Doha: ACS International School Doha is the only school in Qatar that was able to end its 2021 year with students able to attend all their classes throughout the week in-person.
Thanks to the design of its spacious new landmark campus, students and teachers were able to engage in in-person learning, while still conforming to COVID-19 social distancing requirements and safety precautions.
ACS Doha students were able to enjoy the flexibility of collaborative spaces for smaller group projects and assignments as well. They have built on their social skills and once again could engage in different activities, from dressing up as their favourite book characters, to an interactive photo collection of students reading, the return of sports and physical activities outdoors, participation in a global initiative with Hour of Code, and their first live recitation of poetry in front of friends and family at the campus’ newly-opened theatre.
Head of School Robert Cody said: “How amazing is it that we began to return students to the experience of a whole-child education? This was an important reminder of what education truly is. It goes well beyond the books and our rigorous curriculum offerings but is involved in all we teach.
“It could be as simple as how to get better at your favourite sport, how to learn to program a code on a game to make an animated camel move through a virtual desert you designed, or simply listening and speaking to fellow classmates and learning the meaning of a word in a different language, or skill or even a cultural tradition. Real-life connected learning is the education that we aspire to be known for.”
ACS Doha’s landmark campus, which opened in 2020, allows more students with bubble zoning based on the buildings’ design. Age groups are separated, and each age group has its own library, gym facilities, and science and computer labs, making maintaining separation easier to track and control. Collaborative spaces allow further social distancing as well as more personalized learning approach tailored on learning styles.
