The American School of Doha Guidance & College Counselor August 1, 2019
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The American School of Doha Guidance & College Counselor August 1, 2019 The American School of Doha (ASD) is an English-language international PreK-12 day school offering an American curriculum for expatriate families and Qatari nationals who seek a comprehensive, caring, American standards-based curriculum program. ASD is an independent, non-profit, coeducational day school operating under the policies and by-laws of a twelve-member Board of Directors and a nine-member Board of Trustees, which is chaired by the U.S. Ambassador. The American School of Doha was founded in 1988 and opened in a villa to serve a small number of expatriate families. With increasing demand for high quality education in Qatar, a new campus was opened to house 600 students in 1998-99, and with the explosive growth of Qatar in 2005, a new expansion project was undertaken that resulted in a new middle and high school on adjoining land and a complete renovation and expansion of the old campus for the elementary school. From 2013-2017, ASD underwent a $35M Campus Improvement Project to increase capacity and improve facilities across the entire school. This Campus Improvement Project has maximized the school footprint to allow for enrollment of up to 2250 students from Pre-K to grade 12. The surge of growth in ASD has resulted in the creation of a progressive school with an impressive and varied program that serves students from over 75 countries, including approximately 50% from North America and 10% from the host country of Qatar. The academic program has been a forerunner in professional learning and curriculum development, and the school enjoys a worldwide reputation for excellence. Elementary and Middle School students follow a U.S. standards-based curriculum in a comprehensive school setting. High school students have the opportunity to choose from the Advanced Placement program and the IB Diploma program as part of their American high school diploma. ASD is fully accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and a certified IB Diploma School. Mission, Vision, and Core Values The ASD community is constantly renewing and challenging itself through an active strategic planning process, which ensures that the mission, vision and core values of the school are the guiding statements for all decisions. This is a community-wide process and involves parents, students, teachers, administrators, and board members. ASD’s mission is committed to the intellectual and personal development of students, inspiring and empowering them to become positive, active global citizens. The school characterized by a shared vision of learning that is supported by a strong practice of collaboration and a genuine commitment to professional growth and learning. This shared vision for student learning is supported by three key elements: • Instructional strategies that are developed through research, collaboration, and evidence of student success. • Skills in analysis of evidence of learning to ensure that ASD is achieving learning targets and implementing differentiation where needed. • Strong emphasis on developing positive, active global citizens through community service and learning social and environmental responsibility Students Although over 50 percent of ASD students are North Americans (45 percent U.S. citizens & 10 percent Canadians), diversity is viewed as a strength of the school and is one of the experiences that students refer to most when reflecting on their education at ASD. With more than 80 countries represented in the student body, diversity is truly a strength of ASD. The majority of high school graduates attend colleges and universities in North America, and many Qatari students are opting to attend one of six prestigious American universities at Education City in Doha (Georgetown, Texas A&M, Carnegie Mellon, Weill Cornell Medical, Northwestern, Virginia Commonwealth). 98 percent of students continue their education after high school in North America, Qatar and in more than 20 countries around the globe. Community Qatar is a leading center for the development and production of LNG (liquefied natural gas). The expatriate community has grown rapidly over the past several years as a result of the many projects associated with the gas and oil industry in Qatar. However, other initiatives by the Qatar government, especially in the areas of education, sports, and health services have widened the array of expatriates moving to Qatar. This, along with ancillary services in banking and construction, has made Qatar one of the great stories of the early part of the 21st century. In recent years, Qatar has taken on a multitude of impressive construction projects, including a new skyline in the city as large-scale buildings are erected. The Pei-designed Museum of Islamic Art on the Corniche, a new airport, and the sporting facilities constructed for international competition are some of the best in the world. In 2022, Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup. Doha continues to invest heavily in infrastructure and cultural development to ensure its place on the world stage. Safe and modern, Doha is both an exciting and an easy place to live and work. Faculty The ASD faculty consists of 230 teachers who are primarily from North America. In recent years, the staff has become more diverse, with the addition of teachers from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the region. Over 60 percent of the faculty has advanced degrees. The faculty is housed in a state-of-the-art, purpose-built family compound with resort-like facilities, including pool, tennis courts, sauna, fitness center, restaurant and all the amenities needed to live comfortably. The school provides busing to and from the compound for staff (and children of staff) as part of the compensation package. Housing in two, three, or four bedroom apartments and villas is assigned by family size. School Facility The American School of Doha, with its contemporary glass design and geometric canopies, is a work of art in itself. The lush campus of twenty acres is one of the greenest and most enjoyable in all of Doha. The campus currently provides state-of-the art facilities, including a new elementary library with a new “maker space”, a new learner’s pool, an enclosed early childhood play courtyard, a greenhouse, two 25m swimming pools (one outdoor and one indoor), a full-sized soccer pitch, a smaller soccer field for elementary, the only baseball diamond in Qatar, a 400 meter track, an indoor climbing wall, a theater for 630 people, four elementary music rooms, seven purpose-built art rooms, three computer labs, two cafeterias, a middle/high school library, three presentation rooms, ten science labs, a central office complex, a drama room, two tennis courts, three covered playgrounds, and an extensive fitness center. Position Counselors at ASD work directly with divisional principals, teachers, students and parents to provide the full suite of counseling services. There are currently a team of eight Counselors supporting and servicing the four school divisions (Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School and High School). The High School team comprises four counselors. ASD seeks to develop its services and capacities for families of high school students by adding an additional experienced professional to whose strengths and experiences are largely in the college admissions counseling. In this respect, the Guidance and College Counselor will collaborate and work cooperatively with all stakeholders to ensure the counseling program at ASD continues to meet the needs of students. In addition to providing social/emotional support if possible, the incumbent will work with students on the college admissions process with a view to ensuring that students are best placed to flourish academically post ASD graduation. The appointee will work with college admissions professionals from universities around the world with an emphasis on North American and in particular US colleges. Qualifications & Experience BA in counseling or related or academic field with a minimum of three years relevant experience. Post graduate qualification or master’s in counseling or related field is highly desirable Advanced knowledge and experience supporting high school graduates with the college admissions process with emphasis on universities in the USA Experience supporting the social/emotional well-being of high school students is preferred Demonstrated high level organizational, administrative and interpersonal skills with ability to work effectively in team situations Ability to work independently and to safeguard confidential information TO APPLY If you wish to speak with the consultant about the position prior to applying, please call or email. All inquiries are kept confidential. Candidates interested in the position should email a resume, cover letter, personal statement, and list of references (as separate documents) to Ben Bolte ([email protected]) and DZ Zito ([email protected]). Please do not contact the school directly. AMERICAN SCHOOL OF DOHA 2018 - 2019 HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE MISSION ABOUT US The American School of Doha is • Independent U.S. accredited, college preparatory co- committed to the intellectual and personal educational day school. development of our students, inspiring • Founded in 1988. and empowering them to become positive, active global citizens. • Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. • 87% expatriate and 13% local students. COUNSELORS • Two semesters, beginning mid-August and mid-January. Jackie