ISNA High Newsletter - January 2003 
This Newsletter in pdf format272kb

Contents

• Orientation and Awards Night
• University of Waterloo Cayley Mathematics Contest
• October 2002 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test
• ISNA High School Scholarship/Bursary Fund
• Examination Days
• ISNA High Students Participate in Adopt-A-Highway Program
• Ramadan Donation Drive at ISNA High
• Eid Celebrations at ISNA High
• Give a Lasting Gift

Orientation and Awards Night

On October 30, 2002, ISNA High School held its first Orientation and Awards Night in the presence of parents, students, their siblings and relatives, as well as school board trustees. We thank you all for your interest in and support of our children's education.

The evening provided an opportunity for participants to become acquainted with the Ontario Ministry of Education's requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) and how ISNA High School's curriculum program meets these requirements.

The evening's program also included recognition of students who excelled in various subjects in the 2001/2002 school year.

Certificates of Excellence were awarded to students who achieved a mark of 80 percent or higher in a subject. Students with the highest mark in a subject received a plaque as a Top Student Award. Students with an overall average of 80 percent or higher were awarded special plaques, and their names are displayed on the Principal's Honour Roll in the school.


Certificates of Excellence
 

Osman Murtaza IT in Business Hiba Dahir  Geography Efa Syed Arabic Ali Ashraf English Hiba Dahir English Aysha Mandozai           English Usman Murtaza English Hiba Dahir French Ali Ashraf Physical Ed. Usman Murtaza  Physical Ed. Efa Syed  Physical Ed. Aysha Mandozai Mathematics Efa Syed Mathematics Tarek Usman Science Abdul Haseeb Computer and Information Science

Top Student Award
 

Abu Bakar Khan IT in Business Efa Syed IT in Business Ali Ashraf Geography Safa'a Issawi Arabic Aysha Mandozai           Arabic Efa Syed English Safa'a Issawi French Aysha Mandozai French Efa Syed French Abu Bakar Khan Physical Ed. Fatima Gilani Mathematics Safa'a Issawi Science Usman Murtaza Science Tarek Osman History Tarek Osman Arabic Abdul Haseeb Arabic Bushra Sami Arabic Tarek Osman Career Studies Abdul Haseeb Science Tarek Osman  Computer and Information Science

Principal's Honour Roll
 

Grade 9 Efa Syed   Safa'a Issawi                              Grade 10                      Tarek Osman

CONGRATULATIONS!


University of Waterloo Cayley Mathematics Contest

Every year, the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing, University of Waterloo, holds contests in Mathematics and Computing, and the student with the highest score in a school receives the school champion medal. ISNA High School students took part in the February 2002 Mathematics contests. The champion medal went to Tarek Osman.

Congratulations, Tarek!


October 2002 Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test

The annual Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) took place on October 23 and 24, 2002. Successful completion of the test is a requirement for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma. All Grade 10 students wrote the OSSLT as well as those students in Grade 11 who had not previously taken or passed the test. The test is administered by the Education Quality and Assessment Office (EQAO). Test results are expected to be released in April 2003.

As required by the EQAO, we collected a registration fee of $95.00 per student for test administration. The EQAO subsequently waived the fee for this year and returned the payment.

On December 10, 2002, we sent a note to parents of the students affected through their sons/daughters, enquiring about their wishes for the disposition of the funds. Some parents asked that the money be returned to them; others chose to have it counted toward their child's tuition fees, and a third group elected to make a donation toward the ISNA High School Scholarship/Bursary Fund. If you are one of the parents who have not as yet responded, please contact the school about your preference.


ISNA High School Scholarship/Bursary Fund

In the summer of 2002, the ISNA Islamic School Board established a Scholarship and Bursary Fund for students attending or entering ISNA High School. The fund is intended to support families who have difficulty paying the tuition fees for their children. The purpose of scholarships is to pay for a student's entire tuition fees for four years, whereas bursaries are allocated on a case-by-case basis to select students in financial need at a given time.

In the current school year (2002-2003), a number of community members generously contributed toward the Scholarship/Bursary Fund, and a total of $14,700.00 was raised. The Bursary Committee awarded bursaries to nine students, and the funds have been depleted.

For the upcoming school year, we will require further funds to support the families of students currently receiving bursaries, should their financial situation not improve, as well as to support new applicants. We urge you to make a commitment to this worthy cause. Your donation will give the gift of Islamic education to a young Muslim student and undoubtedly make a difference in her or his life.

Cheques should be made payable to ISNA High School. Donations by residents of Canada are tax-deductible, and a tax receipt will be issued. For more details, please see the back cover of this newsletter. We would appreciate it if you would share the information contained therein with relatives and friends. 


Examination Days

The examination days for the first Semester have been scheduled from January 22 through January 28, 2003. January 29 is a Professional Activity Day for teachers. There will be no classes on these days. The second Semester begins on Thursday, January 30, and classes resume at 8:25 a. m. on that day. 
 
 
Examination Schedule Date Grade Subject Time
 

Date	Grade	Subject	Time
Wednesday, January 22, 2003	9	Learning Strategies	9:30 - 10:45
	10	Science	9:30 - 12:00
	11	Preparation Day
Thursday, January 23, 2003	9	Islamic Studies	9:30 - 12:00
	10
	11
Friday, January 24, 2003	9	French	9: 30 - 11:30
	10	Canadian History	9: 30 - 12: 00
	11	Computer & Info. Science	9: 30 - 12: 00
Monday, January 27, 2003	9	English	9:30 - 12:00
	10	Career Studies	9: 30 - 11:00
	11	Functions & Relations	9: 30 - 12: 00
Tuesday, January 28, 2003	9	Arabic	9: 30 - 11:30
	10	Civics	9: 30 - 11:00
	11	World Religions	9: 30 - 12: 00

ISNA High Students Participate in Adopt-A-Highway Program

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation has established an Adopt-A-Highway Program as a public service for volunteers to assist with beautification activities along provincial highways and in roadside rest areas. It is a way for environmentally conscious and community minded citizens to make a personal contribution to a cleaner environment. Under the program, groups or individuals agree to adopt a minimum of 2 kilometres of a highway and help maintain it through litter control at least three times per year.

ISNA Canada has adopted a section of the QEW between Erin Mills Parkway and Winston Churchill Boulevard. Some ISNA High students, under the leadership of Brother Abdulkadir Dirie, participated in the clean up of this section of the highway on November 3, 2002, along with some members of ISNA Canada. We are proud of our students and say a special thank you to Ahmed Said Ahmed, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed, Yaser Barin, Fatima Gilani, Jameela Jaber, Abu Bakr Khan, Yahya Mohamed, Abed Rawas, Maha Siddique, and Efa Syed for their participation in this program.


Ramadan Challenge at ISNA High

As part of the Ramadan spirit of drawing closer to Allah (swt) through learning, students at ISNA High participated in a daily quiz about Islam. Students were given questions at the end of each school day and asked to submit their answers the following morning. Students were encouraged to find the correct answers through independent research or by consulting others. Students responded with great enthusiasm and involved many members of their families in learning, teaching and refreshing their knowledge about various aspects of Islam. A number of students won prizes for doing well in the quizzes. Thank you, Sister Heba, for organizing the challenge, and to other school staff for showing the same kind of enthusiasm as the students!


Ramadan Donation Drive at ISNA High

In keeping with the spirit of the blessed month of Ramadan (The Messenger of Allah was the most generous of people, and he was most generous in Ramadan.), students at ISNA High organized a donation drive. Volunteers from each class designed posters announcing the event and created donation boxes. Speakers were invited from the International Relief Fund for the Afflicted and Needy (IRFAN-Canada) and the Council on American Islamic Relations-Canada (CAIR-CAN) to speak to students about the work of these organizations.

Alhamdulillah, the donation drive proved to be a great success. All classes met their target, and some even exceeded it. The students donated the money collected to food banks in Palestine. 

Inspired by the success of this venture, Grade 9A students have decided to continue with the donation drive and raise funds to sponsor orphans in Palestine.

Our thanks to all students and staff who were involved in this effort and, in particular, to Sister. Marya who co-ordinated it!


Eid Celebrations at ISNA High

ISNA High students celebrated the happy occasion of Eid with a school party. With guidance from their teachers, the students organized the entire event. Volunteers from each class  planned activities and the food to be served. Instead of school uniforms, students wore their ethnic dresses on the day of the party, presenting a mosaic of the many ethno-cultural groups represented in the school.

The day started with a morning du'a and welcoming words from the Principal. Osman Hersi, a Grade 9 student, read a poem he had written about Eid. Students then went to their respective gymnasiums, where boys held a basketball tournament and girls participated in organized activities. Later in the day, prizes were distributed for the Ramadan Quiz and the basketball tournament. The day's activities concluded with a sumptuous luncheon.

We would like to share Osman Hersi's poem with you.

 

The PROPHET (pbuh) said: 'There is no better gift a parent can give his child than good manners'. (Tirmidhi)


As Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.


Give a last gift of Education

ISNA High School is a progressive, co-educational, Muslim secondary school for students from Grades 9 to 12. The school is part of the ISNA Islamic School Board, under the auspices of the Islamic Society of North America.  The school is located on the outskirts of Metropolitan Toronto, Canada.

The school's academic program complies with provincial educational standards in Ontario, Canada, and prepares students for university and college admission, while also striving to abide by Qur'anic injunctions and the Sunnah.  Arabic and Islamic Studies form an integral part of the curriculum. The school is equipped with modern, state-of-the-art, facilities, including computer and science laboratories, a library, separate gymnasiums for male and female students, and spacious lunchrooms.

In the summer of 2002, the ISNA Islamic School Board established a Scholarship and Bursary Fund for students entering or currently attending ISNA High School. Scholarships are granted to students entering Grade 9 and pay the students' tuition fees for four years, that is, the duration of the students' high school career. Bursaries are awarded on a case-by-case basis to select students in financial need in any grade on an annual basis.

Selection Criteria for scholarships are:

• Demonstrated academic excellence;
• Involvement in extra-curricular activities;
• Proven leadership abilities;
• Evidence of financial need;
• Canadian citizenship or landed immigrant status;
• Recommendation by the principal of the student's elementary school.

ISNA High School is soliciting individuals, businesses, and/ or corporate donors to sponsor scholarships and bursaries for one or more students. Ideally, donors of scholarships would sponsor a student for four years, but sponsorships for fewer than four years are also welcome as contributions from more than one donor can be pooled to establish an individual scholarship. Any donation, big or small, will be gratefully accepted.

Donors may specify whether their donation is intended for a scholarship or a bursary. A donation of $4,000 will cover the tuition fees for one student for one year, and a donation of $16,000 will cover a full four-year scholarship. Cheques should be made payable to ISNA High School. Donations by residents of Canada are tax-deductible and tax receipts will be issued.

We strongly urge you to make a commitment to this worthy cause. Your donation will give the gift of Islamic education to a young Muslim student and, undoubtedly, will make a difference in her or his life. 



Principal