The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“No father has given a greater gift to his children than good moral training.”
(Tirmidhi).

Here are some training tips and techniques to transform your children’s minds
and memories this Ramadan:

Let them get their Hands Dirty

Children learn by “doing”. On average, students retain 75 percent of a lesson
when they learn through hands-on activities compared to five percent through
a lecture or 10 percent through reading (Brunmer, Jerome, “The Process of
Learning”).

If, for example, you want to teach your kids the concept of Zakat, get them
to help you calculate your Zakat, decide where to send the money, and mail
the envelopes. Action and implementation can occur while children learn, not
necessarily after!

The Prophet used to take his daughter Fatima with him when he went for prayer
at the Kaba in Makkah. Later, in Madinah, he would bring his grandchildren,
Hassan and Hussain, to the Masjid as toddlers before they knew how to pray.
A concept becomes real and important to children when they experience it rather
than simply read about it. They’ll remember how to do it years later when you
may catch them telling their friends, “I’ve been calculating Zakat since I was a
kid!”

Involve their Emotions

When children get emotionally involved in an activity, they rarely want to
leave it. Video games and TV shows target children’s emotions. As parents and
educators, we can use the same technique for training.

Stories, songs, skits, crafts and games grab children’s emotions. Once a child is
interested and excited, she is more likely to stay attentive till the end and get the
message you want to give. Just as we remember events in our lives that were
emotionally significant, children remember concepts learned through activities
that were “fun”, “funny”, “exciting” or “different”.

Don’t be afraid to stir some fun into your training-you don’t have to lose any
content. Write a song about Eid, create a Hadith treasure box, organize a
Ramadan trivia night, or read a story about Ramadan in Madinah. If they enjoy it,
the kids will come back for more!

Reveal the Purpose
We often hear students complain, “Why do we have to do this?” or “This math
exercise is pointless”. Unfortunately, we often hear responses like, “Because I’m
telling you to,” “Because you have to”, or worse, “You’ll get a new CD player if
you finish the book”.

Like us, if children don’t see the purpose or importance of an action, they won’t
have the motivation to complete it. To avoid getting similar comments from your
kids about prayer or fasting, make sure they understand the purpose. Before you
begin any lesson, whether it’s a story about the Companions of the Prophet or an
Eid craft, explain exactly why you are the doing the activity and what benefits the
children will gain from it.

Remind your children that they are doing acts of worship to please Allah, not you.
Explain why we need to please Allah and how every action, including washing
dishes or math homework, will help us achieve that goal. If children are praying
only to please you, when you leave, their motivation and prayers will disappear.
If children are motivated to fast Ramadan or complete the Quran for a material
incentive (like a CD player), they may never develop a love of Allah or an intrinsic
desire to perform the action. They may, instead, learn to value material rewards
and when the rewards disappear, the actions may disappear with them.
Help your children understand that, for Muslims, rewards don’t necessarily come
in this life. They may have to wait for the bigger and better rewards of the
hereafter.

Highlight the Big Ideas
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in
school.” – Albert Einstein
Ask yourself how many equations or formulas you remember from your Grade
12 Math textbook. It may be five or two or none. Let’s be honest – most of us
retained very little of the details we learned.

Children will not retain all the Fiqh rulings of Zakat or Wudu or Salah and they
won’t need to! Make sure the little that they retain is exactly what you want
them to remember. Focus on the big ideas, such as the awareness that Allah is
watching us, that we get our rulings from the Quran and the Sunnah, that prayer
is a means of self-purification, etc. Repeat these ideas every day in different
ways. While your children instil these principles in their minds, show them how to
learn the rest on their own, when they need it.

Help your kids learn “how to learn”. Teach them where to find the Fiqh
information they need or how to do research on a topic and who to ask for
information. They will be better prepared if they master the basics and know how
to get the specifics. Memorizing every ruling will be a waste of their time and
yours.

Let them Lead!
Children often take responsibilities more seriously than adults. The Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, appointed young adults like Ali, Anas and
Usamah ibn Zaid, young adults, for important assignments that sometimes
required them to lead even older and more experienced Companions.
Give children leadership over important tasks and step out of the picture. Assign
one child to wake up all his siblings for Suhur. Let someone else be in charge
of updating the Iftar time every evening. Allow the children to plan, budget and
buy Eid gifts for all the relatives. Let them choose which task they want to “be in
charge of”.

Allow children to make mistakes and realize on their own what they should have
done. Experience often trains better than instruction. Once a child goes out into
the cold without a jacket, he’ll remember, before you can remind him, to put on
his jacket next time.

Train kids to be responsible for their own learning. If a child asks, “Does brushing
teeth break my fast?” a simple “yes” or “no” may give her the answer, but won’t
provide any long-term training. Ask her instead, “Where can you look to find that
answer? Let’s do some research.”

Begin the month of Ramadan by asking your children to do a research project on
what breaks the fast and what does not. If they find the information themselves,
they are likely to remember it and know exactly where to get it again next year.
“The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn and
change.” – Carl Rogers

Get Excited!

Kids catch on to your enthusiasm. Show some excitement and passion about the
topic you’re teaching. Show your kids that you “can’t wait” for Ramadan to begin.
Be cheerful at prayer times. Decorate the house in anticipation of Eid.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, taught by example. His character
and actions motivated people to love and emulate him. Be the example you want
your kids to be. Make a genuine effort to love the activities you want your kids to
love.

Combine Love with Learning

Abu Huraira reported that al-Aqra’ b. Habis saw the Prophet, peace and blessings
be upon him, kissing Hasan (his grandson). He said: I have ten children, but I
have never kissed any one of them, whereupon Allah’s Messenger, peace and
blessings be upon him, said: He who does not show mercy, no mercy would be
shown to him. (Muslim)

Show children that you love them, regardless of how they perform. Allow each
child to progress at his own pace. Saying, “look at your cousin Aminah-she’s
already finished the fifteenth juz”, will only lower your child’s self-esteem and
discourage what she’s already accomplishing.

Excessive competition and comparison can often result in helplessness and lack
of motivation for children who learn in different ways or at a slower pace. Allow
children to judge their own progress and compare themselves to their former
level rather than that of others.

Make this Ramadan the beginning of a memorable and long-lasting training
experience for you and your children!

By Shehnaz Toorawa

She is available every Friday after Jumah to take the measurements for your daughter’s uniforms. She will bring the uniforms to Orientation. If you don’t make it on that day, she will be available at Orientation.

But please don’t wait until the last minute. After Orientation, Sis.Amatullah will be available to bring uniforms to the school for only 2 weeks!!! After 2 weeks, it will be up to each individual family to make the arrangements to get their uniforms from Sis.Amatullah!!

New World Fashions, 770-463-2179. Download the order form.

In an effort to increase enrollment and allow every child the opportunity to receive quality
Islamic Education, the Atlanta Masjid, Consultative Board, and the Islamic Muslim Business
Association, have partnered with Mohammed Schools to introduce the BOLD Scholarship
Program! (Building Outstanding Leaders of Distinction) With the advent of the new BOLD
Scholarship program, parents are offered a reduced rate tuition in exchange for their full
participation in MS programs and events such as the “Dollar-A-Day” program, the School
Uniform Policy for all students, on-time tuition payments, etc… BOLD details can be found
below. Download the application, print it out, fill it out, and turn it in to the Atlanta Masjid.
We look forward to a rewarding school year! May Allah continue to bless our endeavors,
enjoy the rest of your summer, and let’s prepare for an exciting new school year, In-sha-Allah!!

Respectfully,

Safiyyah Shahid
Director/Principal
Mohammed Schools of Atlanta

Look forward to all of these great things to be laid out in full detail at Orientation! You just have to be there!

• Meet the Director and Staff for the 2010/2011 School Year!
• Learn about new school programs!
• Meet the new IPTSCA Officers!
• Meet and Greet Consultative Board Members!
• Talk to other parents about car-pooling!
• Get involved with the School Improvement Initiative
• Pick up previously ordered uniforms!
• Schedule Classroom Visits and Teacher Meetings!
• Sign up for the After-school Program!
• Get Lunch Program information & Costs
• Get full details on the Fundraising Program and each family’s responsibility!

Come out and get ready for an exciting year! See you there!

On May 22, 2010 the Mohammed Schools of Atlanta will host its Eighth AnnualMoonlight Ball 2010 in a National Educational Conference Weekend to celebrate thirty years of Islamic Independent Education! Our theme this year, “Sacrifice, Success, and Sustainability” captures the spirit of our past and present, and focuses on the vision for the future of Mohammed Schools. We are seeking your Sponsorship to support our Vision for success which is a critical part of the educational experience at Mohammed Schools.

“Sacrifice”- Thirty years ago, in 1980, a young community of African American Muslims banded together to continue the legacy of independent education established by Sister Clara Mohammed and her husband The Honorable Elijah Mohammed. This was a legacy steeped in honor, accountability, and perfection. With very little means, and many committed souls, a building was purchased, teachers were hired, tuition was scraped up by struggling parents, students were enrolled and the doors were opened to Clara Mohammed Elementary School.

“Success”- In 1988, six students who started in the Pre-K class in 1980, forged into new territory as Clara Mohammed School extended its grasp to High School. By adding on a single grade with the same students each year, the community was soon able to see its dream come into fruition by graduating its very first High School class in 1992. Through sacrifice, commitment, and service, we have graduated 18 Senior Classes, and have become the only African American, independent, fully accredited Islamic elementary, middle, and high school in the United States. Even more importantly, the Alumni numbers into the hundreds and have made significant marks in numerous fields of endeavors, including returning to work at Mohammed Schools.

“Sustainability”- Our ability to maintain the success we’ve achieved lies in the hands of our families, community, and supporters. Sponsorships are absolutely critical to our mission. As the US economy suffered some unfortunate losses during the global economic crisis, so did Mohammed Schools. But just as the US economy begins to re-establish itself as a financial leader, Mohammed Schools will re-establish itself as the leading force of Islamic education in the country. In a world of technology advancements and creative ingenuity, Mohammed Schools will not only prepare our students to compete in the global community, but we intend to remain at the forefront by producing Highly Educated Leaders and Noble Citizens of the World.

Thank you for your contribution to Mohammed Schools. Your tax-deductible gift will enable the school to continue its work of providing a world class education to all children.

Respectfully,
Crystal Shahid
Co-Chair, Mohammed Schools Moonlight Ball 2010
“The Power of Thirty!”

As-Salaam Alaikum,

FROM THE DESK OF THE DIRECTOR/PRINCIPAL
REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

Dear Community,
The “winds of March” are renowned for the cool winds they blow and being harbingers of the coming spring. So it was on March 10th and 11th of this year when we hosted the Quality Assurance Review Team from SACS/CASI. Those two days were the culmination of work begun in 2005 when we started afresh on our school improvement. For five years we have been actively striving to continuously improve what we do for students and now the fruit of our striving has come into sight.

What we accomplished came about through the efforts of so many people. A team of school staff, students, community members, and educational consultants accepted the task to lead the effort to ensure that the school was meeting the seven research-based standards that reflects a quality school. Sis.Jeanette Nu’Man, our leader, guided us through the daunting process as we navigated murky waters of the change process. Change meant looking at how we do business and whether we are effective at what we do. Change also means being willing to acknowledge strengths and weaknesses and working to create and shape the future we collaboratively envision as a comunity.
That being said, we dug in our heels and rolled up our sleeves. Everyone boarded the ship and in spite of rough and sometimes raging waters, we set sail for excellence, and here we are today.

The visit by the team was successful and these are the outcomes I want to share with you. These are some of the areas in which the Mohammed Schools received high commendations:

1. Strong sense of community and belonging with shared ownership.

2. Maintaining up-to-date school profile focusing on demographics and school and community data. This serves as direction for achievement.

3. Collaboratively developed measurable schoolwide goals and objectives in four priority areas with a clear focus on improving .

4. Commended for networking with Dekalb County Staff Development Program to participate in relevant professional development to improve student learning.

5. Having leadership that fosters an academic learning climate and promotes quality instruction with a culture of hig expectations for student learning.

6. Collaboration with stakeholders to support student learning, raise money for an effective school operation and access community resources, and also collaborating to mange finances.

Alhamdulillah for our accomplishments!!! We also received 4 recommendations that I would like to share with you, as well, to keep you abreast of our school-wide focus:

REQUIRED ACTIONS (RECOMMENDATIONS)

1. Make direct correlation between evaluation and goals: Correlate professional learning with staff evaluations and schoolwide learning goals in school improvement plan.

2. Expand distribution of information about student performance and school effectiveness to a broader range of stakeholders and the outer community.

3. Create annual achievement goals with in the school improvement plan sing Benchmarks to periodically review and monitor student progress and adjust achievement goals accordingly. (Develop an incremental timeline to more closely monitor student progress)

4. Develop a technology instructed plan by grade level using existing technology with a schedule for students to complete technology goals throughout the school year. Take what we already have and adapt to students’ use and manage this process.

As Sis.Qur’an has so eloquently stated on her WDMH English/Literature website: “In sharing the results of their visit, the team reported that they found our school to be “impressive” because we have a passion for teaching and learning, and especially for educating our own. They thought our “strong bond” among teachers, students, parents, and the Islamic community was also impressive and inspiring. They said they thought we ran an “amazing” and “impressive” program that had a system and process for getting things done and meeting our goals. They liked the way that we set high goals and how we worked together –all stakeholders (the Atlanta Masjid community, the Atlanta Muslim community, the national Islamic community, the parents, the students, teachers, administration, suppor staff –everyone) to make our dreams a reality.”

So, thank you to the staff, thank you to the community, thank you to the students, and thank you to the parents for all that you do to make our Mohammed Schools as amazing as it is!

Respectfully,

Safiyyah Shahid
Director-Principal
Mohammed Schools of Atlanta

Read the Full April Update

Have a great monday!

Before you know it, we will be hosting our five year Quality Assurance Review (QAR) from Advance-Ed, our accrediting agency. We have submitted our Standards Assessment Report (SAR) and we are very pleased with our results. On Wednesday, February 3, 2010, we had a Pre-Visit with our chairperson for the QAR visiting team, Ms.Pat Summers. During this meeting we discussed the logistics for the upcoming visit such as hotel accomodations, transportation, and meal arrangements, as well as the schedule of activities for the 2 days.

During the QAR visit, the team will interview the Director/Principal, the school leadership team, teachers, students, parents, Consultative Board members, and members of the community. The team will also examine artifacts and practices that provide evidence of the seven standards: 1.) Vision and Purpose 2.) Governance and Leadership 3.) Teaching and Learning, 4.) Documenting and Using Results, 5.) Resource and Support Systems, 6.) Stakeholder Communications and Relationships, and 7.) Committment to Continuous Improvement. These are the standards that accredited schools are expected to meet, and, In-sha-Allah, our school is in compliance with these standards.

Parents are needed on the logistics committee to help ensure that the visiting team is treated to the highest quality of hospitality. If you are interested in serving on this committee or being interviewed, please call Sis.Edwina at (404)378-1042.

On another note, we have changed the date of the Day of Majesty 2010 from February 27th to Saturday, March 6th, after the QAR review to celebrate our successes, ISA. Our new date is also a reflection of the fact that we have not received the participation from even a quarter of our students. We have been enlisting the support of all our families for our “Day of Majesty” fundraiser since the beginning of January because it is a critical part of fulfilling the financial obligations of the school. We have been asking that each student 3K-8th grade raise AT LEAST $150 towards this fundraiser. Each High School student, we were asking that they bring in $30 for the month of February. Those $30 are to represent 30 years of uninterrupted Islamic Independent Education! It is a mighty accomplishment to celebrate, and we know that you feel the same. For all families that do not feel compelled to participate in the “Day of Majesty 2010″, please remember your obligation through your Fundraising Contract-that all students are obligated to participate at the $150 level.

Thank you for all that you do on behalf of the Mohammed Schools! May Allah continue to bless us with 30+ more years of Islamic Independent Education! As-Salaam Alaikum!

Safiyyah Shahid

– Check the Mohammed Schools Website for important updates and information. Did you notice that you hadn’t been receiving paper Newsletters? It’s all on-line! Please visit the school at www.mohammedschools.org for important Parent and Student information. You also have access to your own Mohammed Schools email address!! Contact your child’s homeroom teacher
for more information.

- Spring Soccer is here!!! Please contact Bro.Harold Basim at caliphsoccer@gmail.com to sign up!!

– Give congratulations to Zahrah Bashir and Abdul-Malak Squire on a full scholarship to Bard College in NY on behalf of the Posse Program! Following in the footsteps of alumnae Muhammad Kiyad and Jamal Rasheed!

- Science Fair winners will be announced on Friday, March 5th, at the school after Jumah.

– March 4th is Daylight Savings Time! Set your clocks forward for the Spring!

– Congratulate all Basketball Coaches on a “Season Well Done”!!! Our Basketball Season is one of the biggest highlights of the school year!

– We are “Celebrating 30 Years of Islamic Independent Education!!” Alhamdulillah!!!

– Students can be signed out on Fridays no later than 12:30pm, and
do not have to return back from Jumah.

– On-going “Bullying” workshops are held at Mohammed Schools
and are conducted by Bayyinah Shaheed every Tuesday.

– We were blessed with a grant from Dr.Naim Ali, Al-Hamdulillah, for Life Skills and Abstinence Workshops every Friday from 2:30-3:30p. Please feel free to join us in our gender-orientated workshops. Send inquiries to aisha.squire@mohammedschools.org

“Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition.”
Sura 39, Ayat 09

“Ayats for Family Discussion”

With Allah’s Name, Most Gracious,Most Merciful

1.When comes the Help of God and Victory,
2.And thou dost see The People enter God’s Religion in crowds,
3.Celebrate the Praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness:
For He is Oft-Returning (In Grace and Mercy).

Suratun Nasr
Sura 110
(A Meccan Sura)