ISM Middle School

Mark Weber

Middle School Principal, ISM
Email: msprincipal@ismyanmar.com

WELCOME TO MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dear Parents,

It is my pleasure, on behalf of all our staff, to welcome you to the Middle School page of the ISM website. The middle school at the International School of Myanmar serves grades 6 through 8. Our program is based on current middle years research and best practice.

Our middle school programs serve as an important bridge between the childhood of elementary school and the emerging young adulthood of high school. As such, our program is designed to meet the educational, developmental, social, and emotional needs unique to the young adolescent. Our program is student-centered, and is responsive to students who are undergoing the greatest physiological, psychological, social, and emotional changes of their lives. In addition, our middle school maintains a supportive and flexible environment that allows students opportunities to gain skills, explore possibilities, take risks, and develop the strategies they will need to embrace their world with individuality, courage, and confidence.

Our middle school currently serves just over 200 students and we have an outstanding faculty that includes 29 certified international teachers, an international school counselor and 11 locally certified teachers.

Middle school class sizes range between 18 and 25 students. Students take a combination of core classes and specialist classes. Core classes consist of Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies. Students take one class from each of the categories below for their specialist classes;

  • World Languages-Spanish, French or Mandarin
  • Students who require assistance with English Acquisition take ESL support class in place of a World Language
  • The Arts; Fine Arts-Theater, Band or Choir, Technology, Physical Education and Health

Each grade level is organized into teams that consist of 1 teacher from each of the core areas. This way, all of the students see the same group of 4 teachers. These core teachers have special time scheduled into their day to meet as a team to discuss the needs of the students in their team, coplan their curriculum and plan special events and activities. This practice is referred to as Grade Level Teaming in middle years research.

In addition to their classes, students spend 25 minutes per day in our advisory program. Our advisory program has been carefully designed by our middle school counselor and follows a set but flexible curriculum that is responsive to the needs of young adolescents.In addition to the topics listed below, advisory time is used to deal with topical issues as needs at each grade level arise.

Topics Include:

  • Service Learning
  • Successful Strategies for School Digital Citizenship
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Developing and Maintaining Healthy Friendship
  • Decision Making Strategies
  • Dealing with Peer Pressure
  • Establishing a Growth Mindset
  • Mindfulness
  • Healthy Snacking
  • Study Skills and Organization

In addition to these programs that exist within the school day, ISM MS offers a wide variety of after school activities, community service groups, and athletic programs. With all that is offered it can be a challenge to strike a healthy balance between school and after school activities. Helping students find this balance is something we take very seriously and often address this topic in our advisory program.

The middle school years are a time of transition and change as students grow physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively. We work as a community of faculty, staff and in partnership with parents to ensure that there is a supportive environment for this development. We invite you to join us in this endeavor.

Sincerely,
Mr. Mark Weber
Middle School Principal
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LEARNING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our middle school program serves an important bridge between the childhood of Elementary School and the emerging young adult high school. As such, our program is designed to meet the educational, developmental, social, and emotional needs unique to the young adolescent. Our program is student-centered, and is responsive to students who are undergoing the greatest physiological, psychological, social, emotional changes of their lives. In addition, our middle school maintains a supportive and flexible environment that allows students opportunities to gain skills, explore possibilities, take risks, and develop the strategies they need to embrace the world with individuality, courage, and confidence.

Our Middle School currently serves just over 200 students and we have an outstanding faculty that includes certified International teachers, a school counselor and locally certified teachers. Middle School class-sizes range between 18 and 25 students. Students take a combination of core classes and specialist classes. Core classes consist of math, science, language arts and social studies. 

Students take one class from each of the categories below for their specialist classes:

  • World languages – Spanish, French or Mandarin.  Students who require assistance with English acquisition take ESOL support class in place of a World Language.
  • The Arts – Theatre, Band, Choir or Visual Art
  • Technology
  • Physical Education and Health

MIDDLE SCHOOL PUBLICATIONS SY 2023-2024