Assalamu alaykum Friends and Family!
Happy new school year! Sitara started its new term right after Eid ul Fitr this year, on Monday August 19, and has been in session for almost a month now. Enrollment has grown to about 130 students, Masha’Allah, with more than 30 children in the pre- school program alone! New staff members have been hired to help out and additional desks and chairs, books and uniforms are being purchased at this time. Alhamdulilah, wonderful new books were purchased for all students this year. During the first few weeks of school the teachers and students covered the books to protect them from wear and tear.
Everyone was excited and happy to receive new uniforms. We’ve decided to give two to each student so they’ll be able to keep clean. Each student also received a pair of shoes and socks. Students in the older class are making a shoe cleaning box so they can keep their shoes clean. With the distances they walk and the muddy unpaved roads, coming to school with clean shoes can be a challenge, but they have found their own solution by being able to clean their shoes at school! I’ve been receiving many great pictures from the staff. Though it doesn’t take the place of not being there, it does make me very happy to see the school and the students looking fresh and happy and well, Alhamdulilah!
Sitara Staff Members This year we have eight returning staff members and four new ones. Nazia, Asma, Fakhra, Zaib and Taslim are all teaching again this year. Ambreen is back as our mai. She also runs the school canteen. Madam Rizwana, who has been with Sitara since 2010, is teaching third class but she is also the school vice principal. Madam Samina, who was hired last Spring is the new principal of Sitara School. New hires for this year include Kausar Parveen, who is the administrative assistant and also the computer teacher. Sumaira Ifraz has been appointed for grade one and Sadia Farooq is appointed as a preschool assistant. Asma Zeb is teaching the 5th and 7th grade mixed class. As I mentioned in the Spring newsletter, I will not be on site at Sitara this year, as I have taken a teaching position in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. But I am in direct communication with Madam Samina, Madam Rizwana and the teachers. My husband, Tariq Ashraf Khan is still taking care of all school finances. This week year he is installing Quikbooks and training the office staff in how to use it. Here are some articles and pictures the teachers have sent recently, starting with play group and nursery class. Enjoy! Play Group and Nursery Class I’m Zaib.un.Nisa, class teacher of nursery class in Sitara School. This is my second year at school. Sitara is a happy, caring school. It provides a good standard of education. Regarding my class, the ages of students are 3-5 years. All are very sharp and active. I really enjoy teaching them, especially at poem period, because at that time they are looking sooooooo cute and innocent. At this age students like to learn through videos so I use a laptop. I see that in very little time, students learn a lot. They also learn kalima, dua and saying salam. It makes me glad to see these needy students enjoy all educational facilities which a standard school has. Last but not least, is that they are learning good manners too. I feel proud to be a part of this school.
Play group at the computer! My name is Fakhra Raziq. This is my second year at school and I’ve also attended all classes at the Teachers’ Institute I am class teacher of class two. Sitara School’s mission is that we want to give our children a great combination of Islamic and modern education. So we are going to keep moving forward according to this mission. All my students come from poor and uneducated families. So these children deserve great attention, not only in study but also in their behavior. So my first priority is that I have to teach them with my full attention and sincerity. They are like my younger sisters and brothers. I want to see changes in their behavior. All my students are very attentive and always ready to learn. Students enjoy playing with legos. All students were very excited when they got new uniforms and shoes. May Allah bless Sitara Institute because it gives a chance to us and our children to learn and also that we can educate them.
Class Two An Institution to Educate Children without Class or Nation’s Discrimination. Students of Sitara are being provided the latest technologies and teaching techniques. Most of the students get in touch with world through this school. They happen to experience computers, legos and ludos only by being the part of Sitara. Otherwise they would only be grazing their cows, goats and sheep. Some students at home near the school. This is a picture of class 3 at Sitara School. There are 22 students in the class. These students are very loving and pay great attention to their teacher’s lectures. Although they belong to poor families and mostly are being sponsored, they try to come to school with all their notebooks and school supplies. Mairaj, Saima, Basida, Shahab, Sadaf, Umair and Saba are very good readers in both English and Urdu. They are very helpful to their class mates in all study tasks. After getting their uniforms, all the Sitara students were very excited. They prayed specially for those who helped them to be the part of Sitara School. By Rizwana Sami MY AIM TO TEACH IN SITARA SCHOOL By Asma Zeb My aim is to make these children, who are not able to get education, aware. I want to provide them with knowledge as well to educate all those people who are illiterate around us. I am the teacher of class 5 and 7.The number of total students in my class is ten . Some of my students are very fond of learning and some are lazy . I always try to motivate my students to study . I tell them the significance of education in their upcoming lives. They also co-operate with me and I love to teach them.
