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
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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!
