Cafe Caliphs! Eid Breakfast is back!!

“Feast. Celebrate. Reflect”
When: Immediately following Eid Salat
Cost: Adults and children 12 and over $10
Children 11 and under $5
Where: Atlanta Masjid Dinning Room and Courtyard

Menu:
Berry Berry Waffles
Southern Fried Fish
Hot Scrambled Eggs
Southern-style girts
Hashbrown Casserole
Morrocan Flat Bread
Mint Tea
Mixed Seasonal Fruit
Fresh brewed Starbucks Coffee
Halal Chicken Sausage
& Buttermilk biscuits

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)

School will be closed tomorrow (Feb.15th) due to inclement weather. School will reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 16th.

You can expect to receive Progress Reports at that time. Please also plan to meet with your child’s teachers on Wednesday, Feb. 17th, 4-7 p.m. when we will have Parent-Teacher conferences.

Saturday, February 13th!
8am – 12noon

February 2010

“An Overview of the SACS Review!”

Dear Parents,

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 will have a Pre-Visit with our chairperson for the QAR visiting team, Ms.Pat Summers. During this meeting we will discuss the logistics for the upcoming visit such as hotel accommodations, transportation, and meal arrangements, as well as the schedule of activities for the 2 days.

During the 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.) Commitment 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 the committee, please call Sis. Edwina at (404)378-1042. If you are willing to be interviewed by the team, please let Sis. Edwina know as well. Those being interviewed will meet with the leadership team and will receive a list of topics the team will discuss.

On another note, we are enlisting the support of all our families for our “Day of Majesty” fundraiser. It is a critical part of fulfilling the financial obligations of the school! We are gearing up for a wonderful weekend during Moonlight Ball, but before we can move forward on that, we MUST fulfill our obligations towards the Day of Majesty. We are asking that each students 3K-8th grade raise AT LEAST $150 towards this fundraiser. Each High School student, we are asking that they bring in $30 for the month of February. Those $30 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”, 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

Hands-On Mohammed Schools Day!

This Saturday, January 16, 2010
from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
at the Mohammed Schools

Hands-On Mohammed Schools Day is a monthly volunteerism event at the schools.

Need to earn volunteer credit hours? Or just want to come support the cause?
Help us help Mohammed Schools!
(After all, service begins at home.)