August 26, 2021
From the Office of The Director Steve Razidlo
Dear ASD Families,
Two kindergarten students said a kind and gentle hello to me this morning as I moved through the Lower Elementary School. The routines of arrival, of unpacking our things and coming inside the world of a classroom began in earnest this week; school routines across all divisions began again at the American School of Doha.
We open this year hopeful that we will remain in models of face to face learning. ASD has again requested Ministry approval of a fuller opening of the school, and note through our request that our school staff is 100% vaccinated, many of our 12-18 year old students are also vaccinated, we wear masks and inhabit a spacious, clean campus, and we maintain responsive and professional protocols for managing the COVID-19 cases which affect any student or staff group. While we await a formal response to our request to expand the Hybrid, this week’s primary focus has been to welcome students to school and to quickly begin the learning journey for all of our students.
Though school is open and while we hope we will soon open more fully, the pandemic is not yet over, and ASD continues to need your help protecting our community from outbreaks or spikes in cases. We are reminded of the importance of student, staff, and parent attention to the basics of safety, namely washing hands and sanitizing, wearing masks faithfully, and staying home if we are sick. Additionally, our reliance upon communication between home and school is critical should you or your loved ones become sick. Calling the school, and informing us if you or members of your household become sick is essential for us to help all remain virus-free. Finally, Qatar continues to provide vaccination to eligible (12-18) children and adults; we support the efforts to get all eligible persons vaccinated and ask if your 12-18 year old student has been vaccinated that you share this news with us through the nursing link below.
Again, convenient and effective communication for families is why we publish Sahifa every week. Sahifa remains your main conduit for weekly information and communication and provides you easy connection to information about ASD from many divisions and departments of the school.
We look forward to working with our parents this year, and to providing you with the information and knowledge necessary to help you support your children well throughout the school year.
Importantly, PACT Early 12:30 pm Dismissal begins next Tuesday, August 31.
What a difference a year makes! We are open; students are happy to be back. ASD is happy and thankful to start the new learning year face to face, safe, and healthy!
COVID Vaccination Reminder
A reminder request from our nursing department that families begin to share COVID-19 vaccination records with ASD. We understand that some students have been vaccinated in other countries and that some are now being vaccinated. The form will continue to be present in Sahifa so that families are able to update us as students continue to get vaccinated. Please click HERE to complete the form if your child has received both doses of the vaccine.
Celebrating Our AP and IB Students
Finally, we would like to celebrate our HS students and their academic achievements by further sharing the AP and IB results from the previous school year. We would like to also extend a heartfelt congratulation to the faculty, staff and parents of the HS students for their support and dedication during a challenging school year.
Sincerely,
Steve Razidlo
Director of the American School of Doha
What's On ASD
Sat, Aug 28
SAT at ASD, registration required
Sun, Aug 29
LES/UES Day A
MS/HS Day 1A
ASD Bus Services Begin
Mon, Aug 30
LES/UES Day B
MS/HS Day 1B
Tue, Aug 31
PACT, dismissal at 12:30 pm
LES/UES Day A
MS/HS Day 2A
Wed, Sep 1
LES/UES Day 2B
MS/HS Day 2B
LES Back to School Night, 3:30 pm - 5:25 pm, Zoom links provided by homeroom teachers
UES Back to School Night, 5:30 pm - 6:50 pm, Zoom links provided by homeroom teachers
Thu, Sep 2
LES/UES Day A
MS/HS Day 1A
Sahifa Editions
Check out our section on Teaching and Learning
Message from the Leadership Team
A Message from ASD BUs Services
The ASD Bus Service will commence on Sunday, August 29 (Day A).
Bus schedules and route information has been sent to all parent emails. If you have not received your email please check your spam OR contact Bus Services busservices@asd.edu.qa
A Message from ASD Nursing
Greetings From ASD Nursing,
We are excited to welcome students back to campus this year. We want to give some reminders to aid us in keeping our ASD community healthy:
Quarantine Upon Arrival to Qatar
Please be mindful if you are traveling back in the country that you adhere to the quarantine rules that Qatar has implemented. We understand that people are given various instructions in regards to quarantine based on where they have traveled from, vaccination status, age, etc. We at ASD ask that you are honest and follow the below quarantine guidelines based on MoPH directives:
Returning from a Red Country- Unvaccinated children aged (0-17) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subject to a home quarantine of 10 days.
Returning from a Yellow Country- Unvaccinated children aged (0-17) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subject to a home quarantine of 7 days.
Returning from a Green Country- Unvaccinated children aged (0-11) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents are exempted from quarantine if they are coming from a green-listed country. Unvaccinated children aged (12-17) traveling with their fully vaccinated parents shall be subject to 5 days of home quarantine if they are coming from a green listed country
All vaccinated students are exempt from quarantine, however, depending on the country from where you traveled, there may be directives to have a PCR performed within 48-72 hours of arrival. If this is the case please do not send the student to school until they have received their negative PCR results.
Vaccinated Students
In addition, if you have a student that is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 please do not forget to fill out this form for EACH vaccinated student. (If you have more than one vaccinated student you need to fill out a separate form for each student) This will allow us to give you a better picture of what percentage of our students are vaccinated and aid us in keeping track of which students are vaccinated as well.
Absences Related to Sickness
Please remember if your student shows any signs of sickness to please keep them at home and follow up with a doctor. Last year the nursing department worked very hard to track absences related to illness and to ensure that students who were out sick were only returning to campus after obtaining medical clearance from a doctor. This year we will still be implementing this policy and will do our best to follow up on all sickness related absences to ensure that when students return to school they are safe!
Please keep in mind that keeping the ASD community safe from COVID-19 requires participation and compliance from all members of the ASD community. This will require continued transparency in regards to the health of our students, faculty and staff, and our households.
Have a Good Weekend!
HS Musical: Little Shop of Horrors
From our School Community
QATAR LITTLE LEAGUE is a developmental league that offers baseball, softball and Challenger programs for boys and girls ages 4-18 throughout Qatar. Players of all skill levels and abilities are welcome. No experience necessary!
Online Registration is NOW Open for our upcoming season
NEW THIS YEAR
A FREE LEARN TO PLAY BASEBALL OR SOFTBALL CAMP
September 17 and 18
More information about our program is available at our website: QatarLittleLeague.com
Commonly Asked Questions
When does the season start?
Sunday, September 26, 2021, but there will be an optional Knock the Dust Off Camp for registered members Friday and Saturday, September 24 and 25, 2021. The season will run through the end of February.
What are the Age Divisions and how much does it cost?
Where do we play?
We will start playing out at the Doha Sports Park in Lusail. Our hope is that the ASD Baseball field will be available to us sometime during our season, however, the Doha Sports Complex is our current plan.
What is the time Commitment?
With the exception of Tee-Ball and Challengers who practice and play on Friday mornings, all other divisions have one weeknight practice and at least one game on Friday OR Saturday.
What equipment do I need?
QLL provides helmets, bats, catcher gear, a uniform top and cap. Players will need a glove, athletic shoes, baseball pants, or athletic pants, and boys must have an athletic cup. Due to Covid 19 protocols, we highly encourage batting gloves and will expect a mask to be worn when not on the field.
Where can I find out more information and Register?
Visit our website qatarlittleleague.com to register for the season and the two camps. Also, follow us on Facebook QatarLittleLeague & Instagram: Qatarlittleleague. You can e-mail us at qll@asd.edu.qa or qatarlittleleague@gmail.com with any additional questions.
The ASD Booster Club welcomes all our DRAGON families to the new school year!
Be safe. Be kind. Be active. Let’s go DRAGONS!
Our ASD Booster Store Online Catalog is back! It includes the store’s most popular items so be ready to show your dragon spirit! The Booster Club provides positive support and assistance to the American School of Doha Athletics and Activities Program for all school divisions.
Shop Online by clicking on the link below; pick up your purchased items at school! The orders will be delivered on a weekly basis to each student and ASD staff.
Please fill out THIS form to purchase your items after you have explored the Catalog below!
Click HERE for the Booster Club catalog.
Hope you had a restful summer! For PTA can we please include the following:
The PTA wishes to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning families, we look forward to meeting with you soon! Each year, the PTA publishes an Information Guide with some useful information about ASD and more information about the PTA. Please click HERE to check it out!
The JuniorSenior Committee welcomes all the new parents of Grade 11&12 students to another exciting school year at ASD! We have many fun things planned for the year. If you would like to be a part of this great committee, please contact us at juniorseniorcommittee@asd.edu.qa.
