Al-Furqan Islamic School 2007-2008 Highlights

The Al-Furqan Islamic School strives to provide a well-rounded and thorough Islamic education and environment for the Muslim community. Our staff, volunteers and parents have helped Al-Furqan achieve this goal through a variety of key programs that make up part of the curriculum. Some of the highlights of our curriculum include:

• Quran Recitation Program: Al-Furqan begins a focused study on learning how to read and recite the Holy Quran in Kindergarten and continues until 5^th grade. This program includes learning the alphabet and correct rules of reading (with an emphasis on Tajweed), and proper recitation. Our teaching staff works with students to help them further their Quranic reading skills, and we hope that parents realize they must work with their children continuously in order to solidify this skill set for life.

• New Textbook Adoption: Al-Furqan has adopted a new textbook and workbook series for grades 1-6 . This textbook series includes instruction in tawheed, seerah, worship, and Islamic manners and etiquette that is covered in a sequential and spiraling manner throughout the grades.  A supplemental CD is provided with Quran stories and nasheeds.  Teacher manuals are also part of this comprehensive program.

• Character Education Program: This program introduces a weekly worksheet that describes a specific Islamic character trait to students in Kindergarten through 5^th grade. Students are introduced to the meaning of these character traits as exemplified in the Holy Quran and Hadith. Parents are then asked to sign the worksheets when the students exhibit these traits at home. The focus of the program is on learning the importance of good Islamic character and manners, and trying to exhibit these traits in our everyday lives. In addition, students that are observed using good Islamic manners during school hours are rewarded under our “Caught Being Good” program to further emphasize the importance of proper “adab”.

• Salah Program: Al-Furqan emphasizes the importance of salah to 3^rd grade students. These students are introduced to the concept of salah, the role of salah in our lives as Muslims and then spend the year learning how to correctly perform wudu and salah. At the end of the year, the 3^rd grade class performs a salah demonstration for parents, signifying their ability to correctly perform this act of worship.

• Middle School/High School Lecture Series: Middle and high school are challenging times for young Muslims and Al-Furqan schedules several lectures on a regular basis for these students, focusing on issues relevant to this age group. In the 2007-2008 school year, Al-Furqan invited lecturers to the middle and high school classes who gave talks dealing with a variety of topics including: how to establish salah or a Muslim Student Association at your public school, health education from an Islamic perspective, and various lectures on Islamic topics pertinent to the age group.. Insha'Allah, next year Al-Furqan plans on further enhancing and developing the Middle/High School program.

• Ramadan Program (2008-2009): Insha’Allah, during the next school year, Al-Furqan hopes to establish a Ramadan program. The program is meant to be a resource tool for students and parents who want to speak about Ramadan in their respective public schools such that the students feel proud of themselves and their religion.

Our staff and volunteers work very hard to design and implement a diverse curriculum that teaches students what they need to grow as practicing, educated Muslims. However, parent involvement is vital to the success of these programs and to ensuring Islam becomes a way of life for our youth, and not just something they focus upon on the weekends.