Life & Times of AYA
Dear Parents, Staff, Students & Community-Members:
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!
I missed seeing everyone at Eid this year; I was visiting family overseas. I hope that
everyone had as great an Eid as I had. From the pictures and articles in the Newsletter,
it seems that the Eid festivities went very well.
We are quickly approaching the end of the 1st Quarter, and we are seeing some
wonderful achievements from our students and our teachers. This is also the point in
the school year when the curriculum begins to get a bit more difficult, and some of the
students may begin to struggle.
So…what are we doing this year to make sure that struggling students get the help they need to become stronger and more confident students?
After-School Tutoring begins this week for students in Gr. 5 – 12.
By the end of the month, Tutoring will also be in place for students in Gr. K5 – 4.
We are beginning an English Language Learners pull-out program for students in
Gr. 2 – 5 who need to strengthen their skills in Vocabulary, Reading
Comprehension and Writing.
We will be starting Writing Workshops for our students in Gr. 1 -5.
We are looking into purchasing and having in place the following software by the
beginning of the 2nd
Quarter:
Fast Math, Brain Pop, Accelerated Reading & Accelerated Math, and
Criterion Writing
These programs will help all of our students achieve greater levels of mastery, and are
not intended only for the struggling students.
What are we doing for our more advanced students? The Gifted Pull-Out Program for Gr. 4 & 5 will begin this week.
We took 19 of our 10th
- and 11th
- grade students to HCC last week to take the
College Placement Test, which will then allow them to begin taking college
courses in January.
Preparation has begun for the Science Olympics. To enhance each student’s experience at AYA, we have also started the Qur’an Hifth
Club and the After-School Sports programs. Make sure to register your kids in these
programs! They are sure to enjoy them and benefit from them!
We hope that each parent will become involved in AYA’s activities and programs, and
will give us feedback as to how we can further improve them. The IPTA is the best
forum for this feedback and interaction. Become involved!
Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
Sr. Magda Elkadi Saleh
Principal
new
s
5905 E. 130th Ave., Tampa, Florida 33617 www.ayatampa.com (813) 987-9282
Bismillahi-r- Rahmani-r-Raheem
OCTOBER
Look inside...
NOVEMBER
2 IPTA MEETING 5 AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS BEGIN 6 PICTURE DAY 16 SOTM ASSEMBLIES 22 END OF FIRST QUARTER
23 NO SCHOOL/ Staff Day
CALENDAR of
The IPTA will meet on the first
Friday of each month from
8:30a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Going to
IPTA meetings is a great way to
earn family volunteer hours.
OCTOBER 2009 SHAWAL 1430
Tarbiyah Workshops/Interviews...2
Awards…………………………………...3
After School Clubs…....………...…...4
Eid Mubarak….……….……...……….6
Kids’ Corner………………..…...…….8
1 TIME CHANGE 6 IPTA MEETING 12 PICTURE MAKE UP DAY 13 SOTM ASSEMBLIES 20 NO SCHOOL/ Staff Day 25-30 NO SCHOOL/ Eid ul-Adha
Attention Students: The Yearbook Class is having a COVER CONTEST. The first place design will be on the front of this year’s yearbook. The runners up will have their drawings on the back cover. Please send electronic submissions to [email protected]. Hard copies can be submitted to Sr. Manal’s mailbox, or handed to her directly. DEADLINE: is October 19th!!!!
Newsletter Submission DEADLINE:
Friday, October 30th at 5:00P.M.
American Youth Academy
Page 2
INT
ER
VIE
WS
Tarbiyah Committee
Sr. Hebah, 4th
Grade
By: Jasmin Gutierrez and Yasmine Hussien
Another one of AYA’s new 4th grade teachers is Sr. Hebah Biuk. She decided to teach here at
AYA, because she attended this school when she was in the 9th and 10
th grades. Sr. Hebah has
a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Elementary Education from the University of South Florida. She likes teaching the 4th grade,
because she loves that her students display their individual personalities at this age. She also likes watching them grow,
learn, and that they have different ways to solve problems. What she likes most about teaching is making a difference and
providing her students with the knowledge that they need to be successful in the future. She said that the hardest thing about
teaching is that there’s not enough time in the day. Sr. Hebah utilizes patience and determination to help her get through
each day. The funniest moment she had in class while teaching was when she tripped in class a couple of times. Finally, her
favorite color is blue.
And that is the 411 on a few of AYA’s newest teachers!
Br. Jeff Quick, 4th
Grade
By: Ahmad Rifaie and Yezun Ali
We had the opportunity to interview one of AYA’s newest teachers, Br. Jeff Quick.
He was more than happy to be interviewed and answered the following questions:
1: How did you learn about AYA, and why did you decide to work here? After seeing an ad about an open
teaching position, Br. Jeff wanted to work here, because he was impressed with the school’s reputation.
2. What do you like about AYA? Br. Jeff likes the religious environment the school offers its students.
3. What is your favorite subject to teach? Math Rocks!
4. What do you plan to do to help AYA become a better school? “Enforce the school rules.”
5. What makes a student successful in your class? Students will be successful if they do their class work,
homework, and listen to instructions.
6. What do you do in your spare time? “I teach tennis lessons and spend time with my family.”
7. What did you want to be when you grow up? An Astronaut!
Since most of us (parents & students) are suffering from this generation gap. It is the Tarbiyah Committee's
pleasure to bring you very important workshops to bridge that gap. Our goals are:
1- To develop a faith for daily living based upon Islamic teachings that enable our children to achieve their
highest potential as Muslim youth.
2- To help our children develop self-confidence, self-respect and an appreciation of their own worth as
individuals.
3- To help our children grow as respected members of their families and citizens of their communities.
4- To help our children appreciate that the health of soul, mind, and body is a sacred gift, and that spiritual
wellness, physical fitness, and mental well-being should be maintained.
5- To work toward interracial acceptance and understanding.
6- To help our children develop their capacities for leadership, and use them responsibly with their peers and
in community life.
7- To help our children appreciate beauty, diversity, and interdependence of all forms of life and all resources,
which Allah has provided in their world, and to develop an ethical basis for guiding the relationships of
human kind with the rest of Allah’s natural environment, the community at large, and the universe.
Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Br. Mahmoud Gomaa, Assistant Principal
STUDENTS: You may be wondering, “What is wrong with my parents?” - They want me to do things they used to do twenty years ago.
- They do not understand that kids today are different than when they were young.
PARENTS: You may be wondering, “What is going on with my kids?” - They do not listen to me. If they do, they do it reluctantly.
- They do not like what I tell them, even though it is in their best interest. Please reserve
Friday, Oct 23rd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
in your schedule for our
first meeting.
American Youth Academy
Page 3
K4A: SALAH DEAN DABUS AND SABREEN AHMED
K4B: ABIER OBEID AND BELAL MANSOUR
K5A: ZANAIB MOHAMED AND OMAR SAAD
K5B: AZEEZA SAROUR
1A: ADULLAH FAYIZ AND ADAM ESSOUFI
1B: SANNA NASSAR
2A: SALAM TWAM AND OMAR OMER
2B: DANYA AWSHAH AND RITA BENKIRANE
3rd: LAYAL BARAKAT AND MOSTAFA ZAYED
4A: OSAMA GURWALA AND HEBA NASSAR
4B: KHALED YOUSEF
5TH: YASMEEN HASSAN AND AMIN TAHA
Category 2: Surat ul-Aadiyaat to Surat ush-Shams
First Place: Omar Omer, 2nd
Grade Second Place: Hasan Benbourenane, 2
nd Grade
Third Place: Abdul-Hakim Zekri, 2nd
Grade Participation: Adam Mansour, 1
st Grade
Participation: Abeer Hassan, 2nd
Grade
Category 3: Surat us-Saff First Place: Jihad Gomaa, 3
rd Grade
Second Place: Mostafa Zayed, 3rd
Grade Second Place: Hussein Mansour, 3
rd Grade
Third Place: Majd Merai, 5th Grade
Category 4: Surat us-Sajdah or Surat ud-Dukhaan First Place: Zena Omer, 3
rd Grade
First Place: Sarah Gomaa, 6th Grade
Second Place: Rashid Annahas, 7th Grade
Second Place: Abdulrahman Annahas, 10th Grade
Participation: Ameen Merai, 1st Grade
Participation: Razan Merai, 4th Grade
Participation: Bushra Annahas, 11th Grade
EIDMubarak!
By: Rahma Elmohd, 9th
Gr.
On the morning of Eid we wake up
to pray Fajr, wash our face, brush
our teeth and put on the wonderful
clothes that we picked out for this
fantastic day of Eid! We pile into
the car, with an excitement that
forces the car to bounce with pure
pleasure. The blessed words of
Allah(swt) ring through the car as
we drive up to the Masjid. Once
we exit the car a blast of joy gushes
out of everyone surrounding us.
Smiles are drawn on our faces. The
masjid court yard is smeared with
color, and compliments are
blanketed over us. Everyone
becomes silent as the Imam stands
for Salat ul-Eid, and we line up
shoulder to shoulder to praise and
worship the one and only Allah
(swt). Once the salat is over, we
gather together and congratulate
each other for a successful
Ramadan. The women sit and
catch up on the latest news while
the children rejoice! We look
around at this wonderful
community of ours and we know
that this Eid will a great one!
Category 1: Surat un-Nas to Surat ul-Qaari’ah Participation: Abdul-Malik Zekri, K4B Participation: Mamoun Zayed, K5B Participation: Nadeen Hassan, 1
st Grade
American Youth Academy
Page 4
2009-2010 Qur’an Hifth Club
AYA has established the Qur’an Hifth Club to help
increase your child’s memorization of the holy Qur’an.
WHO: K4-5th Grade students are eligible
WHERE: AYA classrooms
WHEN: Every Friday
TIME: 12:45-1:30p.m.
DURATION: October 9, 2009 to April 23, 2010
FEES: $100 (for the entire program!)
REGLISTRATION DEADLINE: WED, OCTOBER 7th
Surahs to be Memorized
Level 1: Surat An-Nas #114 to Surat Al-Balad #90
Level 2: Surat Al-Fajr #89 to Surat At-Takwir #81
Level 3: Surat Abasa#80-Surat An-Naba # 78 to
Surat Al-Mulk #67-Surat Al-Haaqah #69
Please see Sr. Nora in the Front Office for more
information!
After School Athletics Programs By: Hussien Qasem
The third season of AYA’s after school athletics
programs will begin this week. The school will offer some of the same sports as last year, and has added a few new ones. This year AYA introduces cross country racing, flag football, and the Little Stars Fitness program. Organizers hope to host individual and team competitions at AYA, as well as, play games on the road.
AYA will offer:
Boys’ Soccer: 1st to 5th graders
Girls’ soccer: 4th to 10th graders
Boys’ Soccer: Middle school students
Tennis: K3 to K5 and 1st to 3rd graders
Little Stars Fitness: K3 to K5 students
Martial Arts: 1st to 6th graders
Cross Country Racing: 4th to 8th graders
Boys’ Flag Football: 6th to 8th graders
This year, AYA will also accept students outside of the school to participate; however, they must pay an extra $50 registration fee.
If you are a High School student interested in being an assistant coach/aid, please contact Br. Souheil in the front office or email him at [email protected].
Ahlul-Qur’an Competition invites
you to be a part of the April 2010 contest!
Choose a category that suits your age and abilities and start practicing now! Please remember, if you placed in a category before, you may not participate in the same category again. You may register by E-mail at: [email protected], or contact: Sr. Dalia El-Deeb at AYA, Sr. Fatma Blassy at UAF, Sr. Mona Hemid, or Br. Hassan Sultan at Sligh Mosque. Look for more information in February 2010, insha’Allah.
Level 1: Ten Juz’a of the Holy Qur’an
Level 2: Surat Al-Baqarah or Surat Aali- Imraan
Level 3: Surat Al-Anfaal or Surat An-Nour
Level 4: Surat Luqman and Surat Yaseen
Level 5: The 27th
Juz;’a
Level 6: The 29th
Juz’a
Level 7: The 30th
Juz’a
Level 8: Surat Ath-Thariyaat
Level 9: Half the 30th
Juz’a
Level 10: Beginners Level: 20 Suras from Ad-Duha
to An-Nas+ Al-Fatiha
Mark your
calendars
now!
He may be one of your teachers. Perhaps, he is a
math whiz or a P.E teacher. Someone that is big
now was once this small. He is funny and kind. You
could say that he is hard on the outside and soft
on the inside.
WHO IS THIS PERSON??
American Youth Academy
Page 5
Tampa Bay Sports
By: Hussien Qasem and Amjad Alshalabi
September 10, 2009
This Buccaneer’s season promises to be an exciting one. The new coaching staff has made a lot of changes to the roster, and hopes to build a stronger team. The Bucs have signed many new players, including Marcus Johnson. Johnson had been with the Vikings since the 2005 drafts, and shows a lot of potential for Tampa. The Buccaneers will not use Cadillac Williams or Earnest Graham, but will be utilizing C. Smith, Kareem Huggins, and B.J. Askew. The Buccaneers have also signed DB Jarrett Bouie and Center Jonathan Compass, from the Oakland Raiders. Rookie punter AJ Trapasso has been added to the team. In addition, the Buccaneers have fixed their red zone problem. A. Bryant and M. Clayton, the Bucs wide receivers, are ready, and the Bucs have finally resolved their QB problem.
To make sure that they were under the 75 man roster, the Bucs waived CB Marshall McDuffie and Guard Ryan Schmidt. Antonio Bryant is back from his injury and ready to play. Rookie wide receiver Sammie Stroughter has also worked on his punt returns. The Buccaneers offensive captains are Brian Leftwich and Jeff Faine, and the defensive captain is Chris Hoven. Will Allen has also been chosen as the special teams captain. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday for their season opener. Hopefully, the Cowboys will win, JK.
update: The Buccaneers just had the most intense games. The Buccaneers had two major problems. Scabby Piscitelli and Jermaine Phillips were not doing their jobs and they left the back wide open. Since they are safety and not line backers, they should worry about their zone and not where the defensive line is. If Mike Nugget and the special team had not missed that field goal, the Bucs could have had some motivation. Also, if Jermaine Phillips had been able to block for Mike Nugget, the Bucs would have been tied with the Cowboys before the half. The Bucs lost to the Dallas Cowboys: 34-21
In our opinion, new coach Raheem Morris has tried hard to get the team where they currently are, however he is forgetting about the defense. He has not made as much of a deal with the defense as he has with the offense, and it is hurting the team severely. We are not sure if it is because he is young, or because he is inexperienced. We hope that the Bucs will not suffer the same fate of the Lions. On September 20th, the Bucs also lost to the Buffalo Bills: 33-20.
There are 2500 known species of fish.
2700 languages are spoken in the world.
It took Leo Tolstoy six years to write War
and Peace.
The king of hearts is the only king
without a moustache.
The human heart creates enough pressure
to squirt blood 30 ft.
The elephant is the only animal with four
knees, and they are pregnant for 22
months.
Justin Timberlake’s half-eaten French
toast is selling for $3,000 on eBay.
Fifteen people have been known to be
killed by tilting vending machines in the
hope of free sodas.
The glue on Israeli stamps is certified
kosher.
The world’s youngest parents were 8 and
9 years old and lived in China in 1910.
Termites eat wood twice as fast when
listening to heavy metal music.
Fun Facts Random, Fun, and Fascinating
By: Rula Hijaz and Kamal Taha
Community News: WELCOME to the
newest members of our community!
Abdel-Hameed: proud parents are Sr. Hebah Atieya and
Br. Mohammad Hamdan
Jude: proud parents are Sr. Sahar and Br. Ayman Barakat.
Dalal: proud parents are Sr. Nawal and Br. Khaled Khaled
Rayyan: proud parents Sr. Ghadah and Dr. Ziad Taha
New Advice Column Assalamu alaikum everybody. My name is
Br. Helpout, and I will be writing a new
advice column for the AYA Newsletter. You
can ask about any problem you’re having,
school struggles, or anything on your mind. I
am here to give real-life advice from an AYA
student just like you. Don’t worry, if you
want to stay anonymous, your secret is safe
with me. JUST REMEMBER: DO NOT USE
YOUR REAL NAME WHEN EMAILING
YOUR QUESTIONS! To contact me, please email
your questions to: [email protected]
American Youth Academy
Page 7
What’s Happening at AYA
First Graders Love Science!
By: 1st Grade A The first graders were very eager to start the new school year learning about the scientific process! We started by asking ourselves a question. We wanted to know if seeds really need water to grow. We did a little research and learned that plants need the sun, space, air and water to grow. We than gathered our thoughts to come up with a hypothesis, and Ameen Merai came up with the one we all agreed upon. Ameen eagerly raised his hand and said, "The seeds that we plant and water will grow, and the ones we don't water will die!" Then we started with the messy and fun part, actually conducting the experiment. We took lima bean seeds and planted them in our very own containers that we decorated in our special and unique ways. We then watered half of them, and the others stayed dry and crumbly. Some of us were upset that we didn't get to water our plants, but then again, we were trying to learn something. The boring part was keeping the data. We wanted to shout at Sr. Manal every time she wrote Day 1, Day 3, etc., but, finally, Day 7 had arrived. When we saw the seeds break open their coats and small sprouts emerged, we were super duper excited! We kept the data in our science logs. Maybe you can come by and check it out yourself!
A special THANK YOU to the following volunteers for doing a
wonderful job during AYA’s Adopt-A-Spot Clean-UP:
Abdulhaleem Ibrahim, 10th
Gr., Ahmad Abdulmagid, 3rd
Gr.,
Layal Barakat, 3rd
Gr., Rama Abdulmagid, 2nd
Gr.,
Saleh Alhammad, 2nd
Gr., Hakim Zekri, 2nd
Gr.,
Dana Barakat, 1st
Gr., Malik Zekri, K4B, Muhammad
Abdulmagid, Sr. Nadia Moumid, Sr. Diane Triggianni, and
Dr. Ayman Abdulmagid.
Phrases most used by AYA teachers: By: Jasmine Gutierrez and Sarah Quneibi
My Eid Days
Sr. Hanadi’s 1st Grade Islamic Studies Classes This Eid I had so much fun, because I got to go to the fun rides and I went swimming. I went to Busch Gardens. I went to eat ice cream. Lina Ibrahim, 1A.
This Eid I had so much fun, because I got to go the carnival. I ate ice cream. I had fun on the rides with my friends. Abdullah Omer, 1B.
This Eid I had so much fun, because I was with Nadir, Abdullah, Amena and Laith. I got Pokemon cards. I went on a fast and fun ride. I ate ice cream. Asadullah Fayiz, 1A.
This Eid I had so much fun, because I got to go to the carnival. I ate ice cream and went on the zero gravity ride. Daniel Khosrowabadi, 1B.
This Eid I had so much fun, because I got to go to Chuck E. Cheese. I went to a club house. I went to a restaurant. I got to go to someone’s house. Muhammad Falah, 1B.
Sr. Kariman- Iskity! Sr. Shabeah- Don’t Memorize! Br. Sohbi: Mash’Allah / Guys!
Br. Inshirah- Oh Oh!
American Youth Academy
Page 8
Sr. Alicia Hawari’s K4A Class:
If you could be any insect or animal, what
would you be? Why?
Serene Abulhaija: A butterfly, because they fly.
Sabreen Ahmad: A beatle, because…….
Shatha Ajaj: A bee, because I like bees.
Salah Dean Dabus: An elephant, because they have long
trunks.
Elyas Essoufi: Beatles, because they don’t sting.
Maryam Marie: A butterfly, because….
Maya Qudeiri: A butterfly, because they are beautiful.
Mazen Saghraoui: A spider, because I like Spiderman the
movie.
Yousef Shakweer: A lizard, because they have long tails.
Moayad Shehadeh: A rhino, because they have nice skin
(like armor).
Raghad Swar: A horse, because they are beautiful and run
fast.
Title- by:
By: Mohammad Fahda and Abdullah Tamari
Sr. Farah,Naz’s K4B class
If you could be any cartoon character which one
would it be? Why?
Nihal Abbu: Alphabet Barney, I don’t know why.
Walid Alqam: Batman, because he can fight.
Malik Falah: Sponge Bob Square Pants, because I
like him.
Dalia Hawari: Princess Diaries, just because.
Hares Ibrahim: Superman, because he fights and
flies.
Su’ad Macedonio: Tinker bell, because she flies.
Belal Mansour: Spiderman, because he makes webs.
Hiba Mrabtassa: Barbie, because she has nice
clothes.
Maraim Mustafa: Dora, because she has a monkey.
Abeir Obeid: Max And Ruby, I don't know why.
LaraTwan: Diego, because he saves animals.
Abdul-Malik Zekri: Transformers, because they
save the day!
We also had very busy day during our Eid party. We had a
workshop on how to make Eid cookies. The children
enjoyed working with the dough, cutting it using
different shapes, and decorating their cookies with icing
and sprinkles.
I would like to remind parents that the K4C class has a
different schedule from the rest of the K- building. The
drop off time is 8:00 am, and the pick-up time is 12:00 pm,
Monday through Friday. Arrivals after 8:15 am will be
considered tardy.
Insha’Allah, together we can make a difference in the
future of our children. Please, remember to read to your
child at least fifteen minutes a day. Also, make learning a
fun experience. For example, when you go to the store, talk
about different types of fruit and vegetables that you may
see and buy. Explore his/her personality by knowing
his/her favorite color, food, clothes, etc. Most importantly,
spend more valuable time with him/her at this young age.
Alhumdu’Allah, AYA’s third K4 class began on
September 23, 2009. We have a unique group of students
from all different backgrounds. On the first day, there
were a few tears, but a lot of joy and cheers from parents
and their children.
Sr.
Mah
a’s
K4
C C
lass
Sta
nd u
p fo
r w
hat y
ou b
elie
ve in
, even if y
ou a
re sta
ndin
g alo
ne.
Motto
of th
e M
onth
, contr
ibuto
rs: R
ah
ma E
lmohd a
nd R
ula
Hija
z