December Baskets has been an ongoing tradition in the ISY community for many years, where we honor and express gratitude for our local staff during the holiday season. Every year, students donate items ranging from bags of rice to toothpaste to instant noodles. All this is meant to appreciate and celebrate the hard work that the ISY staff has put forth during the school year.
This year, the December basket ceremony took place on Friday, the 11th of December, as members of STUCO, Community Action, and the custodians, maintenance, and security staff gathered at the ISY campus to celebrate this tradition once more.
Students were encouraged to donate to December baskets either through ISY’s online ordering system or by hand-dropping materials at the front steps of the school. A list of recommended donations for each grade level was presented to students and their families weeks in advance. With the combined money donated through online platforms as well as the hand-delivered objects, baskets with an assortment of goods were assembled for each staff member. By December 5th, there had been enough items donated by the ISY students and faculty to put together 97 baskets, each filled with objects such as sugar, oil, shampoo, toothpaste, longyis and much more.
On Dec 11 the student volunteers met at various places throughout the campus to hand out the materials: on the teak steps for the security guards, the upper court for the custodians, and the lower court for the maintenance staff. While taking all the necessary precautions against COVID-19 including social distancing and wearing masks, one december basket, one bag of extra items, and a bag of rice were handed out to each staff member.
Steven & Sammy, co-presidents of the High School StuCo, and Dimple, president of Middle School StuCo, also gave heartwarming speeches representative of the sentiments of the whole ISY community.
“As Chinthes, ISY is a second home to us. All of us spend a lot of time at school, interacting with those around us, whether they be teachers, students, or staff. We smile at each other, ask how our days go, just like at any other school. But what makes us Chinthes, and ISY home, is the fact that we’re family. And out of all the people at our school, I am speaking for all of us when I say that there is no other group as dedicated to making our school feel like home than you, our staff.
As families do, you are always going above and beyond to be available, and are never hesitant to help one another. There are many of you in the audience today that I have known ever since I came to this school 11 years ago, that I know I can always turn to for help whenever I need to. For example, when I lose things, as some of you may know, I often do, I can always depend on you to direct me to a lost and found, or unlock a classroom door, even at 8 o’ clock at night.
And it’s not just when we’re around. While we’re gone, as we are now, you continue to ensure that ISY is a safe, clean, and bright environment for all our students, teachers, and faculty members. You are truly the silent heroes of ISY.
I know I am speaking on behalf of all of us when I say that you make this school feel like home, even if we haven’t been here for a while.
There are so many moments like these where you never cease to amaze, and we are privileged that you are a part of the Chinthe family. As we pass on the December baskets to you today, we hope that this can serve as a token of our appreciation for all the work you do for us. We may not say it much, but at the end of the day, you truly make ISY the school it is today.”
During a time when we can feel so disconnected from each other, it was a truly heartwarming and beautiful sight to see students and faculty come together safely for such an amazing purpose. Thank you to everyone who supported in celebrating the wonderful people that help make ISY a great place to learn!
By Global
