June 1997 Sunrise News

Register Now! Full time for the fall

Sunrise Academy is a real bargain!  Subsidized by the Muslim community, Sunrise offers a high quality academic program with computer labs, field trips, library, and most of all, dedicated teachers, along with a strong course in Quran and Arabic from the pre-kindergarten.

Do you have children entering classes between kindergarten and 4^th grade this coming school year?  Do you have a child who will be 4 by September 30^th?  Enroll them at Sunrise for the coming school year.

Sunrise has full-time classes for them with a curriculum reviewed by the Department of Education of Ohio, an Islamic environment where Islamic values are practiced as well as taught.  The computer lab is equipped and ready for them.  Buses are available for transportation.  Register them today.

For registration and more information phone the school now, 527-0465, and talk to the administrator, Arif Khan.

Sunrise Academy maintains a racially non-discrimination policy and admits students of any races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of Sunrise Academy.

Summer Program at Sunrise

Our summer program consists of a blend of enrichment activities in a variety of areas such as;

Hands-on mathematics and science projects.  Computer skills.

Mastering skills in Arabic and English languages, group studies in Islam.

Competitions in Quran memorization and hadith knowledge.

Physical education and sports programs: soccer, basketball, martial arts, and ping pong among others.

Social activities and arts and crafts

Field trips, camping

Some activities are conducted n groups of mixed ages.  This arrangement will allow for peer teaching, mentoring, guidance, and rewarding social experiences.

Schedule and fees

The summer program is offered 5 days a week, Monday through Friday, for 9 weeks from June 16^th through August 15^th.  Participants have the option to enroll full time (40 hours) or part time (20 hours).

The weekly fees are $65 for full time enrollment and $40 for part time enrollment.  The application deadline is June 9^th.  A late registration fee will be assessed at $20 per applicant.

Transportation is limited.  Contact the Academy office to discuss available options and transportation fees.  Call: (614-527-0465.

Approved for Title 20!

Recently, Sunrise Academy became a provider for publicly funded childcare.  This achievement is a result of continuous efforts of members of our community who believe n success and strive to provide affordable, high quality care and education to all our children.  This step will make it easier for low income families to enroll their children, between the ages of 3 and 5, in the preschool program at no cost or at a very low cost to them.  Families are encouraged to contact the Academy to find out about the eligibility requirements and the application process. 

Head Start

Sunrise Academy is trying very hard to achieve necessary programs which will meet the needs of our children as well as the needs of our Islamic community as a whole.  The Head Start Program would enable us as a school to enhance the quality of our education and to provide child and family development services for low-income children under the age of six, and their families.  The purpose of the program is to enhance children’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development, to support parents’ efforts to fulfill their parental roles, and to help parents move toward self-sufficiency.  If implemented, the Head start Program would provide for low-income families with children enrolled at Sunrise Academy; yearly physicals, immunizations and dentistry free of charge.  Families falling within certain government guidelines would also receive free breakfast/lunch and snacks for their children while at school.

To meet the goals of the Head Start Program, however, we need letters of support from you, the community.  Won’t you please take a few minutes of your time to write a short letter of support for these services?  All it needs to state is that you support the implementation of Head Start and feel that it would be a great asset to have in our community.  Remember, there is no charge for these services since they are federally and state funded and the great difference it would make for our children would be very fulfilling and very important for all our families.

A box will be placed at Sunrise Academy for you to drop off your letters of support or mail the letters to : 5657 Scioto Darby Rd., Hilliard, OH 43026, or fax the letter to: 614-527-4265.

Sept 1997 Forging a Partnership

by Sohail Khan, chairman, Sunrise Academy School Board

Founding an institution is exciting and challenging.  It is a responsibility given to few, as generally people inherit the institutions that were formed before them and are asked to assume them, and, with whatever modifications they may be able to make, pass them down to those who came after.  For those of us in our community who came from abroad, Islamic institutions, mosques and schools, were there before our birth, and because of our diverse backgrounds, each of us has a little different idea of what they should be and how they should function.  For those of us from this country, there have never been Islamic institutions, and many don’t really comprehend what they look like or how they should function.  So when we all come to the table to create our own community institutions, our first task is to create a common vision of our mission, not to recreate something someone has known somewhere else.  We need to create a structure that satisfies the needs of all of us, the Muslim community, which lives here under these conditions now, and needs to practice our faith and educate our children now.

The school, Sunrise Academy, is such a new institution.  As the people of our community struggled to raise their children in their faith, and realized the very difficult struggle, it became a common consensus that our community needed a full time Islamic school to set the standard for the education of our children.  The very nature of the school creates a partnership between the school and the community.  The school strives to guide our young in the moral atmosphere of our faith, to seek knowledge and understanding of the world with the constant remembrance that it was created by Allah (SWT) and is a trusteeship for us in our life of service to Allah (SWT).  The community supports the school, to fulfill its obligation to pass down this understanding of life to our children, both by sending the children and by their financial support.  On a larger scale this partnership is between us and Allah (SWT).  We would have no need for the school were it not for the need to please Allah (SWT) to submit to His Will and live our lives as He has guided us.  We could continue to send our children to the public and private schools already available that teach the secular world view, and which are presently causing about 85 % of Muslim youth to become non-Muslim adults.

Sunrise Academy started with a formal commitment by the Islamic Society of Greater Columbus, in October 1995, to open a full time school by September 1996.  This commitment was fulfilled, in spite of all obstacles.  The building was not ready until December 1996 and temporary quarters were used across the street.  Only 2 teachers were on staff and only 7 families committed a total of 9 students opening day September 3, 1996.  In the excitement generated by the ISNA convention, many people didn’t realize that the school even opened.  Look how much it has grown since then.

The first stage of our building program was completed, and since December ’96, the school has been in its newly renovated modern building, fully owned by the community, and equipped with the computer technology for children of the 21^st century. Our library, which now has over 1000 books, and computer program were a priority over the needs for a gym and cafeteria, as we sought to provide a solid academic opportunity for the children above and beyond all else.  The teaching staff has expanded, and their dedication to the special needs of our children lead to their devoting many afterschool hours to workshops and study of the most advanced methods of bilingual and English-as-a-second language education in addition to the extra load of meetings and work to set up all of the programs of a normal elementary school.

In addition to providing a full time program, with Arabic and Islamic Studies and all of the usual elementary classes for children, Sunrise also opened a preschool program in January, fully licensed for early childhood education while offering Arabic and Islamic moral environment to children as young as three years old.  Two buses started operating for the school in February, providing transportation aid to parents, and improving the school’s ability to provide educational field trips.  Two soccer teams now wear school colors and have been practicing from about the same time.  Another development, in the effort to utilize the facilities to the fullest and serve community needs, was the creation of a pilot Quranic program in January ’97, a full Saturday of classes in Islamic Studies and Arabic that was full to capacity from its start for students unable to participate in the full time program.  A pilot program was implemented to provide for the summer needs of children whose parents work, as well as other children, to provide a wholesome and fun educational environment.

Now the new school year is starting and the past months have been full of hard work and planning.  Search for the principal continues.  With the dedication of our staff and our strong parent and community support, we will, inshallah, get the right candidate for our community.  Another 2 or 3 months may be necessary before filling this post.  The principal is the leader and momentum for the standards, both moral and academic, at the school and requires a strong knowledge of American educational procedures and standards along with a strong grounding in Islamic principles of education and the ability to communicate and cooperate well with our diverse community.  In the interim, Dr. Souzan El Kest, the Arabic and Islamic Studies teacher of last year who is fully acquainted with all of the school, will be Lead Teacher, handling curriculum and instruction administration with the assistance from Dr. Kevin Freer, our education consultant. More fully qualified teachers are being added to the staff so that Dr. Souzan has strong support from all sides.

We have many plans for this academic year.  We will continue to strengthen our academic program and add to our bilingual teaching expertise.  We need to fence in our property so we can install a playground, instead of continually using the municipal park next door.  We need to plan for the gym/cafeteria and more classrooms.  We need to improve our financial situation through endowment programs. 

We have a bright future ahead of us through there is still a lot of work.  Dreams move institutions to the highest level of performance and we need to share in this common dream and work together as partners.  All of us have a responsibility to the school regardless of whether we have school-age children or not.  No matter where we are from or what we have seen elsewhere, we are here now and have needs here now and have this institution now that we are building.  We need to advocate the values of Sunrise Academy, support the Academy, and make it stronger.

People come and go; institutions stay.  Sunrise is ours.  Get involved and you will understand the importance.  Let us align ourselves through shared vision and purpose.

May 1996 News Fly Around

Movie Defames Muslims

Los Angeles, CA, April 1 - Muslim communities nationwide handed out leaflets about Islam outside theaters to counter the new anti-Islam stunt movie "Executive Decision" by Warner bros. In the movie all the non-Muslims in the movie were either victims or heroes, while every Muslim was either a criminal or a terrorist.

After negotiations with the producing company did not result in clipping stereotypical and defaming images about Muslims from the movie, Muslim organizations like CAIR opted for positive measures to counter the propaganda. Without causing a fuss that would further increase the sale of the movie, members from Muslim communities simply handed out the true facts about Muslims and highlighted the erroneous message of the movie, something that Warner Bros did not like.

Hotel Apologizes Rehires Muslim Woman

Washington, D.C. 4/22/96 Alhamdulillah, your calls, faxes and letters achieved a positive result once again. Management officials of a Virginia Quality Inn hotel have apologized to and rehired a Muslim woman who was denied a job because she refused to remove her head scarf. The hotel also gave the woman compensation for time lost and for attorney's fees. According to a Washington Post article on the incident, Philip Kirby, the owner of the hotel, said, "When we got a chance to look at it and see what the community's reaction was, we felt we had made a bad decision... We apologize for any inconvenience or suffering we caused her." The hotel plans to rework its dress code.

2500 Turn Out for Mosque Open House

Washington, DC April 2. Leaders of the Denver, Colorado Muslim community say some 2,500 people turned out for a mosque Open House propted by the March 19 intrusion into that facility by employees of a local radio station. Many local dignitaries, including Denver's mayor and the U.S. Attorney in Denver, attended the open house. Five people embraced Islam on the day of the open house, Alhamdulillah.

This mosque was subjected earlier to a hate crime by a local radio station - who invaded the mosque and harassed worshippers, while on the air. Five radio employees have been charged as a result of that stunt.

Editorial Cartoonist apologizes for Defaming Islam

Jim Morin, a syndicated cartoonist who works for the Miami Herald newspaper, has apologized for a recent cartoon in which he drew an ape-like creature with the word "Islam" on its head. The creature is shown saying, "We bomb innocent women and children to smithereens!" After CAIR and other Musli organizations posted information about the cartoon on the internet, Morin begn receiving cals, faxes and e-mail messages.

In a letter to CAIR, Morin said, "I have spoken to many hurt, outraged members of the Muslim faith this past four days. It has been an educational experience for me... To those whom I have unintentionally hurt or insulted, please accept my sincere apologies."

Web Site Removes NOI Connection

OSU Campus, April 5 - The MSA at OSU managed to convince YAHOO! , the world wide web search facility to remove the Nation of Islam from the list of Islamic resources. The MSA was concerned about how Yahoo included Nation of Islam resources with Islamic resources, and sent a strong letter of complaint to Yahoo..

"The students I represent are very offended that Yahoo would include the Nation of Islam - a religion that preaches racial hatred, founded less than 50 years ago - with Islam, a religion that speaks of peace and religious harmony founded almost 1500 years ago." said Alaa, MSA President in his protest.

In their response, Anne Callery from Yahoo said, "[We] find that the Muslim community in general does not consider the Nation of Islam as part of the Muslim religion. It was our initial understanding that the Nation of Islam identified strongly with Islam, which is why the cross reference to Islam was added. However, after examining the Nation of Islam web sites, we are unable to find evidence of this feeling in their organization. Therefore, the link to Islam has been removed."

George Mason University Gets New Union with Wudu Facilities

Fairfax, VA - March 12 - A new $30 million student union was opened with facilities for making wudu in every main restroom. Interestingly, the Muslim Student Association on that campus did not lobby for them. However, jummah prayer was held close to one of the deans' offices, who felt there was a need for a proper wudu facility and included the wudu area in the plan for the new building. This marks another positive step taken by some universities in recent months to accommodate Muslim students.

Islamic Attire: A View of Elegance and comfort
Date: May 11, 1996 - Time: 6-8 pm Location: Hitchcock Hall, (OSU)
Tickets: $3 - student $5 - adult (pre-sale and at the door) A sample of Muslim food specialties are included in the ticket cost.

To share our cultural attire for dress at home and at Muslim Women's functions while emphasizing the proper dress a Muslim displays while outside her home, Muslim sisters from a multiple of cultural background are participating in a program of fashion display (program for women only).

All proceeds from this event will go to the school fund for the full-time school in Hilliard. Donations are always accepted graciously.

For further information please contact Sr. Rhoda at XXX-XXXX or Sr. Bonita at XXX-XXXX or Sr. Shireen at XXX-XXXX. Inshallah, vendors of Islamic dress will be located outside of the hall. Any interested vendors contact the organizers.

Women Speaking from Behind the Veil

Speech by Sister Aminah Assilmi, noted Muslim Feminist at Hitchcock Hall, OSU May 15th from 6 to 8 pm.

IFCO Forms Public Relations Committee

by Asma Mobin-Uddin

The Islamic Foundation of Central Ohio (IFCO) has now formed a Public Relations Committee. Members of this P.R. Committee have met and have agreed that work will be done in four areas: media relations, school communication, establishment of a Speakers Bureau, and compilation of an Islamic Reference Base.

In the area of media relations, our goal is to promote an understanding of true Islam by working with the media to encourage accurate and respectful coverage of events related to Islam. The PRC is also establishing a network that can quickly respond when Muslim reaction to news coverage is needed. The committee regularly responds to current events and has worked on coverage of the present Eid.

The committee is also working to facilitate communication with local schools about Islam and we are setting up a Speakers Bureau of Muslim available to speak in the community. Six Muslim speakers will represent Islam the week of April 22 at the Bexley Schools during their week long commemoration to the city of Jerusalem's 300th anniversary.

The PRC is establishing an Islamic Reference Base to support the Speakers Bureau and to educate non-Muslims. A bibliography of all the literature in English available on Islam at the OSU library has been compiled. It contains over 2000 references by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish authors. This database will be available in hard copy and on a computer disk at the IFCO library. Diskette copies will also be available for those wishing to put this database on their home computer. May Allah support and bless the efforts of the committee as it strives in His cause. The members are: Rashid and Vera Al-Sabur, Andy Amid, Mohammad (Razi) and Ghazala Asghar, Vicki Bashir, Mohammed and Kathy Ballouz, Mohamed Gohar, Asma Mobin-Uddin, and Alam and Parveen Payind. If anyone wishes to work with the committee or be part of the Sepakers Bureau, please contact Sr. Asma Mobin-Uddin at XXX-XXXX.

ISGC forms School Task Force

Columbus, April 7 - At a joint meeting of all the school committees, the 10 member School Task Force was chosen based on being nominated by 50% or more of the committee members. If there were not 10 fount by this method, the remainder would be selected by the board of trustees of the ISGC based on committee recommendations. The new task force is: Amr Elsaadany, Arjumand Haque, Sohail Khan, Adnan Khasawneh, Mahmood Moosa, Amgad Saleh, Mohamed Shareef, Norma Tarazi, Ahmad Al Akhras, and Rhoda Abdul-Matin.
ISGC Summer School Planning meeting

Do you like to do craft projects with children? Would you like to start a soccer tournament for the kids this summer? Anyone for volley ball? Could you help children learning Quran? Come be a part of the planning - be part of the action. attend the planning session May 13th at 7 pm at the Omar Mosque.

The summer school program has usually been organized by interested parents and other adults as a volunteer effort to provide some fun and educational activities for children during some of the weekdays of summer. This summer we expect to use the new school facility in Hilliard, air conditioned and surrounded by grass, and just across the street from a beautiful park. We hope to be able to offer more than we ever have before.

Do you have any time to volunteer? Male OSU students are particularly needed to help with the boys.

July 1995 Computers in the Islamic Weekend School

by Souhail Khan

We at the Islamic Weekend school are pleased to inform you about the use of the computer as a learning/teaching tool starting this summer. A computer lab has been established. With the use of a 486DX equipped with two software, i.e., AL_QARI (a voice-activated, Arabic language tutorial software) and ALIM (an Islamic knowledge database containing Quran, hadith, fiqh, Islamic history, life of great Muslims, etc.) we hope to better educate our children. A pilot project is planned during the summer school starting Sunday, July 9th for six weeks at the Islamic Center on East Broad St.

For further information call br. Sohail Khan at XXX XXXX.
We are also looking for your ideas and suggestions to make the computer application at the IWS more useful. It is hoped that by generating interest among our young people we will be able to enhance their learning and to channel their interest into creating software that can be used in Islamic education.

Let us think, together, in new ways. New directions bring new horizons.

July 1995 ISGC summer School

by Katie Abdullah

This summer, the Omar Ibn El-Khattab Mosque will be sponsoring the annual summer program for Muslim children. Beginning on Tuesday, July 4th, the school will continue every Tuesday and Thursday for the next five weeks. The program will be from 11 am to 3 pm on these days so children should be at the Omar Mosque before 11 am. Children between the ages of 5 years and the teen years are invited to attend. You can register your children at the Omar Mosque when you bring them on the first day. tuition is just $25 per child, and financial assistance can be provided. Students are asked to bring a sack lunch, and a light snack will be provided. The goal of the summer program is to provide Muslim children with an opportunity to learn and play with other Muslim children, Inshallah, reinforcing the Islamic environment of their homes. The summer school has been designed around this goal, so that in discussions, field trips, and play activities, Islamic values, behavior, and etiquette can be demonstrated and modeled.

The three components of the program are as follows:

1) Quranic recitation, memorization, and meaning, according to each child's ability.
2) Activities and discussions with Islamic themes.
3) Games and play utilizing Islamic etiquette and behavior.

The participants will be divided into age groups. The youngest children will spend more time with organized social activities, while the seven to 10 year olds will be participating at "challenging tables" with puzzles, mind games, etc. Children over the age of ten will be divided into girls and boys. The boy's group will engage in sports activities, while both groups hope to have lectures and discussions pertaining to current issues for Muslim American youth.

Several field trips are planned for this summer. Field trips are always popular events for the children. In addition to the fun of making short trips, they have an opportunity to be together as Muslims in the American environment, Inshallah, further reinforcing their Islamic values and behavior.

The coordinators of the program hope to have available for the children a library with materials for their reading level in English and Arabic. The more the students know about Islam, the more they will understand their families and themselves, and they will Inshallah, feel more confident being Muslim in America.

Volunteers are welcome and needed. You may volunteer for the whole program, certain parts of the program (such as Quranic recitation, discussions, crafts, or sports) or certain days you are available. The children enjoy seeing a familiar friendly face. May Allah (SWT) reward you for your sincere efforts to hlep the Muslim children! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sr. Rima XXX XXXX or Sr. Farida XXX XXXX.

Sept. 1994 Summer School Success?

by GhadaTarazi

The six-week summer school program (Omar Ibn Elkhattab School) is over. IQRA! explored the situation to see how the plans were visualized, and how they worked out in practice. So IQRA! interviewed both the organizers and the mothers of participants in an effort to draw lessons for the future.

The principal of the school, Br. Mohammed Sani, said that the school had around 35 students, divided into 5-6 groups. But some of them didn't attend the whole program. There were 8 volunteers; 7 women and 1 man. The tuition was $50 for the first child and $40 for each additional child. "For people who couldn't afford this fee, we asked them 'How much can you afford?' Sani added.

The designed program consisted of:

• Quranic session of about 45 minutes which included both reading and memorization.
• Crafts: drawing designs, cut and paste, models, songs, games, stories, and discussion.
• Sport activities for older children when the time allowed: soccer, volleyball, and baseball.
• Trips: to the zoo, COSI, and the Discovery Zone.
• Safety workshop: Two police officers talked to the students about crime prevention, how to be careful with strangers, and what to do in case of an emergency.

Both Mohammed and his assistant Nawal Yaqub agreed that they had enough volunteers to cover the school project adequately. Mohammed said: "We reduced the fee because of the volunteers. It was a great effort." Though they both feel that paid staff would significantly increase the quality of the school, still Nawal said, "The school should be kept as a voluntary effort every year. Doing that, money would be saved and mothers would come and work. After all, it is a fun school, not a real one." We asked them whether they had adequate funds to present interesting porojects. Sani said, "Never adequate, but it could be enough."

Ranking the success of the school on a scale of (1-5) [1 is poor and 5 is excellent], Sani said (4). He explained that they attained their goal which was to have a program designed by Omar Ibn El Khattab School and to have Muslim children getting together. Nawal ranked the school at (3). She explained that the school did not perform that well because the MSA had told them just 3 days before the school started to go ahead and design the program. "Also we have to ask the MSA for everything: money, trips, etc. This is too much bureaucracy. Give us the freedom to do everything ourselves. That will create a better program and consequently a better school." Although Nawal ranks the school at 3 she said that it was better this year than last year. She added: "Better because we have the experience from last year."

I asked Nawal, "What was the point of having this issue handled by the MSA?" She replied: "We (women of Omar Mosque) used to design the summer school for many years. However, we heard that the school board would be responsible this year. The teachers would be paid and the fee would be $100. The MSA developed application forms but nobody came forward. Nobody was willing to pay. From $20 last year to $1000 this year was a big jump. The MSA preferred not opening the school over dropping the fee. After much discussion, they agreed on $50 and gave us the OK to start."

We asked Nawal, "What was the role of the MSA in the summer school afterward?" She said: "I don't know. I was in charge of everything. I don't need a messenger between me and the MSA! The MSA didn't do much in terms of planning and organizing. They are inexperienced. The only thing the MSA promised was to provide us with 3 volunteers (men) to take care of the older kids. But even that didn't come through. Mohammed was the only one who helped with the boys. for next year the MSA should give us the freedom of planning and doing it ourselves. All we need is volunteers to take care of the teenager boys we have."

IQRA! interviewed 13 mothers whose children were enrolled in the summer school.

1. Everyone agreed that the summer school this year was better than last year, (of those who attended last year).
2. 
   We asked them whether they felt that the school was safe. Eight said YES and 5 said NO. Comments: They have too many children for one teacher. Some volunteers bring their babies and toddlers and are not really free from their mothering responsibilities to take proper care of their volunteer responsibilities, especially for trips. There should be at least 1 instructor for each group of 3 on trips. Also, the door of the mosque gets open sometimes and there was a chance for little kids to get out. "I have seen a 2-3 year old girl outside the mosque by herself." This is scary. [Street traffic is close to the doors.]
   
3. "Was the school worth the price you paid?" 10 said YES, 2 said NO and 1 said NOT SURE.
   

Suggestions and constructive criticism to improve the performance were centered around issues of planning and implementation:

Planning
• Organizers appointed and program developed at least a month before the school starts.
• Registration help prior to school opening.
• The school should not rely on voluntary work. Volunteers must be committed as far as time and effort. "Voluntary work doesn't mean that I show up whenever I feel like it."
• School calendar must be available at registration time.
• Special time arrangements made for trips. "There was not enough time to go and come back."
• Improved development and organization of Islamic program. More effort should be put on memorization of the Quran, introduction of Arabic alphabet and teaching children to read Quran. • Curriculum should be varied to avoid boredom, e.g. sports for all ages, more crafts and games.
• Improve variety of food offered. "Children should be given something other than peanut butter sandwiches!"
• Fees must be affordable for everyone. "90% of the community here are students who cannot afford $50 fee."
• Fees should be calculated in advance based on planned expenditures.
• Teachers/students ratio must be well planned.
• Story time can be used as an instructional tool for teaching seerah, Islamic manners, and Islamic studies.

Implementation:
• School hours must be respected by teachers and students. School must be opened 15-30 minutes before children come.
• Name tags must be ready a day before any trip.
• Volunteer schedules should be posted in advance.
• Schedule must be respected. "More than once the Quran session was canceled."
• Consistent discipline policies for the school - including teachers' children. Fun school doesn't mean that everyone goes wild!

Finally, ranking the school on a scale of 1-5, (1 is poor and 5 is excellent) we got the following results: One person said 2, 7 people said 3, 4 said 4, and 2 said 5.