Madina Academy Newsletter

As salaam alaikum,

The Windsor Health Department is conducting a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) survey to gather information from residents on their overall health and well-being. The anonymous results of this survey will be compiled and used to help develop our community priorities. The purpose of the CHNA is to identify the community’s public health priorities and needs, with a particular focus on mental health and suicide prevention. As a resident, your input and opinions are valuable and critical to the development of the CHNA. The CHNA community survey will be open for responses from January 10 through February 7, 2025. You can visit the site prior to January 10th to learn more about the process.

Please use the link below to complete the survey, which will take approximately 10 – 12 minutes. No personally identifying information will be collected. Your honest input and responses are greatly appreciated. The CHNA is being conducted as part of the Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention Grant, which is supported by the Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grant and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Should you have any questions about the survey, please reach out to Jennifer Waldo via email at waldo@townofwindsorct.com.

Survey link: bit.ly/40gWGWt

Dr. Ray Cooper

Assalamu Alaikum Madina Academy Ladies,

We are excited to announce that Muslimah's Night 2025 is just two weeks away!

Event Highlights:

Sweet treats and savory bites

Fashion and Talent Show

Games for all ages

Lipgloss charm trend, sugar cookie decorating, Dress to Impress, and more!

We'd like you to join us for a night of delicious food, delightful games, laughter, and sisterhood. Please RSVP here.

Theme: Victorian Tea Party

Date: Friday, February 14th

Time: 5:00-8:00 PM

Address: 519 Palisado Ave Windsor, CT 06095

See you then,

Madina Academy Juniors

Monday: PJ DAY:

Tuesday: Twin Tuesday

Wednesday: Soccer Mom Vs Barbecue Dad

Thursday: Throwback Thursday

Friday: Meme Friday

Please save the date for our annual Ramadan Fundraiser on 3/7/25

The school will be closed: March 24th to April 2nd. We return to school on April 3rd.

This month, let’s look at the importance of speaking good and avoiding saying hurtful words:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَقُولُوا۟ قَوْلًۭا سَدِيدًۭا ٧٠

يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَـٰلَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَمَن يُطِعِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا ٧١

“O believers! Be mindful of Allah, and say what is right. He will bless your deeds for you, and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, has truly achieved a great triumph” (33:70-71).

It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say something good, or else remain silent.”

In Islam, there's a strong emphasis on speaking only words that are kind and meaningful, or staying silent when necessary. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advised, “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say something good, or else remain silent.” (Sahih Muslim). This teaching encourages people to avoid harmful speech, such as gossip or backbiting, that could hurt others. By either choosing to speak positively or staying quiet, a person not only protects their own character but also upholds the dignity of those around them. It teaches us to be mindful of our words, ensuring that our communication fosters respect, kindness, and harmony within the community. Islam, in this way, sees words as a tool for connection and understanding, rather than division. The Quran also assures that by following this principle, Allah will bless our actions and forgive our mistakes.

It’s official! January has been recognized as Muslim Heritage Month in Connecticut--a meaningful and long-overdue celebration of our community. “Muslim Heritage Month is more than a celebration of history; it is a recognition of our shared humanity and the role Muslims have played in enriching our communities,” announced State Representative Maryam Khan, who once stood in our school as a teacher and continues to inspire us with her leadership today.

As the only Islamic school in Connecticut, this recognition holds a special place in our hearts. It reminds us of our duty to represent our religion with pride and spread da’wah within our state. For us, Muslim Heritage Month is not just about celebrating ourselves; it’s about teaching those around us who we truly are so they can appreciate and understand us for what we stand for.

CAIR-CT (the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Connecticut) is organizing events to help us celebrate this special opportunity. One exciting initiative is a Visit My Mosque event, scheduled for January 24th at 5PM at the Bridgeport Islamic Center. They have also created a comprehensive PDF guide available on their website to help schools incorporate Muslim Heritage Month into their classrooms.

Our teachers at Madina Academy have also assembled fun and educational activities for our students to participate in, demonstrating to our younger kids how important it is to be a proud Muslim. Ms. Danah, the Middle school and Elementary Islamic Studies and Quran teacher, starts the morning with interactive trivia questions, waking our students up and reminding them of our purpose for being here: to learn about and spread our religion. Her and Ms. Salsabeel, the High school Arabic and Quran teacher and Third Grade co-teacher, have also created a competition. Students participating are to pick one of the four Islamic topics and create a poem or video about it. This entertaining and academic contest displays our kids’ creativity, tech skill, language use, and most importantly, Islamic understanding.

Happy Muslim Heritage Month!

10th Grade Senior Trip Cultural Bake Sale

The 10th graders hosted a cultural bake sale to help fund their senior trip. The sale featured various foods from different cultures, offering a taste of the diverse community at Madina Academy. The sale was a hit, with many of us enjoying all the tasty treats it had to offer.

Dr. Cooper’s Winter Break IXL Challenge

During winter break of 2024, Madina Academy hosted an IXL competition for grades KG-8th. This challenge encourages students to learn without having to be at school. This competition helped kids have motivation and fun, which made learning engaging and rewarding. The winners will receive a pizza party!

When They Come Back :)

Amer and Zain Kabatilo, who graduated from Madina Academy two years ago, visited as guest speakers on December 19. They talked about their experiences in college and advised on study habits and time management. They shared tips like making a study schedule, not waiting until the last minute to do work, and breaking big tasks into smaller ones. They also suggested going over notes every day to help remember what to learn. The twins talked about what college professors expect from students and how classes are different from high school. They told students to focus on getting good grades and encouraged them to get as many volunteer hours as possible since college admissions are very competitive. Their talk gave helpful advice and encouraged students to work hard and stay on track.

At Madina Academy:

The Upper School students have the opportunity to become CPR certified. Students may sign their name on the sheet located in Mrs. Masuda's classroom. The CPR training will be held later this year. CPR certifications last for 2 years.

Why should you become CPR certified?

Getting CPR certified is a useful skill that helps you stay prepared for emergencies and can even save lives. Many cardiac arrests happen outside of hospitals, often at home, so knowing CPR means you can help family or friends when they need it most. Being certified is also important for jobs like healthcare, teaching, or babysitting. It gives you the confidence to act quickly in tough situations and helps make your community safer by knowing what to do.

The Student Council is dedicated to advocating for the needs and voices of all students, ensuring that every perspective is heard and valued. Our mission is to expand horizons by creating new opportunities for personal and academic growth, while constantly working to improve extracurricular activities, and advocating for additional opportunities. We are committed to staying on track by focusing on what truly matters to the student body, fostering leadership, and supporting initiatives encouraging involvement and engagement. We aim to build a school community where every student can thrive and succeed.

Regards,

Your Student Council

Madina Academy’s annual Multicultural Fair transformed classrooms into vibrant cultural showcases, offering students and parents a journey across continents—no passport required!

This year’s Multicultural Fair brought the world to our doorstep! Students from every grade participated by selecting a country to research, decorate, and share with the rest of the school. The event gave everyone a chance to learn about the world’s diverse cultures through hands-on exhibits, traditional foods, and TED-Talks! Each class brought its assigned country to life, transforming their classrooms into vibrant, educational spaces. The Fair was a celebration of learning, creativity, and community, and it was a hit with both students and parents. “For the Multicultural Fair in middle and upper school we chose one country (Sudan) and put everything together as one big display,” explains Ms. Salwa. Noora Mahmoud, a student in 9th Grade, adds, “My class worked together to create a timeline of the history of Sudanese conflicts. We talked about the revolution and the Civil War and put it up on the wall to educate people about the current crisis. We also did a Multicultural Fair project in art, which was to create Sudanese pyramids out of cardboard.”

The Fair gave students the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, from planning, research, and writing to artistic techniques such as drawing, painting, and paper mache. “Students practice a variety of different skills, depending on their projects,” said Ms. Salwa. “Planning and organization, research, reading and writing, drawing, painting, pottery, paper mache, and other art skills, as well as presentation and display skills.” Noora Mahmoud shared her favorite parts with us, which were “hanging out with [her] friends and working on the projects together. It was also fun volunteering to stay after school to work on the Fair.” Although preparing for this fiesta was stressful, students still found a way to have fun. The History teacher for Middle and High School has done a wonderful job in organizing this event for our school. Because it's such a significant event, let's see what the hardest part is in her opinion: “I think the biggest challenge is organizing so many students to get projects finished at the same time, and trying to make sure they all do good quality work because it's all going to be displayed for the parents to see.” (Ms. Salwa Collings)

Students researched about countries like Egypt, Sudan, and Pakistan. They each decorated something different and shared it with their peers. For instance, Fifth Grade selected Turkey, and their booth was a feast for the eyes and stomach. "I tried the cultural Turkish tea and the delicious baklava," announced Sarah Elsherbini (9th Grade). “I enjoyed eating the koshari and falafel from Kindergarten’s Egypt and loved seeing the artwork of all the elementary students--especially Second Grade’s display,” explains Ms. Ibtsam (Teacher and Parent).

Students also delivered TED-talks, conveying information on the perspective of different figures in Sudan, including children's lives, parental statuses, and even political views. Here is Ms. Ibtsam’s takeaway from the talks: “The idea of the TED talks was very creative in my opinion. I loved all the ones I listened to. I liked how there was a variation in the perspectives presented, from mother to father to sibling to diplomat, etc. It made me more aware of what is happening in Sudan. Focusing on the struggles of our Palestinian brothers and sisters made us forget the struggles of our Sudanese brothers and sisters. We need to make sure we put an effort to donate to them and keep them in our duas. May Allah give them patience, save them from the tyrants and give them peace.” Ameen.

As the cultural fair came to a close, both teachers and students reflected on the success of the event and the incredible work put into it. For instance, in Second Grade, the students showcased Malian culture, and Raneem, a student, shared her favorite part: "When they were all finished and displayed outside the classroom." This shows that, after all their hard work, the students proudly admired the finished products, eager to share them with their parents and celebrate a job well done!

The Multicultural Fair was not just an event, but a celebration of the diversity, creativity, and spirit of our school community. This annual festival will continue inspiring students to learn more about the world and the cultures that make it so fascinating!

By the end of the fair, Ms. Salwa felt a mix of satisfaction and relief. “It’s always very satisfying when it all finally comes together. It is tiring, but I have gotten a bit better at organizing it over the years, so it’s not as exhausting and stressful as it used to be,” she shared with a smile.

A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Salwa for her incredible efforts in making this year’s Multicultural Fair an unforgettable experience. Her vision, creativity, and hard work were the driving force behind the event’s success. “Whole-school events like this really bring the students together and give them an opportunity to be proud of their work,” she remarked. Without her leadership, this amazing celebration wouldn’t have been possible. We are deeply grateful for her tireless dedication and eagerly look forward to seeing the magic she’ll bring to next year’s Fair!

As we enter the new year, the United States has a plan to enact that will influence the lives of the majority of our generation.

The abolishment of TikTok is greatly beneficial to ours and upcoming generations. The introduction of TikTok has extremely shifted the way our minds operate. Using the app consistently shortens the brain's attention span which is vital for learning. TikTok is heavily populated with “brain rot” content which are videos consisting of meaningless jokes, often mocking something or someone. Many people embody this type of content, allowing it to shape their personalities, ultimately wrecking their mental capacity.

Another major downside of TikTok is how addictive it is especially when given to a younger audience who lack much more control over their screen time. Studies show that the average user spends a whopping ninety five minutes a day on the platform. An overlooked negative of the app is how TikTok makes people crave excitement. The ability to skip past boring videos with a single tap trains the brain to prefer instant satisfaction making it harder to enjoy slower paced and meaningful activities in life. More importantly, kids who are able to access the app are exposed to explicit and inappropriate content. The platform also creates unhealthy comparisons, particularly around body image and appearance, leaving people feeling insecure or pressured to follow trends.

Ironically, TikTok itself has videos reminiscing life before the app was introduced, with many viewers wishing to return to that time. Exterminating TikTok could pave the way for healthier habits, better focus and deeper enjoyment to real life experiences.

Email salmam@madinaacademy.org or zainahk@madinaacademy.org with questions you have regarding just about ANYTHING! We will try our best to answer all of your questions in the newsletter.

Q: I have a problem with saying bad words. I want to stop because I know it’s wrong but it has become a habit. How can I stop cursing?

A: I just want to start out by saying that recognizing cursing is wrong is a great first step in your journey. Of course, we know using vulgar language is haram and should be avoided. But it’s easy to forget that when cuss words are treated as common language by most people, as well as on television and social media. It’s incredibly easy for commonly used words to infiltrate our vocabulary (you can see that with how quickly we all started saying ‘rizz’ or ‘I’m cooked’).

Bad habits are hard to break. The main step, especially in this endeavor, is to always practice mindfulness and reflection. Even if you are at first slipping up and still cursing, don’t ignore your mistake. Think about what you said and what you could have said instead. Every cuss word is just a more vulgar way of saying a regular word, so think of the appropriate alternative you might use next time. Eventually, you will remember to use it and you will be able to build that good habit.

Since we are all influenced by our peers, social accountability is an excellent way to keep yourself in check. Tell your friends and the people around you to call you out when they catch you saying a bad word. Try to encourage your friends as well to watch their language. Not only will it help you in your efforts, it will also benefit your friends. Don’t give up; it is commonly said that habits take about a month to form or break. You can do this!

Students will follow clues on index cards to find the next clue hidden in different areas of the school, with each card leading them closer to the final prize.

1. Keep the Scavenger Hunt a secret unless someone already knows about it from reading the newsletter.

2. You can only search for clues during your free time, ideally during lunch.

3. No running in hallways or unsafe behavior while searching.

4. The first person to find the item will receive a prize!

5. ONE of the clues is located in a classroom in the middle/high school area

6. No fighting or snatching the item from someone who finds it first.

7. If you find a clue please DO NOT TAKE IT!!!

8. Only the first person to hand in the item (with the full code) will be eligible for the prize.

9. Email sarahe@madinaacademy.org or zainahk@madinaacademy.org for any questions or concerns!

Happy hunting, and good luck!

Email nooram@madinaacademy.org with the answers.

1. What did Prophet Ayoub’s wife sell when they were in extreme poverty?

2. What animal did Bani Israel make out of gold to worship?

3. What dua did Prophet Yunus make in the whale’s belly?