Weekly News

Assalam Aleikum!

Dear NISL Families,

I am excited to share that the start of the 2024-2025 school year was marked by a great turnout at our Back-to-School Night! Thank you to everyone who attended.

As a reminder, our academic year for K-8th grade is divided into four quarters. Students and families will receive report cards at the end of each quarter. Here are the important dates:

Quarter Dates & Report Cards:

• 1st Quarter: 8/7/24 – 10/18/24
• Report Cards Released 10/25
• 2nd Quarter: 10/21/24 – 12/20/24
• Report Cards Released 12/27
• 3rd Quarter: 1/6/25 – 3/14/25
• Report Cards Released 3/21
• 4th Quarter: 3/17/25 – 5/22/25
• Report Cards Released 5/29

We will also hold Parent-Teacher Conferences twice a year: Once in the fall and again in the spring. Instructions for signing up will be shared closer to the dates.

Parent-Teacher Conference Dates:

• Fall Conferences: 9/26/24-9/27/24
• Spring Conferences: 2/20/24-2/21/24

We encourage families not to wait until report cards are issued to check on their child's academic progress. Regularly discussing your child’s performance and addressing any concerns before the quarter ends can make a significant difference. Please note that students cannot make up missed assignments after the quarter ends.

To stay informed, you can log into the Alma Portal anytime to check your child’s grades, assignments, and attendance.

Academic Recognition:
At the end of each quarter, we celebrate our students' achievements by recognizing those who qualify for the Honor Roll or Principal’s List:

• Principal's List: All A’s during the quarter (Certificate awarded)
• Honor Roll: All A’s and B’s during the quarter (Certificate awarded)
  Students who remain on the Honor Roll or Principal’s List for all four quarters will be honored at our Graduation and End-of-Year Awards Ceremony.

Alma Portal Information:

• New Families: You should have received an email from Alma to set up your account. If not, please check your spam folder for an email from notifications@getalma.com. Once your password is set, you’ll receive a confirmation email with your username. Note that your Alma username is not your email address but is formatted as firstname.lastname.
• Returning Families: If you’ve forgotten your password, visit nisl.getalma.com and click the "Forgot Password" link to reset it.

If you have trouble logging in or resetting your password, please contact Sr. Hafsah Salleng at hsalleng@nurislamicschool.org for assistance.

Supporting Your Child’s Academic Success:
Your involvement is crucial to your child’s success. Here are some simple ways to support their academic progress:

1. Check Grades Weekly: Regularly review grades and assignments on Alma. If you notice any missing work, follow up with your child and their teacher.
2. Set a Routine: Establish a regular homework and study schedule. A quiet, dedicated space can help your child focus.
3. Encourage Communication: Remind your child to reach out to teachers when they need help or have questions. Developing self-advocacy skills is essential for their success.
4. Monitor Screen Time: Help your child balance schoolwork with screen time and other activities. A healthy balance can improve focus and productivity.
5. Celebrate Progress: Acknowledge your child’s efforts and successes, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement can boost their confidence and motivation.

Your ongoing support at home makes all the difference in keeping your child on the path to success. Thank you for partnering with us!

Sincerely,

Aisha Blagaia
Principal

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said,

“Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah.”

Source: Sunan Abī Dāwūd 4811

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ‏ لاَ يَشْكُرُ اللَّهَ مَنْ لاَ يَشْكُرُ النَّاسَ

4811 سنن أبي داود كتاب الأدب باب في شكر المعروف

For our K-8 individuals and teams:

• Sr. Lobna, Sr. Mebarka, & Sr. Matou have been incredibly helpful to me! (Sr. Rubeena)

• Sr. Amani, Sr. Khadijah, & Sr. Nilofer Naaz are truly exceptional, alhamdulillah! (Sr. Rubeena)

• Br. Ammar, Sr. Niveen, & Ms. Ndife have provided invaluable assistance to me! (Sr. Rubeena)

• Ms. Desiree for helping me with 6th grade lunch on Thursday and for being there and stepping up when things got a bit hectic! (Sr. Niveen)

• Sr Walaa & Sr. Bothaina for checking on me and helping me with my new teaching position! (Sr. Sakina)

• Sr Rubeena for her commendable job with our kids at kindergarten while subbing for Sr Nour! (Sr. Sakina & Sr. Zainab)
• Ms. Kristen for assisting me with the Google classroom setup during her planning time! (Sr. Sakina)
  
• Br. Ammar for providing the course material, helping me out with the curriculum map and answering all my questions regarding the syllabus! (Sr. Sakina)
• Br. Omar for keep students cool during recess! (Ms. Stacey)

• Ms. Matrid: The heart that she put on her subject and the wonderful sense of humor she treats the teachers that makes the long day is a joy! (Sr. Wisal)

• Ms. Desiree: The calmness that is above her oceans of knowledge, commitment, purity, heart sweetness, and respect to everyone in our school. thank you, Ms. Desiree! (Sr. Wisal)

• Sr. Lobna: is ready for any challenge, to any brand new tasks, with great creativity, improving her students in her subjects, we are so proud of her! (Sr. Wisal)
  

• Sr. Rubeena for transitioning from kindergarten sub to lead teacher for Technology and Art with excellence. All planning documents including curriculum maps and lesson plans were completed for the year for all sections, mashaAllah! (Sr. Zainab)
• Sr. Matou for voluntarily tutoring students after school in math! (Sr. Zainab)
• Sr. Sakina and Sr. Rubeena for collaborating to ensure student success! (Sr. Zainab)
• Sr. Lobna, Sr. Mebarka, Sr. Bothaina, and Sr. Walaa for consistently being the first to complete tasks in the best and most complete ways! (Sr. Zainab)
• Sr. Amani and her 1st grade team (Sr. Khadijah and Sr. Lobna) for making excellent progress in cafeteria and lunch management. Your hard work is showing results! (Sr. Zainab)
• Sr. Nour, Sr. Amani, Sr. Mebarka, Ms. Desiree, Sr. Bothaina, Sr. Nouna, Sr. Matou, Ms. Matrid, and Sr. Aisha T. for uploading lesson plans on time for four consecutive weeks! (Sr. Zainab)

This week, middle school English language arts teachers received accelerated training from Dr. Kimberley Santos of Amplify Education. Dr. Santos provided valuable feedback designed to accelerate program implementation. NISL updated the ELA curriculum at the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year to provide high quality, research-based curriculum for students in grades K-8.

Over the summer, teachers in grades 3 through 5 participated in Amplify training here at NISL. InshaAllah, the final round of reading training for kindergarten through grade 2 teachers is scheduled for the end of September.

"What is Amplify ELA?

Amplify ELA helps students in grades 6–8 read and understand complex texts that encourage them to grapple with interesting ideas and find relevance for themselves. Amplify ELA is a blended program that includes both digital and print materials, as well as a print-only version. Students using Amplify ELA read text passages closely, interpret what they find, discuss their thinking with peers, and develop their ideas in writing. The lesson structure is easy to follow, but flexible enough to allow for a variety of learning experiences and varied enough to keep students engaged.

Features include:

• Functionality that allows individual students to work at their own level while also being challenged appropriately.
• Built-in tools that allow teachers to track and respond to student work.
• The digital Amplify Library, which contains more than 700 downloadable full-length fiction and nonfiction books.
• The Vocab App, which uses game-like activities to help students master keywords from the program’s texts. (Students using print materials will see keywords highlighted.)
• Independent writing assignments called Solos, available on mobile devices.
• Interactive projects called Quests that accompany certain units to provide additional practice with analytical reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills."

What is Amplify CKLA?

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK–5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.

Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.

taken from https://amplify.com/caregiver-hub/amplify-ela/

• Monday, 9/2: No School - Labor Day
• Wednesday, 9/25: No School - Staff workday
• Thur. 9/26 - Fri. 9/27: No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
• 9/30 - 10/4: No School - Fall Break
• Friday, 10/18: End of Quarter 1
• Friday, 10/25: Quarter 1 report cards released

...inshaAllah

• No school on Labor Day

• Text before sending fish with your child for lunch

• Send a refillable water bottle with your child each day

ART

Learn how to draw a nature scene, focusing on elements like trees, flowers, and animals.

ELA

Letters of the Week: Mm, Nn, Oo, Pp

ISLAMIC STUDIES

Wudu and Salah

MATH

Numbers of the Week: 12, 13, 14, 15

• Recognize, write, and represent each number is various ways.

SCIENCE/SOCIAL STUDIES

• Dua after eating
  

• Shape: Rectangle

• Color yellow
• Days of the week
• Letters from taa(ط) through to ghayn غ
• Count numbers from 11 to 20

REMINDERS & NOTES

No school on Labor Day

Send a refillable water bottle with your child each day.

Shape Collage Creations

English Language Arts

Islamic Studies

Math

Unit: Animal Classifications: Animal Kingdom

• Focus:

• Learn how animals are classified.

• Understand basic needs and life cycles of plants and animals.

Unit: Chapter 1, Lesson 5: Our Leaders

• Dua after eating

• Lesson 2 Arabic letters shapes

• Letter shapes exercises 1-4 page 17

• Similar letters in Quranic script

• Practice reading letters in different shapes.

Unit 1: Introduction to Technology

• Lesson 1: What is Technology?
• Lesson 2: Technology in Our Lives

REMINDERS & NOTES

English Language Arts

Social Studies

Unit A - Chapter 4 : "My God Is My Creator"

REMINDERS & NOTES

Weekly Homework Packet DUE FRIDAY, 9/6

ELA

Science:

Finish Chapter 1

• Living/non-living
• Organisms
• Difference between plants and animals

Quiz: Thursday, 9/5

Unit A - Chapter 2: "I Believe in Allah"; Chapter 3: "Allah's Angels"

English Language Arts

• Lesson 3: Cause and Effect
• Lesson 4: Sensory Details

Science

Energy conversion

• Chapter 1
• What happened to the electrical system the night of the blackout?

Unit A

Chapter 3 Prophet Lut

Chapter 4 Prophet Yaquob & His Beloved Son

• Learn the story of Prophet Lut (AS).

• Describe the society that Lut (AS) lived in.

• Identify what happens to those who ignore the truth.

• Identify Prophet Yaquob (AS) and his family.

• Create and build sportsmanship and lean how to shear the equipment.

• Endurance and cardiovascular development.

• Coordination and balance development using obstacle course and physical games.

• Introduction to volleyball (passes/ reception/ And serving)

SEL

Lesson 05:

• Learn to identify strong points about yourself to build on them for a positive self-concept

Lesson 06:

• Learn what you can become your greatest self by using positive actions.

• Lesson 16 - Chapter 6
• The Connecting Hamza (Hamzat Al-Wasul)

• Lesson 3 - Chapter 2
• The Alphabet Letters with Fat-ha (ـــَــ)
  

English Language Arts

Science

Unit 1 Lesson 1.4 Distance To The Stars

• Preparing to Measure Distances
• Understand that the size of objects in space is relative; for instance, Earth can seem both big and small when compared to other objects in space.

Social Studies

Unit 1 Chapter 2 Lesson 2

Explorers for Spain

• Learn the explorers for Spain that led to movements and discoveries

1. Explain the importance of a Sahaba in Islam.

2. Divide the various categories of Sahabah into their ranking.

3. Understand why it is impossible to become a sahabi today.

4. Outline who the awliya’ are.

5. Differentiate between Mu’jizaat and Karamaat.

PE

• Create and build sportsmanship and lean how to share the equipment.

• Endurance and cardiovascular development.

• Coordination and balance development using obstacle course and physical games.

• Introduction to volleyball (passes/ reception/ And serving)

NO SEL: PE week

Lesson 4A/Quran- Salah Part

• In this lesson, we will study verses 6 and 7 of Surah Al-Fatihah.

• Core Concept 2.5: Forces inside Earth
• Core Concept part 3: 3.1 Climate and weather
• Core Concept part 3: 3.2 Temperature

1. Illustrate how the world is only a place of means.

2. Recall the journey of the soul and Barzakh.

3. Discuss the events that will take place on the day of judgment in detail.

4. Illustrate which types of deeds will be heavy and light on the scales.

PE

• Create and build sportsmanship and lean how to share the equipment.

• Endurance and cardiovascular development.

• Coordination and balance development using obstacle course and physical games.

• Introduction to volleyball (passes/ reception/ And serving)

NO SEL: PE week

Learn Surah Al-Fatiha

Lesson : 4a Quran-Salah Part

• In this lesson, we will study verses 6 and 7 of Surah Al-Fatihah with the meaning
  

Technology

No technology this week

Art

• Get to know each other, Name!
• Decorate your Name!

1. Explain the importance of having full conviction in reciting the Shahada.

2. Understand the different parts of Hadeeth: Matn and Sanad

3. Learn the importance of Isnad

4. Appreciate the work of the narrators: Ilmur Rijaal

5. Understand the basic types of Hadeeth

• Quran part: Guidance for Muttaqeen 1C
• The first 2 Ayat of Surah Al-Baqarah
• Virtues of Surah Al-Baqarah
• Brief Explanation

PE

• Create and build sportsmanship and lean how to share the equipment.

• Endurance and cardiovascular development.

• Coordination and balance development using obstacle course and physical games.

• Introduction to volleyball (passes/ reception/ And serving)

NO SEL: PE week

Chapter 1

• Section 4
• Climate and Resources

Technology

No technology this week

Art

• Get to know each other, Name!
• Decorate your Name!