Monday, September 29, 2014

Teacher Tip



Need interesting reading passages for your students ?   From fiction to non-fiction, scientific and geographic writings as well. . .  readworks.org has short passages for students from Kindergarten until 12th grade.

This is a free site that you must sign- up and join, but certainly worth your time to become a member.

Check it out today.  http://www.readworks.org/


Sunday, September 28, 2014

Parent Academy Meeting - SATURDAY, September 27th




ASSALAAMU ALAIKUM,

Meeting Notes for All who missed this meeting:

Ø Oustaz Ba made the dua at 10:23
Ø Mme Sarr introduces herself and makes the parents know that in sha Allah they will be  able to be involved with the education and in the IQRA community
Although many are returning families there are many new families who we hope will be up to speed with all of the opportunities we have for you and your family
You will have the option to visit your childrens’ teachers.  You will also be able, as  parents, to contribute to the IQRA BA community
Introduction of Administrative staff:  
Ngane Seck Diouf, Assistant to the Director
Mme Gaye, Vice Principal Lower School
Mme Aidara, Early Childhood Coordinator
Mr. Mujahid-Deen, Hr and Interim Vice Principal, Upper School
Introduction of Teaching staff
Mme Diouf, 2nd grade homeroom
Mme Pendame, Miiddle & High school English
Mr. Traore, Middle school Math
Oustaz Ba, Deen & Qur’an classes middle & high school
Mr.Mbengue, Upper elementary & Middle school French classes
Miss Ndour, Upper elementary and Middle school ESL classes
Miss Antoinette, Moyenne Section Assistant
Miss Khadija,  ESL, Qur’an and Deen Teacher
Mr.M. Ndiaye, Kindergarten Assistant
Mr.Sulaiman, Middle & High School History teacher
Mr.Amos, Middle and High School Math Teacher
Mr.Diagne, 3rd grade Homeroom teacher
Mme ZamZam, 5thgrade homeroom teacher
Oustaz Abdou Chakour, technology and Qur’an teacher
Mm Dia, Kindergarten homeroom teacher
Mme Mbodj, Grande Section Preschool teacher
Miss Fatima Fall,Grande Section Preschool assistant
Miss Aissatou Gueye, Librarian

Please be sure to visit and appreciate the new location of the library right behind the Petite  Section.
  
Themes for the year - 2014- 2015

No mediocrity-
Academics will be the key for students to participate in extra curricular activities
Excellence for all
No child left behind-
Assistants introduced in classes and programs started to help students to achieve success
No Excuses- we want to form a generation of young people who strive for excellence and not  search for excuses 

DISCIPLINE POLICY

ü No bullying (teasing, gestures, etc) hands off policy
ü Zero Tolerance for any type of violence
Explanation of the incident reports  - once a student reaches 2 the family will be invited to sit with the administration and teachers to come up with solutions 
Every instance that a child has an incident; an incident report will not be completed, but we try to  solve most consequences on the classroom level.
Parents be careful about the advice you give your children-  often the students are trying to defend the honor of their families.  Please teach your child other options to solve their conflicts with other studenst
ü Three strikes and you’re out

Academic Support Systems
  Triple A - This program was originally started to help weaker students to meet the general  academic expectations.
We understand that many students are here with extended families who are excellent  caregivers, but are not capable to assist the students with the homework.  Even families hire  tutors to assist their children with their academics, but because these tutors are not familiar  with our program students may not receive the assistance they need.

The program is TUE, WED, and THURS evenings  5PM  until 6:15 PM
The students take a prayer and snack break 4:30 - 5 PM
The Triple A  teacher helps the student to become organized as well as helping him/her to complete his homework assignnments.

The teachers are like surrogate parents helping their students , reminding them to have good    behavior as well, calling them to come and review or prepare assignments outside of Triple A  classes.

Some students will be and have been obligated to Triple A.  We insist that students participate in  Triple A, if a students has been recommended.  Some families wait until the last minute to register their children into the program.  Please take our recommendations seriously,if your child has been  recommended for this program.

ACADEMICS
70% is the minimum passing grade. 

Merit 85% - 89%  receive a certificate
Honor Roll 90% - 94%  receive a certificate and special field trip
Presidential 95% -100%   receive a certificate, a special field trip and a special prize



There are 3 semesters - 3 chances for students K- 8 to win these prizes
There are 2 semesters  2 chances for students 9 - 12

Grading Scale

E - 90 -100 %   exceeding expectations
M - 80- 89 %  meeting expectations
A - 70 -79% approaching expectations
F 69% and below FAILING


AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Ø Triple A
Ø IQRA ARIA (Nasheed Choir)
Ø IQRA BA Drama Committee
Ø IQRA BA Debate club


Auditions will start just after the Eid break.  All of these will start after the Eid. Meeting after school and on Saturdays some weeks.

SATURDAY PROGRAMS

IQRA Officer Training Program (IOTC) Middle & High School only
Senegalese military and Oustaz of school wll help with this program
Taekwondo
Nasheed Choir
Drama Committee
Basketball, soccer, Swimming , Gymnastics, Football

Many of these programs will take place at another location. The students will gather here and go to another location.

There are registration fees for these programs and sometimes uniform costs when appropriate.

BEING ON TIME

Arrival time is 7:45 AM 
WE changed the late policy. NO student will be admitted after 8:11.
Our system is different than that of the Senegalese schools.  Some students enjoy, appreciate  missing the first hour and take this time to do their homework or play with their friends.

Late Pick -up list
 Starts at 4:50 PM  1,000 f cfa for each 15 minutes for each child

Student ID Card
Please bring 4 up-to- date pictures of your child 
The front of the card will have the student’s picture, grade and homeroom teacher’s name
The back will have the months with a stamp for each of the months.  If the child does not have a  stamp, he will not have access to the school.


Communication Outlets will mostly be bilingual Class blogs may be the only means that may be  in either one language or the other. 
Ø Weekly newsletter
Ø SMS text
Ø Emails
Ø Class blogs
Ø Website ( will be revamped, in sha Allah)
Ø New- Website 31stof OCTOBER will be available, in sha Allah
Ø Bi-Annual Reports

Please give us the emails of parents of IQRA students who are abroad so that they may be included 

PARENT PARTNERS
 100% participation from parents
It’s not just about paying the bill, it’s about making a difference in your child’s life.

How to be a partner:  These are some ideas.  Please do no limit yourself to these:

  Help in the lunch room during lunch time
· Assist in the class
· Volunteer fundraiser
· Come use your experience in the classroom
· Tutor students
· Come during computer tech time
· Attend field trips
· Invite a class to your workplaces

Please do not feel limited if you do not speak English or French.  WHATEVER experience you have . . . We invite all of you to be a part of the learning experiences of our students in any class at any time. 

Parent Activity Committee- -has a parent representative for each grade level
Volunteer their time to help with organizing events

Mission - to support the schools mission
Support the administration
And be a resource for parents
2nd WED of the month - during the year and perhaps during the summer months
October 15th will be the first meeting  
Grade level representatives will be decided at the first meeting

There will be a change in the PTA .  This is a transitional year. The first PTA Meeting will be  announced shortly. Officers will be selected for each post. 

PAYMENT SCHEDULE:

Tuition Payment is due on or before the 5th of every month. After the 5th, families will be charged a late fee  of 5000 cfa /per child. 
After the 10th, students will be excluded from school until the payment is received in full. Bounced checks will be subject to a fee of 20,000 f cfa.  No checks  will be accepted from this family again, in sha Allah.

CHECK ON THE PROGRESS OF YOUR CHILD

Engrade
Progress Reports
Standard-based Report cards
PARENT-TEACHER Conferences

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Islamic Team Meeting



Islamic team meeting - Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Present:  Oustaz Ba, Oustaz SY

Deen talks on Friday  -First Day of Hygiene Week-  Deen Teachers - Oustaz M.Lo, Oustaz Ba, Mr. SY plan out Bayyan topics for Friday Sept 26th Deen Talks for different age groups of students 
THEME: Spiritual Purity/Cleanliness- Tahara  
Allah loves those who purify themselves 

Oustaz Ba already covered purity, he said he is following the schedule. The prayer is the next  topic to be covered.
Oustaz Sy also talked about the tahara and Salaat.  So this week he will talk about the story of Yusuf, in sha Allah

1-2 Oustaz SY   3-5- Oustaz Lo ;  6-11 ; Oustaz Ba;

Open House - September 26th 10 AM - 1PM

All teachers engage with students in the Arabic language during Qur’an classes and the Arabic  classes.

 All Qur’an teachers should be able to enter there grades and comments in digital form this year.  They will can have access to the computer lab before their classes begin.

The class register for each class is needed - So that teachers can note attendance and other things  they have noticed in the class.

Qur’an class evaluation and progress of students- I suggested that perhaps we translate the forms  we are using.  Oustaz Ba mentioned that it is not necessary he will explain the form to all of them.

Arabic classes - books 
He is making his own research and writing his own lessons from books that he finds on the internet.  He says there are many mistakes in the books 

Preparation of Xam Sa Deen Competition

2-3-4-5; 6-7-8; and 9-10-11;  
Preparation and ideas for the LESSONS that will be used for this competition.  Oustaz Ba will talk to Oustaz Tounkara and Oustaz Souleymane 

PD on Monday, in sha Allah.



FIrst class- IQRA BA Teacher Contiuing Education- Islamic Studies


Taught by Oustaz Coulibaly

Knowledge is a gift from Allah.  It is the inheritance from the Prophet's.  Seekers of Knowledge inherit wisdom from the Prophet (sallAllahu alayhi wa salaam).

It is a profession who helps other to succeed and achieve their dreams.  So, this an important career that influences the future of others.  He insists that just because someone doesn't have a job or has failed at reaching other dreams in life that I just become a teacher.  It is a serious profession that requires commitment and sacrifice.  

Teachers are the most important people, especially in the time of the Prophet (SAW). When he had an important mission, he would send those who had knowledge of the religion to be his messengers.  Teacher must make research and assure that the can teach the subjects that he has been contracted to teach.  

There are many differences between us and the teachers in the times before even though we have so many resources, i.e.internet, money, etc. He narrowed it down to 3 things that we don't have now:
1. Fear of Allah.  
2. Passion- Love: because they enjoy to teaching
3. Faith 

Most important is not the money, but the knowledge that you give to the students. 
One problem now is that teachers do not fear God.  An example he gave was of the teachers who strike often in Senegal.  They spend 1 month or more or less without being in the classrooms, and they still go to collect their salaries.

He said that teaching is the most noble of professions.

When asked the purpose of the series of classes, he mentioned that he wants us to better know ourselves and what we are capable of.  He wants us to be aware of our commitment to the students and their families.  So, that we can better fulfill the commitment.

When asked the purpose of this first class.  He said that he wants us to learn to :

  • help each other
  • help one another in the religion


The next class is scheduled for Monday, September 29, 2014 at 9:30 - 11:00.  It will also be our PD day.  The day will begin at 8:00.  



The Prophet Muhammad (sallaAllahu alayhi wa sallam ) said, “Whoever  takes a path for knowledge, Allah makes easy for him the path to Jannah.”



More Hajj/EID documents





Lower school meeting



These are the minutes from our meeting.

Teachers present:  Mme Zamzam, Mr. Diagne, Mme R. Sarr, Mme Diouf, Mr.Mbengue, Miss Ndour, Mme Gaye, Mr.FAYE

Upcoming events- 
Ø Hygiene Week -  once the funds approved by the administration- we will go ahead as planned, in sha Allah
Ø Begin to prepare the Spelling ListsSpelling Bees - last week of October
Ø Parent Info Session/Open House on Saturday 10 - 1pm
Please be available from 10 AM - 1 PM this Saturday  
Talk about your curriculum and your expectations for your students to succeed in your class
General presentation by the admiinstration in sha Allah.

FLYERS MUST GO OUT TODAY!!  (No school Mon, sept 29th PD Day, in sha Allah)

CALENDAR
Change of meetings now on Wednesday mornings
Send out calendar to all with changes- don’t forget Mme Balde

Progress Reports - Format to a google doc - will send to veryone during the Tabaski holiday

Students

Aboubacar - Kindergarten or first grade ?  What is the final decision of the Administration?
His level is very low.
Seyna- needs an FSL teacher-  we are in the process of hiring
Pape Abdoulaye- now in the second grade hs the level of a 1st grader- is a Triple A student-
Marieme- agreed with her father to be placed in Triple A- for 1st trimester- her level will be assessed at the end of the 1st trimester 
Mor - a weak student- in sha Allah to be placed in triple A after Tabaski break
Pape N.  Presently in the K class to be moved to GS class

Monday, September 22, 2014

Saturday - Parent Info Session 10 AM



The Parent Info Session will be on Saturday, September 27th at 10 AM.  Introduce yourself to your students' parents.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Celebrations - EID unit




Dear K - 5 Homeroom teachers,

Your EID unit in your curriculum guides has been left empty on purpose.  I prefer for each of you to decide what you'd like to concentrate on during this period with your students.  Perhaps you choose the theme patience and sacrifice. Maybe you are interested in the rites of Hajj, or the story of Hajar and her son Ismael. Please choose what interests you and your students.

Below are resources to help you with your lesson planning.  Enjoy this unit.  

Sincerely,

Mrs. GAYE



For now his home pages is FILLED with links, ebooks, articles, etc about HAJJ, 'Arafaat, Dhul-Hijjah, etc:   http://yassarnalquran.wordpress.com/



















7 Principles of Citizenship



Assalaamu alaikum,

IQRA's 7 Principles of Citizenship -
LOYALTY, PERSEVERANCE, HONESTY, GENEROSITY, COURAGE, RESPECT, RESPONSIBILITY



Go to any of these links to find Islamic materials to help you teach these principles:

http://tjislamicstudies.blogspot.com/

http://imanshomeschool.wordpress.com/2013/05/24/a-to-z-of-akhlaaq-notebooking-pages/

Hajj Creative Writing Competition

Assalaamu alaikum,

HAJJ CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION

Assalaam-u-alaikum aspiring Muslim writers!  
Here's another chance to get your creative talent noticed internationally! 

Write a short story or poem about:
  • The 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah,
  • 'Eid-ul-Adha,
  • Or Hajj

and send it in to IIPH. If we like your work, we might publish it!


Contest Rules 

1. You must be at least 13 years of age to participate.  There are 2 age categories 13-19 yrs old. and older than 20 yrs old.
2. All entries should be inspiring stories or poems about the 10 Days of Dhul Hijjah, Hajj or 'Eid-ul-Adha not exceeding 1500 words.
3. All entries must be original works. Previously published works, whether online or in print, are not eligible.
4. Co-authorship of a story or poem is not permitted and each contestant can only submit one story or one poem.
5. All entries must be submitted to IIPH at competition@iiph.com no later than October 4th, 2014. Please be sure to include yourname, age, and country of origin.
6. The best three entries from each age group will win valuable gift certificates for use on the IIPH website, insha’ Allah.
7. Winning entries shall be published on IIPH’s blog and may be posted on IIPH’s other social media sites too, insha’ Allah.
8. If your story or poem is selected as a contest winner, IIPH will own the work and have all rights thereto, including the perpetual, royalty-free right to use the work in all forms of media, throughout the world.  
9. IIPH may, at its sole discretion, select certain entries for publication in our upcoming books, insha Allah.
10. You represent and warrant that your entry is original and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party. You agree to hold harmless and defend IIPH against any claims arising out of a breach of this provision.


Note :  Please write in either French,  English or Arabic.

Excited? Get started now!  Barak Allahu Feekum!


Questions? Email us at: competition@iiph.com


 
 
 



====================================================

From the Islamic Online University Blog - Some Guidelines for Islamic writers by Shifnas Bint Thamiem 

 is a wonderful religion. It makes you stand out from the crowd in a special manner. From the way you consume water to the way you sleep, you are being taught to make every action different from everyone else. Yes,  even teaches you how to fulfill nature’s call. The way you smile, the way you eat, the way you walk, the way you gaze, the way you talk, the way you cry and many more actions you perform – all these have already been prescribed to be under certain rules and regulations. So the way you admire or give birth to any literature should also be performed under certain guidelines.
I would like to share what I know with regards to this particular topic, with you readers. It’s not my intention to point out at any individual or organization. Rather, it is a collection of my own understandings and observations that I’ve developed while writing, which I would like to share with you since I think it would be of immense benefit to all of us in sha Allah, including myself.
We are in need of Islamic , not just Muslim . In other words, it’s not about a Muslim who writes, but about the impact of what is written. Anything that is written should fill the reader’s heart with Islamic  and every writer should strive to produce this type of prominent work.
 Anything that is written should fill the reader’s heart with Islamic knowledge and every writer should strive to produce this type of prominent work.
As such, Islamic writers should make themselves aware of Islamic teachings. A writer should be aware of or be able to source Islamic rulings, while creating any piece of literature. Every one of us should make sure that we never promote falsehood no matter what we write. Any literature, including poetry, prose, paintings or novel writing, should undergo the same rules as that of any speech.
Shaikh Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said:
“Poetry is like speech. What is good is good, and what is bad is bad.”
An Islamic author of any literature should make sure that each and every line which he or she produces never goes beyond the limits which Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala ) and His Prophet ( SAW ) have set. Writers should also have sincere and pure intention or ikhlas. “Ikhlas” is the basic media which transfers any day to day activity into an act of worship. When it comes to writing, if the writer possesses pure intention of pleasing Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala ), the act of writing may be considered as ibadah (worship) in the sight of Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala ). By having ikhlas, writers can protect themselves from falling into sins, such as promoting falsehood. Rather, they can motivate themselves to ink the good things which may bring goodness to the whole of humankind.
Let’s analyze some common mistakes we make while writing, learn from them and correct ourselves in our future writings in sha Allah.

Writings That Blame .

The faith a Muslim has in predestination plays a major role in their life. In other words aqeedah (which qualifies a Muslim to be who he is supposed to be) has dedicated a vast area for faith in destiny or Qadr. A lot of Muslim literature nowadays is targeted towards the painful inner feelings one goes through when they are being tested in this dunya. The way they feel about their loss and the struggles they go through, as if they are fed up of this life, are described by many Muslim authors in their own work.
In fact, let’s not deny the truth. Usually, inner pain is the catalyst for a lot of literature. The concept of pain is what’s mostly being used to refill the pens. It is not at all prohibited for any Islamic author to pen aspects of pain in their own style, but Islamic writers should make sure that they never spoil the readers’ acceptance of the destiny or despair in their hope of Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala )’s mercy with their writings. In other words, when a reader goes through the lines of emotion and pain in any literature, they must also be reminded through the same literature that Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala )’s plan is always just and He is the one who can undo every knot.

Causing The Reader To Admire Something That Should Not Be Admired.

This topic deals with issues which may be a threat to one’s emaan. Let us take the subject of pictures, as an example. Encouraging your reader to admire the picture of a matured woman; her smile, her hair, her figure and her eyes, should be avoided at all costs. I know that the literature fans from the Stone Age even to this very digital era do interestingly admire the beauty of women, but as Muslims we should live the same lives both in reality and in our literature.
The description of a girl’s beauty, a man’s appearance, romantic and sexual feelings should never increase the temptation of the readers by any means. Prophet ( SAW ) said:
“Allah has decreed for every son of Adam his share of zina, and there is no way to escape from it. The zina of the eye is a glance, the zina of the tongue is speaking and the zina of the mind is wishing and hoping; then the private part either acts upon this or it does not.” (Saheeh, Bukharee and Muslim).
We are Muslims who enjoin the good and forbid evil. Therefore, Islamic writers should always make sure that they are not the reason behind another person’s zina. May Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala ) guide us all and protect us all always. Ameen.

Failing To Select The Language Flow That Suits The Audience.

I am referring to the English writers in this section. English is considered to be one of the international languages. Many people around the world study English and interact in English to make the communication process easier. Thus, it is evident that the audience of any English literature can be categorized into two; the reader whose mother tongue is English and the reader whose second language is English.
We must consider to which of the above category the vast majority of the audience falls.
We can beautify our writing style more by adding a rich flow and a set of rich vocabulary which may make our literature perfect if we are to cover the first category of audience. On the other hand, we must also be more sensitive about the richness of vocabulary, and the language flow if we are supposed to cover the latter group.
It’s perfectly alright to deliver our thoughts in the best of styles we can ink, but it is of no use if the reader finds our literature to be difficult to understand. Therefore, if we encounter such situations where an audience’s mother tongue is not English, then we must follow the easiest language with which they may find ease.

Lack Of Knowledge About “” And “”.

Any Islamic author should know about copyrights and plagiarism in both the contexts of Islamic and secular law. Let’s analyze each one with a brief explanation.
Copyright
Islam never prohibits a Muslim from establishing his or her ownership upon their belongings when it is required. Our work when it comes to writing can be considered as our own property upon which we may have some exclusive rights. Thus, we must give the public awareness about our copyright statements on any literal work we may pen.
‘Copyrights’ as the name suggests, is concerned with the right to copy something. It may be a written document, a photograph, a piece of painting, a recording, etc. Our articles which are published (online or on ground) may be used as references by many readers. If we publish them without copyright statements, then we have no rights to hold them accountable for any misuse of literature, such as copying the contents without reference, modifying the contents and re- publishing the work with a new author’s name.
We must understand that by adhering to the habit of releasing work with a copyright statement, we can protect our work and warn the readers against literal robbery intentionally or unintentionally. Therefore, as Islamic writers, we must make sure that protection is given at its best to our work and then leave the rest to Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala ).
Plagiarism
When we produce our own work, the context may not be constructed purely out of our inner thoughts at times. As average writers, we may adopt ideas, quotes and content from another author or authors, to add more value to our piece. In this scenario as good Muslims and as good human beings we must make sure that we go through the copyright statements of other authors and follow the copied contents with accurate references.
Plagiarism simply means stealing another author’s work and using it without any reference. We have to always remember that every author considers their work as their own child. Therefore, by having a broader awareness of copyright and plagiarism concepts, we can build a healthy relationship between authors in sha Allah.
I have inked this article as per my  and knowledge and I ask Allah( Allah Subhanahu-wa-Taala ) to forgive us all and help us to adhere to His teachings. Ameen.