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“THE OASIS” March Newsletter

Islamic Theme of the Month – “Forgiveness”

“And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord; and a Garden, the extensiveness of which is (as)

the heavens and the earth; it is prepared for those who are pious. Those who spend

(benevolently) in ease as well as in straightness, and those who restrain (their) anger and

forgive people; and Allah loves those who are virtuous” (Qur’an 3:133-134)

AS-SADIQ ISLAMIC SCHOOL 9000 Bathurst St. Thornhill, Ont. L4J 8A7

Tel: (905) 695-1588 Fax: (905) 695-1590

Website: www.as-sadiqschool.com

Principal: Mr. M. D’Agostino

Vice Principal: Imam Dr. Usama Al-Atar

Dear Parents/Guardians, Assalam Alaikum, It is my pleasure to write to you my first communication as the vice principal of As-Sadiq Islamic School. Just to give you a very brief background about myself. I received rigorous training in Islamic theology from reputable seminary scholars, and lecture globally on various topics. I also have a Ph.D. in chemistry, taught at different universities and worked as a scientist for several years. It is a pleasure to join As-Sadiq School and I look forward to a wonderful time at Our As-Sadiq Islamic School (OASIS). Imam Ali (a.s.) says, “The value of every person is the efforts he/she invests to make accomplishments.” At OASIS, all teachers and staff push the limits to raise the bar on activities and events, ensuring students not only receive academic excellence, but also enjoy the Islamic environment and be proud of their Islamic identity. These efforts are reflected in our students’ well performance in the first term’s report cards that were handed out earlier. Moreover, by the Grace of the Almighty and the blessings of Ahlulbayt, our accomplishments are being valued, as demonstrated with OASIS receiving the People’s Choice Award for the best private school in the York Region for the year 2014. We look forward to another wonderful term and appreciate all your support. Thank you! For the month of March, we are having the Science Fair, and inshallah, some of our students will compete in the York Region. We pray that some of those will advance further to compete provincially and nationally. We appreciate your patience and cooperation in this matter. We would also like to invite you to our Open House happening on March 3, 2015. We look forward to seeing your valuable participation. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have about OASIS as well as the OASIS’s High School starting in September 2015. May the Almighty continue showering you with His blessings. Jazakum Allahu Khaira Imam Dr. Usama Al-Atar

“Knowledge is faith & faith is action”

Upcoming Events

March 3

Science Fair - Grade 7&8’s

Open House - 5:30 – 7:30

March 4 Science Fair – Grade 4’s

March 5

Science Fair – Grade 5&6’s & 7&8 - Finals

March 11-12

Volleyball Tournaments

March 13

Ski Trip – Snow Valley, Barrie

March 16 - 20

March Break - no school

March 28

York Region Science Fair

March 31

Visit to Leo Baeck – Passover Meal

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School Safety in the Winter Months

“The safety of our children must always remain our first priority.”

Extreme Weather Alerts and School Closures

In the event of extreme inclement weather

and notifications of school closures please

check our website www.as-

sadiqschool.com after 7:00 a.m. for alerts

and notifications.

Wintery Slippery Conditions

Please be aware that sometimes the parking lot and

sidewalks are icy and slippery. I would ask parents to

be extra careful when entering and exiting the

building. We are working with the ISIJ to make sure

these areas are safe and free of snow and ice but

please be cautious.

School Parking

A few reminders:

Do not park in the Student Drop off Area.

Please follow the instruction of our staff who are on

patrol.

Please signal when you are coming in and out of

the drop off zone.

“Be Patient! Be Safe”

Cameras

As you are aware As-Sadiq Islamic School has

access to surveillance cameras. These

cameras monitor the school and the parking

lot 24/7.

PTA News

Chair: Mubina Jaffer

Co-chair: Zainab Hasan

Vice-chair: Samar Alibhai

Treasurer: Seema Zaidi

Vice-treasurer: Sabira Jaffer

Secretary: Fatima Jaffer

Hot Lunches The last day of for Hot Lunches from the previous

order will be April 2nd . The new order forms for

the following months will be coming out soon.

Pizza Lunches A reminder that the Pizza lunch program

continues and Pizza Day this month is March 27th

.

Cookie Dough Fundraiser

The Cookie Dough Fundraiser went very well.

The PTA raised just over $4000.00. The proceeds

will go to support student activities. Thank you

to the PTA, especially Sr. Seema Zaidi and Sr.

Sabira Jaffer who co-chaired the event.

Anti-Bullying Day

The February 25th anti bullying day went very

well. Please see the write up on page 8.

If you have any suggestions and or comments

for the PTA or wish to join sub-committees,

please email the PTA at assadiqpta@gmail.com.

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Parents and Visitors:

All visitors and parents to our school are required to check in at the office during the school day.

With the exception of our Casa children, parents should pick up or drop off students at the main

entrance. It has come to my attention that some parents are going upstairs to drop off or pick

up their children. Please be aware no parents are allowed on the second floor without permission

from the office.

Picking Up Students After Dismissal

Dismissal time is 3:40 and parents are asked to pick up their children

immediately after dismissal. We do have teachers and staff on

supervision for the first 15 minutes to allow time for you to pick up your

children. Students from grades 1-8 may stay on the first floor or go outside (weather

permitting) during this time but they are not allowed to go to the basement. As there is no

supervision. After that time (at 3:55) students will be escorted to the After School Program

where there will be supervision and parents can pick up their children there. There is a

minimum fee of $5.00 per day or $60.00/month for this service.

We cannot leave children outside or in the halls unsupervised, so please pick up your children on time.

Winter Weather and Dress

Now that the winter weather is upon us I ask that you please dress your children

appropriately. Students are encouraged to go out for recess and will not be kept in

unless we have a certified medical note on file.

Lost and Found The lost and found bin is full. We have put items out on display several times and will

continue to do so. Please check the lost and found bin regularly to reclaim lost

articles of clothing. Items not claimed by March break will be donated to a local

charitable clothing organization.

Put your children’s names on all articles and containers so it will be easier to return

the article to the rightful owner.

Supervisor of Students

Br. Naushad is our “Supervisor of Students”. He has been patrolling the halls and making sure our

students are safe and secure. The upstairs doors are now locked. Students arriving late need to be escorted onto

the second floor.

Nut Free School

A reminder that we are a nut free school. For the safety of our children, please ensure that your

children’s lunches and snack foods have no nut or nut by-products. Foods coming in for special

occasions must be from a “Nut Free” supplier.

Allergies, Medical Conditions and Medications

By now the school should have been alerted if your child has severe allergies or medical conditions so we can

assist in ensuring your child’s safety.

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Important School Info Morning Lates Although the situation has improved somewhat

there are still too many students arriving late in the

morning.

School begins at 8:30 in morning assembly with

Prayer and the National Anthem. These morning

exercises are an important part of the school day.

Students who arrive after 8:30 are marked late and the late will

be recorded on the provincial report card.

Starting in March Dr. Al-Atar will be meeting with students with

excessive lates and discussing with parents strategies to help remedy

the situation for your child’s benefit.

Research clearly shows that academic success is related to

punctuality. Help your child be successful, please bring them to school on time.

Communicating with Teachers

The school certainly encourages parents to communicate with staff to discuss

student progress or express any items of concern.

We wish to remind you that School Policy is that:

If parents have any issues of concern in regards to student progress,

curriculum, teaching practices or the teacher they must communicate that

concern to the teacher first. After that, if the issue has not been resolved, you

are welcome to make an appointment with the principal to discuss the matter.

If a parent has any other concerns (eg. school procedures, policy or safety)

they are to address those concerns to the principal directly and not to the PTA

or Board of Directors of ASIS.

As a matter of policy and confidentiality teachers are not allowed to discuss student progress in open public

areas such as the gym or hallways. All matters that deal with student progress and achievement should be

discussed in a private setting.

Also, I would ask that you refrain from communicating with staff during morning assembly. They are on duty

from 8:25 onwards and their responsibility at that time is to prepare and supervise their students. If you need

to speak to them please feel free to make an appointment with our administrative staff in the office.

If you call and leave a message or email a teacher, please allow 24 hours for a teacher to respond. If it is an

emergency call the office 905 695-1588.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Please be mindful of the privacy rights of our children and do not post

or upload pictures of any of our students on any social media such as

YouTube, Facebook, etc…Please respect the privacy rights of all

students.

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Uniforms

Our school uniform is a symbol of our school and our culture. Staff will be asked to do a

uniform blitz at the start of the month to check that students are in full uniform. Those students

will be sent to the office and parents will be contacted. Please make sure your child is in 100%

compliance with the school uniform.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

School Initiatives, Clubs and Celebrations

Science Fair and the STEM Club

The Science Fair will be

taking place in early

March. The schedule is

on the front page of this newsletter. Community judges will be

scoring the grade 5-8 science fair projects. Grade 7 & 8`s will go

through a 2 stage judging system with the top projects form March

3rd going on to the final on March 5th. The Science Department from

James Cardinal McGuigan High School has graciously volunteered

to judge the final on March 5th from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Good luck to all

the contestants.

21st Century Learning

New Website Design will be launched in March.

I am sure you will be pleased with the new look.

Thank you to Br. Abbas Rizvi and the 21st Century

team for all their efforts in implementing the new

design

Moreover, s you are all teachers were supplied with IPad Air devices in January. All of

our classes are now equipped with Apple TV’s. Teachers are being in serviced on how to

apply these new technologies to enhance learning and move towards establishing a

21st Century learning environment for our children.

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Literacy Initiatives

Islamic Book Fair The Islamic Book Fair started on Feb 23

and will run until March 3rd.

Public Speaking

Near the end of March students will begin preparing for

Public Speaking which will be the literacy initiative in April.

Yearbook

We are publishing a yearbook for the 2014 -15 school year. The cost is

$20.00/ soft cover or $24.75 hard cover. Students were given order forms.

Please order your yearbook today.

Sponsors Needed!!

We are asking for local and community sponsors

and businesses to help offset the cost of the

yearbook by sponsoring a business card, half

page or full page add.

Please contact the school 905 695-1588 and

speak to Sr. Asma if you are interested in being a sponsor.

Math Passports

The children are truly enjoying the Math Passports program that was launched in

October. Students are working on developing their mental math skills and every

time they reach a target they are awarded with certificates and acknowledged

publicly in Friday’s assembly for their achievements. The program will continue

throughout the year.

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Eco-Team

Eco action at As-Sadiq Islamic school is happy to announce that they have formally transitioned out of the

trial compost phase! Their compost initiative is becoming a daily ritual that our students are performing with

increased pride and confidence, each day. We would like to formally thank the ISIJ for generously lending

ASIS their green bins. Eco Action has finally purchased their own school green bins. These new green bins will

be used by students and staff when disposing of daily compostable waste.

Additionally, Eco Action has been in contact with the Toronto Waldorf School about collaborating on the

topic of weekly compost removal and a spring garden. We continue to reflect on our relationship with our

neighbouring school and celebrate our union.

Finally, Eco Action has united forces with the 21st century wave at

ASIS and has put together an informative iMovie. This innovative

iMovie highlights important information about "What Goes Where".

This community based movie was put together with the creativity

and technological skills of junior division Eco Action students. These

students should be commended for their responsibility,

organization and genuine interest in the wellbeing of our planet

Earth.

"Eco Action is keen, we do our part and inspire one another to be

green. We want to keep our globe clean!"

-An inspiring quote written collaboratively by ASIS classroom Eco

Reps.

Nasheed Club

The As-Sadiq Nasheed Club has officially begun. We'd like

to thank all of the students who practiced and put so

much effort in to their auditions. We are truly blessed to

have some very talented reciters. As February continues,

you can look forward to our first presentation of the year!

DPA

The DPA program is going very well and will continue on Fridays through March.

Artful Souls

The art club is working on creating a mural on the second floor on the

north side of the building. We can’t wait to see the outcome.

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News, Past Events and Words of Gratitude

The 2014 Richmond Hill Reader`s Choice Award

As- Sadiq Islamic School was voted Richmond Hill Reader`s Choice Award for

top Private School. Absolutely amazing!!!!!!!

The Readers' Choice is an annual survey completed by local residents that

tabulates the most trusted local businesses for products and services in

Richmond Hill, Ontario. The 2014 survey was started in November 2014 and

completed in January 24, 2015. as voted by local residents.

Please visit the website to see for yourself.

http://www.yorkregion.com/community-story/4387421-readers-choice-

awardsé

Anti-Bullying Day

The day was held on February 25 and it was a tremendous success.

The purpose of the day was to:

To further develop a culture of compassion and caring in our classrooms and school community.

To sensitize students to the effects of bullying, stereotyping, prejudice, ridicule, teasing, and other

hurtful behaviors.

To address character traits of justice, fairness, tolerance, empathy, integrity,

respect, responsibility, compassion, and courage.

To identify the different roles in bullying behaviors and acknowledge the

roles we play.

The day was sponsored and coordinated by the Health and

Fitness Committee of the PTA.

We would like to extend our since gratitude to:

Sakina Kermalli,

Zahera Pardhan

Shenaz Alidina

Asad Jafry

who took time out of their busy schedules to conduct the presentations. Our students thank

you for your message and words of inspiration.

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Spirit Week

Spirit week was held the last week of

February. We had Team Colour Day

where children wore their team

coloured tops; Culture Day, where

children wore clothes representing

their culture; Career Day where

children dress up in their potential

dream career outfit and Jersey Day

where children wore their favorite

sports jerseys.

There were even a few Leaf jerseys to be seen!

It was a great way for As-Sadiq students to demonstrate their school spirit and have

a fun week.

On the right is a picture of a student who wants to be the future principal of As-Sadiq.

Thank you to the leaders of student council and the staff moderators who did an excellent job in organizing the week.

School Ski Trip

As you are aware the school Ski Trip had to be cancelled twice due to frigid

temperatures and extreme cold weather. Inshallah, the trip will be held on March 13,

2015 (the last day before March Break) It was the only day the resort could

accommodate us. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused to your

plans but the safety of our children is our first priority.

Visit from Leo Baeck Jewish day School

On Wednesday Feb 18, 50 grade 7 students

from Leo Baeck Jewish Academy

accompanied by their principal, (Yvette

Burke) Rabbi Katz and several staff members

came to As-Sadiq for an interfaith experience. The program included an

overview of Islam by Maulana Rizvi, followed by an overview of the

Reform Jewish movement by

Rabbi Katz. Later the students

intermingled and took part in

interactive activities and shared a

snack in the Banquet Hall. The

program ended with a brief tour of

our Abrahamic Exhibit in Marc

Library conducted by Dr. Al-Atar.

It was a wonderful example of

how two divergent communities could focus on identifying their

commonalities and accepting each other’s differences. We look

forward to visiting their school on March 31st where our students will participate in a Jewish Seder meal.

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The New As-Sadiq High School

The new High School will be opening in 2015. We have had a number of

students register and we are hoping to add more students shortly.

Please visit our website to register your child or get more information about

our high school program. at:

http://www.as-sadiqschool.com/high-school/

Come to Open House for more information.

Open House

As-Sadiq will be hosting an

Open House

(Toddler to Grade 9)

on

Tuesday March 3rd

between 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Please plan to attend!!!