High School

December 7, 2023 - Volume 3 | Issue 18 - Principals' Sahifa

Dear High School Community,

International Week is always a wonderful celebration of our diverse and eclectic community. We thank all those high school parents that contributed to making the week so successful. As this is the last divisional Sahifa before the winter break we wish you all a restful and enjoyable holiday! Enjoy these photos of the high school International Week assembly.

Parent Advisory Meeting

Please find the agenda here. We thank you all for attending - it’s always good to have transparent conversation. This is why we value providing multiple opportunities to hear your voices. Here are some photos of the event.

Guest Speakers

We were fortunate enough to host two distinguished speakers from our local community this week to talk to our students about the current regional conflict. Qatar University Law Professor, Dr Andrew Dahdal and An Jazeera news anchor Salma Al Jamal spoke with eloquence and wisdom to our students and were well received. Here are some photos of the event.

AP Updates

The upcoming Winter break presents a welcome rest period for students (and teachers) to recharge and refresh themselves. It also offers a very valuable and rare three-week period which AP students should take advantage of to review the first part of the school year and revise in preparation for what is to come. Such review activities are most valuable when they are regular and limited in duration – such as 45 minute review sessions several days a week for each course – and discussing concepts or knowledge with friends (or family) is another way to prompt the brain to retrieve information and solidify understanding. All students are encouraged to identify any work or review that their teachers believe would be helpful for them to complete prior to their return in January, particularly if their final Semester 1 assessments follows this break. AP teachers continue to offer Office Hours after school and all AP students are encouraged to seek guidance and extra support if needed. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the AP Coordinator at joshua.giddens@asd.edu.qa

IBDP Updates

With only two weeks left until our Winter Break, I am meeting with students and teachers to identify clear academic strategies students need to be applying over the break. The purpose is to ensure they are prepared for their end of semester summatives as well as an opportunity to improve upon their predicted grades for university applications in January. It is important for our students to include rest but this must be actively balanced with final preparations for their exams. IBDP teachers are continuing to meet with students during their Office Hours and students are encouraged to use this time wisely. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the IBDP Coordinator at Katrina.Charles@asd.edu.qa.

Teaching and Learning Moment

ASD French students at Lycée Bonaparte’s Conference on Agriculture and Climate in Qatar

Conférence - Agriculture et climat à l’heure de la Cop28

On Sunday, December 3rd, 2023, my IB French classmates, Victoria and Ayar, two French IV students, Illia and Tawfik, and myself spent our evening at Doha’s Lycée Bonaparte to attend a presentation named “Agriculture et climat à l’heure de la COP28: Quels défis et opportunités pour le Qatar?”. The presentation primarily highlighted Qatar’s shift in agricultural development after the 2017 blockade, and the country’s ongoing self-sufficiency. Given that COP28 was underway in Dubai, the presentation carries profound allusions to sustainability and climate conscience, evaluating Qatar’s efforts to maintain their “sécurité alimentaire”, while prioritizing a strong devotion to environmentally friendly practices, and remaining flexible to the ever changing conditions that afflict the Middle East and North Africa region. The presentation provoked reflection on the robust connection between the agricultural, nutritional, and environmental sectors of Qatar’s economic and social development.

Written by Matthew Slocombe, IB French B HL Student - Effect Club SDG Manager

Service Updates

Service Links (the below folders are also accessible to students in the “Service” Course on Teneen):

What I need to Know About Service (this folder contains basic information about ASD graduation requirements for service)

Nuts and Bolts of Service (this folder contains the list of approved NGOs for fundraising)

Managebac Support Materials (this folder contains instructions and screencasts on logging activities in Managebac and requesting supervisor reviews).

Service Groups & Contacts (this sheet contains a listing of all student service organizations at ASD with contact information for each)

HOLD THE DATE - Our annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser is taking place on Thursday, January 12 from 6PM in the MS/HS Dining Hall. For a donation of QAR 100, you get bottomless homemade soup (beef noodle, chicken noodle and minestrone to choose from), a hand crafted ceramic bowl and entertainment. Thank you to CAST who is once again sponsoring our Breads table and to MS Art and Ms Hermanuk for making the bowls. All proceeds go to support the hot lunch program at ASD’s sister school in Nepal, The Chamunda School.

This weekend, ASDMUN cordially invites all members of the ASD community to visit their booths during the Expo 2023 event at Al Bidda Park. The project, "Thread for Change," is dedicated to raising awareness about Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 12 and SDG 11. They repurpose old cloth materials into stylish tote bags, shirts, pillows, and small hair accessories, promoting responsible consumption and sustainable communities. All the products are crafted in-house at ASD with the assistance of the sewing club.

This week, our booth, named "Thread Heaven," will be situated at Expo 2023 in Al Bidda Park in the Qatar Pavilion Expo 2023 between 3PM and 6PM on December 8 and 9.

It’s been another two exciting weeks for Service in the High School.

Last week, we hosted Jordan Hattar, founder of Help 4 Refugees in our second installment of the Service Speaker Series. Jordan shared his experiences working with Syrian refugees living in Türkiye who have been further displaced by the massive earthquake earlier this year.

In addition to his keynote address to the high school, Jordan visited all of the Global Issues in Action (GIA) classes. In these classroom sessions, refugees living on the Syrian border in Türkiye joined the classes through Zoom and students were able to ask questions in real time. Arabic speakers in the class helped facilitate the translations and the experience was truly immersive and put a human face to the headlines in the news. Jordan also visited some of the 6th grade classes who had just finished reading Refugee by Alan Gratz which features a story arc where the character Mahmoud escapes from Syria.

It’s also been a busy week for our National Honor Society. Thank you to everyone who purchased a Thanksgiving pie in the annual NHS Pie Auction. All proceeds go towards the scholarships in Tanzania and South Africa through the St. Pius Educational Scholarship Fund.

NHS also ran a successful Dodgeball Tournament in support of the same cause. Hopefully this is the start of a new tradition.

Last but certainly not least, we’d like to give a big shout out to the African Student Union who ran their first potluck lunch of the year.

If you’re a parent of a senior or a senior reading this, please keep in mind the following if you have submitted a university application:

Please check your university portals to be sure all documents are received and your application is in review.

If you are a US Citizen seeking Federal Financial Aid - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available some time this month. The new version will be released sometime this month for the 24-25 school year.

Transcript Requests - If your student has application deadlines that occur the first week in December, the counselor requires your official transcript request forms before we depart for the winter recess. Even if you are unsure if you will apply, please include it on your request form so we can upload your information.

All members of the community - Please enjoy the well-deserved break. We hope you get a chance to unwind, recharge, and prepare to end the year with elan; at the same time, we acknowledge that the holiday season can be difficult for some. As a gentle reminder, the Counseling team remains committed and ready to support students and families in any way we can.

Sincerely,

Michael Roberts

High School Principal

THE GOOD DRAGONS

HIGH SCHOOL YEARBOOK 2023-2024

Dear High School Parents,

Capture the memories of this school year! Pre-order the high school yearbook, "Through the Lens of Time," for 200 QAR each.

Don't miss out on this opportunity to cherish the moments that matter. Secure your copy today and relive the journey with your child for years to come.

Click this link or scan the QR code on the post to fill out the purchase form! (Act fast as the price will increase to 225 QAR in March. Don't miss this chance to save!)

**Please check that your child has not already ordered one to avoid duplicate orders

- Yearbook Staff

GRADUATION PHOTOGRAPHY

WHAT'S ON HS

Sun, December 10

MS/HS Day 1
JV Soccer Games, 4:00 pm, Boys - Lower Field; Girls - Upper Field
JV Girls Basketball Game, 4:00 pm, ACS
JV Boys Basketball Game, 5:00 pm, ACS

Mon, December 11

MS/HS Day 2
Booster Club Holiday Market and Store Sale, 8:00 am - 3:30 pm, ES courtyard and in front of Booster Store in HS, parents are welcome anytime
Varsity Basketball Games, 4:00 pm, Girls - HS Gym; Boys - ES Sports Hall

Tue, December 12

PACT TUESDAY - dismissal at 12:30 pm
The MS/HS Cafeteria (including Jazz Cafe and Coffee Beanery) will be CLOSED from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm for a private ASD event. The Elementary School Cafeteria will be open and selling food.
MS/HS Day 3
Booster Club Holiday Market and Store Sale, 8:00 am - 1:00 pm, ES courtyard and in front of Booster Store in HS, parents are welcome anytime

Wed, December 13

MS/HS Day 4
Booster Club Holiday Market and Store Sale, 8:00 am - 1:30 pm, ES courtyard and in front of Booster Store in HS, parents are welcome anytime
Varsity Girls Basketball Games, 4:00 pm, ES Sports Hall
Varsity Soccer Games - 4pm (Boys - Lower Field, Girls - Upper Field)

Thu, December 14

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - classes resume on Sunday, January 7
MS/HS Day 5

Reminders:

Empty Bowls 2024 (by MS Art): Chamunda School in Nepal Food Program Fundraiser - Friday, January 12, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, MS/HS Cafeteria, click here for the poster
Graduation Photography (and Family Session) - CLICK HERE for details and booking
- - Saturday, 13th January, 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
  - Saturday, 20th January, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Empty Bowls is back! For a donation of QAR 100, on Friday, January 12th, you can join us for an evening of home made soups, entertainment and the chance to purchase your choice of extra handmade ceramic bowls in the MS/HS ASD Cafeteria. All proceeds go towards funding a hot lunch program at ASD's partner school in Nepal, the Chamunda School. We hope to see you there.