We have 4 weeks to go in the school year and we will make the most of them as you can see from our upcoming events listed below. Grade 11 and then Grades 9 and 10 will have their End of Year Exams and classes will continue on schedule right through to the last day. It is important that our students finish the year strong. They still have new material to learn and it is important for them to use these 4 weeks to review and consolidate what they have learned through the year so they can start next year with confidence. We will be working hard right to the end!

While we are focusing hard on finishing this year strongly, we are also very much focused on smooth and successful student transitions into next year. 

We place a lot of importance on transitioning students into their next grade level and are also very careful to emphasize that all students are part of the same community – regardless of their grade level or whether they are in Elementary, Middle or High School.

Over the last few years, we have been very deliberate in strengthening the connections between the Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Our Elementary and Secondary School Offices are combined, many of our teachers teach in Elementary and Secondary School, and our Chinthe Communities programme has  students from different grade levels interact with each other on a weekly basis. These communities will continue into next year.

The connections between students from different parts of the school are clear to see around campus and the way that they interact with each other. This is very pleasing to us as it shows that our students feel that they belong to the same community and this is a feeling that we will keep nurturing at ISY.

As our students change grade levels or change from Elementary to Middle to High Schools, it is very helpful for them to feel that they are moving through the same community instead of moving on to a different one. The confidence that comes from belonging to a strong community is what makes for smooth and successful transitions throughout each student’s time at ISY.

Grade 8 to 9 Transition Parent Evening: Thursday, May 15 at 5:30pm in the Multi-Purpose Room

Grade 5 to 6 Transition Parent Evening: Tuesday, May 20 at 5:30pm in the Multi-Purpose Room

Activities & Athletics

Here is a link to Ms.Rebekka Jensen’s Athletics and Activities Blog for up-to-date information regarding Activities and Athletics at ISY.

Upcoming Events

• April 28: IB Exams Start (for ISY Grade 12 students)
• May 19-23: Grade 11 Exams (see schedule below)
• May 20: Grade 5 to 6 Transition Parent Evening
• May 21: IB Exams Finish
• May 24: High School Prom
• May 27: Graduation
• May 28-30: Grade 9 & 10 Exams (see schedule below)
• June 3: High School Student Council Elections
• June 3: Athletics & Activities Awards
• June 2: Service Learning Awards
• June 4: Secondary School Music Performance
• June 4: Quarter 4 / Semester 2 Report Cards live on Powerschool
• June 5: Grade 11 Theory of Knowledge Exhibition
• June 5: High School Awards Assembly (with Grade 8)
• June 6: Chinthe Communities Olympiad & Last Day of School (11:30am dismissal)

Join Us for Tuesday Talks – Your Guide to University Admissions!

Are you starting to think about university applications? Join us for Tuesday Talks, a series of informative presentations designed to help students and families navigate the university admissions process.

When: Tuesdays at 5:30 PM
Where: MPR

Each week, we’ll explore key topics, including university admissions in different countries, scholarships, and career pathways. This is a great opportunity to gain insider tips and get your questions answered!

This Tuesday, May 13 we will focus on business and hospitality. This will be a virtual session so you can join from home at 5:30pm. with Mr. Phone Myan from the Swiss Education Group. He will deep dive into studying business and hospitality, examine where international students go into the job market after their degrees and will describe how the Swiss Education Group can support our students. The Zoom link will be emailed to High School students and parents on Tuesday morning.

ISY Legacy Page

This dedicated page showcases our rich history, key milestones, and the incredible stories that make ISY the vibrant community it is today. Take a moment to explore the page and join us in celebrating our legacy.

Let’s honor our past, celebrate the present, and look forward to a bright future together! Visit the page here: ISY Legacy Page

Good luck, Class of 2025!

Our Seniors have started their IB Diploma final examinations.

They have worked hard with their teachers to prepare for these very important assessments. We are proud of them all and very grateful for the contribution they have made to our school.

We wish them all the very best of luck!

High School Final Exams: Why Are We Doing This?

Click here for the Grade 11 and Grades 9 and 10 Exam Schedule.

Exams are one of many types of assessment that we use at ISY to develop a fair and accurate understanding of student academic achievement levels. 

For an assessment to be effective in helping us develop a fair and accurate understanding of what each student understands, we must be clear in our purpose for the assessment. Here are four reasons why students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 sit Final Exams at ISY:

Experience: 

Our Grade 12 students are about to sit their final IB Diploma exams. It is important that students feel confident and capable of showing what they know in an exam. To feel confident and capable in an exam, it is important for our students, with the support of their teachers, to experience exam conditions (no talking, sitting in rows, time limits, being supervised by a proctor, etc). With the support of their teachers, students will learn that they are able to show what they know in exam conditions. After the exams, teachers will help students reflect on their exam experience to develop more confidence and capability for next time.

Technique:

Like sport or playing a musical instrument, good exam technique is very important for students to be able to show what they are capable of. Students also feel more confident going into an exam if they know they have good techniques to study for and sit exams. Our teachers have studied and will share with students the following proven study techniques summarized in this Strengthening the Student Toolbox article.

• Practice testing: self-testing or taking practice tests on material to be tested in the exam.
• Distributed practice: making a schedule of study that spreads out different subjects or study activities over time.
• Interleaved practice: making a schedule of study that mixes different kinds of problems or questions in one study session.
• Self-explanation: explaining to yourself (or another person) how to use what you know to answer a question or solve a problem.

Here is a simple explanation of these proven study techniques.

Learning techniques like these will help students develop a study timetable that works for them. Teachers will also tell students what type of questions they can expect on the exams and share techniques that will help answer them.

Review

Exams provide an opportunity to review previously taught skills and knowledge that teachers have identified as important to consolidate for students to build on next year. Teachers will tell students what will be tested and how it will be tested.

Data

To develop a fair and accurate assessment of a student’s academic achievement level, teachers use data from different assessments throughout the year. As students learn to sit exams, it is important for students to understand that a Final Exam is just one important assessment that teachers gather data from to understand what their academic achievement level is. The grade on the final report card comes from assessment data gathered throughout the year, including the Final Exam.

Blogs
Secondary School
Elementary School
Athletics & Community Education
Service Learning
Global