American School of Doha

We had muchos adventuritos ahoy, so get ready for three posts full of pictures.

First stop was the American School of Doha (the Compass School, from yesterday, is a British/International type). The ASD has a typical American curriculum, which hits matha nd science progressively harder starting in about third grade. Seeing their charts of concepts for 5th grade showed me that Jack would be capable but clearly challenged by the work. The kids are serious and focused in the middle and high school--the learning is not as "student driven" as in the Compass School/British approach. This has an evident downside, but you really have to consider the personality of the kid. Some kids don't thrive in a high-pressure situation and instead get excited/motivated by discovery.

The ASD is funded by oil company sponsorships, so their campus was huge, in excellent condition, and looked more like a small university than a K-12 facility. The oil company kids get preference, so admission is tight.

Both of the schools take *incredible* trips each year. This year, the middle schoolers went to Oman for a "beyond the borders" week. They also had an optional Habitat for Humanity trip to Cambodia. These are not "vacation/tourist" trips--the kids do serious learning and experience "real life" in these countries. I think the Compass school takes even more trips (again, the looser, inquiry-based learning curriculum). Here are some pictures of ASD:
The pre-k and kindergarten are in one wing of the elementary building. They share a library, cafeteria, and common area with the elementary grades.

This is the library, which is too large to photograph in one picture. ASD has about 140 students per grade, divided into classes of no more than 20 (no more than 15 at the pre-k and k levels).

The outside play area is covered, for protection from the sun. Late spring and summer here get brutally hot--as high as 120 degrees and 80% humidity in July/August. The schools have sun and dust-storm regulations which sometimes prevent outdoor play.

But then again, when you have two huge basket ball courts (inside), a full-sized gym, an indoor workout room, and a full-sized modern POOL, being inside is okay...

This school is primo...makes me want to go back to high school myself. Well, maybe. Okay, not really. Well maybe if we get to go on the trips and have international food festival days...

Application for the Compass School is form. Application for the ASD is a form, letters of recommendation from teachers, immunization records, a physical, and a sample of belly button lint. That is just for application...to get on the waiting list...

All this school and housing touring has made it VERY DIFFICULT to get "too far ahead of ourselves." This may have all been an exercise in interviewing and adventure with no job offer...we are trying to recognize "big issues" but not get our hopes up too high...