ACS Doha International School celebrates its first anniversary in Qatar. The 2012/13 academic year promises to be another exciting chapter at ACS Doha International School. The school has gone through a significant expansion in its first year with student enrolment more than doubling to well over 750, and staff numbers reaching 100. This is almost twice the number employed by the school in June 2011. Thirty more classrooms and office spaces were also furnished and opened over the summer.
This increase in size and scale represents a significant demand for places at ACS Doha, however one of the challenges that comes with growth is not to lose or overlook the qualities that made the school popular in the first place.
In its opening year, ACS Doha established a warm, welcoming and engaging environment, to nurture and enrich students’ learning experiences. The school leadership has taken care to build on this, creating opportunities to enhance the rich variety of resources and learning space available.
Continuing to build strong relationships is also a priority for the school. As a parent you are automatically invited to be a member of the school’s vibrant Parent-School Organisation (PSO), which aims to support and enrich your children’s learning experience, help facilitate communication between families and faculty, and to enhance the sense of community, which is so special at ACS Doha.
The PSO is headed by the PSO Board which continually works to achieve these aims by, among others things, organising and facilitating numerous activities, events, and projects throughout the school year. New families arriving in Doha and enrolling at ACS are made to feel welcome.
This year ‘The Student Council’ was established, including representatives from each grade to provide a democratic voice for all of the students at ACS Doha, and further building a sense of belonging to the school community.
With the High School also opening this year – with two full classes in Grade 9 benefitting from an expertly resourced, solid academic programme and with Grades 10, 11, and 12 scheduled to open in subsequent years – ACS Doha is now working towards accreditation for the prestigious IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes (its achievement in gaining ‘candidate school’ status for each of these was yet another success in its opening year). The school is keen to ensure every student can see their own future clearly and achieve personal success.
“We believe every student should be inspired and challenged to reach their full potential. We bring the philosophy and approach of our established UK schools to our Doha campus and combine them with a programme that integrates the local traditions, culture and history of Qatar,” said Diane Hren, Head of ACS Doha.
With more than 45 years of experience, ACS International schools is successfully delivering challenging and rigorous American and international education programmes to local and expat families. ACS Doha’s core values are very much in line with Qatar’s national vision 2030, focusing as they do on being a catalyst for positive change, promoting excellence through learning and achievement, engaging in community, and enriching the international experience.
“We are integrating our core values within our curriculum, we encourage our students to be Honest, Respectful, Helpful, and Safe, and to always work hard and do their best,” said Dale Taylor, Middle School Principal. Those values will pave the way for ACS Doha International School students to become active members of a just and caring society.
The success of the school’s first year is evident wherever you look. And as ACS Doha International School continues to provide the highest quality of education in Qatar, it ensures that a generation of students is equipped to succeed in their future beyond the classroom, in higher education, work and citizenship.
The Peninsula
