Parents Guide to LES

School Day

Our school week is from Sunday through Thursday.

Pre-K Hours: 8:00 am - 12:30 pm

Kindergarten-Grade 2 Hours: 8:00 am - 3:00 pm.

Tuesdays are 12:30 pm dismissal days for the students unless otherwise posted.

Arrival and Dismissal

All students are welcome on campus starting at 7:40 am. Elementary School (ES) students can enter through Gate 6. Parents can only enter the campus through Gate 8, except at pick-up time or if there is a scheduled event taking place.

Change In Pick-Up Plans

If there is a change of plan to your child’s regular pick-up arrangement, please let your child and your child’s teacher know, prior to the beginning of the school day. If for some reason you are unable to communicate with your child’s teacher, please call the ES Office at 4459 1550.

Absences

Student absences should be reported via email to the teacher and LES Office Manager at asdlesoffice@asd.edu.qa. If you require an extended leave of absence for your child please visit or contact the ES Office to obtain a Pre-Arranged Absence Form.

Tardiness

Students are considered tardy from 8:00 am. When a student is tardy, they can enter through Gate 6 (on their own) or Gate 8 (if they are accompanied by a parent) and must come to the ES Office to sign in and pick up a Tardy Pass. Parents wishing to escort their children onto campus must come through Gate 8.

Early Student Checkout

Students who leave early during a school day must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and must have a gate pass from the ES Office. No student is permitted to leave school grounds before 2:55 pm unless they have a pass in hand.

If you need to pick up your child for an appointment and need to enter through Gate 6 you must inform the ES Office in advance. Parents who do not inform the ES Office will need to enter through Gate 8.

Domestic helpers and drivers are not allowed on campus until 12:15 pm for Pre-K pick-up and 2:45 pm for KG-Grade 5 pick-up.

Snacks and Lunches

Students are required to bring a snack to school to eat during their mid-morning break. The cafeteria is not open during snack-time for purchase. Students in Grades 1 - 5 can choose to bring a packed lunch or to purchase lunch in our cafeteria. Students in Grades 1 - 5 can use their DragonCard to purchase a lunch from a set menu. The weekly menu is published in the school’s weekly newsletter, the Sahifa.

Students must bring a refillable water bottle to school every day. ASD does not sell bottled water on campus. Students can refill water bottles in the hallways at the water coolers.

Red Flag Days

During the hot months, the number of days that students are actively participating in outdoor recess is limited because of the dangers associated with outdoor play in high temperatures. On days when the temperature/heat index is extremely high, above 40°C, students need to drink plenty of water and to stay in the shade. Physical activity will be restricted, and students are offered the option of indoor recess areas.

DragonCards

Students will be issued a DragonCard upon enrollment in the school. If the DragonCard is lost or breaks the replacement fee is QR 50. DragonCard accounts can be topped-up at one of our two kiosks on campus or online at dragoncard.asd.edu.qa.

Your username and password will be your parent ID information and they are located on your ASD Parent ID Card.

Birthday Snacks

It is permitted for students to celebrate their birthdays at school, during snack time, by sharing a treat with their peers. Parents are highly encouraged to send in the treats first thing in the morning with their child. Teachers need to receive prior notification from the parent and every effort should be made to schedule these celebrations with no interruption to instructional time.

Birthday treat bags are not permitted and will not be distributed to students. Any bags sent to school will be returned home with the student.

We kindly ask for parent support in this matter in order not to disappoint students. Additionally, the intention of the class birthday celebration is for your child to celebrate with his/her classmates, and therefore school-age siblings are not permitted to attend.

Birthday invitations will not be distributed/placed in student's home folders unless the entire class is invited or only students of the same gender are invited. Unfortunately, we cannot forward electronic birthday cards on your behalf.

PE Uniforms and Daily Footwear

On PE days, students in Pre-K to Grade 5 must wear the PE uniform to school with appropriate sports shoes. These uniforms can be purchased at Noble House. On swimming days students must have a towel, bathing suit, and bathing cap. Please see the PE Uniform Sahifa page for more information.

Students are encouraged to wear shoes that fully cover the toes on a daily basis. Students are not allowed to wear flip-flops or crocs to school.

After-School Activities and Sports Programs

ASD provides an After-School Activities (ASA) program during each trimester for students in Grades 1 - 5. ASAs are scheduled each trimester and run for 8 consecutive sessions. Some activities are limited to certain grade levels and/or a certain number of students. A student must pre-register for these activities online. The school will provide instructions regarding student registration so every family is able to complete this process at home.

The ES after-school sports program (ES Sports) begins in Grade 2 and offers students the opportunity to participate in various sports after school. The term of these sessions varies from sport to sport and is communicated to parents via our weekly newsletter, the Sahifa. Students interested in participating in any or all of the above sports must sign up during specified times once they have obtained parental permission and submitted the online registration form.

Home/School Communication

Our school newsletter, the Sahifa, is published online every Thursday and provides information pertaining to special events, notices of calendar changes, and general information important to our families; as well as messages from the director and the principals.

Homeroom teachers send their own weekly emails to parents to provide general, class learning focused updates and information about upcoming events. If parents would like to discuss their child's progress with the child's teacher, they can make an appointment with the teacher directly through email.