Early Education Center - Qatar Academy

About EEC
Assistant Principal
Pedagogical Leadership Team
Curriculum
Co-curricular
Online information System
Facilities

About EEC

The three Early Education Centres serve children aged 6 months through to 3 years. The centres deliver quality programmes in which both the care and education of the children is of the highest order. Learning is hands on, engaging and fun.

Qualified teachers and teaching assistants work together through the Creative Curriculum (developed and published by Teaching Strategies, Washington, USA) to provide stimulating, individualized and developmentally appropriate programming for all children who attend the EEC centres. The program is bilingual with both Arabic and English languages being the focus.

The Early Education Centre is accredited by the International Council of Schools (ICS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), and uses the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards as its guidelines to creating, promoting and sustaining programs that advance and ensure quality early childhood education in Qatar.

Learning

The three Qatar Academy Early Education Centers offer opportunities for every child aged 6 months to 3 years to learn in safe and nurturing environments through a play-based curriculum. We believe that practices grounded in research support the growth of social, emotional, physical and cognitive development in young learners.
Teaching and learning in classrooms is driven by our Image of Child, which link to the IB Learner profile.

We believe that children are: Unique, Capable, Risk-Takers, Social, Curious, Persistent, Sensory, Creative, Researchers and Communicators.

We recognize the importance of forming partnerships with families to build home-school connections, in the best interest of the child.

Statement of Belief for the EEC

We believe that a quality early childhood experience requires educators to be well qualified and to work as a team to effectively create the best learning environment for the children in their care.

We believe a quality program creates an environment in which each child’s language, culture, diversity and unique gifts are deeply respected and celebrated.

We believe that children are naturally curious about their surroundings. A quality program encourages and facilitates the child’s interest and exploration.

We believe that children’s learning is challenged and extended through developmentally appropriate, interactive, creative and fun experiences.

We believe that children learn best in a nurturing environment that encourages independence and builds self-confidence.

Assistant Principal

Dear Parents,

It as absolute privilege to be able to serve the Qatar Academy Community in my new role as Assistant Principal of the Early Education Centers (EEC) and Preschool. I am so grateful to be working in this flagship school that has built an excellent Early Year’s program over the years with so much pride and honor. I am thankful that I was able to serve the community in many roles in my time at QAD since July of 2013 until today and beyond. I started working at QAD as a preschool teacher, and then moved to a preschool lead teacher role and more recently, the PYP Coordinator role across the primary school before taking on this new endeavor, for which I am very thrilled.

Research tells us that 0-5 years is the most critical time period in a child’s life – that is when the brain grows the most, they begin forming the concepts of trust, love, relationships, friendships, interactions, language and so much more. Everything young children learn is a new concept in the early years – that’s what I LOVE about it. In the EEC, we follow the Creative Curriculum which is based on research and best practice. Our qualified staff are dedicated to nurturing creative, joyful, and compassionate inquirers. We are driven by the belief that children are courageous and innovative in their thinking, and through play they can help build a harmonious and sustainable world.

Our EEC consists of three centers with designated lead teachers who facilitate the day-to-day operations to ensure a smooth running of the program:

QAD EEC – Located inside Qatar Academy Doha Primary School (inside Education City) with the lead teacher Ms. Reem Salem
Multaqa EEC – Previously known as the Student Center, next to Hamad Bin Khalifa University/HBKU (inside Education City) with the lead teacher Ms. Gill Gunay
Clubhouse EEC – Located next to Qatar Foundation Clubhouse, near Lulu Express, with the lead teacher Ms. Da’ad Batayneh

Our centers have an integrated approach to teaching and learning where both Arabic and English language are spoken and taught. Our classrooms plan and teach collaboratively with both an English-speaking teacher and an Arabic-speaking teacher. At Qatar Academy Doha, every child deserves the opportunity to develop as a unique individual. We provide a safe, secure, and nurturing environment that promotes independence, encourages inquiry, expands curiosity, and develops self-confidence. We value each child’s mother tongue and believe in promoting individual identities. The partnership between home and school is valued and encouraged, as we believe that children learn best when all parties are involved and committed to the child’s overall development.

Our school vision, which is one of our guiding statements, is to empower children to achieve high levels of academic growth and personal wellbeing as well as facilitating children to become responsible citizens. Another strong theme in our guiding statements is international mindedness and environmental consciousness. We believe that even our youngest children at our school can achieve this through play, social interactions, and excellent teaching practices.

I am an early education teacher at heart, with a double major in Bachelors of Bilingual Education and Teaching English as a Second Language and a Masters in Educational Leadership. I am also a certified Concept-Based Curriculum and Instruction Consultant (Institute of Dr. Erikson and Dr. Lanning) and a NEASC Accreditation School Evaluator. I hope to be able to be of utmost service to Qatar Academy’s Early Years Community as I continue to stand for excellence in positive interactions and high quality of learning. I feel so grateful to be a part of the early years team and I hope I can continue to be of service to the children, staff and the families that we continue to serve.

Sana Alavi
Assistant Principal
Early Education Centers
(EEC) and Preschool
Tel +974 4454 1842
salavi@qf.org.qa

Pedagogical Leadership Team

Gillian M. Gunay
Lead Teacher- EEC Multaqa
ggunay@qf.org.qa

Pedagogical Leadership Team

Da’ad M. Batayneh
Lead Teacher -EEC – QAD
dbataineh@qf.org.qa

Pedagogical Leadership Team

Reem Salem
Arabic Lead Teacher
rsalem@qf.org.qa

The Creative Curriculum

The three Early Education Centers (EEC) follows the Creative Curriculum, a research-based program developed and published by Teaching Strategies. It is a balanced curriculum, designed to enable children to grow in physical, social-emotional, cognitive and language development. Birth to age three is the most important period of development and a period in which children are very vulnerable. Initially, they are totally dependent on adults to meet their every need. When care and experiences are nurturing and consistent, children flourish.

There are five central components that make up the framework from which teachers will be working:

Partnering with families.
Knowledge of the development of infants, toddlers, and two- and three-year-old.
Creating a responsive environment.
Learning needs of children.
Caring and teaching.

These five central components encompass a variety of routines and experiences. Routines provide opportunities for children to build positive and trusting relationships. The welcoming and departure routine, in conjunction with diapering, toileting, feeding, dressing and soothing children to sleep, helps children feel secure. Through these secure feelings, children begin to form secure attachments and gain independence. Routines are also used to help children make sense of their world, develop language and guide their curiosity. For each of these areas of learning, the EEC provides children with support as they work to develop skills that are just beyond their current levels. As children acquire the necessary skills, less and less support is offered and children ultimately accomplish tasks independently.

Accreditation

The three Early Education Centers are accredited by the National Association of Education for Young Children (www.naeyc.org– NAEYC). Ensuring the quality of children’s experiences in early childhood programs and promoting positive child outcomes is at the heart of NAEYC accreditation standards and criteria.

Co-curricular

At the EEC, an environment is created where each child’s language, culture and diversity are deeply respected and celebrated. Our staff is inspired by each child’s passion, their natural curiosity to make sense of the world around them. We respect and acknowledge each child as an individual learner and value their uniqueness.

Our centers promote opportunities for parents and children to engage in events that promote leaning and fun.

The EEC special Thursdays are a fun way of promoting learning concepts such as colors, science, math’s, nature. On “Special Thursdays” we encourage children to bring or wear an item from home. It’s a wonderful opportunity for parents to engage with their children and promote language and learning around a particular concept. Balloon day is when we discuss the concepts of air, bring a plant day is when we talk about living things and the cycle of growth. The possibilities are endless!

We enjoy our parents visiting school for events such as Dads Day, Sports Day, Story Book Character Day, National Day and Math Day. Each year the EEC promotes children’s creativity and expression through our now famous Gallery Walk. This is an event not to be missed.

We offer opportunities for parent goal setting meetings, progress reports, portfolio sharing to demonstrate through our documentation how children’s learning and development progresses.

Communications

Teachers will communicate with you on a regular basis – verbally, through Daily Connect or in writing – regarding information about your child’s day (eating, toileting, sleeping, etc.).

To foster our parent – center partnership, we invite you to talk with your child’s teacher regularly about your child’s experiences and developments. Communication and continuity between home and the EEC helps to provide a more comfortable experience for your child. Changes at home (e.g., one parent travels, illness in the family, moving houses, when you stop breast or bottle feeding, a parent changes jobs, etc.) often leads to changes in behaviour.

We can care for and work better with your child if we are aware of the changes at home. The more familiar we are with your family, the more understanding, supportive and helpful we can be.

Forms and Publications

At the EEC we believe that children are valuable members of society. The EEC leads the way in creating, promoting, and sustaining programs that advance and ensure quality early childhood education in Qatar.

We value open and honest communication and recognize its importance when working as a team.

Staff will work together with parents to support each child’s learning.

The EEC School Parent Handbook is a valuable tool and recommended reading for any current or potential parent at EEC.

EEC Handbook EEC Nurse’s Medical Handbook

Facilities

The Early Childhood Center is a state of the art facility. It is resourced with the most up-to-the-minute, innovative, and exciting resources, which have been sourced from all over the world. The facility invites creativity, promotes enquiry, and enables children to enjoy learning.

Classrooms

EEC classrooms are built with safety as a top priority. The staff is able to attend to the needs of every child, keeping them safe and secure, both physically and emotionally.

The large light-filled rooms accommodate changing tables, high chairs, cots or sleeping beds. Children’s restrooms are attached to the classrooms of the older children.

The classrooms are equipped with a wide and varied collection of resources that stimulate exploration and discovery by the children and can be updated regularly to create fresh ideas and new perspectives.

Sensory Room (Sensortorium)

This innovative facility provides opportunities for children to participate in a variety of sensory experiences. The equipment, along with our well-trained and experienced teachers, gives children an opportunity to interact with light, colour, texture and sound. As children explore their senses in the many different and changing environments in the sensory room, they become more confident socially and emotionally while having fun at the same time.

Studio (Exploratorium)

From the moment they are born, children gain an understanding of the world around them by looking, touching exploring, and being curious. As children learn, they enjoy communicating their growing knowledge in a number of ways. In the Exploratorium, children have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and explore further ideas by drawing, painting, building, sculpting, and creating collages. This is a room where innovative exploration is encouraged and messes are welcome.

Indoor Play Area

Qatar’s desert climate will not restrict the growth and development of children attending the Early Education Center. As temperatures rise, the children spend more time inside.

The indoor play area is large, light and inviting. It is equipped with an ever-changing collection of innovative, European-inspired equipment, which provides for the physical and social development of each child.

It is an area where children are easily supervised and adults can join in with the exploration of objects and experiences.

Outdoor Adventure Area

Play is children’s work. As they play, they explore, they ask questions of themselves and they find the answers. In the outdoor adventure area, children challenge their minds and their bodies. The outdoor area provides opportunities to:
explore and investigate.

push and pull.
collect, fill and tip.
build-up and knock down.
develop large objects of art.
observe insects and other creepy crawlies.
take risks and seek challenges.

Outdoor Pavillion

Whether it’s a teddy bear’s picnic, quiet story-time, or making music with a variety of instruments, the Outdoor Pavilion is the place to go. Children can lounge on soft cushions, reading or creating musical sounds together. Surrounded by plants grown by the children, the pavilion is an inviting place where children feel safe and secure as they explore music, books, or meet socially with a teacher.