Secondary School Blog

ISY Fundraising Gala

Mike Simpson

Secondary School Principal

March 15, 2024

Secondary School Events

This week: Spirit Week!

Saturday (Tomorrow): 

  • Middle School Spring Dance in ISY Gym from 6pm to 8pm

Monday: Pajama Day

Tuesday: Dress for the Job Day

  • MS Soccer at YIS from 3:30pm

Wednesday: Chinthe Colors Day

  • PSAT Testing for Grade 10. 
  • University Admissions – Navigating Entry Requirements for the Netherlands and France: Multi-Purpose Room at 6pm (see below for details)

Thursday: Athlete Day

  • SEASAC Badminton in Singapore until Sunday
  • SEASAC Softball in Bangkok until Sunday

Friday: Grade Color Day

Upcoming Events:

March 25: Tabaung Holiday (no school)

March 28: ISY Parent Association Meeting in Multi-Purpose Room from 8:30am to 9:30am

March 28: IB Art Exhibition in Multi-Purpose Room from 5:30pm to 7:00pm

March 29: Quarter 3 ends

March 30: ISY Fundraising Gala at PARKROYAL Hotel from 6pm

April 5: Quarter 3 Report Cards live on Powerschool (see below for timeline and instructions)

April 6-21: Thingyan Break

April 23: Parent – Teacher – Student Conferences (no classes)

April 24-May 17: IB Diploma Exams (Grade 12)

May 8-14: HS (Grade 9-11) Exams

May 28: Graduation

June 5: Quarter 4 / Semester 2 Report Cards live on Powerschool

June 7: Last Day of School.

Grade 10 Parent & Student IB Diploma Information

Click here for the slides that were used last week to present on our Grade 11 and 12 IB Diploma Program and how it relates to our ISY High School Diploma. 

The students have now made their course selections in Powerschool. This allows us to start building their schedules. Students will then be able to review their course selections again in May and then again in August.

If you have any questions about anything in these slides, please do not hesitate to contact our IB Diploma Coordinator, Mr Lapoujade or High School Counselor, Mr. A-G. You are also welcome to contact me.

Grade 12 IB Exams Alternative Venue Survey 

To Grade 12 students and parents:

As we prepare for the IB Diploma final exams beginning on April 24, we want to check in with you about your plans for taking the exams.

It may be that some of you are considering taking your exams outside of Myanmar (e.g. Thailand). For planning purposes, could you please fill out this IB Diploma Exams Alternative Venue Survey. You only need to fill out this form if you are considering taking your exams outside of Myanmar.

Please fill in the form by 4pm, Friday, March 22.

Heat and Sun Protection 

It is starting to get very hot again. We remind our Secondary School students to drink plenty of water and protect themselves from the sun. We strongly encourage our Secondary School students to wear hats when outside and wear sunscreen. This is especially important during PE classes and it was great to see all our of students wearing hats this week.

Middle School Learning & Wellbeing

Last week, our Middle School students came together with their teachers to reflect on their recent Chinthe Expeditions. Among other things, students reflected on having very limited access to their phones.

Students were asked to identify some challenges they faced in not always having their phones. They also identified how this was a positive experience for them.

Here is a collection of some of their thoughts:

It was always our intention after Chinthe Expeditions to have the students think about their phone use and the time they spend on social media apps such as Discord, Tik Tok, and Snapchat. Many of their thoughts matched the thoughts and research upon which many of last year’s Middle School Impact service learning projects were based. These projects sought to address issues around unhealthy phone and social media behaviors that impact our mental health. Here are a few photos of these projects:

Given our students’ awareness of the benefits of reducing the amount of time spent on phones and social media, we are supporting their learning and wellbeing at school in the following ways:

  1. Upon entering class, Middle School students must turn their phones off and put them in their bags or in the basket provided. This prevents unnecessary distractions from phone notifications. It takes us a long time to refocus on a task even if we just hear or feel our phone buzz. We remove these distractions so our students are focused and able to fully concentrate on their learning.
  2. Social media apps such as Discord, Tik Tok, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, and some gaming sites are not available to Middle School students on our ISY network.

It is important to note and we have made it clear to our students that restricting phone and social media use is a learning and wellbeing issue. The learning and wellbeing of our students are our priorities and, in consultation with our students, we are very happy to support our students’ learning and wellbeing in this way. 

High School Counseling Corner

University Admissions – Navigating Entry Requirements for the Netherlands and France

On Wednesday, March 18, at 6:00 pm in the Multi-Purpose room (MPR), our ISY High School Counselor will present on decoding the admission processes for international students in the Netherlands and France, providing valuable insights into application requirements, visa procedures, and strategies for successful enrollment.

Upcoming University Admissions Information Sessions:

March 27: Hungary, Czech Republic, and Poland

April 3: Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong

April 24: Australia and New Zealand

May 1: Securing University Scholarships Worldwide

Activities & Athletics

Here is a link to Mr. O’Sullivan’s Athletics and Activities Blog for up-to-date information regarding Activities and Athletics at ISY.