Dhahran Ahliyyah School
| Dhahran Ahliyya School مدارس الظهران الأهلية | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
Dhahran, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia | |
| Information | |
| School type | private |
| Motto | Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Mr Khalid Sultan Al Turki , Sally Al Turki |
| Status | active |
| School district | The Eastern Province |
| Administrator | Mr Fawzi Jammal |
| Age range | 6-17 |
| Enrollment | conditional |
| Number of students | 1730 (Boys and girls) as for (2009/2010) |
| Average class size | 23 |
| Education system | semi-international |
| Language | Arabic and English |
| Hours in school day | 8 hours |
| Colour(s) | blue |
| Song | O Dhahran Ahliyya Schools |
| Nickname | DAS |
| National ranking |
|
| Newspaper | DAS weekly newsletter |
| Tuition | 45,000 SR ( 8-12,000$) |
| Website | http://www.das.sch.sa/ |
Dhahran Ahliyya School (Arabic: مدارس الظهران الأهلية), originally a private Arabic-medium day school, is now a dual language school moving gradually toward a more international curriculum. DAS was founded in 1977 and has achieved American accreditation (NCA), so it can offer both a Saudi diploma and an American diploma.
School’s population
The total number of students reached 1804 in 2011-2012. Class sizes range from 12 to 25 with an average of about 23 per class. The composition of the student body is about 95% Saudi Arabian citizens and about 5% Arabs of other nationalities.
Scholarships
No scholarship programs are available so all students pay the standard tuition and some also pay for transportation provided by the school. Dependents of employees of Saudi Aramco pay 65% of the total tuition as part of the agreement between the school and the company for lease of the building.
Student support unit
The Student Support Unit aims at early identification of students who learn differently from others. It offers a variety of services that both encourage them and assist in removing barriers. It can help by giving the special needs student extra or specialized tuition to move forward, particularly in Arabic, English, and mathematics. This program is undertaken by specially trained staff at the elementary level and, in the boys' school, at the intermediate level. In the girls' school, some further assistance is offered for intermediate and secondary level students by regular teachers in specially assigned periods.
Languages
Teaching is provided in English and Arabic.
Clubs, community services and athletics
All students in third elementary and above are involved in club activities and community service projects during normal school hours. These activities are aimed at helping youth discover their talents and interests, develop skills of leadership and group work, and learn more about the world through involvement in projects of service to their school and to the community. Students are encouraged to choose different projects or activities each semester in order to have a variety of experiences. Most students are involved in at least one semester-long service project each year.
Club activities popular among the students are Model United Nations and Lego Robotics. The school sends students to international conferences in various countries, the MUN team has held positions as student officers, speakers, delegates, judges, and advocates in many of these countries. DAS hosts two annual MUN conference for both genders. The DAS robotics team has come home from national and international competitions such as the FLL and FTC with: First place in the FLL world festival 2012 in St. Louis, Missouri; First place in Open-European Championship in Delft, Netherlands; and various other awards thanks to their very intelligent students,(without any support from the principle ). Athletic activities are popular, especially with the boys since Saudi society is not yet accustomed to having athletic events for girls. There are activities during school time, during recesses, and sometimes there are practices and events. DAS boys participate in on-going tournaments after-school for several sports, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and tennis. Selected teams of boys also travel to other schools and cities for friendly competitions and championships. Some DAS boys and girls also participate in athletic activities organized by local sports clubs after school time.
DAS is also an active organizer and sponsor of the Annual Charity Running that is held in the city of Dhahran.