November 18, 2021

From the Office of The Director Steve Razidlo

Dear ASD Families,



World-class international and private schools shape their strategic actions from foundational statements of Mission, Vision, Identity, and Core Values. Here at the American School of Doha, our foundational statements have remained largely unchanged since 2014-2015, when our Vision was updated and our 5 Strategies developed as a means of guiding the school’s growth and development. Nearly seven years later, as the world continues to come through the toughest stages of a pandemic, the time feels right for us to revisit these foundations, to ensure that our guiding statements best speak to the commitments we make to our students, families, and faculty and staff in the years ahead.



Making sense of inclusive requests for feedback takes time and care, always. Thank you to the over 200 members of our school community who completed our survey. Survey themes of the commentary regarding our ASD Identity/Mission/Vision/Core Values will be shared for deeper discussion in fast-approaching community events are now set for Saturday, December 4, and Sunday, December 12. We hope to have many members of our community join us to participate in a facilitated, collaborative ‘World Cafe’ meeting designed to further consolidate and refine our thinking about the statements ASD upholds and uses to guide our strategic action and our continuous improvement in years ahead. Please see the details below and click to volunteer to participate.

Return of Athletics/Celebrations

Last night, nearly two years after the last on-campus gathering, ASD Athletics and Activities celebrated the end of the Fall competitive season. We gathered in classrooms and then together in the Theatre, and reminded ourselves and each other of the importance, the relevance, and the gifts that co-curricular and extra-curricular athletics and activities confer on our students and our families. Congratulations to all of our teams -- healthy competition has returned to MESAC and to ASD, and we look forward to the winter season ahead!


We also want to draw your attention to additional adjustments to the ASD calendar located HERE. On January 20, the scheduled Professional Learning day for Teachers has been updated as a day off for students. On May 8, the scheduled Professional Learning day for Teachers has been updated as a TVS learning day for students. As we begin to message about the holiday break and the upcoming semester, we hope this point of clarification on the calendar is helpful. We will make sure to set reminders closer to the January date.



Lastly, we also have an important message from our IT department regarding parent approvals for use of YouTube. Google now requires more parental permission to use its various platforms. Since YouTube is classified as an “additional service” and falls outside of our Google Workspace for Education subscription, Google requires parental/guardian permission for those “additional services.” ASD continues to utilize sources across the Internet to enhance and expand our curriculum delivery. By providing consent for your child to access those outstanding resources, they will continue to access those essential resources in the learning process. Please read below the full details from our IT department and complete the form accordingly.



Sincerely,


Steve Razidlo

Director of the American School of Doha

What's On ASD

Fri, Nov 19


Sat, Nov 20

  • Senior Photos at ASD, Registration Required

  • BFHA Meet & Greet, MS Courtyard, 10:00 am - 11:30 am, Register HERE


Sun, Nov 21

  • MS/HS Day 4

  • Season 2 Tryouts: JV/Varsity Soccer, JV/Varsity Basketball, Cross Country, & Tennis

  • Booster Store open Sundays for MS/HS students, 11:00 am - 1:30 pm


Mon, Nov 22

  • MS/HS Day 1

  • HS Counselor Coffee, in-person, HSPR, 8:00 am - 9:30 am, Register HERE, or attend via Zoom

  • LES Virtual Parent Session, 10:00 am - 11:00 am, via Zoom


Tue, Nov 23

  • NO PACT, dismissal at 3:00 pm

  • ES Spirit Day - Future YOU Day

  • MS/HS Day 2


Wed, Nov 24

  • ES Thanksgiving Celebrations

  • MS/HS Day 3

  • MS Parent Advisory Forum (PAF), 8:00 am - 9:00 am, via Zoom

  • Booster Store open Wednesdays for HS students, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm


Thu, Nov 25

  • No School, US Thanksgiving

Check out our section on Teaching and Learning

A Message from the Leadership team

ASD YouTube Consent Form:

Due Wed, Dec 15

To Parents and Guardians,



Google now requires more parental permission to use its various platforms. We currently provide a Google Workspace for Education account for your child. Google Workspace for Education has been evolving over the last decade. It is identified as a set of education productivity tools from Google, including, but not limited to, Gmail, Calendar, Docs, Classroom, and more, and used by tens of millions of students and teachers worldwide.



For example, students at the American School of Doha use their Google Workspace for Education accounts to complete assignments, communicate with their teachers, and learn 21st-century digital citizenship skills.



To complement Google’s Workspace for Education subscription, Google has clarified their other services that fall outside the scope of our Google Workspace for Education subscription. One of their more highly utilized services from the “additional services list” is YouTube. ASD enhances its curriculum through many web-based media and application sites, and more arise every day. YouTube is the leading content application for many diverse and educational materials. We would be remiss if we didn’t amplify the education of our students through the use of YouTube's services. Specifically, at ASD, YouTube enhances the delivery of our curriculum through gaining access to free, high-quality lecture content, sharing and collaborating on student work, reinforcing class materials and lessons, demonstrating labs and experiments, keeping content relevant and recent, and many more ways of extending students’ learning.



Since YouTube is classified as an “additional service” and falls outside of our Google Workspace for Education subscription, Google requires parental/guardian permission for those “additional services.” ASD continues to utilize sources across the Internet to enhance and expand our curriculum delivery. By providing consent for your child to access those outstanding resources, they will continue to access those essential resources in the learning process. We ask that you please provide your permission by authorizing and submitting the form HERE.



If you have any questions, please contact Jeff Kersting, Director of Innovation and Technology.



Thank you,

Jeff Kerstings

Director of Innovation and Technology

American School of Doha

A Message from ASD Nursing

Greetings From ASD Nursing,



Just a couple of reminders for the upcoming weeks.



Students who are absent for 2 or more consecutive days require a doctor’s note of medical clearance OR a negative COVID-19 test in order to return to school when they are feeling better. We understand that students sometimes just need a mental health day and will miss one day of school and that is fine. However, 2 or more consecutive days require that the student sees a doctor. In addition, if students have any cold or flu symptoms we strongly urge that students get a COVID test done. This can be either a rapid antigen or a PCR test. This is whether or not a student is vaccinated or not. It is our recommendation that when any of the following symptoms are present that testing is done:



  • Fever or chills

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headache

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea



For students who are 12 years of age and older who are either unvaccinated or partially vaccinated please remember:



  • The MOEHE and MOPH are requiring weekly test results for students to attend school each week.

  • Tests can be PCR tests or rapid antigen.

  • If a student is between dose 1 and dose 2 of the vaccine students are still required to submit weekly test results until the nursing department receives either a vaccination card or vaccination certificate as documentation that vaccination is complete.

  • Test results may be uploaded to this form. We will also accept test results or COVID vaccination documentation to carmen.jones@asd.edu.qa or laureen.tordecillas@asd.edu.qa.



Preparing to travel for the holidays? Please keep in mind that ASD is trusting families to adhere to the quarantine guidelines that are given to students when they get back to Hamad International Airport. Depending on the country you are traveling from will determine how long quarantine will be upon arrival back to Qatar or if it is even necessary. Once you get this information it is important that you report these dates to the office of your student’s respective division here at ASD so that faculty are aware.

Little Shop of Horrors

TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE for Little Shop of Horrors

Click HERE to purchase your tickets! Recommended for ages 8 and up.

Short Film WorkShop

We are looking for female participants aged 15-23 who are residents and citizens of Qatar. Whenever possible, the sessions will be held face to face on Saturday afternoons in February-April 2022 at the Katara Art Center.


The program will be led and facilitated by Dr. Mohanalakshmi Rajakumar, novelist/screenwriter, and Professor Christina Paschyn, journalist and documentary filmmaker, funded by the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy, and in conjunction with the Qatar America Institute as a screening partner for completed films.


This is a two-phase program; Phase One will focus on Screenwriting and Phase Two on Production, to be held from February - April 2022. The program is free and open to the general public. All who are eligible are encouraged to apply. Please fill out THIS application before December 1, 2021.**


Through a series of connected screenwriting and filmmaking workshops, this program will foster the individual and communal development of aspiring content creators in topical areas important to community development and global engagement.


The program will involve weekly seminar-style class meetings, that cover screenplay writing, different approaches to presenting engaging topics, drafting and workshopping their own screenplays as well as producing, directing, and editing their own microfilms.


At the end of the first part of the program, each participant will use her new writing skills and content knowledge to create a ten-page screenplay.


We hope to see you there!

A message from the Business Office

Parents, if your family is moving from Doha, and your child will be withdrawing from ASD, please notify Admissions immediately. According to policy, for first semester, private pay tuition will be refunded after the later of the 45 day written notice period or the last day of attendance. Full 2nd semester tuition is due and payable for any student enrolled at the start of the second semester, no refunds will be made. For any questions on the refund policy, please contact the Business Office.



Contact the Business Office at:

Tel: 4499-1144 or 4459-1520

Pret-A-Portrait order info

INFORMATION HOW TO ORDER ONLINE DOCUMENT full.pdf

From our School Community

Hot Dog Lunch Sign Up

A link will be sent directly to students and staff to pre-order hot dogs; hot dogs can also be ordered by scanning the barcode in the flyer.

Senior parents, please remind your Seniors to sign up for the Senior photo at the 2022 Building using the link below. Seniors need to bring their freshly pressed cap and gown and closed-toe shoes. Sign up HERE.

The AMA Committee would like to thank everyone who participated at our Karak & Chapati Sales Day Event this past Monday! This event could not have been successful without the help of the parents, students, teachers, who volunteered their time to make it happen. We would also like to thank the ASD committee who also participated and most especially thanks to the Director of the School, Mr. Steve Razidlo, who gave moral support and visited our booth.


The event had given us a chance to feel again the good atmosphere, with the trust of the parents, the students happily participated and allowed us to gather in this small event that proves us that everything is slowly going back to our normal life.


We hope to see you again at our next event and once again, an enormous “THANK YOU” to all of you.

PTA Culture: November Happenings in Qatar

Qatar is full of exciting events year round. November highlights include exhibition openings, events, programs and such in the art/culture/tourism sector. For more information on events, please click here or contact Roqueya at ptaculture@asd.edu.qa

CAST is BACK and we need YOU! Are you a parent that would like to volunteer for CAST (Creative Arts Support Team)? Do you have a love for the Arts? Costuming? Front Of House? Design? Or Hospitality? Would you like to join a fun and creative team? If so, please fill in the google form or reach out to Jennifer Bendriss jbendriss@asd.edu.qa for information. We cannot wait to work with YOU!