April 1997 School Board Interview

By Bonnie Awan

September 3, 1996, marked an important milestone in the development of our local Muslim community.  On that date, Sunrise Academy, the first full-time approved Islamic school in Columbus, became a reality.  Thanks to Allah’s blessings, the academy’s first school year has been one of growth and accomplishment.  The enrollment has grown from 9 to 26, and encompasses grades kindergarten through third.  A licensed preschool for 4 year olds opened at the beginning of 1997.  Two mini school buses have been purchased and a driver trained.  The initial plans for the school have been instituted, and the next step has been initiated to further the growth and success of Sunrise Academy.  The Board of Trustees of the Islamic Society of Greater Columbus has recently formed an Interim School Board for Sunrise Academy.  The interim board will be in place until the end of the 1997-98 school year.  The purpose of the board will be to establish directives and objectives that will help to guide the academy through the coming school year and beyond.

The board consists of four members: Dr. Mahmood Moosa (chairperson), Dr. Ali Alghothani, Br. Sohai Khan, and Br. Arif Khan.  Two nonvoting educational advisers (one versed in Islamic teachings and one in academic studies) will be added to the board.

Dr. Mahmood Moosa is a physician at Ohio State University Hospitals.  He is originally from Cairo, Egypt, and now resides in Columbus with his wife and three children.  He was a member of the steering committee which initiated the school project and also served on the school task force.

Dr. Ali Alghothani is a professor and the chairperson of Mechanical Engineering Technology at Franklin University, and is a licensed professional engineer.  He has been a resident of Columbus for 17 years. He is married and has 8 children.  He served as a member of the interim board of ISGC when it was first established.

Br. Sohail Khan is Section Manager of the Material Science Section of Chemical Abstracts.  He has been a resident of Columbus for 28 years.  He is married and has two sons.  Since 1991 he is the Director of IFCO’s Islamic weekend school.  He served as a member of ISGC’s school steering committee and task force.

Br. Arif Khan is the administrator at Sunrise Academy and has been devoting many hours to the operation and planning of the school and the well-being of the students and staff.  He has a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Ohio State University.  His skills in the areas of analysis, computers, design and graphics, and management have been invaluable in the establishment and operation of the school.

All four members of the Interim School Board are active in the Muslim community, and are dedicated to the continued growth and success of Sunrise Academy.  The board has been meeting diligently two to three times a week to assess the needs of the school and community and to establish objectives for the coming school year.  Some items on the board’s agenda are: the hiring of a principal and more teachers, the extension of classes for next year, establishing school transportation for the out-of-district students through two recently acquired school buses, and working with the State of Ohio Board of Education to acquire bus service for the academy through the public school system.

The board, in its endeavor to promote open communication between parents and staff and increased community involvement, is in the process of establishing a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and the publication of a monthly school newsletter.  The board feels that the formation of a PTA will get parents involved, establish a resource base, and enhance the quality of the school.  The school board is also concerned about our older youth and is very excited to see the weekend Islamic and Arabic classes being established.  This is just one more way that our entire community is enriched.  The board members are enthusiastic and are looking forward to working with the community.  

Dr. Moosa stressed that the success of such a school will be through Allah’s help and then the support of the community..  The first and most paramount objective is the successful growth of the school.  Its success, Inshallah, will accomplish a second objective which is to further the unity of our community.

Dr. Alghothani feels that the school is growing in the right direction.  He is hopeful that Sunrise Academy will someday be academically ranked among the best schools in the Columbus area.  Strong Islamic values and academic excellence are the goals to strive for.

Br. Arif Khan has witnessed the school’s growth in this first year of its existence, and feels the board will be instrumental in guiding the school during the coming school year.  He hopes to see more community involvement in and commitment to this praiseworthy project.

Br. Sohail Khan summed up the board’s feelings when he stated, “Sunrise Academy is a dream come true.  There is no cause bigger than this.  We are witnessing the shaping of the future Muslim Ummah – education our children with Islamic values and academic excellence.”

The school board invites the community’s constructive suggestions and support.  The board will be working ardently and strenuously for the continued growth and success of Columbus’s first Islamic school May Allah’s blessings be with them in tall their endeavors.

Since this interview, the two non-voting educational advisers have been added to the board.  Dr. Shaker El-Sayed, a former Director of Education at the Islamic Society of North America, is the Islamic/Arabic studies advisory.  Dr. Kevin Freer, a professor in the Education Department at Ohio State University, is the academic curriculum adviser.

March 1997 Ramadan and Eid Celebrations at Sunrise

What does Ramadan mean to you? Does it mean abstaining from food and drink only until sunset?  The second and third graders at Sunrise Academy will tell you that it is much more than that.  They used the time also for gaining knowledge which is every Muslim’s duty.  Souzan El-Kest coordinated the program for the month of Ramadan.

On the first day of Ramadan, each child was given his/her own copy of the dua for breaking the fast.  Each day they were asked to repeat the dua from memory.  When they were successful in doing so, a star was drawn next to their names on the card.  Daily, children signed their names to a card which was then placed in the pocket of a 30 pocket hanging poster.  They would then tour the hallway to hanging poster.  They would then tour the hallway to discover the posters of the week.  Each poster was related to Ramadan and fasting.  Each child submitted a report on the week’s posters at the end of the week. Children also submitted a wish list for Eid presents.  Sr. Souzan reminded them that the value of the present would depend on the effort they put forth in the following ways:

• 1.       Number of days fasted successfully
• 2.       Number and quality of weekly reports
• 3.       Ability to memorize the dua

They were also reminded that the pleasure of Allah (SWT) was of the utmost importance for future success.

There was one portion of the program which the entire school took part in.  After Duhr prayer, the students listened to and recited ayat from Surah Baqarah which were related to fasting.  The meaning was explained for clarification.  After the first week, prizes were given to the children who were able to give the meaning of the ayat.  During the last 10 days of Ramadan, the focus was on Surah Qadr and its significance.

The Eid celebration at Sunrise Academy is a day that will be remembered by all who attended.  On Friday before the Eid, the school was decorated by the teachers from the full-time and weekend programs.  The party was held at the school on the Tuesday following Eid.  The parents were invited to take part in this special day.  The children participated in activities which were both educational and fun.  After the first part of the program, everyone sat down to eat.  The children never forgot to say the dua.  Each child was given a gift at the end of the party.

Dec. 1996 Sunrise Academy’s First Annual Dinner

By Ghada Al Tarazi

Fundraising at dinners is common, but Br. Walid Latif set an example of generosity toward the end of the fundraising part of the Sunrise Academy’s First Dinner Party.  He took the stand to address the whole group, and the business men and women in particular.  He told the audience very interesting stories from his own experience, how every time he had donated for the sake of Allah, Allah had compensated him many folds over, sometimes immediately and other times within days or weeks.

As a businessman, he had found that if he donated money to a good cause, Allah would make his business flourish with new orders and contracts from places he had never expected.  He concluded by a very exciting challenge.  He announced that he would match the sum of any more donations that would take place that night.  The challenge stirred the guests into donating far more than the organizers thought possible. May Allah reward Br. Walid and all those who joined him in supporting the school.  Before him a brother had donated a car and several sisters donated jewelry to be sold for the school’s benefit.  From the approximately 250 people in attendance, around $453,000 was raised.

But the school dinner was not just about raising money.  It was a delightful evening reviewing all of the progress of the school.  The appetizers were so good in the lobby that some people thought that was the diner!  The display in the lobby was informative and well designed.  There were a number of photos of students working on different activities at the school and on field trips.  Samples of the students’ activities were very well produced.  It was viewed both in the lobby and in the hall during dinner.  What made us happier was knowing that the producer was a local Muslim teenager.

The evening events began with recitation of the Holy Quran by Sama Musa, one of the third grade class at Sunrise.  She was followed by Dr. M. Nabih Tarazi who welcomed everyone and expressed gratitude to all who had given their time, money and prayers to make the sunrise Academy dream come true.  Students from the third and second grade performed a skit for the audience, followed by two songs sung by the whole school, one in Arabic and one in English.  Dr. Aziz Haque followed, setting the tone for the general fundraising activates after dinner, reminding people of their need for Islamic education.

Br. Souhail Khan gave a brief overview of the timeline of events leading to the creation of the school.  It brought home just how short the time has actually been for so much work to have been accomplished.  From signing the contract on the building in February to opening in September, and then to see the young children perform so well for their first all school production was really impressive.

After the dinner, the guest speaker from ISNA, Br. Dawud Zwink talked about the importance of Islamic schools.  The fundraising started somewhat slowly; however, within minutes cash and pledges started to pour in.  Br. Zwink reminded the people of how the early companions had sacrificed their wealth, and had never been impoverished for it.  One of the touching stories I heard afterwards was narrated to me by a mother.  She said that when she came back home after the dinner she found $1000 set out on her husband’s desk.  Her 17 year old son, who had left the party earlier, had left that money out on arriving home to pay up his pledge that night, immediately.  Her son said that when the speaker asked the people who had donated at the last fundraiser in April to question themselves whether they were richer now, he had found that yes, he was.  At the April fund raiser he had donated all that he had, $500.  He realized that he had had all his needs filled since then, even without that donated money, and that he now had $1000 plus a pay check coming on the way, so again he had donated all the money he had on hand.  Doesn’t that remind us of the generation of the companions?  May Allah reward him.

Many thanks to the dinner organization team, headed by Br. Hazem Gheith.  The event was concluded by a recitation from the Holy Quran by Sunrise student Layla Al-Rubaian.

Oct. 1996 Sunrise Academy – Our School

Staff report

Opening day of Sunrise Academy was somewhat chaotic.  Without the teacher for Arabic and Islamic Studies, the pupils had extra physical education and art.  Their first major art project was rug painting as they decorated their prayer rugs.  The photocopier and some books had not arrived, so the teachers had to do extra work to prepare lessons.  But the weather was beautiful and children and teachers lunched at picnic tables in the nearby park under the trees.

Bit by bit, the pieces have fallen into place and we have the beginnings of our full time Islamic school.  Our staff it temporarily complete now.  We had many good applicants and are keeping files to add staff as our enrollment increases.  Quickly after the first day, Br. Arif Khan has been hired as our school administrator.  Br. Arif has been working for some time on the paperwork for the school renovations.  Everyone who has worked with him has been impressed by his efficiency, organization, and manners.  Arif obtained his degree in architecture from Karachi, Pakistan and completed his masters in city planning at OSU two years ago  The son of a professor of early childhood education, he has a big soft spot for children and is very excited and committed to our school project.

Br. Arif continues to oversee the renovation project and will be responsible for the administrative organization of the school.  The right principal is still being sought for long term, and the school will have education consultants come in from time to time for program and teacher evaluations, but Br. Arif is creating a strong clear sense of structure for the school.

Sr. Souzan El-Kest is the new Arabic and Islamic Studies teacher.  She is taking on a real challenge.  The students have several levels of Arabic, from fluent to none.  She has 4 grades of Arabic to teach, kindergarten through 3^rd, and she has to plan for both Arabic for native speakers and Arabic as a second language for each class.  Then she has the Islamic Studies classes to prepare as well.  An important part of her job will be to help incorporate Islamic Studies throughout the curriculum, coordinating with other teachers for English, social studies, and science projects.  She will also be teaching health, an important subject for Islamic Studies integration.

Sr. Souzan started university studies with a BS degree in food science from Egypt.  A former university professor, she has her masters and PhD from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.  She also has studied early childhood education through several programs, and, in addition to raising 4 children of her own, she has worked in day care and also for 2 years at Khaled Ibn Al Waleed School.

The community effort to support our school is heartening, particularly from the young people, the young adults who know firsthand what goes on in public schools.  A generous donation from the Muslim Youth of Columbus was received recently and went toward the purchase of our school photocopier. For those who wish to volunteer time to the school, there is a volunteer form available at the school to fill out.  This is needed so that the staff can plan to use volunteers in a productive way.  A regular volunteer since the beginning of the school is Sr. Carolyn Matus.  She has been donating about 3 hours each day to assist teachers with art projects and games, as well as some individual tutoring needs.

The school is also looking for a few educational toys for the kindergarten and for any special books or educational software families might have to donate.  If your children have outgrown or finished with such items, and they are still in good serviceable condition, pass them on to the school so that other children might benefit from them.  We particularly are looking for easy readers in Arabic for our library, or educational videos or computer programs in Arabic.  Does anyone have a set of plastic Arabic letters or numbers? Good books in English for science and other topics would be an asset to our beginning library.  If you are up-grading your computer equipment and have a serviceable old one to donate, remember the school. Phone the school at 527-0465 if you can help.

The remodeling of our building is proceeding quickly.  For so long it looked like nothing was happening, but planning and preparation is the most time consuming part of the job.  Now we can see the new windows going in and inside the building major electrical and plumbing work is proceeding properly.  By the beginning of November we should be needing help to move into the completed building Inshallah. Br. Arif is accepting names of volunteers with muscles.

A school is not a static institution.  It grows, like the children who attend.  Our school is in its infancy, and like any infant, it needs lots of support and encouragement from adults, to protect it and help it to grow up big, strong, and healthy.  We are the adults on whom the school depends, all of us in this community, whether we have children or not.  For the education of our children is the responsibility of us all.  It will do us no good t build a beautiful mosque here, if we do not prepare the coming generation to want to use the mosque when we are gone.  The school needs us to sustain it, and at this time the most important form of sustaining it is financial.  Donate to the school, and if you have pledged before, fulfill your pledge, and if you haven’t yet, do it now.  And Allah knows our sacrifice and rewards according to our effort.

Nov. 1996 What’s Up Sunrise?!

By Norma Tarazi

This is the month, November, when Sunrise Academy should be moving into its finished building.  Renovation projects always go over schedule, and this one has been no exception, but the building is for a school that will, Inshallah, last for the next 20 to 30 years.  This is only the end of phase 1.

At this time, the school is having a dinner celebration, the First Annual School Dinner, which will be held on November 16^th at 6:30 at the Marriot Hotel on Bush Blvd.  Some exhibits of student work and a short presentation by our first small classes will be part of the program.  A very special guest speaker has been invited for the occasion, Br. Dawood Zwink, the teacher of Imam Siraj Wahaj.  Br. Dawood has a long record of service in The Muslim community in North America in many areas.  He now lives in Plainsfield, Indiana, where he continues his important service in Boy Scouts, (he helped found the Islamic Boy Scouts), and numerous refugee programs, most notably the Somali Relief Fund of which he is chairman and co-founder.  He has also been a frequent member of ISNA’s Majlis ash-Shura and has been involved in numerous activities of ISNA and MYNA.  A school program should be a learning experience and this community could learn a lot from the dynamic experience of Br. Dawool.

 Information of our school:

One of the time-consuming aspects of the school project has been the chartering.  Many in our community do not understand what this involves and some strange rumors have been heard circulating.  The State of Ohio has 2 types of private schools, chartered and non-chartered.  Each type has the same requirements to fulfill.  A non-chartered school is answerable only to its parents and its school board, reporting to them each year that the state requirements have been fulfilled and notifying the State that they have presented this report.  But there is no inspection other than what is done by the parents themselves.  A chartered school, however, will have state inspection to insure that it is complying with state regulations.  This is insurance to parents that the school is at least up to community standards.  For members of our community who come from out of state, it is a reassurance of quality.

Some have asked how a school can be Islamic and still be inspected by the State.  The State in no way dictates the curriculum or philosophy of education.  Sunrise Academy must teach Language arts, reading, mathematics, science, social studies, health, art, music, and physical education in an organized methodical way, following its own written philosophy of education.  The State inspects to see that the curriculum is coherent and well organized and planned.  The school may add courses, and it has added Arabic and Islamic Studies, each with written curriculum. 

The State inspects that all records of the school, staff, and children’s performances are properly maintained and protected.  It requires that the school prove equal opportunity for all employment applications and for all student applications and that staff and students are fairly treated according to clearly defined policies. The governing board of the school should be clearly defined and regulated by by-laws to ensure consistency I policy and change governed by careful study, not by whimsical arbitrary decisions that change with the weather.

Chartering does not infringe on the religious freedom of the school.  Each school defines the environment it wishes to establish and the state respects that philosophy.  Any staff must also respect that philosophy as part of their employment contract.  Teachers are required to teach the curriculum in a manner in keeping with the school philosophy.

At the present time, only one Islamic school is chartered in Ohio.  It is the Islamic Academy of Arts and Sciences in Cleveland.  Catholic schools in Ohio are all chartered.

Some people ask about accreditation.  Accreditation is done by private organizations, not by the State.  Regional accreditation organizations require new schools to create a track record, which is evaluated according to written criteria.  Any new school, Islamic or not, must be in operation for several years, accumulating records of performance before applying for accreditation.  The maximum number of years is not less than 5.  A school may have good ideas on paper but not be able to achieve that high standard in practice.  Sunrise Academy plans to work toward accreditation as quickly as possible. 

Sunrise has started, but it takes a long term community effort to support and sustain a school.

Sept 1996 School Starts… We’re Open!

Sunrise Academy officially opened its doors on September 3^rd.  Well, opened its doors, yes, but temporarily across the street, in rented space in the Mount Carmel Health Center, because remodeling is not yet finished on our building.  So.. What have we got in the way of a school?

Details of the school are growing as this article was written, so updates are coming daily as last minute plans and decisions are occurring.  The most important part of a school is its teachers, and at article deadline, two great ones have already signed on, with more to come in the days ahead as all the paperwork gets slowly through.

Our school is small at present, with only 14 pupils by August 20^th, so we have hired one teacher for kindergarten and 1^st grade, a joint class, and another for a joint 2^nd and 3^rd grade.  More parents are inquiring each day and the number of children is rising, so we expect to separate these classes before October, inshallah, when we move into the completed building. 

Amal Ibrahim is our new kindergarten/first grade teacher.  Originally from Cincinnati, Sr. Amal graduated from OSU with a degree in Arabic which she speaks fluently.  She is well known in our community for the volunteer work she has done teaching English to many of the sisters and their children.  Flexibility and patience are among her many strong points.

Sr. Sonya Hamed is a newcomer to our community.  From Tallmadge, Ohio, she has a BS degree from Kent State in education, with social studies as her specialty.  A certified teacher, she spent last year working as a substitute for three school districts in the Columbus area.

Both of these teachers are full of enthusiasm and energy for the challenging task ahead.  An administrator and Arabic teacher will join them before the first day of classes, to form the core staff upon which we will build our school. 

A parents meeting was held August 23^rd at the school and all the parents of registered children were invited to attend.  Not only did the expected parents come, but others came too, and informed themselves on the details of the new school, to enroll their children and get the lists of school supplies.  Another meeting is expected before school starts to meet the teachers.

July 1996 School Open House

By Fauzi Labidi

On Saturday, June 15^th, the Muslim Community in Central Ohio was invited to attend an open house of the future Islamic School.  The open house was an opportunity for the community to voice its opinion and to make any recommendations it sees fit to improve the proposed plan.  The attendance was good but not impressive.  Attempts were made to notify people and publicize this special event but those attempts were not properly executed.  The attendees were a reflection of the makeover of the Muslim community.  Food and refreshments were provided.  The mood was festive.

A table with school literature such as information on admissions and school curriculum, was set at the entrance for visitors, who were organized into small groups to tour the place.  Brs. Khaled Farag, Hani Sakr, and Abu Omar, members of the ISGC BOT, were the tour guides.  I had the opportunity to attend one of the tours.  

First, visitors were invited to tour the land surrounding the building.  Br. Khaled stated that the building occupies 5% of the total acreage.  The rest of the property will be used for future expansions such as a gymnasium and additional classrooms.  The current parking lot will be resurfaced and striped.  There is a plan to build a fence to buffer the property.  Then we were invited to tour the building from inside and to take a look at the proposed architectural layout.  

The current design calls for 6 classrooms, a computer room, a staff room, a library, a multi-purpose room, an office for the principal, and new restrooms.  Attendees were encouraged to ask questions and to make any amendments they see feasible to improve the current layout.  A four-day public comments window was provided.