Valley Forge Academy Qatar - BUGLE #10
Dear VFAQ Community,
As we move further into the school year, I want to thank our students, staff, and families who have embraced our community at Valley Forge Academy Qatar. The second edition of our school newsletter is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the new routines we’ve established, the special events we’ve enjoyed, and, most importantly, the academic rigor and resilience displayed by our students. Embracing New Routines The start of the academic year often brings with it the challenge of adjusting to new routines, and I am pleased to say that our students have adapted with remarkable grace. Whether it’s the new daily schedules, classroom procedures, or our growing extracurricular programs, our students have shown a commitment to making the most of each opportunity. Traffic management continues to throw present its challenges or, but we have worked hard with our operations team listening to the community’s feedback and streamlined the process. We ask respectfully that families adhere to the process and be mindful of other drivers and students. Our five cornerstones — leadership, academic excellence, physical development, personal motivation, and character development — continue to be at the heart of everything we do. We encourage families to delve into our Guidon and discuss what your son needs to do to achieve his first merits of the year. At the heart of everything we do at VFAQ is a commitment to academic excellence. Please encourage your sons to sleep a full night, eat a healthy breakfast, and be prepared to learn as we work through our MAP testing and mid-quarter assessments. In the first few weeks of the school year, we’ve had our Kindergarten team celebrate Literacy Day two weeks ago, and we had middle school students reading to younger boys exemplifying our vision for brotherhood. We have our first Values assembly coming related to Kindness and Respect, following soon after by our first Rank Assembly in October. We had over forty families attend a Schoology Community Learning Hub. Our After-school Activities have now commenced.
We continue to discuss resilience. In the face of challenges—whether personal or social—we encourage our students to work on developing perseverance and determination that reflects the strength of their character. Resilience is a quality we value deeply at VFAQ, and I am proud of the way our students are learning to navigate setbacks, push through difficulties, and emerge stronger on the other side. This strength comes from learning to manage, deescalate, and cope with conflicts in everyday life. Our VFAQ staff continue to make student character our utmost priority to ensure our student community thrivees in a safe and supportive learning environment. I encourage all families to continue supporting their sons by reinforcing the importance of resilience, responsibility, and empathy at home. Thank you to our teachers, staff, and parents for your ongoing commitment to the success of our students. Together, we are building a community that reflects the very best of what Valley Forge Academy Qatar stands for. As always, be proud, kind, and resilient.
Thurs. 26 Sept.
Kindness Assembly
Tues. 01 Oct.
Older Persons Day
Sun. 06 Oct.
Teachers Day
Tues. 15 Oct.
Global Handwashing Day
Thurs. 24 Oct.
Rank Assembly
Celebrating New Routines, Special Events, and Academic Excellence
Nurturing Values At The Core Of Our Academy
At the heart of our academy’s philosophy lies a profound commitment to instilling values that transcend the boundaries of the classroom and extend into the very fabric of our students’ lives. Our values program, a cornerstone of our educational ethos, is not merely a curriculum but a guiding light that illuminates the path towards personal development, social responsibility, and ethical leadership.
Throughout the year, we embark on a journey that delves into the essence of values such as kindness, respect, responsibility, teamwork, ambition, volunteering, diversity, and citizenship. These virtues are not just words inscribed on a page; they are the pillars upon which we build a community that thrives on empathy, integrity, and inclusivity.
As we navigate through the myriad facets of our values program, we are reminded of the significance of kindness, the value that takes center stage this month. Kindness, with its transformative power to uplift spirits and forge connections, serves as a guiding principle that shapes our interactions within the school and beyond. In our daily morning assembly routine, where students take the lead in fostering a culture of leadership, the thought of the day resonates with echoes of kindness. Through the seamless integration of English and Arabic languages, we draw upon the wisdom of the Quran and the Hadith, exploring verses and Sunnah that speak of kindness (Ihsan), guiding us towards acts of benevolence and compassion.
It is through these intentional practices that we empower our students not only to embody these values within the school’s walls but also to extend their impact into society. Each student is a beacon of light, a reflection of the values instilled within them, illuminating the path for others through their actions and words.
As we continue to nurture these values within our community, let us remember that it is through our collective efforts that we shape a future imbued with empathy, understanding, and respect. Let us strive to be ambassadors of these values, leading by example and inspiring others to follow in our footsteps.
In conclusion, let us embrace the journey of values with open hearts and minds, knowing that it is through these virtues that we truly make a difference in the world around us.
Attendance and HERO
At the end of the month we will be celebrating our first recognition ceremony for our boys. During a morning parade we will recognize our students who have been Here Everyday Ready Ontime (HEROES) by passing out a braid for their uniform. You may notice a number of our boys wearing a black, read or Gold braid as part of their uniform. Our gold braded students are students who have not missed a day of school in a year. Our HERO initiative out starting on day one, many of our students proudly wear their attendance cords every day. We hold Colonel Helgeson’s words near to us and in our dialogue with students as a core value to success, “Be at the right place, at the right time, in the right uniform.” Attendance is part of the fabric of our ethos at VFAQ—but this year we have found that attendance is beyond showing up. Last year attendance was about arriving on time—but we cannot settle with the arrival. This year it is about being present. Presence is something that drills much deeper into the psyche of our staff and students—it’s part of our personal motivation to be in the moment, to engage. With that notion in mind, we will work on new initiatives that are being formed by our Student Support team. Our successful systems last year are being reviewed to push ourselves further as more than just an American school. We believe that consistent attendance is key to student success. Research shows that students who attend school regularly are more likely to achieve higher academic outcomes and develop essential social and emotional skills. Daily attendance fosters a routine that helps students stay engaged with their studies, build meaningful relationships with peers and teachers, and develop the discipline required for long-term success. Studies from Attendance Works highlight that students with strong attendance records in their early years are more likely to graduate and pursue higher education. Beyond academics, regular attendance supports the development of crucial life skills, such as resilience, time management, and responsibility. Missing school, even for minor reasons, can disrupt a student’s learning rhythm and their ability to keep up with classroom activities and discussions.
