August 14, 2026 - Elementary School Principal Blog

Dear Parents,

A Wonderful Start to the Year

What a wonderful start to the school year! It has filled my soul to see students excitedly return to campus and welcome new friends into our community. Having the privilege of visiting every class this week, from homerooms to swimming, PE, Art, Music, and Myanmar Studies, I saw firsthand how actively our students are engaging with their learning and building a foundation for the year ahead.As we launch into this new school year, our daily focus is anchored by four guiding principles: Joy, Connection, Safety, and Growth.

Joy: We saw so many smiling faces this week as students dove into hands-on activities, rediscovered the playground, and brought vibrant energy back to our hallways.
Connection: Children are already building meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers, setting the stage for a supportive classroom community.
Safety (Psychological): Creating a space where every child feels secure, valued, and comfortable taking learning risks is our top priority. Part of keeping our community safe and well involves clear health routines.
Growth: To support your child's continuous learning and physical development, establishing strong routines early on makes all the difference.

A Few Reminders for the Weeks Ahead

To help settle your family into the school year, I invite you to review the Parent Handbook. A few key operational details to highlight for the coming weeks:

Swimming & Health: All students in Cubs 3 through Grade 5 swim once a week. If your child is unwell and unable to swim, we kindly ask that they take the day off to rest and fully recover at home. If a student arrives at school with a parent note regarding illness, our Medical Clinic will conduct an examination to evaluate whether they are fit to participate or require rest.
Healthy Snacks: Nutritious food sustains the focus and energy needed for a full day of active learning. Excellent options include fresh fruit, vegetables with hummus, cheese and crackers, protein sandwiches, yogurt, nuts, or kimbap/California rolls.
Absences: If your child will be absent for any reason, please email both the homeroom teacher and the main office.

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time if you have questions or simply want to connect.

Warm regards,

Mr Geoff Heney

Elementary School Principal

At ISY, academic learning is built on a strong social emotional learning foundation.

As part of our new family orientation on Monday, Mr. Simpson facilitated an introductory session on Creating the Conditions for our Children to Flourish. Six simple but powerful ideas were explored:

Connection before correction
Normalizing mistakes
Naming feelings
Offering age-appropriate independence
Repairing after conflict, and
Giving wise feedback.

These ideas describe small, everyday ways we can build relationships as teachers and parents that help our children feel known, supported, and capable of achieving their academic potential. They also provide a common language that teachers and parents can use in partnership to create the conditions for our children to flourish. Here are some simple summaries of these ideas and how you might communicate them to your children:

Thank you for choosing us as your partners in your children’s development. Together, we can create the conditions in which they will become their very best selves.Join us for an opportunity to meet our School Director and Leadership Team, connect with other ISY parents, and learn more about ways to get involved in community events throughout the year.

Please RSVP by Tuesday, August 18, using this link to help us prepare for the morning. We look forward to seeing you there.

✨ What’s On: