January 30, 2026 - Secondary School Principal Blog
Mr Mike Simpson
Dear Secondary School Families,
| 💪 Chinthe Communities Olympiad |
On Wednesday, we had our annual Chinthe Communities Olympiad. An Olympiad where students play games and compete against each other in fun activities has long been an ISY tradition.
The Olympiad has been expanded in recent years as part of our Chinthe Communities initiatives. All students belong to one of six Chinthe Communities - Thanlwin, Irrawaddy, Chindwin, Maykha, Malikha, or Sittaung. These communities are named after Myanmar rivers.
Students from Grades 1 to 12 came together in their communities to have fun and play games (the Chinthe Cubs held their own Olympiad in the morning, which was probably the cutest thing you would ever see!).
As is tradition, we kept score to add more fun. Sittaung was this year’s champion community and the first winner of Stewart the Giraffe and Fred the Frog.
Events like this Olympiad create powerful opportunities for older and younger students to learn alongside one another. It fosters leadership, empathy, and a real sense of belonging as students build relationships, encourage one another, and experience the joy of being part of a connected school community. Our Chinthe Communities are relatively new. We are already seeing the benefits of students coming together in this way and are imagining more ways to make this happen. 
| 👩🏫 Teachers Teaching Teachers |
Last week at ISY, we had the privilege of learning alongside Kristine Mizzone in a series of sessions with students, parents, teachers, and school leaders. The focus was Social Emotional Learning. It was a powerful and affirming week that reinforced something both simple and profound: meaningful learning and growth begins with connection.
Kristine was the keynote speaker at our annual Teachers Teaching Teachers (TTT) Conference. Every year, ISY hosts teachers from other international schools in Yangon to learn and grow together.
Our teachers presented on topics aligned to our strategic themes of belonging, learning, internationalism, and sustainability and included workshops on artificial intelligence, inclusive instructional practices, service learning, and student motivation to name just a few.
Young people are the ultimate beneficiaries of teachers collaborating and learning from each other and we are proud of our faculty who are leading learning in this country.
| 👨🎓 Graduation in sight for our seniors |
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On Tuesday, they had a photo session in their gowns and they were asked to reflect on their time here at ISY and how it has prepared them for the future. We are very proud of our Seniors and we are all 100% behind them as they finish their internal assessment requirements and start preparing for final examinations. It is early in the year to hear back from universities, but 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! |
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🗞 ISY and IB Diploma Orientation (Grade 10 Students and Parents) Monday, February 2, 2026 | 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM | ISY Chinthe Hub |
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Our Grade 10 students have begun considering their academic pathway for Grades 11 and 12. Part of this process is to consider what IB Diploma courses they will take. Last Tuesday, the students heard from our IB Diploma Coordinator, High School Counselor, Director of Curriculum & Inclusion, and every IB Diploma teacher. They had the opportunity to ask questions about the structure of the IB Diploma and what courses might interest them. |
They have all year to decide on their courses and academic pathway, but we want to give them as much information as possible. The students have made tentative course selections, and they will revise those selections throughout the year.
Before they revise their course selections, we invite Grade 10 parents and their children to our Grade 10 Student and Parent ISY & IB Diploma Orientation this Monday, February 2 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Together, parents and students will hear a summary of what has already been shared with the students, and they have the chance to ask questions of our world-class IB Diploma faculty.
Kind Regards,
Mr. Mike Simpson
Secondary School Principal
| 🏅 Sports at ISY: Personalized pathways to excellence |
Season 2 continues for High School Basketball and Middle School Football.\
✨ What’s On:
