NEWS FROM THE NEST JANUARY 2016-Edition 3

February Events

3- Senior Ice Cream Sale

4- IPTA Meeting

5- Tarbiyah Program

Senior Bake Sale

8-12- Spirit Week

9- Senior Ice Cream Sale

10- School Spelling Bee

Grades 6-8

11- School Spelling Bee

Grades 1-5

12- Senior Bake Sale

15- No school for students

Staff work day

29-VPK Term 2 ends

Look inside...

Epcot Adventures 2

Teacher Spotlight 3

Art Page 4

Favorite Restaurant 5

Electives 6

Best Friends 6

Field Trip Fun 7

CAS 8

Twins 9

Pet Pals 9

Student of the Month 10

Book Fair 11

Fun Corner 11

5905 E. 130

TH AVE. ●TAMPA, FLORIDA 33617

www.ayatampa.org ● (813) 987-9282

Welcome back to another semester at AYA. InshAllah, you enjoyed your time

with your family and friends during the break. While parents and families were

taking a break, the school staff and administration were busy planning and

preparing for the second semester of the school year. Alhamdulillah, we are in

the process of re-evaluating some of the school processes, the curriculum, and the

teaching and learning practices, to ensure that we at AYA provide a quality

educational experience that is grounded in sound Islamic values, for all of our

students.

Congratulations to our December graduates from the Senior Class of 2016 – Dina

Awshah, Maysa Khaled, Najwa Rhoulam, and Lana Sarsour! They will be

honored along with the rest of this year’s graduating class on Sunday, May 29th

.

Please mark your calendars for the event.

Alhamdulillah, all the students have worked hard in completing the first semester

of the school year. Your children’s report cards were sent via email on January

15th

, so that you may evaluate their progress thus far. In order to help your

children maximize their educational experience for the coming semester, please

take the time to review their grades. Discuss with them what they need in order to

continue to succeed in the classes they are strong in, and what to improve upon in

any area that they may be struggling with. You are also encouraged to contact

their teachers to schedule parent-teacher conferences if there are any concerns

you would like to address. Remember that you can monitor their progress via

Renweb at all times.

We thank you for your continued support of AYA.

Sincerely,

Farhat Siddiqui, M.Ed.

Head of School

Suhayla, Fatima, and Basmala recite the “Farewell Speech,” the Prophet’s last speech.

Br. Adulmajid, Br. Mamdouh, & Br. Hasan listen as Mustafa Elsayed recites from Surat Al-Baqarah.

Muzdalifah awaits the hujjaj. Hujjaj rest in Mina. AYA Seniors made this wonderful plane to fly the hujjaj to Mecca.

Message from Sr. Farhat……

Dear Parents, Students, Staff, & Community Members,

Assalamu alaikum.

Do you work for or own a business that would like to advertise in the AYA newsletter? If so, then please contact

our business manager, Sr. Wafa, at wfahda@ayatampa.com or (813) 987-9282 ext. 203, to have your

advertisement in the next issue.

Layal Barakat, 9B

Did you have fun? Yes, it was super fun!

What did you enjoy the most? Spaceship Earth, a ride (the huge golf ball).

Did you learn anything new? We learned new techniques about taking photos!

Sarah Elbasheer, 10B

Did you have fun? Yes, definitely.

What did you enjoy the most? There were mini sized countries, but I liked Japan best!

Did you learn anything new? I learned how to be a leader and the responsibilities that

come with it!

Lucille Malone, 11B

Did you have fun? Absolutely, it was exciting.

What did you enjoy the most? Soarin, we rode it before the park even opened!

Did you learn anything new? We learned about leadership and financial success.

By: Samah Quneibi and Aaisha Jamal

On November 3, 2015, current and future IB

students took a trip to Walt Disney World in

Orlando. They participated in the Disney

Youth Education Service, “YES,” Program.

Ninth graders took part in the Fundamentals of

Photo Storytelling, where they learned about

the art of storytelling with visuals and how to

capture artistic images with proven

photography techniques. Tenth and eleventh

graders took part in the Disney Leadership

Strategies, where they learned about proven

management strategies employed by The Walt

Disney Company. They were able to examine

how leadership spurs innovation, and how it

promotes personal and professional success. It

was a wonderful experience for the students

and teachers alike. They also experienced

Epcot’s World Showcase, had team activities

and spoke to Disney managers who were very

knowledgeable about what makes a good

leader.

Teacher Spotlight By: Banah Swar and Nagham Saleh

How long have you been

at AYA? 5 years.

What inspired you to

teach? My daughter

used to go AYA in K3

and we used to come

from Clearwater to AYA.

I would love watching

the assemblies, and I

loved the environment at

AYA, so I decided to work

at AYA.

What is your favorite subject

to teach? English and Spanish.

What is your favorite

memory when teaching at

AYA? Seeing my students’

reactions when they connect

school with their everyday life.

Br. Mamdouh

Islamic

studies

Br. Juan What made you come

to AYA? I was looking

online for a teaching job

and I found AYA. I was

excited because I thought

that teaching at in an

Islamic school would be

more interesting then a

typical American school.

Tell us an interesting

fact about you that

people may not know

about you? I lived and

taught in Qiro,Egypt and

that was what made me

come to AYA. I’m from

Boston. I lived in 5 states;

and went to 30 countries.

I have a tortise named

Dewight. My daughter

Lydia named him.

Sr. Camille

These are some of our wonderful teachers at AYA!

What made you come to

AYA? I was looking online

for a teaching job and I

found AYA. I was excited

because I thought that

teaching in an Islamic school

would be more interesting

then a typical American

school.

Tell us an interesting fact

about you that people may

not know about you? I

lived and taught in Cairo,

Egypt and that was what

made me come to AYA.

I’m from Boston. I lived in

5 states; and went to 30

countries. I have a tortoise

named Dewight. My

daughter Lydia named him.

Many AYA students

and families had the

opportunity to attend

the annual Temple

Terrace Arts Council

Festival. Local

schools, including

AYA, had student

artwork displayed. AYA siblings Safiyah Sherif

(2A) and Hamza Sherif (K5B)

pose with festival banner.

Basma Elsayed (1B) proudly

shows her work to her mom, dad

(Br. Mamdouh), & siblings.

AYA Art teacher Ameena Khan, poses

with son Hamza Sherif (K5B), student

Sophia Benchekroun (2A) and

daughter Safiyah Sherif (2A) in front

of their amazing artwork.

Sophia Benchekroun (2A) points

out her work to her mom and to

her friend Safiyah Sharif (2A).

Jude Barakat (1B) shows her

mother and older sister (Layal

Barakat 9B) her sheep painting.

A wide array of AYA student artwork was also on display at the New

Tampa Regional Library, for all patrons to view. MashAllah!!

Jude Barakat (1B), Yomna

Elsayed (K5A), and Basma

Elsayed (1B) make bead

necklaces & bracelets.

[Type a quote from the document or the summary of an interesting point. You can

position the text box anywhere in the document.

Use the Drawing Tools tab to change the formatting of the

pull quote text box.]

Favorite Restaurants

By Shahed Aisheh, Nour Sullaiman, & Jenin Sabla

Sarah Omran What is your favorite restaurant? Koizi What is your favorite meal there? Dancing crab How often do you go? Almost every two weeks What is the atmosphere like? It’s nice with great staff.

Odah Saad What is your favorite restaurant? Boston Lobster Feast What is your favorite meal there? Lobster How often do you go? Once a year

Restaurant Review Koizi is an amazing restaurant located in the New Tampa area. We can not say enough great thing about this hibachi & sushi eatery. The restaurant has a stylish design, with modern decor, plenty of seating, and great views of the food preparations. The fresh, tasty, and artistically arranged food never fails to provide a great meal for friends or family. The relaxed environment will also make it a quick favorite. Be sure to try it out!!

Q: What do you like about this elective?

A: I like this elective because I get to practice

being comfortable talking in front of others.

Sondus Saed – 8A Firas Abdelhafes- 7A

Q: What did you learn in this elective?

A: I learned that Physical Education is

about staying fit and healthy.

P. E. Girls

Q: Why did you choose

this elective?

A: I chose this elective because

I like to be active and not be in

a classroom all day.

Samya Soukieh- 7B

P.E. Boys Public Speaking

Review of Aya ELECTIVEs

By Farah Ghanem, Eman Mustafa, & Tala Abokoura

Art Hiba Othman- 6A

Q: Why did you choose

this elective?

A: I chose this elective

because I like to be

creative.

Newsletter Rania Jamal- 6B

Q: What did you learn

in this elective?

A: I learned that to get a job

done you need teamwork.

By Shahed Aisheh, Rania Jamal, Nour Sullaiman, & Alla Taha

Favorite: Color Restaurant Food Car

Shahed: Turquoise TGI Fridays Philly Cheese Steak White Porsche Truck

Rania: Green Koizi Warak Dawali Galaxy Lamborghini

Nour: Red Outback Steakhouse Warak Dawali Yellow Lamborghini

Alla: Electric Blue Koizi Warak Dawali Red Ferrari

Sr. Farah and

Sr. Ilham’s PK4

classes visited the

bowling alley

after their units

on balls, to

further explore

how they move.

AYA Field Trip Fun

_______________________________________________________

This morning I went to class at 8:00 for a field trip. At 9:00 I took the bus to go to

the Glazer Museum to have fun and learn and explore. When we arrived we had

recess. It was fun. We played games. We played fireman. After recess we did an

activity. We first tried to guess what shapes we see. Then we did symmetry. We had

a smiley face. We colored it the same way on both sides. Then we made creations

out of shapes. Later we played pretend fireman. There was a dragon. It was

almost time to go. We lined up. Then I picked a toy. We went to the bus. I had fun.

It was the best field trip in the history in my life. Then it was 3:00pm. Then it was

Arabic.

Mrs. Good & Sr. Samah’s 1st graders

visited the Glazer Children’s Museum

where they had the opportunity to

explore hands-on exhibits, activities,

and programs designed to engage

curiosity & apply classroom lessons

to real-life situations.

Glazer Children’s Museum Trip Reflection by Ahmed Amrane 1A

CAS by Ayla chariF & Mariam Masud

Ouase Alkhyyat, IB Student and CAS Participant

As a student and participant of the IB program, I think that CAS is a good

experience for me and for anyone in the IB program because it gives great

experiences and new things to do to help me become a better person and

more contributive to society.

What does CAS encompass?

CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development through experiential

learning. Students are involved in a range of activities beyond the academic classroom. It provides a

counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the Diploma Program. It provides a personal

journey of self-discovery while being challenging and enjoyable.

Creativity is interpreted to include a wide range of activities that involve creative thinking. Creativity

provides students with the opportunity to explore their own sense of original thinking and expression.

Action is focused on getting involved in physical exertion that contributes to a healthy lifestyle. The aim of

Action is to promote lifelong healthy habits related to physical well-being.

Service requires students to understand their capacity to make a meaningful contribution to their

community and society. Through Service, students develop and apply personal and social skills in real-life

situations involving decision-making, problem solving, initiative, responsibility, and for their actions.

The AYA Student Council, under the direction of Sr.

Bothayna, helped organize efforts to collect hygiene products

for Syrian refugees, in the Tampa area. AYA was recognized

for its amazing work, with a second place recognition award!!!

Mashallah, the AYA family did an amazing job with making the

hygiene drive a success. May Allah shower our parents, students,

and staff with all their efforts. –Sr. Bothayna

AYA Student Council Hygiene Drive

Aya Pet Pals By Haneen Hasan, JanaKaloti, & Sarah Jaber

1. Who is older and by how

much?

Laith is older by 2 minutes

2. When are your birthdays?

January 2, 2000

3. In one word, how would

you describe each other?

Laith: Adventurous

Osayed: Adventurous

1. Who is older and by

how much?

Sabrina is older by 3

minutes

2. When are your

birthdays?

December 19, 2003

3. In one word, how would

you describe each other?

Sabrina: Quiet

Alina: Creative

Laith & Osayed Alsouqi 10th

Grade Sabrina & Alina Atiq 7th

Grade

By Rania Jamal, Aliya Hack, & Hedaia Mohammad

Razan & Ronza 9th

Grade

1. Who is older and by how

much?

Razan is older by 1

minute.

2. When are your

birthdays?

April 23, 2001

3. In one word, how would

you describe each other?

Razan: Cute

Ronza: Sassy

1. Who is older and by how

much?

Sarah is older by 14

minutes.

2. When are your

birthdays?

April 27, 2001

3. In one word, how would

you describe each other?

Sarah: Loud

Yarha: Quiet

Sarah &Yarha 9th

Grade

Haneen & TabbyJana & Haboub

I have had

Haboub for 5

months. He is not

a sleepy cat and

enjoys baths. I

have had 7 pets

before.

I have had

Tabby for 4

months. I have

had 3 other cats.

Tabby is an

energetic and

caring cat.

STAR

STUDENTS

2 A

K4A:Ibrahim Mohammed

& Rita Bencheckroun

K4B: Rania Abbasi

& Refqi Kayed

K4C: Rania Belouafi

& Ayman Sheikh

K5A: Heidi King, Jennah

Odeh, & Noor Salhab

K5B: Omar Talbi &

Jenan Hamed

1A: Ahmed Amrane

& Ghazal Albahely

1B: Banah Sulliman &

Basma Elsayed

2A: Taliyah Moshref &

Hadi Alhadidi

2B:Shihab Abuosba, Anisah

Taha, Obada Washah

3A:Rasmieh Alsawalha

& Sabiha Zaman

3B:Waad Ibrahim &

Yoosuf Chaudhary

4A:Tahamid Zaman &

Yasmina Belkherroubi

5A : Layalee Ahmad &

Yazen El-Shaafi

5B: Aleyna Akkas & Laila

Farhat

4B: Jenan Alsaeed & Waleed

Yousef

By Aaisha Jamal

& Dalia Qdeih

By Hedaia Mohammad

__________________________________________

Fun

Corner

By Lana Shada

What is the theme of this year’s book fair

and why did you choose this theme? We

chose READING OASIS. There was a quote

from Scholastic: “It is a cool place to

discover a hot book.”

What is this book fair raising money for?

It is raising money for the library to

purchase more books for the students to

read and enjoy.

Do you think this book fair will be a

success? InshAllah, so far we are where we

were last year.

Sr. Maria