Breast Cancer Awareness Week

October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. We

had the opportunity to educate students about how, as

a society, we could do better to solve this health issue

and spread awareness. Along with this informative

week full of awareness organized by Sr. Sara Bas-

soumi (School Counselor) , AYA students and staff

participated in the Breast Cancer Walk at the Wire

Grass mall to help raise funds for the cause!

Inside this issue:

Note from Administration

1

Red Ribbon Week

Breast Cancer Awareness

1

I.B Spotlight 2

Spelling Bee

Islamic History Week

3

Tarbiyah 4

Standardized Testing Infor- 5

Annual Dinner Announce-

ment

Sunday December 9th, 2018

6

AYA 2018-2019

American Youth Academy October Newsletter

Red Ribbon Week The middle school years are a crucial time in social

and emotional development. We believe that middle

school students have very unique needs. At AYA, we

strive to

provide

students

with a nur-

turing and

caring en-

vironment-

including a

strong con-

nection to

the adults

that they

in-teract with, and the peers they are surrounded by

every day. Understanding that Red Ribbon Week

raises awareness about the issues of bullying, and

educating the students on how to cope. Sr. Sara Bas-

soumi had a focused conversation and activity with

the Elementary students about how to prevent bully-

ing.

AYA also had a wonderful NO BULLYING ZONE

grand opening . This area is designated in the scenic

front of the B building with new benches. It is a

space that is for students to go to when they want to

be away from Bullying or Social Pressure! We are

grateful to have this space which was donated by two

of our students, Mariam and Khadijah Masoud.

Assalamu Alaikum AYA Parents,

Quarter 2 is set to be a great success! Teachers and Students all worked hard finishing off Quarter 1 and

MAP Testing and have transitioned into Quarter 2! We had an amazing turn out with our involved Eagle Par-

ents for Parent Teacher Conferences. While students participated in the MAP assessment, the younger students

were administered the AP1 (Assessment Period 1) for preschool students, FLKER (Florida Kindergarten

Readiness Screener) for the KG students, which are all standardized exams. Elementary students also started

RAZ Kids, an engaging reading assessment program, as well as the Book-It reward program, which is spon-

sored by Pizza Hut. We have also begun our Ages & Stages questionaries’ for our three-year old students to

measure growth and motor skills, as well as social and emotional skills. We also started the Title l program to

support students in Math and English.

Of course, it’s not just about academics. AYA Eagles are now getting involved in clubs, sports, and special

events , which are in full swing. October was just a preview of all the exciting programs– new and old we have

been planning and will be offering. Each club has many events planned such as participating in local and na-

tional competitions, and volunteering for local service organizations. We are pleased to see our students eager-

ly engage in the various activities and are confident our sports teams will be making a name for AYA!

We thank you for your support and look forward to seeing you often throughout the year.

S i n c e r e l y ,

TlT TwÅ|Ç|áàÜtà|ÉÇ

Congratulations to Danya Yousef and Ayat Hasan! Both Danya and Ayat are IB 11th grade students whose art work was accepted by the

Tampa Museum of Art’s Youth Council to be featured in their Third Annual Student Exhibition Voice: For Freedoms Exhibition. In

partnership with the For Freedoms 50 State Initiative, Voice: For Freedoms Exhibition asks teens in their community to submit

artwork that will engage in civic discourse of values, citizenship, and issues concerning their lives today. This exhibition is an opportunity for

students in the community to share their voice in a way that is non-partisan and welcoming to all. On Friday October 26th there was a formal

reception for the opening of the exhibit where the Youth Council announced First, Second and Third place winners along with the People’s

Choice Award. This is an impressive accomplishment for both Danya and Ayat, their families, as well as AYA.

Once again, congratulations to both Danya and Ayat on their acceptance into this student exhibition! - Sr. Helen Cusack

2018-2019 American Youth Academy I.B Spotlight

American Youth Academy Page 2

October: Sign-up for clubs AYA is encouraging our Eagles to be in-volved in the school community. We are offering the following clubs to our stu-dents. Please sign up.

Human Out Reach Art CLub

Dabke Club Newsletter Writing Club

Civics Engagement MIST

National Honors Society Al– Quraa Club

Student Council Math Counts 6-12th Boys Soccer

6-12th Girls Soccer

Happy Feet & Elementary Soccer

Safety Patrol

Sr. Farhat ( Head of School ) stepping

into our 1A Eagles class, to teach ELA.

Clinging to Life by Ayat Hasan Who Are We? By Danya Yousef

Tampa Museum of Art

Page 3 American Youth Academy

Congratulations to the AYA Eagles on placing in this

years Script Spelling Bee on October 30th, which

was a great SUCCESS!

1st & 2nd Grade Winners are:

1st Place Abdurakhmon Fakhriddin

2nd Place Ibrahim Mohammed

3rd Place Zaiver Linton

Divisional winners for 6th —8th grade are:

1st Place Jenan Alsaeed ( 7th grade)

2nd Place Heba Tamimi (8th Grade)

Winners and Participants standing next to judges

Sr. Tarrin, Sr. Samah, Sr. Shabeah , Sr. Farhat

Islam’s golden age in science, technology and intellectual-

culture spanned about 500 years, from the ninth until the

14th centuries. Muslim achievements in these areas greatly

influenced the 15th and 16th centuries, as well as the birth

of modern scientific method in the 17th century.

It is worth remembering that our civilizations shares a pre-

cious intellectual heritage. Modern science could not have

developed without the Renaissance. But without Islamic

science and philosophy to build on, there would have been

no Renaissance!

As an Islamic School we would like our students to not only

learn but take pride and have a deeper understanding of our

historical contributions. AYA Eagles have participated in

an Islamic History Competition where presentations were

shared during class and the most creative and informative

project earned a spot at presenting in front of the student

body in our auditorium, and from there, winners from that

selection were placed! So CONGRATULATIONS to the

following students: BOYS: 6th A- Abdur Rahman Marie.

6th B- Ewan Elbooz

7th - Rayhan Khan

8th - Mohammed Mahmud

9th - Maalik Shalabi

10th- Abdullah Al Naggar

11th- Ibrahim Ibrahim

GIRLS: 11th: Heba Hamed, Asala Ab-

delqader

10th: Fatimah Ali, Azeezah

Sarour

9th: Ramah Mohammed, Mariam Mahmud, Raghad Bayari

8th: Hiba Tamimi, Laila FArhat, Maryam Marie, Lara Twam

7th: Alina Tarawneh, Haadiyah Khan

6th B: Raneem Tamimi 6th A: Yasmine Benbourenane

6th A: Yasmine Benourenane

Value building in children is an essential part of education in addition to academics in order to graduate good citizens. As

an Islamic school, at American Youth Academy, it is our duty in front of Allah s.w.t, our community, and parents to build

and nurture Islamic values in our students according to the Quran and Authentic Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. Al-

lah says: “Most certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah the best example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last

Day” Quran 33:21. In addition, it was reported that the Messenger of Allah s.a.w said: (Every and each one of you is a shep-

herd (responsible), and will be asked and held accountable for his/her responsibility.) narrated by Bukhari and Muslim. For

this purpose, our effort should be focused on creating an environment for our students where these values will, in Shaa Al-

lah, grow and flourish.

The recommended basic strategy will be to teach key Islamic values with emphasis and concentration on their virtues and

excellence (benefits in this life and the Hereafter). Doing so will motivate school staff and students to live those values. The

model of Sura Luqman (Sura 31, Ayat 12 to 19) will be used as a guideline.

T WAS NARRATED FROM ABU HURAIRAH THAT THE PROPHET ( صلى) � عليه وسلم SAID: "FAITH

HAS SEVENTY ODD

BRANCHES AND MODESTY (AL-HAYA') IS A BRANCH OF FAITH." ثنا سليمان، ثنا أبو عامر، قال حد� د بن عبد �#◌ بن المبارك، قال حد� عن عبد �#◌ بن دينار، عن -وھو ابن ب&ل -أخبرنا محم�

"ا,يمان بضع وسبعون شعبة والحياء شعبة من ا,يمان " أبي صالح، عن أبي ھريرة، عن الن�بي# صلى � عليه وسلم قال

Br. Insherah giving a Tarbiyah Lesson to Senior Boys.

Sr. Marah giving a Tarbiyah Lesson to 10th Grade Girls Girls

Br. Feras ( Principal of

Student Affairs) recognizing

students for Islamic History

Month.

AYA provides free access to all students in PreK4 - 8th grade in Mathematics and 1st - 8th grades in Language Arts.

This site provides a full range of questions covering all skills and standards taught in our math and language arts cur-

riculum. Teachers \ issued the students their usernames and passwords. They also select how to use this program. It can be used as

homework (to practice new skills learned), additional work (to practice missing skills), and accelerated work (for students who can

move ahead at a faster pace). Please contact your child’s Math or Language Arts teacher, or Sr. Shabeah at susmanali@ayatampa.com if

you did not receive access. You can access the site through the link: https://www.ixl.com/

The SAT /ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is a multiple-choice, pencil-

and-paper test administered by the College Board.

The purpose of the SAT/ACT is to measure a high school student's readiness for college, and provide colleges with one common data

point that can be used to compare all applicants. College admissions officers will review standardized test scores alongside the high

school GPA, the classes taken in high school, letters of recommendation from teachers or mentors, extracurricular activities, admissions

interviews, and personal essays. How important SAT scores are in the college application process varies from school to school.

The PSAT is a two-hour test given once a year in October. Almost all students take the PSAT during their junior year, but at AYA our

students take the PSAT when they are sophomores and freshman to gain a better understanding of the content and to practice their test

taking skills. However, it is only the scores from the PSAT taken in the junior year that are considered for the National Merit Scholar-

ship competition. The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are: To receive feedback on students strengths and weak-

nesses and build upon their skills necessary for college academia. Students can then focus their preparation on those areas that they

could most benefit from, with any additional study or practice. Another reason is to enter their scores into competition for scholarships

from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (grade 11). To help prepare for the SAT, students can become familiar with the kinds

of questions and the exact directions they will see on the SAT.

Overall, the higher the score on the SAT and/or ACT, the more options for attending and paying for college will be available to the stu-

dents.

Links for more study help or information on the SAT includes:

Khan Academy ( Free Study tool that has statistically helped improve scores by 115 points)

https://www.khanacademy.org/

College Board ( Contains SAT/ACT test dates and scores)

https://www.collegeboard.org/

Annual Dinner

Sunday, December 9, 2018

3:00 PM Embassy Suites at USF Ticket Costs:

Adults and Children 11 and Up: $35.00

Children Ages 2 to 10: $15.00

Check us out on the web!

www.ayatampa.org

5905 E 130th Avenue

Tampa, FL 33617

Phone: 813-987-9282

Fax: 813-987-9262

Keynote Speaker

Sheikh Kifah Mustapha Entertainment

Moses the Comic

SOAR TO SUCCESS

New Building Coming Soon

https://aya.ticketbud.com/aya-annual-dinner-2018