shaded or indoor alternatives when needed. We appreciate your support in helping us keep students safe.
To help prevent heat illness, please ensure that your child:
- Stays Hydrated: Please make sure your child brings a NAMED water bottle to school every day. Encourage your child to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before, during, and after outdoor activities.
- Wears Appropriate Clothing: Lightweight, loose-fitting, and light-colored clothing is ideal.
- Wears a hat: A wide-brimmed NAMED hat provides the best coverage by shielding the face, ears, and neck.
- Sunscreen: Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 or higher before coming to school.
Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe and healthy. Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
MAP TESTING INFORMATION
With MAP testing happening, we would like to take this opportunity to explain why and how MAP assessments are administered at ISY.
What are MAP assessments?
MAP stands for Measure of Academic Progress. 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 form 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.
There are two MAP assessment sessions in an academic year:
- September:
- Grade 1: Reading and Mathematics
- Grades 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9: Reading, Mathematics, Language
- March:
- Grade 1: Reading and Mathematics
- Grades 2 and 3: Reading, Mathematics, and Language
- Grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9: Reading, Mathematics, Language, and Science
We test our students at the beginning of the school year to provide us with data as to the academic achievement levels that our students are starting the year with. This data then guides teacher planning and instructional practices. We also use this data to track student academic growth from the beginning of the previous school year.
We test our students again in the middle of the year to track our students’ academic achievement and growth from the beginning of the year. Again,This data then guides teacher planning and instructional practices for the remaining months of the school year.
We can also use this data to compare our academic achievement and growth levels to worldwide norms, which helps us in our continuous improvement efforts.
Students sit the tests in their own classes with their subject teachers. We test our students in their regular classrooms as we do not want the assessments to cause undue stress that might be caused by unfamiliar testing environments. In addition, having the students test with their classroom teachers also allows teachers to gain an insight into student testing behaviors and mindsets that might affect test scores. All students test differently. It is important that teachers have these insights if they are to be able to use the data to gain a fair and accurate understanding of student academic achievement.
Student MAP data will be available on Powerschool and may be shared, along with other teacher collected student achievement data, with parents during parent conferences. MAP test data is not used to determine a child’s academic achievement levels for report card purposes.
If you have any questions about MAP testing, please feel free to contact your child’s teacher or our Associate Principal, Ms. Stacey Wotton at swotton@isyedu.org.
Celebrate ISY’s 70 Years at the 6th Annual Fundraising Gala!
Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 6:00PM | Melia Hotel Yangon
Join us for an evening of timeless traditions, community, and global impact. Proceeds from this event will support the Chinthe Fund and its community initiatives.
Ticket Information
To reserve tickets in advance, please contact our Advancement Associate – May Su Yadanar Bo at +95-9-880-441-040 or mbo@isyedu.org.
Don’t miss this special evening.
Visit the ISY Gala page for details.
We look forward to celebrating with you!
Note: This event is for guests aged 18+; student attendance is limited to approved performers.
How We Teach Literacy in the Elementary School at ISY
At ISY, we believe that every child is a reader and that literacy is the foundation for lifelong learning. Our approach to teaching reading is based on the English Language Arts Common Core Standards, but we also incorporate additional resources and strategies to meet the unique needs of our students.
Reading instruction happens every day and is designed to be engaging, supportive, and responsive. Our teachers use small group instruction to provide targeted teaching, ensuring that each student receives the support and challenge they need. We also conduct regular assessments to track progress, celebrate growth, and adjust instruction as needed. This helps us ensure that every child is learning at the right pace and getting the tools they need to succeed.
Beyond daily instruction, we foster a love of reading through special events like Book Week and other literacy activities throughout the year. These celebrations inspire students to explore new books, share their favorite stories, and see reading as an enjoyable and meaningful part of their lives. Our Library is a thriving reading hub.
By combining research-based instruction, personalized learning, and a joyful reading culture, we aim to help every student become a confident, capable, and enthusiastic reader.
Dates to Remember
27th March – Parent Teacher Conferences – no school for students
28th March – Quarter 3 ends
4th – 5th April – Musical Production – Little Mermaid
14th – 22nd April – Thingyan Holiday
1st May – No School – Labour Day
6th June – Last day of school
COUNSELOR’S CORNER
The Benefits of Social-Emotional Groups
At ISY, inclusion is at the heart of our approach to supporting and nurturing students in all areas, including social and emotional development. Each year, the ISY elementary counseling department offers several sessions of Social-Emotional Support Groups. These groups are designed to enhance and support students’ social-emotional learning, helping them grow both personally and academically.
Research shows that participation in targeted social-emotional learning programs benefits students in many ways, including:
- A Positive Impact on Academic Learning – Social-emotional learning improves overall school functioning, including better grades, increased work completion, improved attendance, and higher test scores.
- Increased Student Engagement – Developing social skills helps students collaborate more effectively with their classmates, leading to a more inclusive and interactive learning environment.
- Reduced Bullying and Aggression – Building prosocial skills enhances problem-solving abilities and fosters empathy, helping to create a more respectful and supportive school culture.
- Improved Mental Health – Students who engage in social-emotional learning tend to experience fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, contributing to their overall well-being.
- Enhanced Resilience and Coping Skills – These groups help students identify and manage their emotions more effectively, equipping them with the tools to handle challenges in a healthy and constructive way.
If you would like to learn more about these groups, please contact Ms. Patty at escounselor@isyedu.org.
The International School Yangon
20 Shwe Taungyar Street
Bahan Township
Yangon, Myanmar
+95 (0) 9 880 441 040