IFNSS Week 13 Update

IFN Expansion Fundraiser Dinner is coming up this following Saturday, December 17th, 2022 at Holiday Inn, Gurnee. This is such a critical project for our growing IFN community and requires the support from all community members including our children and youth. We believe that the students'' voice is very important and must be part of all decision making related to our community needs.

We are very excited that Sunday School Students will be participating in a Nasheed Presentation at this Event. Sr Bushra Imran, who is a nationally recognized Nasheed Reciter and has helped students prepare Nasheeds in the past, has graciously accepted our request to work with the selected students and prepare the nasheed. May Allah SWT accept and reward their efforts. Ameen.

I also want to provide an opportunity to our students to share their voice and express their thoughts and perspectives on how they feel about the IFN Expansion Project and what this means to them. In order to get feedback from our students, I am requesting parents to do the following:

1. Watch the IFN Expansion Video (linked below) with your child and talk about what it means, what are some of the benefits of expansion and why it is important for us to support this project.
See the New Animation Video - Click Here
Find more information: https://ifnonline.com/expansion

2. Record a video of your child answering just ONE OF THE FOLLOWING THREE QUESTIONS (The video should NOT EXCEED more that 20-30 seconds at the most)
a) How will IFN Expansion benefit the students?
b) Why is IFN Expansion important to you?
c) Which part(s) of the Expansion project are you most excited about and why? ( pick one or two from the following: Academic Wing/ New Classrooms, Gym with Basketball Court & Running Track, New Banquet Hall, New Learning Resource Center/ Library, Terrace Garden, New Play Area)

3. Email me the recorded video NO LATER THAN Thursday, December 15th. If text is easier for you, you can also text me the video at 847-772-1869. Please make sure to include your child''s FULL NAME and Grade level in the email or text. We will compile all the videos we receive into one presentation, that will be played at the IFN Expansion Event on next Saturday, December 17th at Holiday Inn, Gurnee, In sha Allah. Please be assured that after compiling the videos in a presentation, I will delete all the videos to respect the confidentiality and privacy of all our children.

Please NOTE that this is an OPTIONAL ACTIVITY for your child to participate in. IF you are not comfortable with using your child''s video recording, you can have them hold up a poster and have them share what they want to say in response to one of the questions above, but focus the camera on the poster and not on their face. We want to be respectful of everyone''s comfort level but also allow all students to have the same opportunities. IF your child does not want to participate in this activity, that is totally fine as well. You can still do #1 (Watch the Video) to make them aware of the Expansion Project and have a discussion with them on your own. We want all our children to be involved and be aware of our community initiatives in Sha Allah.

Please let me know if you have additional questions. I look forward to hearing the voices, opinions and thoughts of our wonderful and enthusiastic IFNSS students.

JazakAllah Khayr for your cooperation and support in this important mission that will benefit our whole community in sha Allah and will be a sadaqa-e-jariah for us all. May Allah SWT put His Barakat in everyone''s efforts and help the IFN community achieve their goals. Ameen.

INCENTIVES FOR STUDENTS:

In order to motivate students to perform Dhikr & Adhkar after Salah, Imam Azfar announced that students will be earning "Race to Jannah" coupons, when they are "caught doing good" by teachers and TA's. Students will write their name and grade on these coupons and put them in a jar that will be kept in the men's Musallah. In a few weeks (date not decided yet), there will be a raffle where Imam Azfar will draw two names out of the jar. One of the students will earn a "hover board" and the other one will earn as "bike" as prizes from Imam Azfar. In addition, next Sunday (December 18th) names for "Student of the month" will also be drawn from the jar to pick 1-2 students from each grade level who have demonstrated excellence in their behavior or overall performance at Sunday School. Please continue to encourage students to demonstrate expected behaviors throughout their school day at IFN during class, recess, lunch, salah etc.

GOOGLE CLASSROOMS:

Our teachers use Google Classrooms as the home to school connection to post announcements related to homework or classwork. Please note that students have to be logged into their own IFN domain email accounts to access google classroom. I have attached Step by Step directions HERE on how to access your child's IFN email account and then use that to access google classrooms. All returning students continue to use their existing IFN email accounts. We try our best to create IFN email accounts for any NEW students who join us within 1 week of their start date. If you are having difficulty with your child's IFN email or Google Classroom, please reach out to your child's teacher and he/she will be able to help in sha'Allah. I have attached a PDF of IFNSS teachers 22-23 that lists all the teacher's names as well as their email addresses for your easy reference.

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILDREN HAVE JOINED THEIR GOOGLE CLASSROOMS FOR ALL SUBJECT AREAS. (1st through 8th graders have 4 google classrooms for each student. Pre-K & Kindergarten have 2 google classrooms for each student)

LOST & FOUND!

Teachers try their best to remind students to take their belongings. However, some students are forgetting their jackets, materials and belongings. We have made a Lost and Found Box in the Sunday School Office. Our lost and found box is getting fuller each week and there are many unclaimed items including jackets, water bottles, books etc. If your child has lost some of their belongings, please be sure to check the Lost and Found Box which is kept in the Lobby at Dismissal Time. PLEASE CHECK THE LOST & FOUND BOX TO CLAIM ANY LOST ITEMS. We will have to dispose off/donate items that are not claimed soon. JazakAllah for your cooperation.

Morning Drop off begins at 9:30 and assembly starts at 9:45 in sha'Allah. Parents are requested to drop off their children at the front of the building and our staff will guide students to the Musallah area for assembly in sha'Allah. Parents do not have to come inside the building for drop off as our staff will be at the front door to supervise students.

Dismissal is after Dhuhr Salah at 1:30. Cones are placed in the front of the building to block the area for safety. Parents are requested to park their car in the parking lot and come to the outside of the front entrance. 4th through 8th grade students stand outside under staff supervision in designated areas and can leave when parents come to pick. Younger students in grades Pre-K through 3rd grade line up inside the lobby area and are escorted to parents as they come to pick. Please make sure to pick your children on time before 1:40 as our staff leave after 1:45 and we do not have enough staff to supervise students after 1:45. For any students who are not picked on time, parents have to come to the office and pick them from the office. We appreciate your cooperation in making sure dismissal is completed efficiently and safely for all students.

Salah Procedures: Dhuhr Salah is part of the Sunday School curriculum. We teach all students to respectfully pray behind the Imam and participate in "tasbeeh" and "dua" at the end. Parents who are in the upstairs musalla are requested to please go downstairs and wait in the lobby after Salah is done. TA's will bring all students down when they are done. We do not want the upstairs or lobby area to get too crowded. We appreciate your cooperation as we try to make the dismissal process safe for everyone.

Lunch Procedures: All students get lunch at Sunday School (pizza and juice) and it is included in the Sunday School fee. Students can bring lunch from home if they want to but there will be no reduction in fee.

Please revisit behavior expectations from the Student /Parent handbook with your children. There have been many complaints regarding older students not using the men''s bathroom properly. Men who come to pray Zuhr Salah are finding that the bathrooms are not in good shape (to say the least). We have revised our bathroom procedures such that students in grades 4th - 8th will be using a bathroom pass for bathroom break during any class period. Only 1 student at a time will be allowed from a class to go for bathroom break. Students will use a sign in and sign out sheet for bathroom break during class time and return to class promptly. We have also increased supervision for students when they go to the bathroom.

Teachers will continue to teach and reinforce behavior expectations for Appropriate Bathroom Use and Recess Safety Use to all students as those are the two areas where we see the need for improvement. However, we are requesting parents to REVIEW the same behavior expectations with your children. When parents and teachers work together, we can hope to see positive outcomes and more progress in student''s behavior in sha Allah!

Behavior Expectations for Bathroom:

• Respect property

• Do not bring food in Bathroom

• Observe time limits & return promptly

• Flush toilet after use

• Use appropriate amount of toilet paper, soap and water

• Clean up after yourself

• Throw garbage in trash

• Keep Hands, feet & objects to self

• Wash hands before leaving

• Respect others’ privacy

• Look behind you to make sure the bathroom is the way it looked when you came in

Remember: Bathroom is NOT a place to play or socialize

Behavior Expectations for Recess:

• Use appropriate language

• Use equipment safely

• Keep hands, feet and belongings to self

• Wear appropriate clothing for weather

• Follow playground rules

• Inform recess supervisor of problems

• Stay in the assigned area (e.g. stay away from road)

• Be inclusive to peers.

• Listen to the supervisors and follow directions.

• Line up in single file when recess is over and walk back to class

We appreciate your partnership in helping our students learn expected behaviors and take care of our masjid, and each other. Please feel free to reach out if you have questions.

PARENT STUDENT HANDBOOK - Please review with your child

Handbook acknowledgement form

Photo Consent Form

Medical Emergency Form

IFNSS Substitute & Volunteer Form - (OPTIONAL) Please complete & submit ONLY if interested in volunteering at Sunday School. We appreciate your partnership.

You can call the IFN main phone number 847-406-3730 and then Dial Extension 222 for Sunday School Office

• Principal - Sr. Saddaf Raheel - ifnss.principal@ifnonline.com

• Vice Principal - Sr. Shamim Choudhry - ifnss.viceprincipal@ifnonline.com

• Office Manager - Sr. Saba Fuad - ifnss.office@ifnonline.com

• Registrar - ifnss.registrar@ifnonline.com

• Education Committee Chair - Dr. Zafeer Ahmad zafeer.ahmad@ifnonline.com

• IFN Vice President - Br Ahmed Nader - ahmed.nader@ifnonline.com

• MUHSEN Facilitators, Sr. Sadia Thiryayi sadia.thiryayi@ifnonline.com & Br. Shaaz Adeel shaaz.adeel@ifnonline.com

• Sunday School After School Arabic Program Coordinator - Sister Eman Enaya 312-813-0526 emanenaya@yahoo.com.

• High School Youth Core (HSYC) Coordinator - Sr Samina Anwar samina.taranum@ifnonline.com

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iXHVCAsvyTJLU_wzun4S5OGF8KVkVcFD1ezKFg4WwDQ/edit?usp=sharing