Guidelines

San Francisco Islamic School

1430 - 1431 AH / 2009 - 2010 CE

www.sfislamicschool.org

Guidelines and Regulations

The Islamic School of San Francisco is a structured Weekend school placing its emphasis on teaching Islam as a Religion rather than a set of cultural practices. The school is an independent private entity run as a community service by volunteers (who are not compensated for their services) and is administered by an independent board. It is open to all Muslim students. The staff and students come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The primary objectives of the San Francisco Islamic School are:

1. To introduce and instill the main teachings of Islam into the students by the time they are ready to go to High School.

2. To provide an environment in which the students can interact with other Muslim children/families.

A. Registration

Registration requires the completion of the following steps.

1. Submit registration form

2. Read School Guidelines, sign and abide by them.

3. Sign Liability Release form.

4. Sign up for volunteer activities. (The list will be available at the parent orientation)

5. Pay the school tuition.

Registration is kept open throughout the year for the Youth Group (High-School Students) and the children of people teaching at the San Francisco Islamic School.

The tuition is $120 per child per quarter, bringing the annual fee per child to $360. The fees include the cost of the books and the snacks provided during break. Tuition fees can either be paid at the beginning of each of the three quarters (September for Fall, January for Winter and April for Spring Quarter) or in one lump sum in the beginning of the year.

Full or partial financial assistance is available upon request. Such information is kept strictly confidential.

The school guarantees admission irrespective of anybody’s ability to pay, as long as it’s done before the registration deadline. All fees are non-refundable. Books lost by children will be replaced only after parents pay for the new books.

B. Placement

Children are placed according to their grade in their regular weekday school (i.e. the school attended by the child 5 days a week) for Islamic Studies sessions. For example, a child enrolled in 3rd grade in their elementary school will be placed in 3rd grade at the Islamic School. For the Arabic/Quranic Studies portion of the school students will be placed according to their level of knowledge in these subjects. This will be assessed by our Arabic Assesment Questionarre which is enclosed.

The Islamic School offers the following grades: KG, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Youth Boys (Grade 9 and higher) and Youth Girls (Grade 9 and higher). In some cases, the school may decide to place students in a lower grade if they do not have the required background. However, this is the exception.

To be admitted into Kindergarten, a child must be 5 years of age AND attending KG in the regular school.

Children in the 6th Grade and higher are expected to know how to perform Salaat. Children in the 4th Grade and higher are expected to know how to read and recite the Holy Quran

C. Schedule

The school year starts in late-September and ends in late May. The school is in session for 26 days (calendar will be published soon) and is divided into three quarters: Fall (September to December), Winter (January to March) and Spring (April to June).

Each Sunday, school is in session for 3 ½ hours - from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM. The school day is divided as follows:

10:00 - 10:15 Assembly

10:15 - 11:45 Quranic/Arabic Studies

11:45 - 12:15 Break

12:15 - 13:15 Islamic Studies

13:15 - 13:30 Dhuhr Salaat

D. General School Rules

-Students (and Parents) need to arrive on time every Sunday.

-While at school (and everywhere else too), students are expected to exhibit good moral

character. This includes:

- Being respectful to all Teachers, Staff members and fellow students.

- Being courteous and helpful, especially towards younger students

- Refraining from the use of bad or inappropriate language.

- Students must be dressed in compliance with the School Dress Code (see section F Dress Code)

- Use of skate boards, roller blades and roller shoes is prohibited.

-The San Francisco Islamic School operates on a CLOSED CAMPUS policy. School’s permission is required by the parents/guardians to visit the classroom or to pull the students out. Students are not allowed to leave the school premises during school hours without school consent and proper authorization. NO EXCEPTIONS.

-Students must not damage the property of the School.

-Intoxicants, Weapons and sharp objects are ABSOLUTELY prohibited.

-Toys, Cards, Magazines, Headphones, Beepers, Cellular Phones, Radios (i.e. ipods) and Electronic Games are not allowed at school. If such a radio/game is accidentally brought to school, it should either be left in the student’s backpack or at the Registrar’s desk until the end of the school day.

-Students need to pay close attention to school announcements. All announcements are made during the Assembly and are also posted on the Notice Board outside the school.

- Handouts and Sign-Up sheets are also available at the Registration Desk.

- Handouts containing important announcements are sent home with the students; parents should look for them in the student’s homework folder every week.

-Students should be picked up promptly after Dhuhr prayer at 1:30 PM. The School is

not responsible for children after they are dismissed at 1:30PM.

-NO PARENTS or GUESTS ARE ALLOWED IN THE CLASSROOMS.

E. Attendance

Regular attendance is very important as it enables students to fully benefit from the Islamic School. Attending school every week ensures that each student keeps up with the teacher’s lesson plan and assignment schedule. It also instills the sense that Islamic education is at least as important as the other activities in his/her life, and therefore, should be taken seriously.

-Student attendance is taken each Sunday

-For Leave of Absence, both the Quranic & Islamic studies teachers should be notified.

All the missed activities (for example homework, notes, etc) should be made up before returning to the class.

-The attendance record of each student will be included in the student Evaluation.

-The names and telephone numbers of a student’s teacher will be made available to parents so they can provide proper notification about necessary absences.

F. Dress Code

While SFIS does not enforce a formal dress code, it is important that students, parents and teachers alike wear modest attire when attending the Islamic School.

Their clothing/grooming should not disrupt the learning process.

-Students should be neat and clean.

-Students are not allowed to wear any tight or transparent clothing.

-Girls are required to wear loose pants and tops or long skirts and dresses (down to the

ankles). Tops must be long with full sleeves.

-Boys 10 years and older are not allowed to wear shorts.

-Clothing should be appropriate for prayers. If you are uncertain about what this

means, please talk with a teacher or member of the administrative staff.

-Clothing and/or hats with offensive or racist lyrics and/or pictures are not allowed.

-If you are uncertain of what modest attire is appropriate please discuss this with your child’s teacher.

G. Homework

Homework is an integral part of our curriculum. Teachers assign it so that their students will reach a particular level of achievement by the end of the school year. If it is not completed regularly, the student will fall behind.

-All students from KG to Junior High receive a “Homework Assignment Sheet” for both

Quranic and Islamic Studies, which needs to be kept neatly in the homework folder.

Students record assignments and homework every Sunday on this sheet. Parents need to

sign the Assignment sheet to communicate to the teacher that their child’s homework was completed.

-All KG to Grade-2 students enjoy a Reward System by which teachers treat them to small surprises (provided by the school) for the completion of homework and assignments.

-Please note that students who repeatedly do not do their assigned homework will have consequences designated by the class teacher and/or the principal of SFIS.

H. Prayers (Salaat-ul-Dhuhr)

Salatul Dhuhr (the noon prayer) is a part of the Islamic School day. Every student MUST participate in the prayer. It helps to bind what they learn in the classroom with this essential feature of our faith.

-Parents are not allowed to take students home before the prayers.

-Furthermore, parents are encouraged to join the prayers with the rest of the school as it provides a strong sense of community spirit.

-There should be no talking, discussion or any other kinds of distractions during the prayer.

Please show appropriate adab and manners while the Salat is in progress.

I. Morning Assembly

The school starts at 10:00AM with the Morning Assembly - an integral part of the school’s daily schedule. It is a valuable tool for conveying information about the school, starting the day with a brief Islamic lesson and putting the children in a learning mindset. Therefore, it is essential for parents to bring their children to the school in time to listen to and participate in the Morning Assembly.

J. Testing & Evaluation

The school sends 2 Evaluation Reports home during the course of the year in order to keep parents informed of their child’s progress. The first of these reports is sent out at the end of the Fall Quarter in December; the second report is sent at the end of the year in June.The children are evaluated on their academic progress, attendance, homework, class participation, discipline, behavior and frequent tests (at least one or two times per quarter).Students who show an overall exceptional performance are placed on the Honor Roll and are publicly acknowledged during our Teachers Appreciation Event.

Lack of performance (i.e. failing 2 consecutive tests) is grounds for expulsion from school. The school may decide to hold students back if the teachers feel that insufficient progress was made during the year.

K. Honor Roll

Honor Roll selection is an academic award to reward outstanding performance on homework assignments and tests. It is not meant to recognize effort or good character.

The following Honor

1. Within the 1^st quarter, teachers should outline – in writing - the requirements and grade percentage levels to achieve Honor Roll placement.

2. Nominally, a 90% cumulative score for all homework and tests is required.

3. All students meeting the 90% academic requirement and/or the teacher’s specific academic requirement(s) - in both classes - will receive Honor Roll recognition.

4. Teachers will maintain up-to-date Grade sheets for each student and be able to justify

why a student is / is not receiving Honor Roll recognition.

5. A student must achieve Honor Roll status in both Islamic and Quranic Studies classes in order to be given an Honor Roll Award at the Appreciation Dinner.

6. The aforementioned policies apply primarily to Grade 3 and above.

L. Snacks

SFIS provides a small snack (usually consisting of cookies and juice) during the recess break between classes.

One school family acts as the Snack Host Family for one whole month. The Snack Parents are responsible for:

1. Bring the snacks and any needed supplies (e.g. napkins) each week of the month.

2. Set up and distribute snacks to the students.

3. Help with yard duty during the Break

4. Clean up after the Break.

No food is allowed in the classrooms. Snacks should be eaten in the inner courtyard of the school, weather permitting. On rainy days, an area within one of the indoor hallways will be designated for eating snacks.

Wrappers, napkins and other garbage should be thrown in one of the many trash receptacles found in the courtyard or in the hallways.

The Host family is reimbursed for all their snack expenditures.

During Ramadaan:

-No Snacks are provided by the school during Ramadaan.

-Parents may bring snacks for younger children (KG-Grade 2) during Ramadan, but must take the children away from the main school area when they eat (i.e. in their cars).

-Children are not allowed to eat openly in Ramadaan.

M. Location & Building Care

SFIS is to be held at Mercy High School, 3250 19^th Avenue in San Francisco. The rooms are rented and used by full-time teachers during the regular week and contain a great deal of student and teacher work.

-It is extremely important that we maintain a respect for the paperwork, books, projects,

art supplies, etc, that are normally in the classrooms. These things belong to SOMEONE ELSE.

-If any property belonging to Mercy High School is damaged by a member of the San Francisco Islamic School, that person (or his/her parents in the case of a student) will be held financially responsible.

The following rules regarding the school building must be observed at all times.

-Do NOT write on school property (walls, doors, bathrooms, lockers, notice boards, inside classrooms).

-Do NOT remove material posted in the classrooms or in the hallways.

-Do NOT write on anything posted.

-Put back any furniture moved during the class to its original location.

-Do NOT write on or erase the board in the class (teachers can write but they should erase at the end of class).

-Do NOT take, mishandle or destroy any of the materials within the classrooms.

-Do NOT touch or move anything in the class.

-Do NOT borrow (pencils, tissues, etc) anything from the class.

-Do NOT remove or move anything from the students’ desks.

-Stay away from the Teacher’s desk. Nothing on the Teacher’s desk should be touched or moved.

-Do NOT turn on the TV, VCR, or Radio (only teachers are allowed to do this)

-Do NOT use the phone.

-Do NOT touch the computers.

-Do NOT eat or drink in the class.

-Students are not allowed in the classroom at any time (including break) without an adult being present. No Parents/Guests allowed in the classroom.

-Parent’s will be charged a nominal fine if their child causes any damage to school property, so pleas ensure to go over all regulations with your child.

N. Parent’s Responsibilities

Parents’ responsibilities include the following.

-Make sure that their child gets to his/her classroom safely.

-Pick up their children promptly @ 1:45pm after Dhuhr Salaat. The school is not responsible for the safety of children left alone after Dhuhr Salaat (1:30pm).

-Advise and encourage their child to respect and obey the rules.

-Be sure that their child attends school regularly and on time.

-Make sure that the child has all necessary books, tapes, stationary and supplies. The books are provided by the school. However, if your child loses them then you need to pay for the replacements.

-Participate in all parent-teacher conferences to ensure their child’s success in school.

-Discuss report cards with the child.

-Ensure homework assignments are completed.

-Remain informed of their child’s performance, activities and lessons in the school

-Ensure child is dressed modestly (i.e. clothing should be appropriate for prayers).

-Dress appropriately yourself when entering the school premises. Please refer to the

“Dress Code” guidelines specified earlier.

-Pay the fees on time (either in full at the beginning of the year or at the beginning of each quarter in September, January & April).

-Check school notice board and look out for handouts brought by their children every Sunday.

-Participate actively in school functions (Teacher Appreciation)

and activities (guest speaker assemblies, parent conferences, Eid Gifts, Ramadaan Toy

Drive, TV-Free Ramadaan, Eid-ul-Adha Sacrifice).

Additionally:

-Parents are not allowed in the classrooms.

-Any Parent who disrupts the operation of school and creates conflicts will have their registration cancelled.

-Sometimes children misunderstand or misinterpret the information given in the class. If you hear something from your child that sounds strange or wrong, please verify the information with the teacher directly instead of spreading the misinformation.

O. Student Responsibilities

The students have the responsibility to:

-Attend all classes, every Sunday, on time.

-Be prepared for each class with appropriate supplies and assignments.

-Do all the assigned reading, homework and test preparation.

-Be properly dressed.

-Show respect towards others, both students and teachers.

-Obey all School Rules.

-Do not move, change or damage material in school or classroom.

-Students are not allowed in the classroom without an adult being present.

-In case of an absence from school, gather all the missed assignments/ homeworks and make arrangements for taking makeup/missed tests.

-Inform parents about announcements and memos.

P. Volunteers & their Responsibilities

The Islamic School of San Francisco is run solely by volunteers, including all of the teachers and administrative staff. We count on volunteers to perform additional tasks – some of which are discussed in the following sections. The activities and the responsibilities are determined by the school.

It is important for all parents to take a pro-active roll in the success of the school by volunteering for one or more of these duties. Most of them are simple and require a minimal amount of time.

Few, if any, of these tasks require the volunteer to spend money. In such a case, the school fully reimburses all expenses incurred.

Signup sheets are available at registration time during the beginning of the year. Look for school announcements (notice board, morning assembly and handouts) to find out where the school needs your help. Please sign-up generously.

Parents who signup for various tasks such as: Event Co-coordinators, Snack Parents and Phone-Tree Captains MUST honor their commitments. Please think carefully before signing up for a volunteer function.

Q. Room Parents & Teacher Aides

Room Parents and Teacher Aides are selected by the school administration. Volunteers who are best suited for a class are selected solely at the discretion of the administration.

A Parent CANNOT act as a Teacher’s Aide (except in KG) for the class in which their child is enrolled.

Teacher’s Aides are responsible for working with the teacher. The responsibilities include:

-Passing out announcements

-Collecting/grading homework

-Working with small group of students

Future potential teachers will be given a preference for appointment as a Teacher’s aide. School graduates are also encouraged to enroll as junior teacher aides.

Room Parents are responsible for acting as a liaison between the school and the parents of the class. There responsibilities include:

-Passing school information to the parents of students in the class

-Acting as phone-tree captain for their class

-Helping the school administration in organizing various school functions and activities

-Coordinating meetings between teacher and parents.

R. Special Tasks, Projects and Events

-Parent/ Teacher Conferences

-Ramadaan Toy Drive

-TV-Free Ramadan

-Arranging Eid Gifts for children.

-Eid-al-Fitr Barbeque

-Eid-al-Adha Potluck

-Teacher Appreciation Dinner

-Snack Parent for one month

-Teacher’s Aide

-Room Parent

-Substitute Teacher

-School T-Shirt Contest

-Phone-Tree Parents

-Children Safety & Supervision during school hours and during Salaat-ul-Dhuhr.

-Helping with School Assembly

-Maintaining School Web Site (sfislamicschool.org)

-Graduation Ceremony.

-School Newsletter

S. Mutual Respect

We strive to make SFIS a positive place which students and teachers enjoy attending, in order to learn and build friendships. We try our very best to operate on a principle of mutual respect - between students, between teacher and student, between students and staff.

The families who make up the staff and administrative body of the Islamic School are volunteers and give their energy and time to teach and learn because of a genuine interest in serving Allah (SWT) and helping the community. Most of the time, this commitment itself is enough to ensure that students, teachers and parents are all treated with the respect that they deserve.

However, we recognize that in any large group of people, occasionally disagreements and/or frustrations between parties can arise. In such cases:

1. In the case of a student who is consistently misbehaving and has become a significant  distraction to the teacher and fellow classmates, the SFIS reserves the right to impose one or more of the following consequences.

a. Removal from the class for the day.

b. Parent notification and/or conference.

c. Levy a fine on the parents of a student.

d. In extreme cases, removal from the school for the remainder of the year.

2. In the case of a student who feels that he/she has been treated unfairly (or in a manner inconsistent with Islamic Adab) by a teacher or member of the administrative staff, the student should bring the matter to the attention of the Principal immediately. The student may also have his/her parents present if he/she desires.

T. Disciplinary Action

The following behavior will result in a disciplinary action:

-Disrespecting teachers, staff or members of school administration.

-Disrupting class (when the teacher prohibits it).

-Consistently not paying attention in class.

-Damaging school property.

-Skipping classes or excessive absences.

-Extremely poor academic performance.

-Leaving the school premises without permission.

-Fighting with or insulting other students.

Disrespectful behavior towards teachers or staff (either by students or their parents), or

complete lack of any academic progress in the class may result in strict and immediate

disciplinary action, even resulting in expulsion from the school.

Teachers will follow the steps below in escalating disciplinary issues:

1. Talk with the student directly.

2. Call parents at home or setup a meeting with them at the school.

3. If the first two steps fail to produce any results, the parent will be required to sit in the

classroom as long as the school feels it is necessary.

U. Lost & Found

A Lost & Found box is maintained by the Islamic School and is usually located on the

Registrar’s desk. Items such as clothing, books or stationary that are left behind at the school can be placed in the Lost & Found box.

-Items in this box will be saved for 1 month. Any item not claimed within that time period will be donated to charity.

-The San Francisco Islamic School is not responsible for belongings left at the school.

Although we will try to be on the lookout for items that have been left behind by our

students/staff, it is often difficult to distinguish them from things that belong to the

school classrooms.

-Writing the student’s name on all of his/her books and belongings will make it easier to

identify a misplaced item.

-Once we leave the premises, a SFUSD custodian locks the buildings and we do not have access to the rooms until the following week.

V. School Directory

The school publishes a directory that includes contact information (name, address, phone number) for the teachers, staff, students and their families. Those people not wanting their address/phone number to be included in the directory must indicate so on the Registration Form at the time of registration. The directory will include names of all children in the class. Only the information about home address and phone number can be omitted at parent’s request.

W. Liability

Parental Liability

The parents of the child who causes damage to any property or causes injury to another person on the school premises will be held responsible for all damages and liabilities.

Liability of the School

The school is committed on providing a safe and caring environment. Every effort is made to ensure the safety of children, parents and staff (and their property). Parents are responsible for making sure that their children safely get to their classes and are promptly picked up after school.

IN CASE OF ANY UNFORSEEN EVENT THAT CAUSES ANY KIND OF HARM OR INJURY (PHYSICAL, MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL) TO ANYBODY ASSOCIATED WITH THE SCHOOL - INCLUDING PARENTS, STUDENTS, STAFF AND THEIR BELONGINGS - THE SCHOOL WILL NOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.

All persons registering at the school hereby consent to the Rules and Guidelines above.

All persons teaching at the school hereby consent to the Rules and Guidelines above.

Parent-Student Agreement

Dear San Francisco Islamic School Parents and Students,

A main objective of the San Francisco Islamic School is to provide a safe and fulfilling Islamic environment for the students and their families. In order for the school to function as a coherent Islamic learning institution for the community, the outlined guidelines and regulations must be understood and enforced by all SFIS community members. SFIS volunteers, parents, and students must adhere to these guidelines at all times.

We ask all parents to review and discuss the guidelines with their child(ren) and then sign below. It is imperative that both the parents and the students fully understand and agree to comply with the rules that govern the operation of this program before the student registers for this school year.

Parents

As a reminder please read the summary of some important guidelines and responsibilities below and then sign.

• Student Attendance – Regular attendance is very important as it enables students to fully benefit from the Islamic School. Please make an effort to bring your child(ren) to school on time. Notify the teacher in advance if your child(ren) will miss school on a particular Sunday.

• Building Care - If any property belonging to Mercy High School is damaged by a member of the San Francisco Islamic School, that person (or his/her parents in the case of a student) will be held financially responsible. Please discuss the building care guidelines with your child(ren).

• Homework Assignments - Homework is an integral part of our curriculum. It is the parents responsibility to help the students with their homework assignments and sign their assignment sheet every week, indicating that the assignment is complete and well done. Please do not wait until that last minute.

• Parent Volunteer Sign Up – One parent for each student is obligated to volunteer 2 Sundays out of the school year. A “Parent Volunteer” sign up sheet will be made available during orientation. Please understand that the community is responsible for the Islamic education of our children and that the parents are the driving force behind this program. This school would not exist without the continuing support of the SFIS parents.

• Tuition­ – SFIS is a non profit educational institution that relies on tuition as the primary source of income to operate. Please pay tuition on time. Note: Financial assistance is available for those in need.

Students

As a reminder please read the summary of some important guidelines and responsibilities below and then sign.

• Respect - Show respect towards others, both students and teachers.

• Homework Assignments – Be prepared for each class with completed homework assignments, books, and appropriate school supplies.

• Building Care - Students are not allowed to move, change or damage material in the classroom or any other part of the building. It is important that all students understand that the classrooms are the property of someone else and should be treated with respect. Violations of the building care guidelines will result in disciplinary actions.

• Obey all school rules.