THE PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA) RAMADAN

Ramadan is the Holy Month in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast (also known as sawm) from sunrise to sunset for approximately 30 days (sometimes 29 days) and is one of the five pillars of Islam. The dates change annually as they’re determined by the sighting of a new moon – for many Muslims, from Saudi Arabia. The start and end of Ramadan will be declared the day before. Look out for announcements from school and Instagram pages such as ILoveQatar.net regarding the start of Ramadan.

Muslims will not eat or drink from dawn to sunset. It is also about practising generosity, goodwill and self-control. Generally, fasting is not recommended to people who suffer from medical conditions or women who are pregnant. Non-Muslims, menstruating women and young children are also exempt from fasting during Ramadan. Drinking and eating in public is considered very offensive and can even attract a fine or a reprimand from the police in Qatar, even if you are exempt from fasting. Everyone is expected to be respectful by not eating or drinking in public places or to use designated screened off areas within public places.

Here are a few things to be mindful of in Ramadan:

Restaurants are closed during the day and most shops according to industries have different opening times. It’s important to double check times before heading out to avoid disappointment. Also try and get government, ministry or any official work done before Ramadan, as things slow down during this period.

With a large proportion of the community fasting, it is also important to consider refraining from wearing anything revealing or tight, avoid public display of affection or swearing and refrain from playing loud music. Although these are emphasised throughout the year in Qatar, the importance is heightened during Ramadan.

Finally, be careful when driving during Iftar time (sunset) as this becomes rush hour.

Please note, during the month of Ramadan, the school day is shorter. Timings are approved by the Ministry of Education, and these are usually confirmed a few days before the start of the Holy Month. In recent years, Ramadan hours for the Prep School Al Rayyan have been 8:45am - 1:15pm but are always subject to approval.

Dear Parents,

A warm welcome to Sherborne Qatar Schools! On behalf of the Sherborne Qatar Parent Teacher Association (PTA), I am delighted to introduce you to the PTA. We are a group of parents and teachers, whose priority is the well-being of our children and supporting the school community.

Throughout the year we have various fundraisers and events designed to provide funds to enrich our children’s educational experience, over and above what the school would be expected to provide from fees.

We are excited to build community across all of the schools within the Sherborne Qatar family. We are proud to bring those schools together and create connections across the schools and foster community amongst our parents and children.

In March 2023, we were thrilled to welcome over 2,000 people from the Sherborne Qatar community to the Spring Fair, hosted at the Senior School. It was the first time since 2019 we have been able to host such an event and it was a huge success. This is just one of the events we have planned for the year to come.

Your involvement and support are highly valued and greatly appreciated. If you would like to know more then please contact us on SherborneqatarPTA@gmail.com. Please keep an eye on regular notices from the PTA.

Kind Regards

Lucy Fowlie Chair Sherborne Qatar PTA