OCTOBER 2012 BC MUSLIM SCHOOL NEWSLETTER www.bcmuslimschool.ca 604-270-2511 PERSEVERANCE COMMITMENT KNOWLEDGE EXCELLENCE Message from the Principal Please remember to phone the school office before 8:45 a.m. whenever your child is absent. Please mention your child s name, grade and the reason of his/her absence. Assalamu Alaikum Sr. Susan is our new Head Teacher, assisting me in administration during Br. Shuaib s deployment to Surrey Muslim School. She has a special message for all in this letter. Greetings from the Head Teacher Dear Parents Assalamu Alaikum If you have a change of address and phone number please inform the secretary. Inside this Issue: Message from the Principal Message from Head Teacher School Closure Staffing Updates BC Great Shake Agenda Uniform Checks Volunteer Opportunities October Activities October Assembly Terry Fox Run September Assembly Field Trip Summer Renovation Al-Asma ul-husna Quran Competition Donation for Quran Competition Photo Retakes PAC Hot Lunch Dates to Remember This is my first newsletter to you as the new Head Teacher. My name is Susan Hundial and I hve been a teacher at BCMS for 4 years. It is my pleasure and honor to have the opportunity to positively affect the lives of the students, parents and staff. For those that have met me you know that I am open to communication and suggestions and for those that have not met me please feel free to contact me. I will do my best to find ways to improve and expand the students education experience while at BC Muslim School. Wassalamu Alaikum, Sr. Susan School Closure Monday, October 8 (Public Holiday) Friday, October 19 (Pro-D Day)
Staffing Updates Sr. Courtney Attle continues to be working hard in Grade 1A and having tons of fun too. Sr Hanan Elkeliny continues to be our substitute teacher in our Islamic Studies Department. BC Great Shake Out This will take place on October 18 at 10:18 a.m. Our staff and students are joining over 470,000 people who have signed up as participants of this event. There will be an earthquake drill in the school at the appointed time on the appointed date. We will also be looking at equipping all students with earthquake survival kits. More information regarding this will come your way after the event. Agendas Each student Grades 1 to 7 received one at the start of the school year. This is an important tool to help children to stay organized and for communication between home and school. Please check your child s agenda daily to monitor homework and for home-school communication. You will also find the school calendar and quick reference section of the Parent/Teacher Handbook too. Replacements are available from the school office for $10.00 each. Uniform Checks To be carried out soon. Please refer to Parent/Student Handbook inserted in your child s agenda for a full description of all uniform items. It is important that all girls wear a hijab regardless of age. For your uniform needs, please contact Neat Uniform at 604-205-7560 Volunteer Opportunities If you are available for any of the work below, please contact the staff listed: Tidying Science Lab Sr. Susan Machine washing classroom carpets Sr. Farida Library Sr. Asmae Supervision Sr. Farida Hot Lunch Sr. Chantal There are many areas that you can help out in the school. If you have some special skills, areas of interest, or have some consistent available times, please let the office know so that we can contact you whenever a need arises. October Activities This month the school is brimming with activities. Check out all our scheduled events: October 11 PAC Hot Lunch October 18 Earthquake Drill October 29 In-School Eid Celebration October 31 Hot Lunch Pizza Sale Grade 7
October Assembly This is scheduled for November 1 at 9:15 a.m. and will be hosted by Grade 5. The theme, to go with Hajj, is Patience. Please come and support our performers. Terry Fox Run Always a very healthy and enjoyable event to start off the school year. Sr. Courtney and her Grade 6 class took math out of the classroom and into the real world measuring the event track and adding up the class totals before finally compiling a school total. This year, together we covered 388 km. a distance which is equivalent to between Vancouver to Kelowna. This doubled the distance we have made last year when we made it from Vancouver to Hope. September Assembly This was organized by the Islamic Studies teachers with a focus on lessons to be learnt from Ramadan. The presentations also shed some light on Muslim Manners through the teaching of Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him. The assembly with a beautiful Nasheed about the Prophet. Students from different grades presented different parts of the assembly program. Jazak Allah Khairun to all the staff in the Islamic Studies Department for putting together such a wonderful and meaningful assembly within such a short time. Field Trip Br Gill & his Grade 5 class visited the Vancouver Airport and was able to go behind the scene - quite an eye opening experience for all participants. Sr Michelle and her Grade 7 students visited the Richmond Library getting geared up to all the research knowledge and skills required to be successful in Grade 7. Summer Renovation These projects were completed over the summer to ensure a safer and happier environment for our students: installation of 2 lower sinks for each of the elementary student washrooms; lowering of the basketball stands at the back of the school, making shooting a basketball more attainable and yet still challenging for our students; installation of a fun hoop for younger students. Another major change in facilities is the relocation of our Resource Room to our former science lab in elementary building. This move makes way for the southern end of this building to be eventually converted into a day care facility.
News From Islamic Studies Department Al-Asma Ul-Husna Learning Program Insha Allah, students are encouraged to continue on this personal journey until they learnt all the 99 Names of Allah. Details of award levels will be out soon to students through their Islamic Studies teachers. Testing of achievement levels will take place in February with awards presented soon after. Quran Competition (Tentative Schedule) Quran final competition is tentatively set for April 2012. Application forms will be distributed. Finalists selection will take place before Spring Break. The categories are: Kindergarten Grade 1 & 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Surah Al-Fatiha & An-Nas to Al-Homaza Surah Al-Fatiha & An-nas to Al-Leil Surah Al-Fatiha & An-Nas to Abaassa Surah Al-Fatiha & An-Nas to An-Nabaa Juz Amma & Surah Al-Mursalaat & Surah Al-Insaan Juz Amma & Juz Tabaarak (only to Surat Al-Jinn) Juz Amma & Juz Tabaarak Challenge (Any Grade) Juz 28, 29 and 30 Donations for Quran Competition Please support this important learning challenge for our children by donating generously to the prizes. For a donation of $25, you will be able to provide a trophy for one of the finalists. No amount of donation is too small. You can bring your cash or cheque to the school office. Please specify that the donation is for Quran Competition prizes. Page 4 BC MUS LIM SCHOOL
Page 5 Photos Retake Photos retake will be held on October 24. Please let the homeroom teacher know if you don t want your child to have his/her pictures taken. PAC Hot Lunch Order (Oct. 11, 2012) A reminder that order deadline is Tuesday, October 9, 2012. DATES TO REMEMBER October 8 October 11 October 19 October 24 October 25-26 October 29 October 31 November 1 November 4 Public Holiday School Closed Hot Lunch (Parents Committee) Pro-D Day School Closed Photos Retake Eid ul-adha (Tentative) School Closed In-School Eid Celebration Hot Lunch Assembly @ 9:15 a.m. Day Light Saving Wassalamu Alaikum Farida Wahab Principal