ACS International School Doha has found a unique way of bringing children together around their favourite activities online.
As schools have now moved temporarily online for children in the earlier years of learning, ACS Doha has introduced bedtime stories for both Early Childhood and Lower School, allowing the youngest students to gather again with their teachers and classmates around their favourite stories for a bedtime reading.
According to Early Childhood Principal Ester-Leigh Rawson, the community is at the heart of what they do at ACS Doha.
The core principles of our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program focus on the development of introducing our young learners to the concept of expressing themselves using various forms of communication to support their social education.
She said that reading bedtime stories together as a community allows children to socialise online with the ACS staff and their peers.
Using various characters in the storybooks allows us to check in on our students to see if they can make connections and comparisons to their emotions. Our families are excited to tune in for the next book reading. It is great that we can help foster this excitement through these challenging times.
Lower School Principal Jonathan Rawlinson added that as they continue with the mandatory precautionary measures, many families have lost their biggest connection to the community.
He said that school has always been the focal point for making social connections. Reading bedtime stories allows some of these connections to remain in place, as students get to interact with each other in a relaxed, yet purposeful environment. Reading with joy and seeing the students smile warms the heart, laughter however distant, still remains the best medicine.
Reading also allows me to stay connected to the children’s learning journey and, should they need it, a child or parent knows we are still connected and ready to support them in every way possible.
Special guest speaker Aisha Al Naama, the first woman from Qatar to climb all seven summits, including Mount Elbrus, Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Everest, read to the children from a newly launched children’s book inspired by her adventures, The Girl Who Dreamed of Climbing Mount Everest, by author Dr Matthias Krug.
In addition to the bedtime stories, ACS Doha has also included other online community initiatives for students and parents. Lower School students can tune in to a live PE lesson every morning to help them remain physically active and meet their classmates socially before starting their classes. Middle School students can also tune in and join the online HITT classes hosted by Christopher Quinn, the school’s Athletic Director.
Head of School Robert Cody and Dean of Admissions and Marketing Sowmiya Kasthuri, have also included daily check-in links to the communities to join them online throughout the day, as well as the live Zoom support hosted by the IT department throughout the day.
Visit acs-schools.com for updates and more information about the school.
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