Life & Times of AYA

Dear Parents, Staff, Students & Community-Members:

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh!

Masha’Allah, we had a very successful Quarter I and look forward to an even more

successful Q2: We have initiated new programs and clubs; we have completed

some very nice competitions; and our students have had some very nice field trips,

in and out of school.

As Eid ul Adha approaches, we prepare to see the hujjaaj off and wish them all safe

and blessed journeys. We ask that they keep us all in their du’aa.

I am foregoing a long letter this issue, so that we can introduce you to our wonderful

Newsletter Team. Through their eyes, you are transported into the amazing world

that is AYA and get to see what is happening inside and outside the classrooms.

Takbeer to each and every one of them!

Wassalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

Sr. Magda Elkadi Saleh

Principal

new

s

5905 E. 130th Ave., Tampa, Florida 33617 www.ayatampa.com (813) 987-9282

Bismillahi-r- Rahmani-r-Raheem

DECEMBER

Look inside...

NOVEMBER

1 NO SCHOOL/Staff Day 11 SOTM ASSEMBLIES

23 GEOGRAPHY BEE 24-31 NO SCHOOL/Winter Break

CALENDAR of

REMINDER: Parents, when dropping

off or picking up your children,

PLEASE remember to watch out for

the staff and student volunteers

directing the traffic. They work

diligently to load or unload three cars

at a time and need your vigilance.

NOVEMBER 2009 ZHUL-Q'ADA 1430

Awards ................. 7

Pink Hijab Day 6

Kids’ Corner ......... 8

6 IPTA MEETING

6 REPORT CARDS

12 PICTURE MAKE UP DAY 13 SOTM ASSEMBLIES

20 NO SCHOOL/ Staff Day 25-30 NO SCHOOL/ Eid ul-Adha

Newsletter Submission DEADLINE

Friday, December 18th

at 5:00P.M.

ayanewsletter@ayatampa.com

Top Row: Ahmad Rifaie, Mohammad Fahda, Hussien Qasem, Yezun Ali, Kamal

Taha, Abdullah Tamari, Amjad Al-Shalabi.

Bottom Row: Rahma Elmohd, Rula Hijaz, Subrine Hijaz, Lama Mattar, A’la Faria,

Mizba Khan, Sarah Quneibi, Yasmine Hussien, Jasmin Gutierrez (not pictured).

Your 2009-2010 AYA Newsletter Team

Introducing the 2009-2010 IPTA officers and coordinators:

President/Secretary: Sonia Saad

Vice President: Dr. Ziad Taha Treasurer: Manal Ramadan

Volunteer Coordinator: Aminah Soltan SOTM Coordinator: Rita Hassan

Teacher Representative: Hayat Ileiwat

New Teacher Spotlight 2

Middle & High School Updates 3

K-Building Kids ... 5

Elementary Experience 4

American Youth Academy

Page 2

Inte

rvie

ws New Teacher Spotlight

Chatting with Br. Adeeb by Ahmad Rifaie and Yezun Ali

We interviewed Br. Adeeb for this month’s “New Teacher Spotlight,” and we

learned a lot about him. The first thing we found out was, when interviewing

Br. Adeeb, it is always important to try to get the interview done early.

It was very difficult to interview Br. Adeeb, because every time we tried to schedule

an appointment with him, something would always come up. After three days of trying to track him down, we finally

got a hold of him.

Br. Adeeb attended the University of South Florida, and received a B.A. in Psychology and a M.A. in Counseling. We

asked Br. Adeeb to tell us about his first two months at AYA this year, and he replied, “Ramadan was hard, because I

was very hungry.” We also asked him what he expected from his students. He told us, “I expect them to listen, be

respectful, and ask lots of questions.”

We wanted to know how Br. Adeeb defines success for his students, and he said that if they study, they will be

successful. Br. Adeeb’s favorite grade when he was in school was eleventh grade. His favorite activity is to work out.

(That wasn’t surprising!) He said his favorite sports are Football and Basketball.

What we think of Br. Adeeb

We think Br. Adeeb makes a difference at AYA, because he is a good math teacher, he is very nice, and he encourages

us to work harder! But, if Br. Adeeb and a few other teachers were to play basketball against all of the 9th grade boys,

we all think that we would definitely win.

New Teacher Spotlight

Sr. Mitzi By: Jasmin Gutierrez and Yasmine Hussien

Sr. Mitzi is another new addition to AYA’s awesome Elementary

Department. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit,

Michigan, and received a B.S. Degree in Elementary Education.

She decided to work at AYA, because she wanted the opportunity

to teach kindergarten students in a new and diverse atmosphere.

The most challenging part of working with her K5B class is

making sure everyone is learning and enjoying their class activities.

And that’s the 411 on some of the new teachers at AYA.

Her favorite thing about teaching is being around students, because they keep her young. The funniest thing that

happened while she was teaching was that some of the students thought she was only sixteen years old. Her

favorite sandwich is turkey with swiss cheese.

What her students like most about her is that, “she’s really nice, and lets us play and go outside.” Plus,

“she helps us learn new things.”

The newest member of our Office Staff, Nora Swellam, is also

an AYA Alumna. After graduating from AYA in 2006, Nora

was accepted at USF, and is currently studying Business. She

said that, “the feeling of community and the fact that the

school was a second home to me,” inspired her to work at

AYA this year. Her favorite part about working at AYA is

how she can relate to the students and share some of her

memories with them. What she misses most about being a

student at AYA is being surrounded by her high school

friends. She advises students to be active and make as many

memories as they can, because leaving AYA was very hard for

her, and she cherishes her time here. She also advises the

students that it is never too early to prepare for college.

AYA ALUMNI

We hope to start a Tiger Den (1st Graders) and a Wolf Den (2nd Graders) in a few months. More information coming soon! If you are interested in volunteering as a Den Leader, please contact tzekri@ayatampa.com

The cub scouts are coming to

AYA, insha’Allah

American Youth Academy

Page 3

AYA’s After School Sports Programs

GO EAGLES! We won our first boys’ Middle School soccer scrimmage game of the year against UAF. The final score was 4-3! We are looking forward to a great season, insha’Allah

By Amjad Alshalabi

Last week, I interviewed Br. Souheil about the after school sports programs being offered at AYA. The first question I asked was, “Why were some of the after school programs cut from the list?” He responded, “Not enough students signed up!” For example, only three people registered for flag football after an entire month of advertising. Also, only two Pre-K students signed up for the Little Stars Program, a movement and tumbling class geared to keep little bodies active and encourage learning and sharing. The second question I asked was, “How many students have signed up for the different programs?” He replied, “We have about thirty-two students in the Tennis, Martial Arts, and Soccer Programs.” My next question was whether we would ever be able to have our own uniforms. Br. Souheil said, “Yes, as long as we have enough students for a team!” Since my interview, there have been a few changes to the afterschool programs. In an effort to establish strong team Sports at the Middle and High School levels (Gr. 6-12), the school’s administration and board have decided to provide the following programs free of charge: Soccer, Flag Football, Cross Country Running, and Basketball. These teams will be supported by Donors and money made through fundraising opportunities. We would like to recognize and thank the community members who generously sponsored the start up costs for Girls Soccer, Boys Flag Football, and Boys and Girls Cross Country. We are actively looking for Donors to sponsor Boys Soccer, Basketball and other AYA athletic programs, insha’Allah. Be from among the ones who help establish a great tradition of Athletic Excellence! If you are interested in sponsoring or donating towards a team, please contact Br. Souheil at szekri@ayatampa.com.

The AYA mascot & fans intensely watching the game!

By Mizba Khan During October, the upper class High School students went on a field trip to HCC. The trip went very well, and seventeen of our 10th and 11th grade students took placement tests. The students plan to submit their applications to HCC with their placement tests, so they can take dual enrollment classes in January, insha’Allah.

The administration is working on organizing field trips to Sarasota to the Mote Marine Laboratory. Middle School students will learn about taxonomic classification in a hands-on marine invertebrate lab called, Spineless Sea. High School students will explore the history of Mote's scientific research. If specimens are available, students will also dissect a marine animal, insha’Allah.

In addition to Student Council and the Qur’an and sports’ programs available for students, the ECO CLUB started at the end of October with a large student turnout. The members will work toward getting AYA’s teachers, staff, ALL the students, and families involved in protecting our environment. The ECO CLUB meets every Friday from 12:45 to 1:30pm in Building B, Room 4.

Middle and High School Updates

“It is our goal to make AYA students and graduates as

successful as they can be.” ~Sr. Magda

High School students supporting Pink Hijab Day!

Even siblings like to match their clothes!!

2009-2010

STUDENT COUNCIL

OFFICERS

President MOHAMMAD HARAKE

Vice President UMAR ABUNAMOUS

Secretary YASMINE KHAWAJA

Treasurer SARAH QUNEIBI Public Relations

RAHMA ELMOHD Fundraiser

HANEEN SAAD Social Chair RULA HIJAZ

Historian ASEEL YOUSEF

8th Gr. Representative

FARIS ABELMAJIED 7

th Gr. Representative

SABRINA AWSHAH

American Youth Academy

Page 4

The Elementary students have been very busy this month! The Science Olympics was held on October 19th and 20th and was a huge success! The Kindergarten students worked in teams to see who could build the highest skyscraper out of cups and folders. First-graders tried to see who could blow the biggest bubble out of a solution they made themselves. The Second Grade class made their own paper airplanes and flew them to see whose would go the farthest. Third-graders tried to see who could build the strongest boat made from aluminum foil. The Fourth Grade made marshmallow flyers, and Fifth Grade made marble coasters. Winners will represent AYA during a county-wide competition at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) on November 7th and 21st. A representative from the St. Joseph's Hospital visited AYA at the end of the October to present our youngest students with an in-school field trip called the “Teddy Bear Clinic.” They talked about how it is okay to feel scared when we go to the doctor, and to give students tips to help them feel safe. The clinic also reminded them that it’s very important to go the doctor for checkups. There were a few off-campus field trips as well. The Kindergarteners went to a puppet show at Temple Terrace Library. The fifth- graders went to MOSI, and the fourth and fifth-graders went to the mangroves at the Hillsborough River State Park on Wednesday, Oct. 28th, where they studied the plants and animals living there. In order for the children to have a successful semester, parents need to spend time with their children and make sure they read, read, read!!! Parents should also keep the line of communication open with their children and their children's teachers.

By: Lama Mattar

The Elementary Experience

K5 Students getting a “check up” during the Teddy Bear Clinic.

American Youth Academy

Page 5

After spending some time with Sr. Maha (ECE Director), I learned a lot about what is going on in the Early Childhood Education Department at AYA. The K3 and K4 students are currently learning about the different kinds of people in their community. They are also learning about patterns, shapes, colors, letters, and the days of the week. ''Teaching the students is really not hard,'' said Sr. Maha, “But it is challenging to keep order in the class and to teach the young ones the classroom rules. All the students have adjusted very well to the classroom rules, though, Alhumdulillah, because they were taught in a fun and comforting way.” The students enjoyed a few visitors this month while they learned about families and people in their community. First, Sr. Iman Elkadi talked to the students about being a grandmother. Dr. Mohammad Ibrahim told them how important and how much fun it was to be a doctor. Sr. Magda Saleh told them how rewarding it was to be the Principal of AYA and get to see them every day. Both teachers and students were also really excited to participate in the Teddy Bear Clinic on October 28

th. As

mentioned previously, the Clinic was designed to help teach the students about health related issues, and to remind them that visiting the doctor is not something to be afraid of. There are a few upcoming activities that everyone in the ECE Department is looking forward to during November. Pete the Pelican Pirate from Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful plans to talk to the students about environmental issues, and Bess the Book Bus will be discussing the importance of reading.

By: Subrine Hijaz

Keeping You Informed on K-BUILDING Kids

K3 and K4 Students during their “Teddy Bear Clinic.”

THANK YOU FOR VISITING US, DR. IBRAHIM

All the things you can learn with fruit kabobs is AMAZING!

This month the ART classes have been busy on the following projects! 6th grade- Indian project using yarn and bamboo skewers. 4th and 5th grades- Borders design project to beautify the Art classroom. 3rd grade- Sleeping bear mitten project. 2nd grade- Folders design using stencils. 1st grade- Paper project using simple shapes to create elaborate shapes.

American Youth Academy

Page 6

SSuurrvviivviinngg BBrreeaasstt CCaanncceerr

Sr. Djamila with her 8th Grade Class

Unfortunately, breast cancer takes 400,000 lives per year throughout the world. It’s estimated that 192,370 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year (in America). I was surprised to learn that a current staff member at AYA was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer seven years ago. When Sr. Djamila was told the bitter news, it was a shock to her whole family. It especially took a toll on her husband, Br. Al-Inshirah. “Ya Allah!” was his first reaction when he heard the news. He told me that he was emotionally “destroyed,” and his daughter was stunned. But through it all, Sr. Djamila was calm. Her daughter said that she was positive and showed no distress, although she was fighting a hard battle! Sr. Djamila explained to me the difficulty of going through chemotherapy, and the changes she had to make to improve her diet. Her husband also told me that her diet rubbed off on the rest of the family, and now they seem to eat healthier. When asked how cancer affected her mentality, Sr. Djamila said; “I was more aware of death, and the fact that Allah can call you whenever He wants.” This teaches us that our time is limited, and we never know when our time will come to an end. All we can do is try our best in this life. Sr. Djamila would like to bring to our attention how women should be more aware of their bodies and get constant checkups. In conclusion, I would like to thank Sr. Djamila for taking the time to sit and do this interview with me. She is indeed a survivor, just like she is in the eyes of her family.

AYA students, staff-members, and parents showed their support and solidarity with women and the families touched by breast cancer during our Pink Hijab Day. The event was a true success. Alhamdulillah, with the donations that were collected, AYA was able to assist two families in our community who recently lost their loved ones to this disease.

Events like this one bring the community closer together and make us truly feel that we are one big family.

As per the hadeeth of our most beloved Prophet Muhammad (saws): Whoever relieves the burden of a believer in this world, Allah will relieve his burden on the Day of Judgment. May Allah accept all that we do and protect us and our families in this life and the next.

PINK HIJAB DAY

By, Rahma Elmohd

American Youth Academy

Page 7

Students of the Month

K4A- Elyas Essoufi and Serene Abulhaija

K4B- Lara Twam and Abdul-Malik Zekri

K5A- Omar Rifaie

K5B- Malik Shalabi and Banah Swar

K4C- Yazen El-Shaafi and Yara Abdelrazzaq

1A- Nadeen Hassan and Lina Ibrahim

1B- Adam Mansour and Dana Barakat

2B- Omar Obeid and Abeer Hassan

2A- Mina Arslan and Danya Yousef

3A- Ahmad Abdulmagid and Leya Rum

4A- Arian Rafhat

4B- Zaid Chefchaouni

K-5: Shahed Fatima Aisheh and Abrar Hamdan 1st Grade: Nader Sarsour

2nd Grade: Amine Medmoun 3rd Grade: Dana Ahmad

4th Grade: Osama Gurwala and Ahmad Hack 5th Grade: Hadeel Abraham and Sara Saed

Good Luck at MOSI!!!!!!! GO AYA EAGLES!!!

She is usually the one everyone turns to when they are in trouble or

need help. Who is this person??

Last Month Answer: BR. ADEEB

Communities on the moon and back on Earth

1st Grade B students have been learning all about their communities and neighborhoods. They each built their own structure-from banks to apartment buildings-to complete our wonderful classroom community.

After NASA sent a rocket to the moon to find water, our first-graders thought it would be cool if we lived on the moon. Can you imagine living on the moon? We can!!!!!!

(Hello, everyone! Last month there was a typo. My name is Sr. Helpout). This Month's Question: “My friends have been ignoring me lately. They keep acting like everything is normal, but I can tell it’s not. I always feel left out. I don’t want to act too clingy and annoy them, what should I do?” Signed, Anonymous Dear Anonymous, I understand your problem. This is a very difficult situation, because sometimes what you feel is NOT really what is happening. It may seem like they are ignoring you, but I doubt they are. I do have some tips for you however, if you are feeling left out. First, don’t let them think that there is something wrong like being sad or depressed around them. This will only make things worse. Second, give them some time. Maybe something is bothering them and they need time before they are ready to talk about it. Finally, if they still are acting weird, then it is time to confront them about the issue. This will allow you guys to communicate, which is the best way to solve any problem. I’m sure everything is going to go fine; things like this happen all the time with friends, DON’T WORRY.

Just remember, if there is an issue and they are not willing to talk about it, or work it out, maybe they were not true friends to begin with. I HOPE I HELPED! Sr. Helpout

(E-mail me at: ayanewsletter@ayatampa.com with your question!)

Advice Column

American Youth Academy

Page 8

Title- by:

By: Mohammad Fahda and Abdullah Tamari

What Would You Do with a Million

Dollars?

Ahlam Abuaram: I would buy Dora toys.

Mahdi Ahmad:I would buy a big rock truck.

Shahed Aisheh: I would buy a bag and ice

cream.

Abdul-Hadi Almadanali: I would buy

an Indiana Jones Lego.

Lydia Ben Bourennane: Birthday cakes.

Mohannd Daaboul: I would buy a Ferrari.

Abrar Hamdan: I would buy Candy and

gum.

Idrahim Hamdan: I would buy a

mini motorcycle.

Zainab Mohamed: I would buy a cat.

Amal Nahhas: I would buy a dog and a cat.

Miral Qurashi: I would buy a car

Omar Rifaie: I would buy a Nissan car.

Omar Saad: I would buy a mini motorcycle.

Yosef Safiah: I would buy SpongeBob Toys.

Nagam Saleh: I would buy a Barbie Bag for

school.

Lana Shada: I would buy some pancakes and

grapes.

Bara’a Alrousan: A small cookie.

Hamzah Annahas: A huge cookie.

Ali Chahbandar: I don’t know

Abdulhakim Chefchaouni: A remote control

car that flies.

Zakareya Elsayed: Three guns stuck together.

Suhaib Fariz: A grenade launcher that shoots

and turns into a machine gun and has a knife.

Farah Ghanem: A robot that I can control.

Bilal Qasem: A library man so he can give

everyone books.

Samah Quneibi: A cool airplane so I can fly

in it.

Ibraheem Rifaie: An iron man suit.

Azeeza Sarour: A robot butterfly so it can

take me everywhere.

Malik Shalabi: Five swords stuck together.

Nour Sullaiman: A fire balloon so it can fly.

Banah Swar: A cool teacher.

Amnah Taha: Another Busch Gardens

because it’s AWESOME!

Mamoun Zayed: Airplane + car = carplane

Sr.Ju

ne’s K

5A

Class

Sr.M

itzi’s K5B

Class

If you could invent something to make

the future better, what would it be?

Critic’s Book Choice

By Kamal Taha

Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Dog Days) This book is about Greg Hefley, your normal 8

th

grader, just trying to have a good summer. Every time he tries to do something, it horribly goes wrong. To make things worse, he has a very annoying dog. I like this book because I think we can all relate to Greg’s life.

Edward Scissorhands This movie is about a boy who has scissors for hands. The scientist who made him dies, just before finishing Edward. Soon, he is found by a friendly lady who takes him home. You’re going to have to watch the movie to find out what happens. I liked this movie, because it is a really good story, and it shows how people will take advantage of the

kindest among us.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-7, and we all know there is no way they will be able to make it to the playoffs. They are still trying to rebuild the team entirely on both the defensive and offensive lines. The Buccaneers have just signed former Baltimore Ravens receiver Yamon Figurs, and rookie defensive linemen Michael Bennett. The Bucs also signed Colts kicker Shane Andrus on October 5th. This should hopefully help fix the problems they have had since the beginning of the season. Recent game results: Redskins 16-13 and Eagles 33-14. It was also no surprise that they also lost to the Panthers (38-23).

Recently, the Bucs traveled to London for their game against the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. The Bucs lost 35-7, Ouch! The Bucs advanced this week due to their bye week, which means they had the opportunity for more practice. They made Josh Freeman their first round pick QB for the Packers game. They will need to focus a lot on the rookie QB. People are saying that he is still too young to be QB, but others say they’ll try anything to win a game.

TAMPA BAY SPORTS

By, Hussien Qasem

K-4 student chillaxin!