
IFNSS Principal Newsletter
For Sunday, September 8th, 2024
رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: " إنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى'
Hadith of the Week: 'Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), say "Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended."
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
Assalamu alaikum respected parents,
I pray you are all well. It was so exciting to welcome our students back last Sunday ma Sha Allah. Alhumdulillah we have many returning students and a lot of new students as well, with a total of 170 students so far ma sha Allah. I plan to send weekly or bi-weekly newsletters to keep you informed about what's happening in Sunday School. I encourage you to read these to stay updated and engaged in your children's Islamic education. I apologize if they seem lengthy, but I want to make sure you have all the necessary information. Feel free to skim through and focus on the details that matter most to you.
Alhumdulillah we had a great start to the school year - students received their book bundles, met their teachers and TA's and enjoyed a delicious welcome back treat (Cupcakes) on their first day. During our morning Assembly, we talked about our behavior expectations and daily routines and also shared how students can earn rewards and incentives by displaying expected behaviors. Feel free to check out our welcome back assembly slides HERE. Jazakillah Khair to our parents for dropping students on time (between 9:30 -9:45) which allowed our students to participate in the Assembly that starts at 9:45 sharp.
PHOTO GALLERY
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📣 📣 NEWS YOU CAN USE 📣 📣
Please note SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd will be EARLY DISMISSAL at 12:00 PM.
As many of you may be aware, IFN Annual Picnic is scheduled for Sunday, September 22nd from 12-6 in sha Allah. In the previous years, this has been scheduled on Saturdays, however this year it will be on a Sunday due to availability of Independence Grove Picnic Shelters. Hence IFN administration has requested Sunday School to give an Early Dismissal at Noon, so students and staff can join the picnic on time with their families.
REGISTRATION UPDATE
PLEASE NOTE that our 1st, 2nd, 6th and 7th and 8th grade Classes are already FULL and we apologize that we are NOT accepting any more students in these grades. Any new students in these grades will be put on a waitlist moving forward. JazakAllah Khair to all those parents who have already completed the registration process for their children. However, for any New Students whose registration is NOT COMPLETE, I strongly encourage parents to complete the registration as soon as possible, so we can officially add these students to our roster. You can do this by going to the IFN website at www.ifnonline.com. Next, Click on the "Education" tab in the top bar and click on "IFN Sunday School" on the left side bar. Next, you can go on the "Registration" webpage under IFN Sunday School where you can see the "Link to Register" as well all the "Helpful Documents" linked to help any of your question regarding registration and fee payment etc.
Meet our Staff ~ Excellent additions to our team!!
Br Asim Naved, our young, passionate and energetic Islamic History Teacher for 7th & 8th grade who graduated from Sunday School several years ago and has now joined our team of teachers at IFNSS! So proud of him ma sha Allah!!
Alhumdulillah we have added some excellent teachers and TAs to our team this year. Please refer to this list of TEACHERS & TA's for the 2024-25 school year along with their contact information. Our goal is help parents gets to know their children's teachers in sha Allah. Hence I will be introducing one teachers or TA's every week in my Newsletter Teacher Spot Light Section. See image below.
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Join Our Parent Announcements WhatsApp Group to Stay Informed!!
Updates for 2024-25 School Year
Separate Classes for 7th/8th Grade Boys and Girls
We will continue to offer separate classes for older boys and girls in 7th and 8th grade as it was a successful change implemented after careful thought and consideration in the 2023-24 school year and was greatly appreciated by our students, parents, and teachers.
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Accelerated Quran & Arabic Classroom
Alhumdulillah, with the help of our Quran teachers team led by Sr Eman Enaya, Sr Zeinab Moutafa & Sr Ayesha Tanveer, we have updated our Quran & Arabic Curriculum. This year, we are excited to offer an Accelerated Quran & Arabic Classroom, for students in grades 3-6 who may need extra help with learning to read the Quran with proper tajweed and help them catch up to their peers in sha Allah. This class will be taught by Sr Ayesha Tanveer who has many years of experience teaching Quran Accelerated classes at IFNSS. Our Quran teachers have already started evaluating students and will be finalizing student placements for the Accelerated Quran & Arabic classroom over the next couple weeks in sha Allah.
Opportunities for Parent Involvement
Parent involvement is essential for students development, leads to increased student achievement and success and offers many benefits. We highly encourage our parents to get involved at IFN Sunday School which is why we are offering several opportunities for parent involvement this year. These include the following:
1. Join Parent Support Group (PSG) by completing this form
2. Become a Teaching Assistant
3. Become a Lunch/Recess Supervisor
4. Lead a Morning Assembly at Sunday School
5. Be a Substitute Teacher or TA
Please FILL OUT THIS FORM if you are interested in any of the above opportunities and we will contact you regarding next steps. Learn more about the above opportunities on THIS Document.
IFNSS PROCEDURES
Google Classrooms: Our teachers use Google Classrooms as the home to school connection to post announcements related to homework or classwork. All registered students have been invited to join their google classrooms. Please note that students have to be logged into their own IFN domain email accounts to access google classroom. I have attached Step by Step directions HERE on how to 1) access your child's IFN email account and then 2) use that to access their google classrooms. All returning students continue to use their existing IFN email accounts. We are try our best to create IFN email accounts for any NEW students who join us within 1 week of their start date. If you are having difficulty with your child's IFN email or Google Classroom, please reach out to your child's teacher and he/she will be able to help in sha'Allah.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN HAVE JOINED THEIR GOOGLE CLASSROOMS FOR ALL THREE SUBJECT AREAS i.e 1) Quran/Arabic, 2) Islamic Studies, 3) Islamic History. (Please note that KG through 8th graders have 3 google classrooms for each student. Pre-K students have 2 google classrooms for each student)
Morning Drop off begins at 9:30 and assembly starts at 9:45 in sha'Allah. Parents are requested to drop off their children at the front of the building and our staff will guide students to the Musallah area for assembly in sha'Allah. Parents can drive the car to the front of the building to drop off and leave. Parents do not have to come inside the building for drop off as our staff will be at the front door to supervise students.
Tardy Procedures: We encourage all parents to drop their children between 9:30 - 9:45 as Assembly starts at 9:45 sharp. Classes start at 10:00 AM and any students who arrive after 10:10, need to check in at the office to get a Tardy pass. Parents are requested to bring their child to the office and NOT go straight to the classroom because it disrupts the learning of other students. If your child is late, they need to check in at the office to get a Tardy pass and one of our office staff will make sure they join their class.
Report Student Absence: If your child is going to be absent, please fill out THIS FORM to report their absence. Our office staff will check this form every week.
Morning Assembly. Every Sunday, we have our morning Assembly from 9:45 - 9:55 AM which is a great way to start the day. We begin with playing "99 Names of Allah SWT audio" which students love to listen to as they gather in the Men's Mussala and get seated in rows by their grade level and wait for the Assembly to begin promptly at 9:45. One of our Assembly each month (usually 1st Sunday of the month) is run by Br. Imam Azfar which is a great opportunity for the students to get to know our Imam and benefit from his wisdom and knowledge. We also welcome parents and leaders from our own community to be the speakers for our Assembly. If you want to lead a morning assembly, please fill out the form linked above in the Parent Involvement Opportunities Section.
Lunch Procedures: All students get lunch at Sunday School (pizza and juice) and it is included in the Sunday School fee. Students can bring lunch from home if they want to but there will be no reduction in fee.
Bathroom Procedures: Students in grades 5th - 8th use a bathroom pass for bathroom break during any class period. Only 1 student at a time is allowed from a class to go for bathroom break. Students use a sign in and sign out sheet for bathroom break during class time and return to class promptly.
Cell Phone Policy: At IFN Sunday school, students are NOT allowed to use cell phone in the classroom during instructional time and all cell phones (if any) may be stored in “Cell Phone Boxes” for the duration of the class time and can only be used during breaks with teacher permission, at the end of class and during lunch/recess.
Salah Procedures: Dhuhr Salah is part of the Sunday School curriculum. We teach all students to respectfully pray behind the Imam and participate in "tasbeeh" and "dua" at the end. Parents who are in the upstairs musalla are requested to please go downstairs and wait in the lobby after Salah is done. TA's will bring all students down when they are done. We do not want the upstairs or lobby area to get too crowded. We appreciate your cooperation as we try to make the dismissal process safe for everyone.
Dismissal is after Dhuhr Salah at 1:30. Cones are placed in the front of the building to block the area for safety. Parents are requested to park their car in the parking lot and come to the front lobby to pick up their children. 4th through 8th grade students stand outside under staff supervision in designated areas and can leave when parents come to pick. Younger students in grades Pre-K through 3rd grade line up inside the lobby area and are escorted to parents as they come to pick up from the lobby. Please make sure to pick your children on time before 1:40 as our staff leave after 1:45 and we do not have enough staff to supervise students after 1:45. For any students who are not picked on time, parents have to come to the office and pick them from the office. We appreciate your cooperation in making sure dismissal is completed efficiently and safely for all students.
Early Dismissal: Please inform the class teacher and contact the Sunday School administration at ifnss.office@ifnonline.com for early dismissal requests. IF you are planning to pick up your child/children early please fill out an “Early Release Permission” slip at the office and an office staff will bring your child to you. Parents are requested to NOT go straight to the classroom but check in at the office instead.
Lost & Found!Teachers try their best to remind students to take their belongings. However, some students forget their belongings. We have a Lost and Found Box in the Sunday School Office. If your child has lost some of their belongings, please be sure to check the Lost and Found Box which is kept in the Lobby at Dismissal Time. We dispose off/donate items that are not claimed. JazakAllah for your cooperation.
IFNSS AFTER SCHOOL OPTIONAL ARABIC PROGRAM
Alhamdulillah, IFN Sunday School has successfully run the Arabic program for the past 8 years which has been integrated within the Sunday School as an After School Program.
**The goal of this Arabic program is to provide children with proper building blocks to learn how to read, write and understand the Arabic language so that your child may gradually learn to read and understand the Qur''an in the best of manners, Inshallah.
**This program is optional for all grade levels.
This program started on Sunday on 9/8/24 and takes place every Sunday from 1:30-2:45. There is a small fee of $50 to cover books and materials. Sister Eman and Zainab are overseeing the program. For registration or If you have any questions about the Arabic Program, please contact Sister Eman at 312-813-0526 or via email, emanenaya@yahoo.com.
IFNSS MUHSEN PROGRAM
IFN Sunday School team proudly partners with MUHSEN (Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Education Needs) Non profit Program to support and include all students with specific needs. This year, the MUHSEN program is offering two programs to provide a continuum of serivices to support students with special needs including a) an exclusive 1:1 support program in a separate classroom for students needing a higher level of support and b) an inclusive level of support where students will get push in support from MUHSEN TAs inside their regular classroom. For specific questions, please feel free to contact MUHSEN Facilitators, Sr. Sadia Thiryayi <sadia.thiryayi@ifnonline.com> and Br. Shaaz Adeel <shaaz.adeel@ifnonline.com>
TARBIYA CIRCLE HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH PROGRAM
Tarbiya Circle High School Youth Program is back for another great year! Registration is ongoing right now and classes will begin on October 6th, in sha Allah!
📋 📋 IFN Sunday School Forms to Complete 📋 📋
Parents, Please complete the following three forms if you have not already done so.
IFN Sunday School Parent/Student Handbook - please review.
1. Link to Handbook Acknowledgement Form
https://forms.gle/4YDBEQeedz4XJKjN7
2. Link to Photo Consent Form 2024-25
https://forms.gle/cyohysboGRHXf3cH8
3. Link to Medical Emergency Form
Resources for Parents
Other Helpful Links for Parents to Keep Handy
IMPORTANT CONTACTS FOR EASY REFERENCE!!
You can call the IFN main phone number 847-406-3730 and then Dial Extension 222 for Sunday School Office
Principal - Sr. Saddaf Raheel - ifnss.principal@ifnonline.com
Vice Principal - Sr. Samina Anwar - samina.t.anwar@ifnonline.com
Office Manager - Sr. Saba Fuad - ifnss.office@ifnonline.com
Registrar - Br Siraj Khaja - ifnss.registrar@ifnonline.com
Education Committee Chair - Dr. Sarwar Nasir msnasir53@gmail.com
Education Committee Vice Chair - Dr Haris Jamil haris.jamil@gmail.com
IFN President - Br Ahmed Nader - ahmed.nader@ifnonline.com
IFN Vice President - Br. Mohamed Eslam meslam.mohamed@ifnonline.com
MUHSEN Facilitators, Sr. Sadia Thiryayi sadia.thiryayi@ifnonline.com & Br. Shaaz Adeel shaaz.adeel@ifnonline.com
Sunday School After School Arabic Program Coordinator - Sister Eman Enaya 312-813-0526 emanenaya@yahoo.com.
Tarbiya Circle High School Youth Program Lead - Taha Tayyabi tarbiya.circle@ifnonline.com 312-804-5206