Newsletter Nov. 2009
My, my my, November starts with even more warm weather…what a trip! InshaAllah all this sunshine will help keep the colds at bay and rev up some energy for the coming winter. Woohooo…Bakrah Eid is almost here, and I can’t wait to teach the concept of Hajj. MA, Prophet Ibrahim’s story is the one of the few that I have seen have such a strong impact on the children. I look forward to a great November! Happy Reading…
Important Dates and Reminders:
Nov. 6 TBC, Field Trip to Library
Nov. 18 TBC, Field Trip to Fire Station
Nov. 25th: Eid Party
Nov. 25th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Nov. 26-Dec. 2: Thanksgiving/Eid Holiday No School
*extra change of clothes
Updates:
Scholastic Book Orders will be available for those parents interested, and will no longer be passed out in the folder. Please ask me for the monthly catalogue if you wish to take a look or order.
Canned Food Drive: For last Eid, we collected coins in our Sadaqa jars and dollar leaves for our Barakah Blossoms. This Eid we will be collecting non-perishable and canned food items to be presented to Rahima Foundation to help feed people in our local area. Please periodically send canned food, or non-perishable items with your children. Each time something gets brought in we will be adding a person to our community poster which will be presented on the Eid party day! Lets encourage our children to share and give what we have with open hands!
Smocky Situation: I have to apologize for the lack of smocks this year, unfortunately the new ones haven’t come in yet. In the meantime, please send your child with an old t-shirt (adult size) that they can wear during art activities, to be kept in their cubbies.
Parent Conferences: JazakAllah Khair to all the parents who came in to talk with us. InshaAllah Khair with everyone on the same page, it will help to make the child’s transitions between school and home smooth and consistent. IA, we will have conferences again in the spring. Please feel free to email me whenever you feel the need.
Oh where, oh where has my cell phone gone?: well, I hate to say it, but its gone to the cell phone graveyard, and until I can find a replacement please call me on the school number 408-530-9550 to report absences, schedule changes, etc.
Journals: This month we will be starting our weekly journals, in which children will collect photos of themselves , and we will be writing dictation from the children, and keep their drawings to help them not only remember what they have learned, but encourage their writing, organization, and communication skills. InshaAllah they will be kept in class and will be sent home at the end of the year as their “year book”.
Eid Party: Please sign up for a dish, we will be having our party from 10-12, IA i’ll be bringing all the gifts, so please don’t send anything with the children, except maybe the food! We will be having an art activity, games and a presentation from Rahima Foundation!
Lima Bean Plants: will be sent home this week. To take care of your plant, please transplant to a larger container and keep indoors on a windowsill or sunny area. Water daily (to keep soil moist). Enjoy picking beans from the plant and encourage your child to count seeds inside, or to tell you the story about how the seed grew. Mashaallah they planted the seeds with a dua to Allah to make their plants grow, and by Allah they did! At the time I had told them the story about how one plant grows out of one seed, yet Allah’s Rahma makes the plant have multiple fruits, each fruit having multiple seeds, and each seed having the capability to produce so much.. this is Allah’s Rahma “Allah loves to give so He blesses us with more!”
Pumpkins: Please look to the recipes below to put your pumpkin to use. The children learned about respecting food, and made many observations on the pumpkin. This is the season where they see an abundance of this food, we wanted them to have solid truthful connection to it. To make pumpkin puree (as used in recipes) do the following:
1. wash pumpkin
2. cut into 4 pieces, remove seeds and stringy insides (bake seeds separately with spray of oil to have toasted seeds… yum!)
3. spray with oil, or butter
4. place on cookie sheet on 350^ and bake for 45-60 minutes until pumpkin is soft inside (you can easily slide fork in and out)
5. scoop out insides with spoon and blend
6. follow any pumpkin recipe, should yield about 1.5-2 cups of puree.
Last Month:
We ventured to the countryside where we enjoyed the coming of fall and spent a lot of time on the farm. Our goals last month included making observations with our 5 senses and comparing and contrasting two things. On the farm we learned about the letter “A” for apples, food that farmers grow that help our bodies, plants and what they need to grow, the circle of life from seed to seed, pumpkins (pumpkin math, cooking projects and scientific observations), “B” for bones, and Mr. Bones who needs milk/dairy to stay strong, Teeth:bones we can see, day and night animals(compare/contrast) including opposums, raccoons, bats, fox, and owls, mapping areas for farm animals, and comparing and contrasting ducks and chickens.
We had a great time with Dr. Radwan who showed us what it takes to keep our teeth strong and healthy. We thank him for his time and creativity with the children. On our visit to Hidden Villa the children explored the garden, tasting fresh food, and learning about composting. They loved feeling the sheep’s wool and running after the chicken. Our two guides did a great job helping the children to learn respect for food and animals. Lastly at the farmer’s market, the children had a blast identifying the different food groups and shopping together to make a complete meal. JazakAllah khair to all the parent chaperones! The artwork is being sent home through the cubbies, so please clear the cubbies out every so often!
Arabic:
The children have picked up many phrases and words in Arabic. Please try to use them at home also to encourage their responses and familiarity with the language. It’s really exciting for them to totally understand what is being said. MashaAllah you’r children are amazing! Here are some transliterations:
-Maa ismookaa(boy), ismookee(girl) what is your name?
-Ismee____________. My name is ______________
-Hal thureed(boy), Thureedeena(girl) haleeb?, Would you like some milk?
-Maa zhaa thureed(boy), thureedeena(girl)? What do you want?
-alaa: higher
-aseera: faster
(there are many more…I can email later)
Teacher Miral’s Group: We are working on the last few lines of Surah Adiyat, and will start Surah Qariah soon. We have been playing games to help the children associate the Arabic letters with their small form (in writing). We have done the letters that have already been discussed in class: Alif, baa, taa, thaa, jeem, haa, khaa, and will work on daal, dhal, raa, zaay, this month.
Teacher Lubna’s Group: Alhamdulillah the children have finished surah Naas, and will be working on Surah Falaq and Kawther this month. We have been memorizing with hand gestures to convey meaning, and the children have especially loved the jumping game.
This past month we learned thaa for thaalib, fox, jeem for jubn, cheese, haa for hissan, horse, and khaa for kharouf, sheep. Please keep the Arabic artwork at home, as it will inshaallah become a my first Arabic letter book for them that they made all by themselves. It will be a great source of review for the summer, not to mention a very cute keepsake!
This month: Our goals for this month include:
*expanding the observation process to include educated guesses and making conclusions
*continuing the concept of adding in math
*team games to encourage the sense of unity, belonging, and working together as an ummah
*cont. of maps: expanding the idea of a local map/farm map to a global map
This month we will be in the city, learning about our community helpers: where people work, and how they are part of our community, modes of transportation:cars, planes, boats, trains, animals etc, hajj, Prophet Ibrahim (A), helping those in need, our ummah, and lights and energy used in the city (neon, glow in the dark,light bulbs etc.).
Have a good one!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Sunday, October 11, 2009
October Newsletter
Newsletter October 2009
Assalam Alaikum! This past month has been wonderful getting to know your children. MashaAllah, each offers something unique and exciting to the class. I know this year is going to be great inshaAllah! Hello October, Hello cold weather…so we hope! InshaAllah fall weather will kick in, so teaching seasons will make some sense to the kids! This is one of my most favorite seasons, as it captures the passing of time in a single leaf! Enjoy!
Important Dates and Reminders:
Wed. Oct. 14: Class visit from Dr. Yahya Radwan (dentist), 10am-10:30, parents welcome to attend.
Friday Oct. 16th: Field Trip Vallco Farmer’s Market
Week of Oct. 19-23rd: Parent Teacher Conferences
Wed. Oct. 28th: Field Trip Hidden Villa Farm
Fri. Oct. 30th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Sign In/Out
The folder outside, is not just for licensing reasons, its also a communication folder. Please look to it for scholastic book orders, tuition receipts, incident reports, and other paperwork.
Cold/Flu Season:
Its that time of the year, that runny noses and fevers become common. Here is a quick reminder of illness guidelines:
Please keep your child at home if:
*persistant coughing and sneezing
*excessive runny nose, green in color
*fever: children may not return to school unless they are fever free for atleast 24 hours prior to school without the use of fever reducing medicine.
*lethargic, in-active behavior
If your child has something that maybe contagious, a docotor’s note is recquired before they can return to school.
We will try our best to keep hands washed and toys/area sanitized, please help to reduce the spread of illness by doing your part!
Parent/Teacher Conferences:
This is something new we are doing this year. We would like to work with the parents to help make an optimal learning environment for each child. These short 15-25 minute conversations will be used to create dialogue to assess individual needs, concerns, and celebrations of the child. We will be doing these periodically throughout the year. Please sign up on the Red clipboard for the best time for you to come and meet.
Receipts:
Did you know that your Pre-K tuition is tax deductable? We are a licensed day care facility with a tax i.d. and the receipts collected can be deducted from your returns…so don’t lose them!
Field Trips:
Alhamdulillah the kids did a great job practicing safety and listening skills at Raynor Park. We will be having more great fun outside of school this month, at the Farmer’s market we will be collecting food that will help different parts of our bodies
(protein for muscle, milk for bones, veggies for vitamins to organs, carbs for energy etc.) , at the farm we will be doing hands on chores to figure out what it takes to produce food for a whole community! We look forward to volunteers, if you would like to join us, please let me know ahead of time, thanks!
Last Month…
September, was busy busy learning about ourselves, our names and in particular a month long look at “our hands”. We went over the ideas of giving hands, helping hands, caring hands, gentle hands, hands that make, and feel, and create and count. Our classroom apple tree blossomed with leaves inscribed with the children’s personal explorations about their hands. September brought us to the end of Ramadan, with our specially collected “Baraka Blossoms” presented to Sr. Dian of the Give Light Foundation. She talked to the kids about orphan children, and our responsibilities to them. We also went on a treasure hunt to find mail for our mailboxes. JazakAllah khair for all the parents for helping to make this time so memorable for them. Their goody bags were brimming with treats! Our classroom “mailperson”, chosen everyday, would deliver mail to the all children, from the parents and teachers. They had a great time sharing stories about their families and exploring different textures at the sensory table. In the take home art, you will find projects including, our “hand book”, B is for bones, our Ramadan moons, various Arabic art, and any other drawings/paintings done.
This month:
October will bring us into the season change, explored through the obseravations of leaves, color mixing, and a continuation of our seed study. From learning about food that helps our bodies, we will be moving into the country to learn about farms as sources of food for the community. We will also, comparing and contrasting night and day animals, sounds, and colors. We will begin our Pumpkin study, as we learn about respecting food and appreciating its purpose, texture, and flavor as one of Allah’s mercies to us.
Arabic:
We are going through the alphabet in order and so far have covered Alif for um(mom) and ab(dad) , Baa for bayt (house), Taa for tamar(date), tin(fig), and tufaahaa(apple). Each letter has been introduced with a short song/rhyme to help remember the vocabulary. This month we will continue with, Thaa, Jeem, Haa, Khaa, and Daal. Children will now be grouped in Arabic with either Teacher Miral or Teacher Lubna. Teacher Miral’s group will start with Surah Adiyat and work toward the end of the Quran this year. She will be handing out homework sheets, to help review letter and small letter taught that week. All homework is OPTIONAL, and is only to be used to help the child review concepts, they will neither be collected or graded. As these older children get geared to read 3 letter words, its very helpful to become familiar with the half letters. Teacher Lubna’s group will memorize from Surah Naas and back up to the larger surahs. We use a tool called “active memorization” for the younger children, in which they participate in various listening, hand building, and movement activities to help keep them engaged while memorizing. Here is a weekly Arabic program schedule:
Monday: Teacher Miral’s Group(G1): Memorization, song, and half letter introduction
Teacher Lubna’s Group(G2): Memorization, song, and Surah review through Listening centers.
Tuesday: G1: Memorization
G2: Memorization
Both Groups do the song, and Letter intro and Review through an Active Game
Wednesday: G1:Memorization, song, half letter inro.
G2: Memorization, song,
Both do the letter art project
Thursday: G1: Memorization
G2: Memoirzation
Both do song, and pre-wrting/writing activities.
Friday: G1: Memorization, song, Active Game
G2: Memorization, song, Active Game
Both do Arabic storytime.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Newsletter September 2009
Assalam Alaikum,
Welcome to Tazkiya Preschool! We are excited to be starting school during this blessed month of Ramadan. May this month be full of dedication, sincerity, peace and blessings for us all… and may spirit of this month uplift us throughout the year. This month we will be discovering ourselves and getting to know each other with our theme of: In my heart. hPlease look to this website for monthly newsletters and updates/changes to our program. We also will be communicating through email and using a private Picasa account to upload pictures. JazakAllah Khair!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Mon. Aug. 31st: First Day of Class
Mon. Sept. 7th: Labor Day Holiday
Fri. Sept. 18th: Eid Party, In Class
Fri. Sept. 18th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Mon. Sept. 21-Wed. 23: Eid Holiday
Sat. Sept. 26th: Eid Party and Back to School Day
Wed. Sept. 30th: Field Trip to Raynor Park
*last day to enroll is August 28th! Pleas make sure we have all your paperwork, immunization information and tuition checks! JazakAllah Khair.
“My first day!” :
Dear Mom and Dad,
I want to have a great day at school. I’m really excited to go, but I’m a little bit nervous too. Help me out, here are some things I need:
*Please walk me through the gate, and sign me in and out of the school.
*Don’t forget to bring my lunch, (I get very hungry!) My teacher will give me snack, (probably something healthy, but I’ll tell her I just want goldfish!)
*Oh yeah, my extra change of clothes, just in case I have an accident, or get too dirty
*How about you send me a picture of our family, so I can show my friends and teacher the people I love… and just in case I miss you guys too much, I’ll give your picture a hug!
*Wait, one last thing, please make sure my teacher has all your emergency information, and your cell phone number…I’m sure she’s very keen on keeping me safe!
Well, I love you, and don’t worry, I’m all growed up now!
Love…. Me!
Daily Routine:
8am-8:45 Arrival/Welcome
8:45-9:15 Circle Time
9:15-9:45 Activity 1
9:45-10:30 Arabic
10:30-10:45 Snack
10:45-11:30 Outside Play
11:30-12:15 Activity 2
12:15-1:00 Lunch/Clean Up
This schedule is to help keep the day flowing. Please note that all timings are NOT set in stone. We will stay flexible with the times to fit the best interest of the children.
Scholastic Book Orders:
Scholastic Books is an optional service provided by our school. The company offers books at low cost to the parents and rewards teachers with bonus points to get more books for the classroom and other learning materials. It is a great way to encourage your child to read and to build your own home libraries. If you do decide to order, please write all checks payable to “Scholastic Book”. Look to children’s cubbies, for the new offers every month.
Field Trip:
Since the children are new to the school, we will be having a simple field trip to the park to review safety and listening skills. We will be going to Raynor Park in Sunnyvale, from 9:30-11:30am. Please sign permission slip on the Parent Board. Parents welcomed to come. In general we will be having 1-2 field trips per month.
Eid Party & Back to School Day:
The last Saturday of September, the 26th, we will get an opportunity to meet again and enjoy the afternoon with all the families. Please bring a dish to share, and we’ll have games, treats and art activities for Eid. You will also get a chance to see your child’s work, and meet the teachers! On Friday Sept. 18th, will have our in class party, where the children will pass out treats for their friends. Please bring 10 of something (i.e. pencils, snack crackers, a picture they draw etc. nothing expensive, this should not be a burden to your budget!).
Welcome to Tazkiya Preschool! We are excited to be starting school during this blessed month of Ramadan. May this month be full of dedication, sincerity, peace and blessings for us all… and may spirit of this month uplift us throughout the year. This month we will be discovering ourselves and getting to know each other with our theme of: In my heart. hPlease look to this website for monthly newsletters and updates/changes to our program. We also will be communicating through email and using a private Picasa account to upload pictures. JazakAllah Khair!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Mon. Aug. 31st: First Day of Class
Mon. Sept. 7th: Labor Day Holiday
Fri. Sept. 18th: Eid Party, In Class
Fri. Sept. 18th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
Mon. Sept. 21-Wed. 23: Eid Holiday
Sat. Sept. 26th: Eid Party and Back to School Day
Wed. Sept. 30th: Field Trip to Raynor Park
*last day to enroll is August 28th! Pleas make sure we have all your paperwork, immunization information and tuition checks! JazakAllah Khair.
“My first day!” :
Dear Mom and Dad,
I want to have a great day at school. I’m really excited to go, but I’m a little bit nervous too. Help me out, here are some things I need:
*Please walk me through the gate, and sign me in and out of the school.
*Don’t forget to bring my lunch, (I get very hungry!) My teacher will give me snack, (probably something healthy, but I’ll tell her I just want goldfish!)
*Oh yeah, my extra change of clothes, just in case I have an accident, or get too dirty
*How about you send me a picture of our family, so I can show my friends and teacher the people I love… and just in case I miss you guys too much, I’ll give your picture a hug!
*Wait, one last thing, please make sure my teacher has all your emergency information, and your cell phone number…I’m sure she’s very keen on keeping me safe!
Well, I love you, and don’t worry, I’m all growed up now!
Love…. Me!
Daily Routine:
8am-8:45 Arrival/Welcome
8:45-9:15 Circle Time
9:15-9:45 Activity 1
9:45-10:30 Arabic
10:30-10:45 Snack
10:45-11:30 Outside Play
11:30-12:15 Activity 2
12:15-1:00 Lunch/Clean Up
This schedule is to help keep the day flowing. Please note that all timings are NOT set in stone. We will stay flexible with the times to fit the best interest of the children.
Scholastic Book Orders:
Scholastic Books is an optional service provided by our school. The company offers books at low cost to the parents and rewards teachers with bonus points to get more books for the classroom and other learning materials. It is a great way to encourage your child to read and to build your own home libraries. If you do decide to order, please write all checks payable to “Scholastic Book”. Look to children’s cubbies, for the new offers every month.
Field Trip:
Since the children are new to the school, we will be having a simple field trip to the park to review safety and listening skills. We will be going to Raynor Park in Sunnyvale, from 9:30-11:30am. Please sign permission slip on the Parent Board. Parents welcomed to come. In general we will be having 1-2 field trips per month.
Eid Party & Back to School Day:
The last Saturday of September, the 26th, we will get an opportunity to meet again and enjoy the afternoon with all the families. Please bring a dish to share, and we’ll have games, treats and art activities for Eid. You will also get a chance to see your child’s work, and meet the teachers! On Friday Sept. 18th, will have our in class party, where the children will pass out treats for their friends. Please bring 10 of something (i.e. pencils, snack crackers, a picture they draw etc. nothing expensive, this should not be a burden to your budget!).
Friday, May 8, 2009
Newsletter April/May 2009
Assalam Alaikum! What a wild time we’ve had this past month! We haven’t skipped a beat as we’ve danced around the world through rain or shine! Now, as we glide into the home stretch, we’re so excited to be finishing off our world tour with visits to Mexico, Peru, Australia, and Hawaii. InshaAllah this will be the last newsletter for the school year, and I want to thank all the parents for their trust and support, especially your patience and understanding in the past few weeks. We’ve had a great year, and I wish you all a fun filled summer!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Thurs. April 9th: Field Trip Clay Planet
Week of April 13-17th Spring Break
Thurs. May 7th: Field Trip to Lowes
Fri. May 8th: ALL Scholastic Book orders due
Wed. May 13th: Field Trip to Petco
Sat. May 16th: Hands on Art Festival Sunnyvale, 10am-3pm
Wed. May 27th: Parent Surveys Due
Wed. May 27th: Wheels Day, Field Trip Raynor Park
Thurs. May 28th: Waterslide Day Field Trip Parent Participation Required
Fri May 29th: Graduation Ceremony and Art Show 5:00pm Potluck
Fri. May 29th: Last day to Pre-Register for next year. After this date there will be a $25 registration fee.
Last Month:
March and April have brought upon new discoveries in math and art. In Egypt we learned about triangles as parts of pyramids. We also took a trip to the Rosecrution Museum in San Jose to see the origins of paper from papyrus. This lead to our own experimentation in paper making. From the deserts of Egypt we traveled down to Kenya where we learned some Swahili (Jambo, Habari Ghani: Hello, How are you?). We also patterned prints on our Kente cloths, practiced beats on our drums, and found ourselves on a safari full of jungle animals. We also spent some time soap carving and cooking up some African sesame cakes.
Later we traveled across the Pacific, to Mexico, where we found ourselves surrounded by the sounds and colors of this lively country. Not only did we eat snacks ranging the colors of a rainbow, we also tie dyed our own t-shirts. Through this activity and many other color mixing experiments, we found that combining primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) makes secondary colors (green, orange, purple and brown). We also spent some time pinching and coiling clay, and weaving pipe cleaners. Lastly traveling down to Latin America, we rowed a boat to the Rainforest. We imagined animals and our surroundings as we listenend to rainforest sounds, and put up our new bulletin board, “Rainforest Rainbow”. In a local pueblo in Peru, we found ourselves at a fiesta making black bean quesadillas, and wrapping goopy newspaper to form our “Earth” piñata. After exploring so many wonderful places on Earth, we can’t but help to learn how to take care of our planet.
This Month:
May brings us to the end of our school year, with explorations in the earth, bugs, volcanoes, oceans, space, recycling, and gardening. We want to tie in all that they have learned into some basic concepts we have been trying to reinforce throughout the year.
Exploration/Observations: comparing, contrasting, asking questions
Expressions: using art/words and imagination to demonstrate feelings and information
Respect: to each other, the greater world community, to animals and to the environment
Identity: self esteem through confidence in our abilities/skills, pride for our beliefs and morals as muslims, and the uniqueness of our being as Allah has created for us.
Arabic:
Teacher Miral has done a terrific job of introducing arabic as a language to the children. Not only does she talk to them in Arabic, the children have also learned songs and have read familiar books in Arabic. Their skills of recitation were refined with improvement in pronunciation and introduction to some basic rules of tajweed. MashsaAllah the children have finished Surahs Kawther, Asr, and Fatiha, and will be completing Surah Falaq before the end of the year! We worked on the letters Haa for hissan (horse), and Tha for thobaan(snake), Ayn for ankaboot(spider), Seen for samak(fish), and Sheen for shams(sun). Many of the children can recognize sounds associated with letters, and are on their way to learning the small (or half) letters as they are joined together. They are well on their way to reading soon and I recommend summer practice at home or with Arabic tutors. Fortunately, Teacher Miral will be having a summer session Arabic playgroup for this age to meet twice a week, 9:30am-11am. The fee will be $120/Month. Please contact her directly for details.
Parent Surveys:
We want to hear your comments and suggestions regarding our school. Please take some time to fill out the parent surveys that will be sent home in their cubbies. We appreciate your honesty and sincerity in this matter. All surveys due the last wed. of May.
Events for the Last Week of school:
Mon: Pajama Day: please send your children in their “night” clothes for some slumber party fun
Tues: Camping Day: get ready to sleep in tents outside, go hiking, and making our own food on the “fire” pit
Wed: Wheels Day: bring your bikes, scooters, or skates for a rollin’ good time on wheels at Raynor park. Please send a sac lunch so we can picnic at the park, and a water bottle to keep the kiddos hydrated.
Thurs: WaterSlides: Parent participation required, $4 children, $7 adult, swimsuits, towels, change of clothing necessary. Location: Sillman Activity Center. 6800 Mowry Avenue. Newark, CA 94560.
Fri: Graduation Ceremony and Art Show 5:00pm: Please sign up for the Potluck, and all family are encouraged to attend. Yearbooks passed out that night.
Have a great summer!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Thurs. April 9th: Field Trip Clay Planet
Week of April 13-17th Spring Break
Thurs. May 7th: Field Trip to Lowes
Fri. May 8th: ALL Scholastic Book orders due
Wed. May 13th: Field Trip to Petco
Sat. May 16th: Hands on Art Festival Sunnyvale, 10am-3pm
Wed. May 27th: Parent Surveys Due
Wed. May 27th: Wheels Day, Field Trip Raynor Park
Thurs. May 28th: Waterslide Day Field Trip Parent Participation Required
Fri May 29th: Graduation Ceremony and Art Show 5:00pm Potluck
Fri. May 29th: Last day to Pre-Register for next year. After this date there will be a $25 registration fee.
Last Month:
March and April have brought upon new discoveries in math and art. In Egypt we learned about triangles as parts of pyramids. We also took a trip to the Rosecrution Museum in San Jose to see the origins of paper from papyrus. This lead to our own experimentation in paper making. From the deserts of Egypt we traveled down to Kenya where we learned some Swahili (Jambo, Habari Ghani: Hello, How are you?). We also patterned prints on our Kente cloths, practiced beats on our drums, and found ourselves on a safari full of jungle animals. We also spent some time soap carving and cooking up some African sesame cakes.
Later we traveled across the Pacific, to Mexico, where we found ourselves surrounded by the sounds and colors of this lively country. Not only did we eat snacks ranging the colors of a rainbow, we also tie dyed our own t-shirts. Through this activity and many other color mixing experiments, we found that combining primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) makes secondary colors (green, orange, purple and brown). We also spent some time pinching and coiling clay, and weaving pipe cleaners. Lastly traveling down to Latin America, we rowed a boat to the Rainforest. We imagined animals and our surroundings as we listenend to rainforest sounds, and put up our new bulletin board, “Rainforest Rainbow”. In a local pueblo in Peru, we found ourselves at a fiesta making black bean quesadillas, and wrapping goopy newspaper to form our “Earth” piñata. After exploring so many wonderful places on Earth, we can’t but help to learn how to take care of our planet.
This Month:
May brings us to the end of our school year, with explorations in the earth, bugs, volcanoes, oceans, space, recycling, and gardening. We want to tie in all that they have learned into some basic concepts we have been trying to reinforce throughout the year.
Exploration/Observations: comparing, contrasting, asking questions
Expressions: using art/words and imagination to demonstrate feelings and information
Respect: to each other, the greater world community, to animals and to the environment
Identity: self esteem through confidence in our abilities/skills, pride for our beliefs and morals as muslims, and the uniqueness of our being as Allah has created for us.
Arabic:
Teacher Miral has done a terrific job of introducing arabic as a language to the children. Not only does she talk to them in Arabic, the children have also learned songs and have read familiar books in Arabic. Their skills of recitation were refined with improvement in pronunciation and introduction to some basic rules of tajweed. MashsaAllah the children have finished Surahs Kawther, Asr, and Fatiha, and will be completing Surah Falaq before the end of the year! We worked on the letters Haa for hissan (horse), and Tha for thobaan(snake), Ayn for ankaboot(spider), Seen for samak(fish), and Sheen for shams(sun). Many of the children can recognize sounds associated with letters, and are on their way to learning the small (or half) letters as they are joined together. They are well on their way to reading soon and I recommend summer practice at home or with Arabic tutors. Fortunately, Teacher Miral will be having a summer session Arabic playgroup for this age to meet twice a week, 9:30am-11am. The fee will be $120/Month. Please contact her directly for details.
Parent Surveys:
We want to hear your comments and suggestions regarding our school. Please take some time to fill out the parent surveys that will be sent home in their cubbies. We appreciate your honesty and sincerity in this matter. All surveys due the last wed. of May.
Events for the Last Week of school:
Mon: Pajama Day: please send your children in their “night” clothes for some slumber party fun
Tues: Camping Day: get ready to sleep in tents outside, go hiking, and making our own food on the “fire” pit
Wed: Wheels Day: bring your bikes, scooters, or skates for a rollin’ good time on wheels at Raynor park. Please send a sac lunch so we can picnic at the park, and a water bottle to keep the kiddos hydrated.
Thurs: WaterSlides: Parent participation required, $4 children, $7 adult, swimsuits, towels, change of clothing necessary. Location: Sillman Activity Center. 6800 Mowry Avenue. Newark, CA 94560.
Fri: Graduation Ceremony and Art Show 5:00pm: Please sign up for the Potluck, and all family are encouraged to attend. Yearbooks passed out that night.
Have a great summer!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
March Newsletter
Assalam Alaikum
Alhamdulillah spring is in the air, and hopefully some warm weather will come our way again. Enjoy!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Thurs. March 19th: Field Trip CDM for Musical Puppet Theatre
Thurs. March 26: Palo Alto Jr. Museum
(TBA)Persian cultural center
Friday March 27th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
*please sign in/out as it is a licensing requirement
*in April we will be working on environmentally friendly “recycle art” please save interesting canisters, papers, Styrofoam, light bulbs, etc.
Last Month…
Wow, there are a 180 countries in this world, and we’ve just begun by traveling to China, Japan, India, England, France, Russia, and now Italy. We probably won’t have time to get to all, but a few in each continent will be our goal. It’s been amazing to explore the different cultures through their music, food, festivals and famous landmarks. The children enjoy learning how to speak phrases and count in the various languages. In England we came across “Big Ben” and made our own clocks. The children did a great job making “observations” on the numbers, big hand and second hand. In France we made “Crepes” from the book “Crepes by Suzette”, and visited the Eiffel Tower with “Madeline”. In Russia we read a story about “Stefecha” who visits her grandparents and discovers the “Matryoshka Dolls”. We also made Russian Latkes with the eggs left over from our decorated faberge eggs, a famous art form from there. In our song we are learning called “We Speak…”, we added a new phrase, “when we “are in Russia we speak Russian, DAH, NYET (yes/no)” All the lyrics from this song will be at the end of the newsletter.
This Month…
With the beautiful spring weather coming up, (inshaAllah!) we will travel from Italy to to the Middle East, where we will be making observations on the desert regions. We will look into the Islamic art of tile mosaics, calligraphy and mosques. Specifically we will go to Iran and Egypt. Also we’ll make some middle eastern flat bread with regional spices. We will also be looking into the grasslands and jungle regions of Africa. We’ll be working on some African block printing, fried bananas, musical instruments and beading. We will incorporate the idea of opposites, navigational symbols, and regional folk tales, and triangle shapes and patterns. We look forward to our travels and can’t wait to move ahead.
Whats New?
There have been a few positive changes to our classroom. First we would like to welcome teacher Faizah who will be working with us daily from 10-1pm. She brings her warmth and experience to the children, who instantly have taken a liking to her. She will be starting full time after the spring break in april. Also, this month we welcome our new Arabic teacher, Teacher Miral. Teacher Miral will be starting March 16th and working until the end of the school year. She has her Ejaaza in the 30th part of the Quran, and will bring a new element of spoken Fusha Arabic to our class. We are very grateful to have such qualified new teachers working with us.
Arabic:
After having done review of all the Surahs for the past week, we focused on Surah Fil as the children needed a bit more practice with this one. We covered the letter “faa” for Fil, elephant. This month we will be moving onto Surah Kawther, Surah Asr, and Surah Falaq. Please remember to keep the surahs alive in the children’s hearts by singing them in the car or just listening to them. It should be a fun time, like group singing, as it will encourage them to remember Allah throughout their day and activities. Night time is also a good time, but we want don’t want them to associate “tiredness” or “going to sleep” with the surahs. I suggest at night time to have them pick their favorite surah to say, and listen to the 4 Kuls (even though we haven’t learned all of them yet) or the dua for sleeping. If you have any other suggestions or things that work for you, please let me know so we can share it with the group.
Volunteers
The classroom needs some volunteers with the following, please email me if you can help. Thanks
*cutting out flannel Arabic letters
*flannel scenic backgrounds (ocean, farm, jungle, swamp)
*snacks from Costco/Safeway
*various art supplies from Michaels/Office max/Morrison’s school supply
*primer/varnishing wood play area
*fixing damaged class books
*picture folders from National Geographics
Song Lyrics “We Speak…”
When I am in China (repeat), I speak Chinese (repeat)
“Nee how maa, Who how shei shei”
When I am in Japan, I speak Japanese
Ichi, Ni, San, (tan, tanna tun), Shi, Go, Roku, (tan, tanna, tun), Sichi, Hachi, Ku, Joo (tan, tanna, tun)
When I am in India, I speak Hindi
“Kya haal Hai? Bus teek taaak”
When I am in France, I speak French
Un, Dua, Tua, Kat, Senct, Sist, Sept, Wheat, Nuf, Due
When I am in Russia, I speak Russian
“Dah, Nyet”
Alhamdulillah spring is in the air, and hopefully some warm weather will come our way again. Enjoy!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Thurs. March 19th: Field Trip CDM for Musical Puppet Theatre
Thurs. March 26: Palo Alto Jr. Museum
(TBA)Persian cultural center
Friday March 27th: Scholastic Book Orders Due
*please sign in/out as it is a licensing requirement
*in April we will be working on environmentally friendly “recycle art” please save interesting canisters, papers, Styrofoam, light bulbs, etc.
Last Month…
Wow, there are a 180 countries in this world, and we’ve just begun by traveling to China, Japan, India, England, France, Russia, and now Italy. We probably won’t have time to get to all, but a few in each continent will be our goal. It’s been amazing to explore the different cultures through their music, food, festivals and famous landmarks. The children enjoy learning how to speak phrases and count in the various languages. In England we came across “Big Ben” and made our own clocks. The children did a great job making “observations” on the numbers, big hand and second hand. In France we made “Crepes” from the book “Crepes by Suzette”, and visited the Eiffel Tower with “Madeline”. In Russia we read a story about “Stefecha” who visits her grandparents and discovers the “Matryoshka Dolls”. We also made Russian Latkes with the eggs left over from our decorated faberge eggs, a famous art form from there. In our song we are learning called “We Speak…”, we added a new phrase, “when we “are in Russia we speak Russian, DAH, NYET (yes/no)” All the lyrics from this song will be at the end of the newsletter.
This Month…
With the beautiful spring weather coming up, (inshaAllah!) we will travel from Italy to to the Middle East, where we will be making observations on the desert regions. We will look into the Islamic art of tile mosaics, calligraphy and mosques. Specifically we will go to Iran and Egypt. Also we’ll make some middle eastern flat bread with regional spices. We will also be looking into the grasslands and jungle regions of Africa. We’ll be working on some African block printing, fried bananas, musical instruments and beading. We will incorporate the idea of opposites, navigational symbols, and regional folk tales, and triangle shapes and patterns. We look forward to our travels and can’t wait to move ahead.
Whats New?
There have been a few positive changes to our classroom. First we would like to welcome teacher Faizah who will be working with us daily from 10-1pm. She brings her warmth and experience to the children, who instantly have taken a liking to her. She will be starting full time after the spring break in april. Also, this month we welcome our new Arabic teacher, Teacher Miral. Teacher Miral will be starting March 16th and working until the end of the school year. She has her Ejaaza in the 30th part of the Quran, and will bring a new element of spoken Fusha Arabic to our class. We are very grateful to have such qualified new teachers working with us.
Arabic:
After having done review of all the Surahs for the past week, we focused on Surah Fil as the children needed a bit more practice with this one. We covered the letter “faa” for Fil, elephant. This month we will be moving onto Surah Kawther, Surah Asr, and Surah Falaq. Please remember to keep the surahs alive in the children’s hearts by singing them in the car or just listening to them. It should be a fun time, like group singing, as it will encourage them to remember Allah throughout their day and activities. Night time is also a good time, but we want don’t want them to associate “tiredness” or “going to sleep” with the surahs. I suggest at night time to have them pick their favorite surah to say, and listen to the 4 Kuls (even though we haven’t learned all of them yet) or the dua for sleeping. If you have any other suggestions or things that work for you, please let me know so we can share it with the group.
Volunteers
The classroom needs some volunteers with the following, please email me if you can help. Thanks
*cutting out flannel Arabic letters
*flannel scenic backgrounds (ocean, farm, jungle, swamp)
*snacks from Costco/Safeway
*various art supplies from Michaels/Office max/Morrison’s school supply
*primer/varnishing wood play area
*fixing damaged class books
*picture folders from National Geographics
Song Lyrics “We Speak…”
When I am in China (repeat), I speak Chinese (repeat)
“Nee how maa, Who how shei shei”
When I am in Japan, I speak Japanese
Ichi, Ni, San, (tan, tanna tun), Shi, Go, Roku, (tan, tanna, tun), Sichi, Hachi, Ku, Joo (tan, tanna, tun)
When I am in India, I speak Hindi
“Kya haal Hai? Bus teek taaak”
When I am in France, I speak French
Un, Dua, Tua, Kat, Senct, Sist, Sept, Wheat, Nuf, Due
When I am in Russia, I speak Russian
“Dah, Nyet”
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
February Newsletter
Assalam Alaikum,
As we travel around the world, February will take us from the far east, to Northern Europe. Alhamdulillah its been nothing but exciting to see the wonders of the world and the unique cultures around us. We look forward to more stamps in our passports and more activities revolving around this theme. JazakAllah khair to all the parents for their patience and support in the coming months.
Important Dates/Reminders:
Wed. Feb. 4th: West Coast Martial Arts Field Trip
Mon. Feb. 16th-20th: Mid year break, No school
Tues. Feb. 24th: Scholastic Book orders due
Wed. Feb. 25th: 10:30-12, CTC Play Field Trip
"I don't want to go to bed" Sunnyvale
*please sign in/out as its a licensing recquirement
*next open house is on March 7th 10-1pm
Last Month:
The year came to a great start with a closer look at our world. We made a "PEOPLE" collage, comparing how Allah (S) has made us all unique. We looked into the "Colors of Us", mixing red, black, yellow and white to make brown, all different shades and tones. Included in this was the story of Prophet Adam (A)and his creation from earthly elements. This started our study of clay from around the world. In China we had a great time visiting the Great Wall of China, in particular the story of the Jiauxjing Pass. New Years was in our midst and we celebrated with a Chinese dragon parade, freshly made eggrolls, soup, paper lanterns, and of course the passing of red envelopes. For P.E. this month, we studied discipline, strength and focus through a book called "Karate Hour". The kids lined up daily to learn different stances and stretches. These ideas was reinforced with our field trip to a martial arts dojo. We'd like to thank Patrick of West Coast Martial Arts for teaching our children various techniques and talking to them about focus and respect to others. Speaking chinese was also fun, as we learned how to say "Gung hai phat choi" Happy New Year, "Ni how ma, wo how shei shei" How are you,fine thank you.
The last week of January was spent in Japan. We continued making pottery on the wheel, as Japan is known for its pottery and ceramics. Also, we were honored to meet Mathew Gollub, author of "Ten Oni Drummers" a japanese counting book and "Jazz Fly" (zee zaba zoo zaba zee zaa roni!). Thank You Azra for inviting our class to join in on this special school assembly. One of the most memorable field trips this month was our visit to the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose. The kids had wonderful and peaceful time climbing over bridges and rocks, observing Koi fish and listening to the sounds of the waterfall.
This Month:
We find ourselves in busy India, we will be visiting our second wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal, and experiencing the cultural dance and music from the Indian Tabla and Sitaar. From here we will travel to Russia, London and Spain. We will be getting a sense of geography, and looking into directions (like North, South, East West). As the children are showing great interest in telling time, (they're getting quite good at the calendar dates, days and months)we will also be working a bit with clocks. Next month we will move south into Africa and then across to South America which will include a focus on colors, patterns, animals, and helping the environment.
Field Trip Info:
Our last field trip in Feb. is to the California Theatre Center. The cost is $8 per child. The play "I don't want to go to bed" is about the frustrations of a young girl who doesn’t like bedtime but transforms this nightly task into a wonderful imaginative adventure with her parents by re-enacting her favorite stories including The Three Little Pigs and The Billy Goats Gruff. I will need one other parent volunteer to accompany the class. Please let me know ASAP if you are available to chaperone.
Arabic Updates:
The children are finding their arabic groove. MashaAllah they are on their way to finishing Surah Fil this month, and through activities like play dough letters, salt trays, and letter hopscotch, they are really getting familiar with associating sounds and recognizing letters. They also love to play musical Surahs, which involves listening to the Quran and Surah review.
Teacher Lubna will be on leave from the last week of Feb. through the end of April to attain Ejaza in the 30th Part and to study calligraphy. We wish her all the best in her journey. We will be having a substitue Arabic teacher that will be starting in March, IA.
Anything Else?
Yes of course, we are looking into hiring a new TA that will be working through the end of the school year. The position is expected to be filled by the end of this month, but we will keep everyone posted.
Happy February!
As we travel around the world, February will take us from the far east, to Northern Europe. Alhamdulillah its been nothing but exciting to see the wonders of the world and the unique cultures around us. We look forward to more stamps in our passports and more activities revolving around this theme. JazakAllah khair to all the parents for their patience and support in the coming months.
Important Dates/Reminders:
Wed. Feb. 4th: West Coast Martial Arts Field Trip
Mon. Feb. 16th-20th: Mid year break, No school
Tues. Feb. 24th: Scholastic Book orders due
Wed. Feb. 25th: 10:30-12, CTC Play Field Trip
"I don't want to go to bed" Sunnyvale
*please sign in/out as its a licensing recquirement
*next open house is on March 7th 10-1pm
Last Month:
The year came to a great start with a closer look at our world. We made a "PEOPLE" collage, comparing how Allah (S) has made us all unique. We looked into the "Colors of Us", mixing red, black, yellow and white to make brown, all different shades and tones. Included in this was the story of Prophet Adam (A)and his creation from earthly elements. This started our study of clay from around the world. In China we had a great time visiting the Great Wall of China, in particular the story of the Jiauxjing Pass. New Years was in our midst and we celebrated with a Chinese dragon parade, freshly made eggrolls, soup, paper lanterns, and of course the passing of red envelopes. For P.E. this month, we studied discipline, strength and focus through a book called "Karate Hour". The kids lined up daily to learn different stances and stretches. These ideas was reinforced with our field trip to a martial arts dojo. We'd like to thank Patrick of West Coast Martial Arts for teaching our children various techniques and talking to them about focus and respect to others. Speaking chinese was also fun, as we learned how to say "Gung hai phat choi" Happy New Year, "Ni how ma, wo how shei shei" How are you,fine thank you.
The last week of January was spent in Japan. We continued making pottery on the wheel, as Japan is known for its pottery and ceramics. Also, we were honored to meet Mathew Gollub, author of "Ten Oni Drummers" a japanese counting book and "Jazz Fly" (zee zaba zoo zaba zee zaa roni!). Thank You Azra for inviting our class to join in on this special school assembly. One of the most memorable field trips this month was our visit to the Japanese Friendship Garden in San Jose. The kids had wonderful and peaceful time climbing over bridges and rocks, observing Koi fish and listening to the sounds of the waterfall.
This Month:
We find ourselves in busy India, we will be visiting our second wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal, and experiencing the cultural dance and music from the Indian Tabla and Sitaar. From here we will travel to Russia, London and Spain. We will be getting a sense of geography, and looking into directions (like North, South, East West). As the children are showing great interest in telling time, (they're getting quite good at the calendar dates, days and months)we will also be working a bit with clocks. Next month we will move south into Africa and then across to South America which will include a focus on colors, patterns, animals, and helping the environment.
Field Trip Info:
Our last field trip in Feb. is to the California Theatre Center. The cost is $8 per child. The play "I don't want to go to bed" is about the frustrations of a young girl who doesn’t like bedtime but transforms this nightly task into a wonderful imaginative adventure with her parents by re-enacting her favorite stories including The Three Little Pigs and The Billy Goats Gruff. I will need one other parent volunteer to accompany the class. Please let me know ASAP if you are available to chaperone.
Arabic Updates:
The children are finding their arabic groove. MashaAllah they are on their way to finishing Surah Fil this month, and through activities like play dough letters, salt trays, and letter hopscotch, they are really getting familiar with associating sounds and recognizing letters. They also love to play musical Surahs, which involves listening to the Quran and Surah review.
Teacher Lubna will be on leave from the last week of Feb. through the end of April to attain Ejaza in the 30th Part and to study calligraphy. We wish her all the best in her journey. We will be having a substitue Arabic teacher that will be starting in March, IA.
Anything Else?
Yes of course, we are looking into hiring a new TA that will be working through the end of the school year. The position is expected to be filled by the end of this month, but we will keep everyone posted.
Happy February!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Newsletter January 2009
Assalam Alaikum
Wow, as we welcome in the new year, i give you my renewed commitment to Tazkiya Preschool. We have only worked harder to develop our interactive environment and holistic curriculum. InshaAllah i look forward to the second half of the school year. Have a great one!
Important Dates/Reminders
Friday Jan. 16th, Scholastic Book Orders Due
January-February: Open Enrollment for this school year
March-May: Open Re-enrollment and new enrollment for 2009-2010 School Year.
Recent Updates:
Alhamdulillah, we have accomplished a lot in the recent holidays. We now have a safe new climbing structure with swings, and new wall heaters as well as a heating unit in the play room. We also took the opportunity to get carpets cleaned and toys updated. All pictures will be emailed out in a private link, and newsletters will be available through this blog site. We are currently interviewing prospective teachers and aides to start Feb. of this year and inshaAllah continue in the upcoming school year. InshaAllah with new flannel board stories, arabic games/art, and upcoming exciting themes, we have a lot to look forward to.
Past/Upcoming Themes:
We ended the year with a dip into the cold weather. In our explorations of winter we conducted science experiments on freezing and melting using water balloons. We also discussed the differences between rain and snow, created unique snowflake designs and had lotsa fun with ice painting.
We will kick off the new year with a re-visit to "Where are YOU?", including spatial relationships (on, above, across), as well as putting themselves on a map and scouting out the world around them. Focus this month will include, "Sharing is Caring/Zakat", "Music, Harmony and Dance", and "Transportation". Toward the end of the month we will start our World Tour with our first stop to the jungles of South Asia.
Scholastic Books
New order forms for January will be in the cubbies. Please note that we now have Honeybee and Firefly orders that are geared only to Preschool Level. For all orders you may write one check to Scholastic Books. Book orders will be due Friday January 16th.
Arabic:
For the first week back we will be reviewing the surahs and letters covered so far. InshaAllah with the end of Surah Quraish, we will move along to Surah Fil. Please note, after we have finished with the next Surah Nasr, we will be going back to study Surah Fatiha and Falaq.
Wow, as we welcome in the new year, i give you my renewed commitment to Tazkiya Preschool. We have only worked harder to develop our interactive environment and holistic curriculum. InshaAllah i look forward to the second half of the school year. Have a great one!
Important Dates/Reminders
Friday Jan. 16th, Scholastic Book Orders Due
January-February: Open Enrollment for this school year
March-May: Open Re-enrollment and new enrollment for 2009-2010 School Year.
Recent Updates:
Alhamdulillah, we have accomplished a lot in the recent holidays. We now have a safe new climbing structure with swings, and new wall heaters as well as a heating unit in the play room. We also took the opportunity to get carpets cleaned and toys updated. All pictures will be emailed out in a private link, and newsletters will be available through this blog site. We are currently interviewing prospective teachers and aides to start Feb. of this year and inshaAllah continue in the upcoming school year. InshaAllah with new flannel board stories, arabic games/art, and upcoming exciting themes, we have a lot to look forward to.
Past/Upcoming Themes:
We ended the year with a dip into the cold weather. In our explorations of winter we conducted science experiments on freezing and melting using water balloons. We also discussed the differences between rain and snow, created unique snowflake designs and had lotsa fun with ice painting.
We will kick off the new year with a re-visit to "Where are YOU?", including spatial relationships (on, above, across), as well as putting themselves on a map and scouting out the world around them. Focus this month will include, "Sharing is Caring/Zakat", "Music, Harmony and Dance", and "Transportation". Toward the end of the month we will start our World Tour with our first stop to the jungles of South Asia.
Scholastic Books
New order forms for January will be in the cubbies. Please note that we now have Honeybee and Firefly orders that are geared only to Preschool Level. For all orders you may write one check to Scholastic Books. Book orders will be due Friday January 16th.
Arabic:
For the first week back we will be reviewing the surahs and letters covered so far. InshaAllah with the end of Surah Quraish, we will move along to Surah Fil. Please note, after we have finished with the next Surah Nasr, we will be going back to study Surah Fatiha and Falaq.
Newsletter December 2008
Assalam Alaikum,
InshaAllah you all are doing well. We're looking forward to the next few week and are all excited for the Haji's and Eid. I wanted to give you all some updates on the classroom activities.
Important Dates and Reminders:
*please remember to sign in/out
*check cubbies for accumulated art work and food.
Fri. Dec. 5th: All Scholastic Book Orders Due
Mon. Dec. 8th: No school, Eid Holiday
Tues. Dec. 9th: No School, Eid Holiday
Wed. Dec. 10th: School in session, Eid Party from11:30-1pm.
Thurs. Dec. 11th: School in session
Fri. Dec. 12th: No School, Holiday
Mon. Dec. 22-Fri. Jan. 2nd.: No School, Winter Holiday
Last Month... This Month...
We had a blast learning about the farm; not only did we learn about the animals, but we also did an in depth study of seeds sprouting, and how farmers plant crops. We also had a great time at Ardenwood farms. Inshaallah i will send out another email with pictures of class activities. We have also incorparated some arabic letters and vocabulary, such as Baa for baqarah, cow, and Khaa for kharouf, sheep.
This month we've geared up to get ready for a virtual Hajj experience. This past week we have set the backgroud through the story of Prophet Ibrahim and his sacrifices to Allah. We also have gone over some of the different components like staying in tents at Mina, and tawaaf around the Kabah. This Friday we will actually be putting everything together to have a real hands on experience. InshaAllah in the following weeks we will be focusing on our Ummah as one and extending the Hajj concepts of equality and brotherhood. We have done Kaaf for Kabah, and the letter M for the mountains of Safa and Marwah. Also, as we experiencing Hajj, we will be emphasizing spatial awareness through the ideas of: running "in between" 2 mountains, "around" the kabah, "over and on" the mountain of Arafat, "under" the ground, the well of zamzam, etc.
Arabic Updates
What we've tried to do is explain the surahs as parts of a story that are slowly coming together. The children have already established oneness of Allah and His attributes through Surah Ikhlaas, and how we seek protection from Allah through Surah Nas. After Surah Maun and Surah Lahab, the children have understood that in this community of Mecca, there are some good people like the Prophet (S)/muslims and some bad people like Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab. Now as they start Surah Quraysh, they are finally putting a name to this community, the tribe fo Quraysh who have been given the promise and safekeeping of the Kabah. From here we will move onto Surah Fil, about Abraha attacking the Kabah, and then Surah Nasr, Allah giving Victory to the muslims. InshaAllah in due time, they will start again with Surah Fatiha and Falaq, etc.
One of the major components of Arabic time has been the letter and sound games, surah musical chairs and the jumping games to promote interactive learning. In the past few weeks we have also added the art component, so please look toward the projects that have new vocabulary you can practice at home. Hand gestures are another major part of reinforcing the memorization process and the building of vocabulary. As signs are developed to convey meanings, and then repeated in the upcoming surahs, the children are really getting a good exposure to the arabic language. We are all really excited to see their progress in such a difficult subject matter.
Scholastic Books
Please make ONE check for all orders, payable to Scholastic Books. inshaAllah we will get them before the winter holidays.
Eid Party WED. Dec. 10th
This Eid inshaAllah, we will be having a potluck Lunch. So please bring a kid friendly dish to share. Here are some ideas: a dessert, drinks, snacks, pasta, chicken/rice... if everyone picks one type of category it will be a little easier for everyone. Please let me know as soon as you can. Inshaallah i will be providing the treats and gifts this time. We will be having some light entertainment with Surahs, songs, dance and puppet show (if we can get our act together!)
Eid Mubarak to everyone. Have a wonderful day with your families and friends!
InshaAllah you all are doing well. We're looking forward to the next few week and are all excited for the Haji's and Eid. I wanted to give you all some updates on the classroom activities.
Important Dates and Reminders:
*please remember to sign in/out
*check cubbies for accumulated art work and food.
Fri. Dec. 5th: All Scholastic Book Orders Due
Mon. Dec. 8th: No school, Eid Holiday
Tues. Dec. 9th: No School, Eid Holiday
Wed. Dec. 10th: School in session, Eid Party from11:30-1pm.
Thurs. Dec. 11th: School in session
Fri. Dec. 12th: No School, Holiday
Mon. Dec. 22-Fri. Jan. 2nd.: No School, Winter Holiday
Last Month... This Month...
We had a blast learning about the farm; not only did we learn about the animals, but we also did an in depth study of seeds sprouting, and how farmers plant crops. We also had a great time at Ardenwood farms. Inshaallah i will send out another email with pictures of class activities. We have also incorparated some arabic letters and vocabulary, such as Baa for baqarah, cow, and Khaa for kharouf, sheep.
This month we've geared up to get ready for a virtual Hajj experience. This past week we have set the backgroud through the story of Prophet Ibrahim and his sacrifices to Allah. We also have gone over some of the different components like staying in tents at Mina, and tawaaf around the Kabah. This Friday we will actually be putting everything together to have a real hands on experience. InshaAllah in the following weeks we will be focusing on our Ummah as one and extending the Hajj concepts of equality and brotherhood. We have done Kaaf for Kabah, and the letter M for the mountains of Safa and Marwah. Also, as we experiencing Hajj, we will be emphasizing spatial awareness through the ideas of: running "in between" 2 mountains, "around" the kabah, "over and on" the mountain of Arafat, "under" the ground, the well of zamzam, etc.
Arabic Updates
What we've tried to do is explain the surahs as parts of a story that are slowly coming together. The children have already established oneness of Allah and His attributes through Surah Ikhlaas, and how we seek protection from Allah through Surah Nas. After Surah Maun and Surah Lahab, the children have understood that in this community of Mecca, there are some good people like the Prophet (S)/muslims and some bad people like Abu Jahl and Abu Lahab. Now as they start Surah Quraysh, they are finally putting a name to this community, the tribe fo Quraysh who have been given the promise and safekeeping of the Kabah. From here we will move onto Surah Fil, about Abraha attacking the Kabah, and then Surah Nasr, Allah giving Victory to the muslims. InshaAllah in due time, they will start again with Surah Fatiha and Falaq, etc.
One of the major components of Arabic time has been the letter and sound games, surah musical chairs and the jumping games to promote interactive learning. In the past few weeks we have also added the art component, so please look toward the projects that have new vocabulary you can practice at home. Hand gestures are another major part of reinforcing the memorization process and the building of vocabulary. As signs are developed to convey meanings, and then repeated in the upcoming surahs, the children are really getting a good exposure to the arabic language. We are all really excited to see their progress in such a difficult subject matter.
Scholastic Books
Please make ONE check for all orders, payable to Scholastic Books. inshaAllah we will get them before the winter holidays.
Eid Party WED. Dec. 10th
This Eid inshaAllah, we will be having a potluck Lunch. So please bring a kid friendly dish to share. Here are some ideas: a dessert, drinks, snacks, pasta, chicken/rice... if everyone picks one type of category it will be a little easier for everyone. Please let me know as soon as you can. Inshaallah i will be providing the treats and gifts this time. We will be having some light entertainment with Surahs, songs, dance and puppet show (if we can get our act together!)
Eid Mubarak to everyone. Have a wonderful day with your families and friends!
Newsletter November 2008
We’ve had a great time last month diving into healthy foods and exploration of our bodies. We tasted an assortment of fruits and veggies for snack, dug right into pumpkin mush to count seeds and make pumpkin bread, and we had guest speakers to help teach us the importance of healthy choices and cleanliness. Thank you to Asma and Saira, the children were quite excited to have such an experience. We also took some time to measure our bodies in feet and “inchworms”, and make stone soup from real stones and vegetables we bought from the local farmer’s market. As we move into this month, we will be busy farmers growing our winter vegetable garden and tending to the farm animals. We’re looking forward to visiting Ardenwood Farm this Friday.
Important Dates/Reminders
*please sign in/out as it is a licensing requirement
*as weather gets colder and noses begin to run, please mind the spread of illnesses (remember if they got a fever, keep them at home!)
*please donate brown paper bags for our classroom Fall Tree.
Friday Nov. 7th: Field Trip, Ardenwood Farm, Fremont, $4/child $5/adult
Monday Nov. 10th: Veteran’s Day Holiday, No School
Wed. Nov. 26-Fri. Nov. 28th: Holiday, No School
**Open Enrollment**
InshaAllah we will be opening up enrollment again starting mid-November thru December for Pre-K Session 2 (From January-May.)
Upcoming Themes
A few changes to our theme schedule, we’ve extended our farm and cities week and will be moving toward a bigger picture of our world. This will be leading up to next month’s theme about Hajj and our ummah. We also be laying the foundations down for our trip around the world starting next year.
Missed Days
For any days the school is closed due to Teacher illness, there will be an opportunity for those days to be made up. For part time students they are welcome to either come a day they are off, or stay for a full day, with prior notification to the teacher. For full time students, we will look into suitable make-up times.
Scholastic Books
Alhamdulillah, the orders are in, it took a bit longer because it was a first time. The new order forms for November will be in their cubbies, and will be due in 2 weeks, by Nov. 21st.
Important Dates/Reminders
*please sign in/out as it is a licensing requirement
*as weather gets colder and noses begin to run, please mind the spread of illnesses (remember if they got a fever, keep them at home!)
*please donate brown paper bags for our classroom Fall Tree.
Friday Nov. 7th: Field Trip, Ardenwood Farm, Fremont, $4/child $5/adult
Monday Nov. 10th: Veteran’s Day Holiday, No School
Wed. Nov. 26-Fri. Nov. 28th: Holiday, No School
**Open Enrollment**
InshaAllah we will be opening up enrollment again starting mid-November thru December for Pre-K Session 2 (From January-May.)
Upcoming Themes
A few changes to our theme schedule, we’ve extended our farm and cities week and will be moving toward a bigger picture of our world. This will be leading up to next month’s theme about Hajj and our ummah. We also be laying the foundations down for our trip around the world starting next year.
Missed Days
For any days the school is closed due to Teacher illness, there will be an opportunity for those days to be made up. For part time students they are welcome to either come a day they are off, or stay for a full day, with prior notification to the teacher. For full time students, we will look into suitable make-up times.
Scholastic Books
Alhamdulillah, the orders are in, it took a bit longer because it was a first time. The new order forms for November will be in their cubbies, and will be due in 2 weeks, by Nov. 21st.
Newsletter October 2008
Chilren are a “trust, placed by God, in the hands of his parents, and his innocent heart is a precious element capable of taking impressions.”
-Al Ghazali
… and you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so lets make it a positive one!
Important Dates and Reminders:
Children’s Discovery Museum: Saturday, October 11th, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday October 12th, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Kick Start Eat Smart Visit Rainbow Pizza and Market! Shop for pretend fruits and veggies in the farmers’ market, then design a pizza using what you know about eating a rainbow to stay healthy. You can find more colorful food ideas at www.cdm.org/kickstart. We will also try some new ways to move. We might be offering Jazzercise, hula hoop fun, dance moves, or more!
Sat. Oct. 11th: Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast @ Station #2, corner of Wolfe and Arques.
Fri. Oct. 17th: Field Trip Farmer’s Market: 9:30-11:00am
TBA: Field Trip Grocery Store
Upcoming Themes:
This month we will be taking a closer look at our bodies. We will be doing activities exploring form our bones and brains to eating healthy and staying healthy. InshaAllah this month will be full of cooking projects and visits from fellow parents who will demonstrate eating choices and hygiene skills with the children. We will also be looking into how are bodies grow and change, through skills of observation, measurement, and comparisons. This will coincide with the changing of the season and a month long art project of our “Fall Tree”.
On the social front, we will be focusing on self intiative and independence. This will include self service for snack, and “complex” snack, ones they have to put together themselves. Also, children will be encouraged this month into home activities with their parents that they will bring back and share. They will also be asked to demonstrate the “process” they took to make the snack.
Last month:
We had a great time mapping out our family, community, and using imaginative role playing to learn about our community helpers. We also had a peaceful field trip to the masjid where they all got to help clean up the masjid and practice their surahs. They also were treated with kufi’s and scarves we will be using periodically in Arabic class.
One of the highlights of this month was the study of Ramadan and sharing with neighbors/friends. Also children collected stars to chart their good deeds and progress in becoming “better” in character. Stories included “The Prophet (S) and his neighbor”, and Abu Jahl’s treatment of the orphans (Suah Ma’un).
Arabic:
Alhamdulillah the children have memorized Surah Ikhlaas and are now finishing up Surah Ma’un. They are very excited and very receptive to learning through hand gestures and active games. InshaAllah this month we will continue onto Surah Tin (Fig). We also have been learning the letters alif for Allah, Baa, for Bismillah, and Raa for Ramadan.
InshaAllah Teacher Lubna will be joined shortly by Teacher Rokaya who will be working on Arabic Language exposure and comprehension with the children.
-Al Ghazali
… and you never get a second chance to make a first impression, so lets make it a positive one!
Important Dates and Reminders:
Children’s Discovery Museum: Saturday, October 11th, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sunday October 12th, 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Kick Start Eat Smart Visit Rainbow Pizza and Market! Shop for pretend fruits and veggies in the farmers’ market, then design a pizza using what you know about eating a rainbow to stay healthy. You can find more colorful food ideas at www.cdm.org/kickstart. We will also try some new ways to move. We might be offering Jazzercise, hula hoop fun, dance moves, or more!
Sat. Oct. 11th: Fireman’s Pancake Breakfast @ Station #2, corner of Wolfe and Arques.
Fri. Oct. 17th: Field Trip Farmer’s Market: 9:30-11:00am
TBA: Field Trip Grocery Store
Upcoming Themes:
This month we will be taking a closer look at our bodies. We will be doing activities exploring form our bones and brains to eating healthy and staying healthy. InshaAllah this month will be full of cooking projects and visits from fellow parents who will demonstrate eating choices and hygiene skills with the children. We will also be looking into how are bodies grow and change, through skills of observation, measurement, and comparisons. This will coincide with the changing of the season and a month long art project of our “Fall Tree”.
On the social front, we will be focusing on self intiative and independence. This will include self service for snack, and “complex” snack, ones they have to put together themselves. Also, children will be encouraged this month into home activities with their parents that they will bring back and share. They will also be asked to demonstrate the “process” they took to make the snack.
Last month:
We had a great time mapping out our family, community, and using imaginative role playing to learn about our community helpers. We also had a peaceful field trip to the masjid where they all got to help clean up the masjid and practice their surahs. They also were treated with kufi’s and scarves we will be using periodically in Arabic class.
One of the highlights of this month was the study of Ramadan and sharing with neighbors/friends. Also children collected stars to chart their good deeds and progress in becoming “better” in character. Stories included “The Prophet (S) and his neighbor”, and Abu Jahl’s treatment of the orphans (Suah Ma’un).
Arabic:
Alhamdulillah the children have memorized Surah Ikhlaas and are now finishing up Surah Ma’un. They are very excited and very receptive to learning through hand gestures and active games. InshaAllah this month we will continue onto Surah Tin (Fig). We also have been learning the letters alif for Allah, Baa, for Bismillah, and Raa for Ramadan.
InshaAllah Teacher Lubna will be joined shortly by Teacher Rokaya who will be working on Arabic Language exposure and comprehension with the children.
Newsletter September 2008
Assalam Alaikum,
We are so excited to be starting this year with the light of Ramadan shining over us! May this month be a source of blessing and an opportunity for all to better ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually? InshaAllah we have a bunch of Ramadan activities and our theme “Me, my family and community” activities planned this month. So let’s start exploring around the world, right here in our own homes and neighborhood!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Mon. Sept. 1 First Day of Class
Mon. Sep. 15 ½ Day of School, everyone done at Noon.
Fri. Sept. 26 Scholastic Book Orders Due
Tues. Sept. 30 Eid Party 11am-2pm
Wed. Oct. 1-3 No School, Eid Holiday
*Please leave extra change of clothing in plastic bag inside the cubbies.
*Please remember to sign in/out daily
Daily Routine
8am-8:45 Arrival/Welcome
8:45-9:15 Circle Time
9:15-9:45 Activity 1
9:45-10:15 Arabic
10:15-10:30 Snack
10:30-11:00 Outside Play
11:00-11:30 Activity 2
11:30-12:00 Outside Group Game
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:00 Free Play
1:00-1:45 Quiet Time/Rest Time
1:45-2:30 Activity 3
2:30-3:00 Clean Up
This schedule is to help us to keep the day flowing. Please note that all timings are NOT set in stone. We will stay flexible with the times to fit the best interest of the children.
Theme Schedule
Please do not be overwhelmed with the theme schedule. This is NOT information to be transferred to the children and later tested. This is PRESCHOOL: A wonderful opportunity for the children to explore, ask questions, get dirty and just figure out what they are all about. It should be enjoyed at the children’s pace. So don’t worry if your child is not always choosing to participate. Learning takes different forms, and one of the best is in everyday PLAY!
Scholastic Book Orders
Take advantage of these awesome books available at such great prices. Please make checks payable to “Scholastic Book Club”. Books will be in approx. 2 weeks after the order date. This is an easy way to start your own home library and encourage the love of reading.
Eid Party
InshaAllah we will be having a fun filled day with games, nasheeds projects and food. Please sign up for the potluck on the parent bulletin board. All children in the program are encouraged to attend. All parents are welcome to join the fun.
Revised Holiday Schedule 08-09
Oct. 1-3 Eid Al-Fitr Break
Nov. 10 Veterans Day Holiday
Nov. 26-28 Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 11-12 Eid Al-Adha Break
Dec. 22- Jan. 2 Winter Break
Feb. 19-20 Mid-Year Break
April 13-17 Spring Break
May 25 Memorial Day Holiday
We are so excited to be starting this year with the light of Ramadan shining over us! May this month be a source of blessing and an opportunity for all to better ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually? InshaAllah we have a bunch of Ramadan activities and our theme “Me, my family and community” activities planned this month. So let’s start exploring around the world, right here in our own homes and neighborhood!
Important Dates/Reminders:
Mon. Sept. 1 First Day of Class
Mon. Sep. 15 ½ Day of School, everyone done at Noon.
Fri. Sept. 26 Scholastic Book Orders Due
Tues. Sept. 30 Eid Party 11am-2pm
Wed. Oct. 1-3 No School, Eid Holiday
*Please leave extra change of clothing in plastic bag inside the cubbies.
*Please remember to sign in/out daily
Daily Routine
8am-8:45 Arrival/Welcome
8:45-9:15 Circle Time
9:15-9:45 Activity 1
9:45-10:15 Arabic
10:15-10:30 Snack
10:30-11:00 Outside Play
11:00-11:30 Activity 2
11:30-12:00 Outside Group Game
12:00-12:30 Lunch
12:30-1:00 Free Play
1:00-1:45 Quiet Time/Rest Time
1:45-2:30 Activity 3
2:30-3:00 Clean Up
This schedule is to help us to keep the day flowing. Please note that all timings are NOT set in stone. We will stay flexible with the times to fit the best interest of the children.
Theme Schedule
Please do not be overwhelmed with the theme schedule. This is NOT information to be transferred to the children and later tested. This is PRESCHOOL: A wonderful opportunity for the children to explore, ask questions, get dirty and just figure out what they are all about. It should be enjoyed at the children’s pace. So don’t worry if your child is not always choosing to participate. Learning takes different forms, and one of the best is in everyday PLAY!
Scholastic Book Orders
Take advantage of these awesome books available at such great prices. Please make checks payable to “Scholastic Book Club”. Books will be in approx. 2 weeks after the order date. This is an easy way to start your own home library and encourage the love of reading.
Eid Party
InshaAllah we will be having a fun filled day with games, nasheeds projects and food. Please sign up for the potluck on the parent bulletin board. All children in the program are encouraged to attend. All parents are welcome to join the fun.
Revised Holiday Schedule 08-09
Oct. 1-3 Eid Al-Fitr Break
Nov. 10 Veterans Day Holiday
Nov. 26-28 Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 11-12 Eid Al-Adha Break
Dec. 22- Jan. 2 Winter Break
Feb. 19-20 Mid-Year Break
April 13-17 Spring Break
May 25 Memorial Day Holiday
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