SK2 Weekly Updates: ( Sep.6 - Sep. 16)

As-salamu-alaikum wa Rahmatullah Dear Parents,

I hope and pray that all of you are doing well insha'Allah. We had a wonderful two weeks of school alhamdulilah!

Please note that most of the updates in this blog will be written in the English language, however, all the classroom teaching will be in Arabic.

The SK2 Team:
Homeroom Teacher: Ghada
SK2 Assistant: Malika
English: Safiah
French: Nadia
Quraan: Ibtissam
Library: Nancy

I will be applying and following (The Ontario Full-Day Early Learning – Kindergarten Program Curriculum) insha'Allah.

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/kindergarten_english_june3.pdf

8:05 AM - 8:25 AM Daily Morning Routine in SK2

Students are learning to write their names early morning when they come to the class. This activity can help the children practice writing their names in Arabic. All children are expected to be able to write their first name and recognize it. Masha’Allah I have many students are able to write their names. After signing their names, the students then can choose a colouring or any quiet activity until the bell rings for circle time.

Circle Time: 8:25 AM - 8:40 AM Daily in SK2

Quran: Every morning we start our day off by enriching our hearts with some beautiful verses from the holy Qur’an. 

Duaa: In SK2 we know the importance of reciting specific du’aas during the day. Before we eat we recite. Before entering the bathroom we recite, We are also learning to recite the duaa before we go to sleep. Please help your child recite these du’aa even in the comfort of their own home.

In addition, SK2 are learning to recite daily the du'aa for the month of September. Masha'Allah the whole school including the Sk2 are learning to recite the September Du’aa. Special thanks to teacher Dina Shalabi ( Abraar school Islamic Studies Coordinator ) for providing the whole school copies of the monthly dua'a. Below is the du`aa for the month of September.

September Du`aa:

رَبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

Rabbanā `alayka tawakkalna wa elayka anabna we elaykal-maSir

Our Lord, in You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.

Du`ā' of Prophet Ibrahim in Chapter 60, verse 4

Calendar/ Weather time:

We will be doing the calendar and weather daily so the children can learn about the different kinds of weather. Also they will practice their math skills by counting and repeating the pattern. In addition, the children will practice singing the calendar and the weather songs. We are going to introduce (The Weather/Calendar Bear), this activity will give all the kids the chance to be chosen to act as a teacher and lead their friends to sing after them. MashaAllah SK2 are doing a wonderful job singing the seven days of the week song and the twelve months of the year. Way to go SK2! 

Circle/story time:

The theme for this month is All About Me! The children will learn about their body parts in Arabic and to say full sentences about themselves. For the past two weeks we have been learning about our body parts through an interactive song and game. Please ask your child about it.

Social skills:

Learning Islamic manners is very important at a young age. Therefore, I will be reading and discussing stories daily to teach the kids what to do in different situations. Please ask your child about the stories I read for the past two weeks.

We’re working really hard on our social skills! We’re learning to share toys, smiling at each other, and apologizing to each other if we hurt each others’ feelings. This year we will be using Class Dojo. This is a classroom behavior management app that allows parents and teachers to track a child's behviour. Using Class Dojo the students earn points that go towards classroom rewards that they get to choose! Please sign in to your child's account and get updates about your child's progress. 

Next week insha'Allah: 

I will discuss the different feelings people can have. The children will learn that they can show their emotions and say how they feel without hurting others.

Islamic studies:

The Hajj ( pilgrimage):

We learned that Hajj is the fifth pillar of Islam. We read the story of prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) and we learned about the life of prophet Ibrahim, the sacrifice and the building of Ka’aba. SK2 kids really enjoyed listening to this story.

The children had the chance to learn a new nasheed about Hajj, they coloured their Hajj passport booklets.

Next week inshaAllah will start our first unit (TWHEED).

Art:

We integrated Islamic studies,and Art. SK2 made a beautiful craft about the Hajj. Please check out our bulletin board! 

Arabic:

We've been practicing orally the Arabic alphabet. We learned the letter (Alef). ا

The children are able now to know the difference between (Alef  ا  ) and (Hamza ء ).

Next week inshaAllah: The children will learn how to read and write the Hamza ء  with short vowels ( fatha, Kasra and dama). 

This year we will be learning to read Arabic with Qaida Al Nowrania. For more information, please visit the following youtube video below:

In addition, I read a couple of Arabic stories and the kids really enjoyed listening to them. Alhamdullelah the children were engaged and learned new vocabularies. Please ask your child about it.

Math:

We’ve been practicing our oral counting using the daily calendar. The students had so much fun leading the class while counting.

In Science:

Children are natural scientists. They learn by touching and feeling, noticing, asking questions and by trying things out for themselves. 

within the following weeks we will be doing some fun science experiments insha'Allah!

Gym:

To release some of our never-ending energy, we’ve been frequenting the gym, and the playground. Some of our activities have included- warming up exercises, the pizza game they also played what time is it Mr. Wolf?

Important Reminders:

Please make sure your child has an extra pair of (indoor shoes). Some students do not have indoor shoes, and they end up bringing a lot of dirt into the classroom with their outdoor shoes inside the classroom.
 

Please make sure your children have an extra change of clothing at school. This includes socks, undergarments, pants, and a shirt. At this age, there is really no guarantee that your child will not need an extra change of clothes.

Please dress your child appropriately for the weather, keeping in mind that we go outside daily unless it is raining. Please LABEL his/her belongings. The inside tag of a garment is a good place to write your child's name! A lot of the kids have similar items and can easily get confused between them.

Please do send a couple of healthy snacks and lunch with your child on a daily basis.

Jazakum Allahu khairan for your cooperation and support!

              SK2 Early Arabic Language Immersion Program Team (EALIP)