School Updates

Elementary

Ms. Rizwana Harun has come up with new activities for her 4th and 5th grade math classes. When school was in-person, she would give her students math activities to do in groups. Now, the students play online math games and Ms. Harun monitors their progress. Ms. Harun says, “They love playing math quizlet games” and they often want to spend extra time in her class to play these games. Harun has a “treasure box” system where she rewards 3 students per section with a gift. “Every month, whoever performs well and shows steady/consistent improvement in terms of work ethic and behavior gets to get something from the treasure box.” Parents can pick it up from the office any day during the week.

Ms. Aasiyah spent time earlier this month focusing on helping her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students memorize hadith in preparation for the Hadith Competition. In order to get her students excited and engaged, Ms. Aasiyah created the “hadith patrol.” When she started class, she would say “The hadith patrol is on the roll,” and tell the students that they are all cadets and each time they memorize a hadith, they move up a rank. She says, “They really enjoy that… from 1st-3rd grade, Alhamdulillah.” She also developed two reward systems for the students. Ms. Aasiyah has a treasure box, where students can earn small gifts when they memorize hadith, and also a “wall of fame” where she awards students certificates. However, since school is virtual this year, rather than giving them the certificates she tapes them to the whiteboard for her students to see and it makes them feel proud. Ms. Aasiyah explains, “It’s really about making it fun for them and keeping their attention. I’m trying to do everything I can to do that.”

Middle

Ms. Rizwana teaches geometry to a small group of middle school students. The geometry class did a project on “how to make efficient models that they can sell” based on angles and measurement they’re learning in their class. In an in-person setting, they could have made real models but because most students are home and do not have many supplies and access to supplies, Ms. Harun asked them to make 2D models. (picture below)

Ms. Maysa, who teaches English Language Arts for students in 7th grade and high school, held a travel brochure contest for her middle school students. The students made travel brochures after researching different countries and places to visit. Ms. Maysa says, “This is a real-world project, meaning these students can see real-life examples and parallels to the work they’re doing, which I believe is very important.” Not only are students completing a practical project, according to Ms. Maysa, but they are also able to strengthen their research skills and grammar. “This project encourages students to focus on the things we overlook on a daily basis, like the names of different places and countries needing to be capitalized.” The students not only peer-review their work but get to vote and decide who they think made the best brochures in the class. To encourage her students, Ms. Maysa gave the students with the most votes Amazon gift cards.