November 21, 2025 - Secondary School Principal Blog
Mr Mike Simpson
Dear Secondary School Families,
| More SEASAC Success! |
Last week, it was the turn of our golfers and cross-country runners to represent ISY internationally at their respective SEASAC competitions.
Both the golf course and the cross-country courses were grueling! Our students had to dig deep to finish and showed a lot of character to achieve personal bests. This was our first competitive cross-country team since COVID-19. It is a very young team and I look forward to seeing their progress in the future.
| Internationalism at ISY: More than just International Day! |
I am really looking forward to tomorrow’s International Day. It is a highlight of our calendar and showcases many things that make ISY special. Families, faculty, staff, and of course students come together to celebrate who they are as part of our wonderful ISY community. A special thank you to our Parent Association for the work they have done in bringing us all together.
In an increasingly connected world, it is important for our students to be able to thrive professionally and personally in international settings - communicating and collaborating with people from different backgrounds and cultures with different perspectives.
That is why Internationalism is a strategic theme at ISY: Cultural diversity is core to the ISY identity. ISY thrives in the culture developed by an international community and celebrates local culture.
International Day is an important celebration of internationalism at ISY, but internationalism at ISY is more than just one day.
Internationalism is the mindset that we are part of a wider human community, connected across cultures, languages, and borders. It matters because it helps us understand one another, collaborate to solve shared challenges, and grow into compassionate global citizens who make the world better together. Everything we do at ISY is filtered through the lens of internationalism - what we teach, what we celebrate, and how we organize ourselves.
This week, our Grade 9, 10, and 11 students will be on Chinthe Expeditions in Vietnam, India, and Malaysia, respectively. You do not need to leave our campus to experience internationalism, but these special experiences are designed to make an impression on our students. Our hope is that they return with a strengthened sense of curiosity, empathy, and appreciation for the diversity of the world in which they will need to contribute and lead in order to thrive.
See you tomorrow!
Kind Regards,
Mr. Mike Simpson
Secondary School Principal
| 📚 Building our Learning Communities: Present, Prepared, and Ready to Learn |
We are now over three weeks into our second quarter. This is a particularly important quarter for our High School students, as the grades earned at the end of this quarter will go on their academic transcripts.
Regular and timely attendance is one of the most reliable indicators of academic success. To make the most of every learning opportunity, it is important that students are not unnecessarily missing or late to classes.
Parents receive automated emails that let you know if your child has been marked absent or late to a class that day. However, we understand that some students need more support from us to get to class on time. To help all students develop strong attendance habits, every week on Friday afternoon between 3:30 PM and 4:20 PM, there will be a compulsory supervised study session for those students who are late to (or skip) Period 1 twice in a week or late to (or skip) class 4 times in total in a week.
We appreciate your partnership in helping students develop strong attendance habits. Together, we can ensure that every student is present, prepared, and ready to learn each day.
| 🏅 Sports at ISY: Personalized pathways to excellence |
Training has now started for our High School athletes in tennis, basketball, and girls' touch rugby. Middle School football practice is also officially underway. 
✨ What’s On:
