Dear ASD Community,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year at the American School of Doha!

As we prepare for the first days of school, I am excited to welcome back our returning families, and I want to extend a warm, heartfelt greeting to those joining our community for the first time.

Every school year holds its own distinct rhythm and narrative.  Every school year is a story waiting to be written. Walking around campus these past few weeks, I couldn't help but wonder: what will be this year’s story?

Last year, we introduced a shared focus for our year: One ASD Family. We proclaimed that diversity is our strength, that belonging is essential, and that every individual is seen, valued, and respected. As the year unfolded, the regional conflict put our community to the test.  In response, we demonstrated that our collective spirit runs deeper than any external circumstances. 

This year, we take that commitment a step further. Our theme for the 2026-2027 school year is One ASD Family: Stronger Together.

Stronger Together means we will focus on three key pillars:

1. Professional Practice & Student Growth
   At ASD, excellence is measured by evidence-based student progress. We invest in rigorous, research-based instructional practices tailored to meet the needs of our diverse student body. This year, we are deepening our dedication to ongoing professional learning, collaborative curriculum design, and reflective teaching practices.

2. Professional Culture & Global Talent
   ASD’s recognition as the Premier Educational Leader in Doha is the direct result of our exceptional staff and faculty. We actively recruit, retain, and invest in world-class faculty from around the world. All of us take great personal pride in our work and hold our profession in the highest regard, a fact that will become increasingly evident as we elevate our professional culture this year.

3. Community Trust & Active Partnership
   At ASD, whole child development is a shared partnership between the school and the home. We achieve our mission of nurturing each learner’s unique academic and personal identity through intentional, bilateral communication, robust parent-teacher collaboration, and active parent organizations. A focus this year will be to strengthen our environment of mutual trust and active partnership.

These three pillars: our practice, our people, and our partnership, are interdependent; they are the threads that weave us into One ASD Family: Stronger Together. 

Logistics For Next Week

As we get ready to open our doors and campus gates, here are a few logistical details, schedules, and reminders to help your family navigate a smooth and successful start to the 2026-2027 school year.

New Student Orientation
On Sunday, August 16, we look forward to hosting our New Student Orientation. This day is an important transition milestone for our incoming Dragons and their families. While you will have the opportunity to connect and become familiar with essential school services, the Orientation is also the beginning of belonging. This is where new faces start becoming familiar friends. We look forward to welcoming you and helping your family settle smoothly into our ASD Community.

The First Days of School
To ensure a smooth start for everyone, we purposefully stagger the start of year schedules:

• Monday, August 17: First day of school for Grades 1 - 12

• Tuesday, August 18: First day of school for Pre-K to KG

Campus doors open for students at 7:40 AM, with classes officially beginning at 8:00 AM. 

Morning Drop-Off & Afternoon Pick-Up
With schools across Doha resuming operations, traffic during the first week will naturally be heavier than usual. We encourage all families to build extra time into their morning routines. Additional security guards will be on duty to direct traffic and safeguard our crosswalks. Please utilize designated drop-off zones only. For Elementary families, parking outside Gate 6 remains available for parents who wish to walk their children across the street to the entrance.

DragonCards
We are issuing new DragonCards to all students this year. While new students will be issued their cards on Sunday at the New Student Orientation Day, returning students will receive their new DragonCards according to their division’s distribution schedule: Middle and High School on August 17, and Elementary School on August 19.  All existing account balances will automatically transfer to the new cards when they are issued. 

We ask for your partnership in ensuring your child brings and uses their DragonCard every day for campus access.

Please remember that all adults also require a DragonCard to enter campus. Existing parent and adult cards remain active and will continue to work for the new school year. If your family requires a new or replacement card or needs to update access for domestic staff due to household changes, please submit your request via our DragonCard Request Form.

Bus Transportation & Safety
For families utilizing our bus service, drivers and monitors have completed annual recertification in bus safety and child safeguarding. Further details on routes and timing were sent to all riders this week.

PE Uniforms 

We are pleased to transition to our new PE uniform provider, Zaks. To make fitting and purchasing as convenient as possible for your family, multiple buying and fitting options are available over the coming weeks:

• New Student Orientation: Visit the Zaks booth on campus on Sunday, August 16.

• On-Campus Pop-Up Shop:

  • Wednesday, August 26: 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM (ES Hallway)

  • Tuesday, September 1: 7:30 AM - 1:30 PM (MS/HS Lobby)

  • Wednesday, September 2: 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM (MS/HS Lobby)

• Online Ordering & Sizing Samples: Online purchasing is live now. Sizing samples will soon be available in each divisional office for students to try on before ordering online.

Red Flag Weather Days
As is typical for August in Doha, high ambient temperatures, humidity, and air quality will necessitate the use of "Red Flag" procedures during the opening weeks of school. On Red Flag days, outdoor physical activity is restricted to ensure the safety of students and staff. Please ensure your child comes to school each day with a clearly labeled, refillable water bottle so they can stay well-hydrated.

PACT Tuesday Schedule
Our weekly Professional and Collaborative Time (PACT) provides a dedicated space for faculty professional learning and curricular alignment. On PACT Tuesdays, students are dismissed early at 12:30 PM.

Please note that PACT early dismissals do not occur during weeks with scheduled days off or holidays; on those short weeks, Tuesdays remain full instructional days for students. 

Our first PACT Tuesday will take place on Tuesday, August 25.

Looking Ahead
The Sahifa will continue to be published every Thursday afternoon at 3:30 PM, alternating biweekly between updates from my office and from our divisional principals. I encourage you to make reading it a regular habit to stay informed and connected. 

I also invite you to explore our newly launched ASD Website, featuring a refreshed look and a far more interactive experience. As we continue refining our platforms, we welcome your feedback on ways to consolidate information and improve our overall communication channels. Please feel free to reach out to our communications team or me with any helpful ideas and suggestions.

As we begin 2026-2027, let us carry forward the spirit of belonging we cultivated last year. I’m excited to see what we can achieve when we stand as One ASD Family: Stronger Together.

Warmest regards,

Dr. Victor Guthrie

Sun, August 16

• New Student Orientation Grades PreK - 12

Mon, August 17

• LES Day 0

• UES/MS/HS Day 0

• First Day of School Grades 1 - 12

• Return Your Summer Reads - MHS Library books due August 20th

Tue, August 18

• LES Day A

• UES/MS/HS Day 1

• First Day of School Grades PreK - KG

Wed, August 19

• LES Day B

• UES/MS/HS Day 2

• First Day of School Grades 1 - 12

Thu, August 20

• LES Day C

• UES/MS/HS Day 3

• Return Your Summer Reads - MHS Library books due!

Reminders:

• August 24-27: ES/MS Season 1 sign up through SchoolsBuddy

• August 24: PTA Welcome Coffee, 8:15 a.m., ES Cafeteria

• August 26: ES Back To School Night, 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Sports Hall

• August 26: PTA Community Activities Night, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m., ES Cafeteria

• August 26: ZAKS Uniform Pop Up Sale, 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., ES Hallway

• September 1: ZAKS Uniform Pop Up Sale, 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., MS/HS Lobby

• September 2: ZAKS Uniform Pop Up Sale, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., MS/HS Lobby