Hajj to Mecca. In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful Ahlul-Bayt Islamic School Newsletter. October Ottawa, CA

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1 In the name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful Ahlul-Bayt Islamic School Newsletter October Ottawa, CA Assalaamu alaikum dear friends Read it online at.. abischool.com Hajj to Mecca The Hajj (Arabic: ( Ḥaǧǧحج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah). It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah (The One God). The pilgrimage occurs from the 7 th to 13 th day of Zul- Hujjah, the 12 th month of the Islamic calendar. Because the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar used in the Western world, the Gregorian date of the Hajj changes from year to year. Ihram is the name given to the special state of purity in which Muslims live whilst on the pilgrimage. The Hajj is associated with the life of prophet Muhammad (peace and prayers be upon him and his Ahlul-Bayt) from the 7 th century. The ritual of pilgrimage to Mecca, however, is considered by Muslims to stretch back thousands of years to the time of Ibraaheem (Abraham). Pilgrims join processions of hundreds of thousands of people, who simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals: - Each person walks counter-clockwise seven times about the Ka'bah, the cube-shaped building which acts as the Muslim direction of prayer; - Runs back and forth, seven times, between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah; - Goes to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil; - Throws stones in a ritual Stoning of the Devil. The pilgrims then shave their heads (for men), perform a ritual of animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three day global festival of Eid al-adha. Muslims usually use the same trip to visit the graves of and pay their respects to the Prophet of Islam Mohammad (pbuhhab) and the demolished graves of three of our holy Imams (pbut) in the Baqee in Medina. They also visit the graves of other martyrs and other Islamic holy sites and historic locations. Dates to Remember 3 Pizza Day 4 PD day No school for students 13 Martyrdom of Imam Mohammad al-baakir (AS) 14 Thanksgiving Day - No School 15 Arafah Day - estimated (Muslim pilgrims spending the night on mount Arafah) 16 Eid al-adha - estimated (Happy Eid) 18 Eid Field trip 23 Eid al-ghadeer - estimated (Happy Eid) 31 Picture Day Please Recycle א א א Please Recycle א א א

2 In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful Heartiest congratulations & warmest felicitations from the Ahlul-Bayt Islamic School family on the occasions of the blessed eids of Adha and Ghadeer May Allah return all Hajjs (pilgrims) safe to their beloved ones

3 Recognition To the family of Ahlul Bayt Islamic School, who worked very hard as a team to make our children feel welcome and excited about the new school year. To our school office administrator, Mrs. Aseel, whose dedicated work in the office was essential in starting the school year smoothly. To our teachers for preparing and organizing their classrooms and attending and participating in the three PA Days prior to the school year. To the principal, Mrs. Leila, for working relentlessly to put it all together. To the School Board for their continuous support to the school staff, and for their tireless effort and perseverance to provide high quality of education to our students. Religious/Civil Events The school community confirms respect to our non-muslim teachers and friends and their beliefs. We congratulate our teachers and friends, in advance, for their holidays and wish them all the best. In keeping with the Islamic beliefs of our students and their parents and the tenets of our community, however, the school does not celebrate or promote the celebration of non-muslim holidays for our students. That includes Halloween, Halloween Valentine s Day, Easter,..., etc. The school continues to realize and celebrate important Canadian and civil events. Teacher Professional Development Day Parents are asked to note that there will be no classes for students on Friday October 4 due to a Teacher Professional Development Day. Cold/Wet Weather The weather at this time of year is varied and unpredictable. Please ensure that your children are dressed according to conditions. Layers work best. We do not have the staffing to provide indoor supervision. Medication fro Students Just a reminder that school staff cannot administer medication of any type, without a medication form. If you need this form please call the office and make arrangements to pick it up. Medications are distributed through the office and kept in a secure location. We have had a number of recent requests to give students Tylenol and we can t do this without a medication form completed and on file at the office. Labeling Children s Articles Label any articles sent to school, especially shoes/boots, sweaters, and jackets. Please put your child's name on anything we request from home. This prevents mix-ups and lost articles. Any time you send money/cheques to school with your child for field trips, special projects, etc. please put the exact amount in an envelope, seal it, and put the purpose for the money/cheques, the teacher's and child's name on the envelope. Meet the Teacher Night Picture Day A note of appreciation to all of the families that took time out of their busy schedules to join us on Wed. September 18 for our Meet the Teacher Night. Teachers worked hard to prepare for this evening and we hope that everyone who attended found it to be helpful and informative. Class photos/individual photos and Graduation photos are scheduled for Thursday October 31st. Parents, please try to avoid this date when scheduling outside appointments. Information and order forms will be sent home afterwards.

4 Eat Breakfast.. Everyday A day never passes without a student complaining of not feeling well and a headache. We ask the student about breakfast and many times they ve said they didn t have any. Often they say they didn t want anything, they weren t hungry, or they were running late. I encourage all students to eat in the morning. If they aren t hungry, to go ahead and eat something of small quantity anyway. Some children do not prefer traditional breakfast foods but may be happy with a sandwich instead. Research shows that kids are more successful in school when they eat breakfast. Some of our students have various stages of allergic reactions to nuts. PLEASE do not send peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, or sesame seeds. Gelatin Products and Energy Drinks are also not allowed at school. Newborns to the Community Al-Roumi family: baby girl Sibling: Aleena Al-Abdan Abdan family: baby boy Sibling: Ali Al-Abdan Faour family: baby girl Siblings: Ahmad Hassan & Hamza Awada family: baby boy Siblings: Mahdi, Hadi & Haidar Special thanks to.. Hajj Nabil Lezzaik for his generous donation for the birth celebration of Imam Ali al-reda (AS). Mrs. Souraya Al-Sayed Ali who donated her time to purchase Eid gifts for our students. Donations always welcome.. We are currently accepting contributions to the upcoming Islamic events of Eid Al Adha & Eid Al Ghadeer. Please keep us informed of any sales or deals on items that can be appropriate gifts for students.

5 The Importance of Home & School Teamwork Neither parents nor teachers working alone can do everything to help students learn. BUT, when parents and teachers are on the same team, children win every time. Here s how you can contribute to the partnership: DO NOT talk disrespectfully about the school or the teacher. Establish and enforce firm, fair & consistent rules. Respect for rules at home will translate to respect for learning. Support your school s policies for attendance, discipline, homework, etc. Come to every school event you can, including teacher conferences. Make sure your child knows that the teacher is in charge in the classroom and requires respect. October s Character Trait is Cooperation Cooperation means working together and getting along. Cooperating means to listen, share, take turns, and compromise. Cooperation means assuming positive intentions in others Cooperation means following the rules established by the group Cooperation means respecting the ideas and feelings of others Cooperation means valuing the contributions of others The benefits of cooperation are part of our everyday lives. Sports teams, families and almost any group will work far better together when they unite and make an effort to get along. September s Character Trait was Punctuality Students, who demonstrated this character trait throughout the past month were awarded character awards. Congratulations to the recipients of this character award: JK : Mohammed Elkchirid SK : Zehra Motlak Gr. 1 : Zeinab Lezzaik Gr. 2 : Jassim Nait Zerrad Gr. 3 : Aya Kassira Gr. 4 : Hasan Choucair Gr. 5 : Mohamad Ali El Hage Ali Gr. 6 : Janah Choucair Gr. 7 : Ali Alakbar Zeidan Gr. 8 : Hiba Lezzaik Achieving Students Students of the Week - Primary JK:Hussein Meshaal, Batoul Fawaz, Lina Nasrallah SK : Mousa Kassira, Tala Al-Harhara, Zaynab Hussein Gr. 1 : Zeinab Lezzaik, Ali Al-Sayed Ali, Haidar Awada Gr. 2 : Malaak Fayad, Mohamad Zibara, Ali Al- Abdan Gr. 3 : Zahra Farhat, Layla Elkchirid, Hawraa Jomaa Students of the Month - Elementary Gr. 4 : Abdullah Ajaa Gr. 5 : Batoul Jomaa Gr. 6 : Serene Cheaito Gr. 7 : Fatima Kmaiha Gr. 8 : Lillian Chahrour Congratulations to our New Student Council! President: Fatima Beydoun Vice President: Ibrahim Awada Gr. 10 rep: Batoul Elcheikh Gr. 8 rep: Sarah Beydoun Gr. 7 rep: Zahraa Olleik Gr. 6 rep: Serene Cheaito

6 It is dreaming the highest dream That will build the brightest tomorrow Learning French.. Parental Involvement I worry about my son/daughter learning French at the same time as he/she is learning English. Shouldn t he/she be concentrating on only one language? No, in fact the opposite is true. Many of the items thought in French may parallel what students are learning in English, so learning French can help to reinforce English that they learning. The focus is on oral language, using practical, everyday French. Students are able to transfer knowledge about how language works and this may contribute to their overall academic success. The study of French is part of the curriculum at Ahlul-Bayt Islamic School, twice a week: Tuesday & Wednesday. The school is offering the opportunity to learn a second, even a third (Arabic), language to your children and this will help them enhance their critical and creative thinking abilities, strengthen their first language, and improve their ability to communicate which provides students with a distinct advantage in a number of careers, both in Canada & internationally. Learning more than one language is increasingly recognized as a lifelong gift, enhancing a child s self-esteem esteem and intellectual ability while opening new doors to a wider world of study, travel and employment. Studies show that students perform better in school if their parents are involved in their education. Even if they do not speak or understand French, parents still have an important role to play in supporting their child s education. By reading the curriculum, parents can find out what their children are learning in each grade and why they re learning it. This awareness will enable parents to discuss their children s work with them and communicate with teachers and ask relevant questions about their child s progress. Knowledge of the expectations will also help them interpret their child s report card and to work with the teacher to improve the student s learning. Ways in which parents can support their child s learning in French: let your child know that you value the learning of French for many reasons: it is one of Canada s official languages, it develops cognitive growth, it offers a better understanding of a first language, it has a cultural richness, and it increases job and travel opportunities and the opportunity to meet new friends; let your child know that you care about his/her progress in school and that you are proud of his/her ability to speak French; create open, regular lines of communication with your child s teacher; ask your child what he/she did in Core French class; celebrate success: display artwork, projects, tests etc...; have your child teach you new French words, phrases, songs or games; read French on signs and labels in your community; read French words on food labels and household products; point out English and French words that are the same or similar (e.g. telephone téléphone); borrow French books, music, and videos from the public library; read French books with your child or have your child read to you; play French games and visit French websites on the Internet; watch French television programs or movies; listen to French radio stations. Mrs. Tana Spirollari French Language for JK - grade 3

7 Our EQAO Results :) We are very pleased with our school s results in the Provincial Assessment of Primary and Junior students. The results reflect Grade 3 and 6 testing from last spring s EQAO assessment. We congratulate our students for their academic achievement, as well as parents and teachers for their collective efforts and results. Our school scored above the provincial achievement in all tests. Tuition Discount Referral Initiative [ UPDATED ] Introduce a new family to Ahlul-Bayt Islamic School and receive $125 for every referred student! Any family, with students in our school, can receive $125, in tuition fee discount, for every referred student, when they introduce a new family to our school. This initiative is subject to the following conditions: - Referred family must be new to our school; returning families do not qualify. - Referred students must complete one full school year. - Referral fee is provided in the form of a tuition fee discount. - This discount is awarded at the end of the completed school year. - $125 in discount is awarded for every referred student. Please spread the good word about your school. Help make it better for our community and our children. Ahlul-Bayt Islamic School ا ع ا ت ل در Web Phone (613) Address 200 Baribeau Street Ottawa Ontario K1L7R6 info@abischool.com Fax (613) Principal Mrs. Leila Rahal principal@abischool.com Full-day JK & SK programs. Individual attention for each child. Small class sizes for all grades. Private school discipline and work ethics. Arabic Language taught by native speakers. French as a 2 nd language starting from JK. Weekly group prayer (salaat Jamaah). Continuous monitoring of student progress. Innovative holistic education programs. High academic performance standards. Enrichment & remediation as field trips. A variety of activities & learning experiences. Qualified, dedicated, & caring teachers. Ontario Ministry of Education inspected school. Ongoing academic monitoring and assessment via ministry and other standardized exams. Ontario academic curriculum that starts at JK, covers Junior high school, and into high school. Islamic environment promoting good morals & behavior. Islamic Studies including Quran & Fiqh (Jurisprudence). Please check our website, or call us, for more information. We are happy to provide a guided tour of our school. Call us for an appointment.