Author: brightstudents

brightstudents http://brightstudents.wordpress.com As Salaamu alaikum! Peace be upon you!

8th grade Graduation Party

Let us thank Allah and then thank the people who deserve thanks for a wonderful event, just before Ramadan.

A BIG SHUKRAN TO…

ARA PTO, ARA 1st grade instructor, the Eloudi family, the Furwan family, Br. Abdi Hasan of Buffalo, the ARA board president, and those who prepared food, setup and transportation for this function. May Allah bless you all. Aameeen.

And to our students, those who took the time to get dressed on a weekend afternoon to come back to school (?!), I hope we made it worthwhile. May Allah protect you my younger brothers. CONGRATULATIONS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Braces and Retainer Week becomes Courage Week for ARA 6th & 7th grades’ class (part 2)

So as the week goes along, I am in full solidarity by wearing my retainer with the lone student who wears a full set of braces. Now, unlike braces, retainers come in a set of two, top and bottom and are removable. Wearing the bottoms was normally what I did. But things changed when I added the tops.

Similar to braces, retainers will slur one’s speech. And that’s exactly what happened mid-week. As I attempted to speak students stared in shock as I physically struggled to pronounce every word. But that wasn’t the grand shock.

I looked up once during my struggles to find one student leaning over in full-on laughter. It was none other than the lone student. No? Yes. I said, “Ixmaa, you bedda not be waughing at me?” It was comical and no feelings were hurt. It was probably the lesson of the day. He was able to realize that there can be something funny about hearing altered speech, but it is not polite to laugh aloud. And his classmates were able to see that it is not the lone student who has the problem inherently but rather it is the device in his mouth that’s causing his slur.

 

An Art Teacher’s Confession

Let me just say right here, ok, I haven’t studied art formally, professionally. Wait a minute, I studied architecture in high school and at the university level…but that’s not art. Not artsy art anyway. So I am learning as I go along, but one of the most fascinating things I have learned about art is that it is highly engaging. One day after my 8th graders were looking like they were ready to storm the royal palace, I reached for the art book to begin our new unit: 3D art. And sara7atan (honestly) they were all in. Smiles replaced frowns, motion  replaced being motionless, lackadaisical was replaced with fantastical…I mean look at some of these Picasso-inspired works of art:

Moral of the story: let creativity chase away lethargy. And whatever you create be joyful and grateful…and praiseful to Him worthy of praise, the best of all creators.

“And We have created the human being out of an extract of clay (water and earth). Thereafter We made him (or her) as a fluid (and lodged it) in a safe place. Then We made the fluid into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We brought it forth as another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators.”

(Sura Mu’mineen, aayaat 12 -14)

Braces and Retainer Week becomes Courage Week for ARA 6th & 7th grades’ class (part 1)

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You guys didn’t think I would let such an amazing week for us go without documenting it. Subhaan Allah, what a week for our young leaders!

Here is how it starts: a student who is the only one of his kind seats himself at the Quran competition table. He is the only student who wears braces in the entire boys’ school. This has brought on the occasional knee jerk response from some hmmm let’s say maturing 6th graders he spends his day with. The intentional slurring of their speech to try and mimic his, not maliciously, children are just curious and like to try new experiences. So they want to see if theery can make his sound. But still. So he sits at the table in front of new faces, two of the three judges and recites very well. How well? We didn’t know at the time. There were 23 other students on the list. But we would soon realize no one matched his memorization, comfortability, tajweed and yes clarity in speech.

You see my friends Allah loves to bring those who are low up and those who pedestal themselves low. So I congratulated Isham Mahdi the first day back to school and said to share this great moment of victory I will break out my old retainers and wear them all week, starting from Monday. But oh the week was just beginning….

8th grade WWI social studies project

Social Studies 8

5/13/16

Al Rasheed Academy

Britain, Muslims and World War 1

 

PROJECT

Instructions: Write a four page response paper to your multi-week study of World War 1 and its impact on the international Muslim community.

Answer the following: What was the film Lawrence of Arabia about? Who ruled over the international Muslim community at this time? What do you think was the purpose of Britain involving itself with the Arabs? (Your answer here must be supported with evidence.) Did it accomplish its goal? Name three ayaat (or ahadith) that were not followed or practiced by the Muslims and led to their differing. What was the time period of this war?

Your response paper should contain citations following the MLA or APA format (see website, use search box). Cover paper is not included in four pages. Citation page is included. Paper must contain relevant, names, keywords and maps. Due date: May 20, 2016.

lawrence of arabia

 

Zero Tolerance

Dear respected parents,

As a senior instructor here at Al-Rasheed Academy and trustee of your children, I feel it is my responsibility to inform you about what is happening with your children while they’re with us. That is what this website is for.

There has been this year a few too many (sara7atan, a few is too many) cases where young children, followers of Nabiyyuna, have used incorrect/inappropriate words. I cannot and will not accept that behavior in a place that we have worked so hard to establish, simply for the reason of keeping our children safe from this type of behavior. I want you to know that I will not ignore to this behavior and I will do all I can to reverse these negative habits and keep your children safe from having to experience it.

Al Mukhlis/Sincerely,

Ustath Shaheed Ali