Welcome to the Elementary School (EC-Grade 5) at YIS! Elementary school offers an exciting contemporary environment for all our students, immersing them in learning that is highly engaging, progressive and rigorous. From a play-based curriculum, through to focused units of study, in all academic aspects of the Standards-based curriculum, YIS offers the very highest standards and expectations to learn and grow. We pride ourselves in making school unmissable and include joyful, experiential learning wherever possible.

From the first steps students take into the school building, they are greeted enthusiastically and welcomed into a classroom that is flexible and inviting. Students are encouraged to participate in activities and opportunities to solve problems creatively. They are also reminded through a focus on attitudes to be learning in all areas of the academic arena; to develop critical thinking skills, communication skills, social skills, self-management and research. We strive to do this by building improved resilience, perseverance, patience, inquisitiveness and co-operation. Working in teams, developing collaborative skills is an essential outcome of Elementary School, setting students up for success in all areas of growth. Students are supported with these skills throughout their school days and are encouraged to explore reflective practices, where they assess their growth and are intentional about goal setting and developing a growth mindset.

At YIS we support international best practice in all academic areas, using the Common Core standards to direct learning outcomes and build our daily practice. Academic frameworks are implemented, with a focus on readers and writers workshop and Everyday Math, which are our essential platforms. Units of inquiry in Social Studies and Science are developed using our assessment standards. Students manage their learning through constant check-ins and assessing their progress. This culminates in Student-led conferences, where students share their learning with parents. Students receive two Semester reports a year, as well as two Progress reports. We welcome parents into the classrooms and are available to meet and discuss their child’s growth as needed.

Students are also given opportunities in Specialist lessons to explore Music, Visual Arts and Physical Education (PE). These lessons are all taught by specialized teachers, who are experts in their fields. We also offer Makerspace, a process and problem-solving approach to teaching and learning supported by a Tech Integration Specialist who works with teachers to support a process around the classroom focus and integration of learning to add depth and concept consolidation. We optimize our understanding of Makerspace on our Day of Play in May, when students work offline to solve problems creatively.

Students also participate in Myanmar studies and do reading, writing, speaking and listening in Myanmar. We also celebrate the culture of Myanmar by celebrating their many traditions and holidays, including the Water Festival, The Thadingyut Festival, Myanmar Food Day and Chinese New Year to name a few.

All students also participate in Co-curricular activities such as swimming, soccer, basketball and floor hockey. They also can choose to learn about cooking, and baking, tech skills including Minecraft, Coding, 3-d printing, Robotics and animation. Students love activities like handcrafts, board games and painting and we are also offering drama and will host a musical this year.

Other special events include weekly assemblies, the annual School Picnic, the Winter Concert, Myanmar traditional Festivals, our annual Field Day, Fun Fair, our Day of Play, and of course the yearly musical.

We believe in bringing parents into school on a regular basis and by using Class Dojo and other Social Media platforms, we are continually connecting with parents and sharing our successes with them. At least once a month, parents are invited to join the principal to hear about new initiatives and revising expectations and discussing upcoming events.

We are here to serve our students and to make school a positive experience for all. We continue to drive innovation and model this by constantly reflecting on what we offer, what we get back and what would work better. We look forward to having you be part of the journey!

Heather Kissack | Elementary School Principal

Yangon International School

hkissack@yis-yangon.edu.mm