Dear ASD Families,

Gratitude, thankfulness crosses all cultures, and Thanksgiving certainly offers us an opportunity to be reflective and grateful. Qatar is a safe country. ASD remains fully open. School and community activities continue to expand access and opportunity for ASD families. Cooler weather connects us more actively to the parks, the beaches, and to the country’s many attractions…Our lists are long, and expressing our thankfulness is healthy, appropriate, and part of the many international traditions put in focus today, the day before US Thanksgiving.

Looking Back

Last weekend’s Booster Club 3X3 Basketball Tournament was great fun and offered another glimpse into the reopening of extra-curricular, after-school activities which make our school special. I saw some great basketball, saw the Booster clubs Dragon’s Den opened for purchase, and noted how much fun it can be to see our young people having fun outside of their classroom lives.

This week’s lockdown drills provided all our divisions with the necessary practice in moving to a sheltered location. The drills happened briefly, efficiently, and according to scripts developed prior to the pandemic. After receiving parent feedback, and after review of our internal protocols, we have decided to share advance notice with parents before our next drill. Thank you to Mr. Finney and the Security Team for their continued vigilance and care for the safety of all students and staff.

Looking Ahead

After surveying parents about the frequency of Sahifa, 80% of survey respondents requested Sahifa remain a weekly newsletter. Following that feedback, ASD will continue to produce Sahifa weekly, but as the second semester begins we will make important shifts to the look and feel of the publication, alternating scheduled reports from the Director and the divisions every other week.

Communication and connection require understanding and facility with more than Sahifa alone. Navigating the many tools we provide for our community (Sahifa, Teneen, PowerSchool, etc.) requires that we continue to educate and acquaint our parents with our tools and our many access points. To that end, IT Director Jeff Kersting will offer Zoom and live sessions for interested parents next week. Please see more information from Jeff below, and note that in addition to teaching parents about separate and individual tools (ex. Teneen), Jeff will also reintroduce an amazing new tool -- ClassLink -- which approximately 200 of our parents are using to consolidate their many school apps through one easy login. Once learned, it simplifies parents’ access tremendously! Click HERE to register for the in-person session.

Coming soon, the ASD Giving Tree! This ASD tradition allows us to say thank you to the Acciona workers, Nakheel Landscapers, Jazz Cafe and Security staff by providing them with gifts. Keep a lookout for how to contribute in next week’s Sahifa!

In line with our eco of thankfulness to the return of old ASD traditions, we encourage you to purchase tickets to the High School Musical, Little Shop of Horror. Today the students were able to show a preview of the show to their fellow classmates. The show is a must see! Please see the poster and link below to purchase tickets.

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

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 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.

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.