the falcon forum Take off with UAF Look Inside UAF!

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1 the falcon Take off with UAF forum Volume 3, Issue 1 December 15, 2014 Look Inside UAF! Come and take off with UAF s Falcon Forum! Inside this brand new and exciting edition you will get an insider s look at Universal Academy of Florida and all it has to offer. With over 600 students, UAF is a beautiful and bright campus that provides a variety of students with a safe and nurturing Islamic environment. Students and parents can feel comfortable and at peace in a place where everyone is welcome like family. UAF is a home away from home with caring teachers, administration and staff. We are proud to say that we have an amazing support system internally and externally with PTO, parents, and community. We strive to help every child find their place at UAF and continuously guide and counsel our students to grow mentally and physically into the best Muslims citizens they can possibly be. The Universal Academy of Florida is highly ranked amongst schools when it comes to testing. Our students have surpassed national and local averages on the ACT and SAT. UAF teachers, without a doubt, are exemplary models of high morals, standards and education. Teachers are continuously learning through a Professional Development program that instills the newest and greatest methods of teaching. Our administration is supportive and inspiring to all staff and faculty. They are the backbone of UAF, constantly setting achievable and higher goals which keep our school soaring to new heights!

2 First Day of School From PreK to 12th Grade 2 GO C L FA! S ON

3 UAF Celebrates Eid Al-Adha Eid Al-Adha is a special time for Muslims all over the world. It is a time to spend with family and friends, a time to share traditions, and a time to make new traditions. At UAF, students came together in their classes and celebrated the joyful holiday. Many students brought in food and participated in activities planned by their teachers. Teachers spent the week teaching UAF students the importance of Eid Al-Adha. Parent volunteers and the PTO also stepped up, literally, decorating the halls with colorful banners and balloons. All the students really enjoyed the entire week of celebration and learning about their special holiday. Eid Is More Fun With Chuck E.! What s more fun than playing games and eating pizza with your friends? Nothing! UAF students headed to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Eid Al-Adha with their classmates. Games lit up and kids were running to and fro as the pizza kept coming! The fun was nonstop! Kids were ecstatic as they recognized their friends and ran all over for token-dropping, button-pushing fun. Celebrating Eid Al-Adha at Chuck E. Cheese was a great way to start off the holiday break! EID MUBARAK! 3

4 National Honor Society Congratulates New Inductees Every year the National Honor Society inducts only the best of the best of UAF. This year there were many students attending the acceptance ceremony. Parents and students were there in honor of those who show great potential to become exemplary students and role models for others. Congratulations! PTO Sponsors Family Fun Night This was the first year that I painted faces for the UAF family fun night. It was a pleasant experience to see children enjoying the evening with their families. I painted a fair share of cats, butterflies, and ninja turtles. The best part of the evening was the instant when children looked at their facepaint in the mirror and were overcome with joy after prolonged seriousness. Students approached me on Monday, after the weekend of the event, and told me how much they enjoyed their facepaint and thanked me once again. -Sr. Marium Rana 4

5 Students Get an Up Close Look at Hajj Pulling into the UAF driveway on October 2nd, you may have momentarily thought you were in Makkah! With a mini Kabah in full display and the talbiyah playing on the speakers, many were overwhelmed by the beautiful thoughts and emotions of Hajj! During our annual Hajj Simulation last month, students continued the tradition of reenacting the blessed steps of our annual pilgrimage. Students from grades pre-k to 5th grade came dressed in their ihram, and with the rest of their class, performed Tawaf around the Kabah. Running between Safa and Marwa reminded them of our beloved Hajar and her struggle to find water for her son, Ismael. Students displayed their arm strength as they threw pebbles during the Jamarat. At Arafah, the students made dua for themselves, their families, and their friends. They concluded by drinking zam zam water! It was lovely sight indeed seeing our young children take part in the Hajj simulation, the purpose of which is to instill the love and admiration of our last pillar of Islam in our young children. The Simulation also aims to educate the students on the fundamental steps of Hajj. Alhamdulillah, with the help of Allah, teachers that volunteered their time to prepare for the event, as well as parents that spent the day guiding the children through the steps of Hajj, it was a hugely successful event this year! That was fun! said a kindergartener. I can t wait until I go to the real Hajj! May Allah grant the young student and all of us the ability to make Hajj to his House! Ameen! -Sr. Ezdehar Sultan 5

6 Who s That? New Chapter Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi wa barakatu I embarked on a wonderful and adventurous journey which began a new chapter in my life!! I successfully moved to sunny Florida from frigid Minnesota at the end of July. I flew into the Tampa International Airport on a sunny and hot Thursday afternoon. My first experience in Tampa was a short cab ride by one of the nicest and most sincere drivers that I have ever met. He was a Palestinian-born Muslim named Samir and generously did not even charge me for the cab fare. I knew, based on this good deed, that this was a great beginning for my new endeavor. After getting stuck in a few torrential downpours as I waited for the city bus, I decided that I would invest in leasing a car. I went to a few dealerships in the area, where I came across a Muslim brother by the name of Nasir. He helped me pick out not only a great car, but dealt with the financial negotiations as well to make sure that it was affordable. He dealt with the business end of things which made it so easy for me to drive the car off of the lot. Additionally, I met a Muslimah named Syeda at the masjid the second day I was in Tampa. Since I was taking the city bus as my transportation, she offered to give me a ride to my future apartment to drop off the deposit as well as give me a ride to the bus stop. By this time, I realized that Allah (SWT) made my move to Tampa incredibly easy and put wonderful Muslim brothers and sisters in my path. I would like to thank the Tampa Muslim community for being so hospitable. And I would also like to thank the UAF community for accepting me as part of their family. I love to put books in the hands of children to help encourage a passion for reading. -Sr. Khadijah Stage From the Secondary Side Alhamdulillah, the school year has gotten off to a strong start. This year, there were quite a few changes in the secondary department. Our new teachers, including a few alumni, have brought their energy, enthusiasm, and experience to the Universal Academy of Florida along with their dedication to providing our students with a strong Islamic education. We welcomed numerous new students, and their families, who have integrated themselves into our community, thereby enriching it. And we lost an amazing Assistant Principal, whom we wish the best in all of his endeavors. Although I can never replace Dr. Hussein, I am grateful to be able to have the opportunity to use my experience and education to benefit our students. My first few months as Assistant Principal have been an amazing learning experience, and I am grateful for the many ways in which everyone has helped me to transition into this new role. This year, we began a program with Hillsborough Community College to offer dual enrollment courses on campus for our students. As we build this program, it will allow our students to earn college credit for courses taught here at the UAF, by our teachers, during the academic day. Insha Allah, this will allow our students greater access to dual enrollment courses, without the limitations of timing and transportation. In addition to the courses offered at HCC s various campuses, this program will give our students the opportunity to complete their studies at UAF with their Associates Degree. I am honored to be a part of the UAF community and am excited to see what the future brings Insha Allah. -Sr. Leiona Batje Secondary Assistant Principal 6

7 Around UAF Assemblies Are Awesome! 7

8 Life Lessons School...can get you to Jannah! By Nada Blassy Yes, it s sometimes boring. Yes, it s sometimes difficult. Yes, it s sometimes stressful, but school can actually get you to the ultimate paradise if you get through it by pleasing Allah, trying your hardest, and valuing your education. The first word revealed in the Qur an was read. In numerous ayat in the Quran, Allah (stw) stresses the importance of knowledge. The fact that Allah (swt) mentions the word E lamoo (learn) 27 times to show the necessity of learning. Throughout the Qur an, knowledge and learning are viewed in a positive light, strengthening your Iman and making you a better servant on this Earth. If all of this doesn t convince you to appreciate your quest of knowledge, then maybe reading about how Allah (swt) doesn t approve of ignorance will give you a push. In ayat in the Qur an, ignorance is the source of publicizing corruption. (27:55), ignorance is the source of prejudice & stubbornness (48:26), and ignorance is the main reason for disunity and conflicts (59:14). Surely you don t want to miss out on all the benefits from being an educated Muslim, so please try to actually get the best out of all the beautiful resources and opportunities you are given. And say O my Lord! Advance me in knowledge. Surat Ta-Ha (20:114) Fatima Quadeer Completed Qur an Memorization Hifth Program L o o k a t 8 U A F! Neveen Abuemaish Completed Qur an Memorization Hifth Program

9 UAF is Full of Expressions and Impressions Omar Harb Yomna Kashlan Grandmaster Gumball By Akeel Hakim Take a Siesta With UAF s Fiesta! UAF pulled out all the stops, or should I say, sombreros for this year s Fiesta-themed Scholastic Book Fair. Elementary students crafted their own sombreros while Middle school students created amazing designs out of colorful paper. All artwork put on a dazzling display for all Book Fair visitors. 9

10 s Falcon s Sports Program By Nada Blassy Brace yourselves for a great sports season! For 6 years, Br. Hassan Sultan has been our Athletic Director and this year he feels that, we have a great coaching staff that will help take us to the next level. Our goal as a school is to strive for excellence as it develops athletic competition with academic excellence, sportsmanship, and community service with the educational and social environment. The volleyball season for high school girls was great for being the first in UAF s history. We hope that soccer and basketball for both girls and guys for high school can keep the momentum up, competing at high levels. Even middle school athletes can look forward to a soccer league that will involve more players and students and will enhance and prepare them for the future. In addition, Br. Hassan as well as all of us were pleased that Alhamdulillah we were able to add a changing room for the boys on campus, and as the program progresses, the need for more facilities grows also. When asked about this year s expectations, Br.Hassan believes that we have a good opportunity to go far into the playoffs, with dedicated and hard working players it could happen. He only suggests that if parents, alumni, and friends of athletes could promote, assist financially, help in transportation, and provide water, because that would greatly improve the sports program. The Booster Club raises funds to purchase sports equipment, uniforms and special school requests, such as athletic award dinners. If you want to join the Booster Club, please let Br. Hassan know! It would be greatly appreciated! UAF soccer and basketball athletes are very grateful for all their opportunities. Here s what they had to say about their UAF Sports Experience. The bonds I get to build with my teammates make memories that last a lifetime. -Tarek Elfallah As a former UAF soccer team captain, being on the soccer team taught me to put all my trust in Allah. Without his help, there is no way we can win a game, no matter how hard we practice. Reading the Fatiha and making dua with the team is a great way to remind us of the blessings we have, and that even if we lose, we were still given the privilege to go to a Muslim school with an established sports program. -Nour Bitar I encourage all youth to play sports, use it, take advantage, and be grateful for it because sports in high school has helped me a lot. It develops character, releases energy in a halal way, and makes you a strong leader. -Abdulrahman Chahbandar 10

11 Dynamic Dads and Donuts Another successful Donuts with Dad event sponsored by PTO took place November 18th. Dads come out in droves to accompany their child for beautiful, chilly weather and hot coffee, plus donuts! Everyone had a wonderful time as Dads gathered, socialized, and spent quality time with their little ones. PTO takes great pride in putting on such a wonderful event that gives many fathers a break from the rigors of a daily job. This break is also appreciated by the many happy children that get to share a bit of their morning with their dads. Insha Allah it continues to be a great event. l l u F s UAF i! rs a t S f o 11

12 Advertise YOUR Business HERE!!! Call UAF Now to Reserve Your Think Pink! Space in Our Next Issue! x1303 Fajr & Pancakes 12