March 6, 2026 - Secondary School Principal Blog

Dear Secondary School Families,

💭 What is means to be student-centered.

In education, you will often hear the phrase ‘student-centered.’ It appears in mission statements and strategic plans in most schools. But sometimes the phrase can feel very abstract and in many schools, it just feels fake - words that do not reflect what you can actually see in a school.

So what does ‘student-centered’ actually look like in a school? Here is an example of what it looks like at our school:Over the past two weeks, our Grade 12 students have been sitting their mock exams. These exams are important, and it was a very intense period for our students - long days, high expectations, and plenty of pressure. They needed a comfortable place to relax and study, so they moved into our teachers' lounge.

For two weeks, our teachers gave up their space for our students. It is a very simple act of kindness, but I think it is a very meaningful one.  Our teachers had no problem giving up their lounge, which shows how our teachers put our students first. They are student-centered in a very real sense, and I am very proud to work with them.

✅ Grade 12 IB Diploma (DP2) Mock Examinations Completed Rajesh Jha | ISY IBDP Coordinator

Our DP2 mock examinations have now concluded, marking an important milestone in our students’ journey towards the May 2026 IBDP examinations, which begin in the last week of April. Over the past two weeks, students engaged in a rigorous exam experience designed to mirror IB conditions as closely as possible. This included formal invigilation, timed papers, and the same expectations around academic integrity and exam conduct.

Mocks are not simply a “practice run.” They are a powerful diagnostic tool. They help students identify what is working well, where understanding is secure, and which areas still need focused revision. Just as importantly, they build stamina, confidence, and exam technique, skills that often make a decisive difference in final outcomes.

Well done to our DP2 students for their commitment and resilience throughout this process. The effort invested now will pay off in the weeks ahead, as they refine their approach and prepare to perform at their best in the final IB examinations.

🚙 Transport Advisory Update

Following our recent communication regarding temporary fuel use measures expected to begin on March 7, families are encouraged to consider practical transportation arrangements such as carpooling or using taxi services, which are currently exempt from the restrictions.

💡 If you require a school letter confirming your child’s drop-off and pick-up at ISY, please complete the request form. Once submitted, a letter on ISY letterhead will then be prepared and sent to you.

❓If transportation challenges arise that may affect your child’s ability to attend school, please contact your child’s principal. We will continue to monitor the situation and share updates if needed.

This Sunday is International Women’s Day.  The theme this year is Give to Gain. We will be celebrating this special day on Tuesday, March 10 with Dr. Poht Poht Kyi who will be meeting with our Secondary School students.

💛 Service Learning at ISY

This week, we will be working with visiting service learning consultant, Cathy Berger Kaye. Cathy has worked with us for years in helping us develop our strategic themes of learning, belonging, internationalism, and sustainability. Cathy loves ISY, and she continues to help us put service in the middle of everything we do. It will be a fun week.

Kind Regards,

Mr. Mike Simpson                                                                                                         

Secondary School Principal

We are very proud of our Seniors, and we are 100% behind them as they go into their second week of Mock Exams.

Our Seniors continue to be offered places at some very prestigious institutions. We are excited to celebrate these achievements with our community, so look out for more information from our communications team in the coming weeks. 

Roll on Graduation!

🗞 University Admissions: Insider Tips 6:00 PM  | 💻 ONLINE: Zoom Link

This week’s University Admissions: Insider Tips workshop will be on Tuesday, March 10. It will focus on the university application process for Canada. These workshops are online (see Zoom link above) from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. See below for a schedule of upcoming workshops.

🏅Sports at ISY:  Personalized pathways to excellence

Sport continues to offer many opportunities for our students to challenge themselves and pursue excellence. Our football season is underway, while our swimmers are currently competing at SEASAC in Kuala Lumpur, representing ISY alongside international schools from across Southeast Asia.

Last week also saw a strong result for our badminton teams at the Yangon Athletic Conference (YAC) Tournament, hosted at ISY. The girls team finished 1st, the boys team finished 3rd, and Yoon Yoon Myet Chal (Grade 9) and Zwe Myat Min (Grade 11) were named Most Valuable Players. You can read more in the Athletics Department Blog.

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✨ What’s On: