As salaam alaikum,

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you all for the hard work you and your student put in this year. It has been a pleasure to end the year with in-person events and ceremonies. I would like to wish you all the very best summer vacation possible, and I look forward to welcoming you all back, refreshed, for what will be an exciting, new academic year.

Here are some critical updates.

Summer Assignments: We strongly encourage all students to be diligent during the summer. The research for summer regression is very detailed, and those who don't stay active over the summer months will lose learning achieved the past school year.

Research article link: Summer regression

Here is Madina Academy Summer learning link: Madina Academy Summer work

Madina Academy Building Summer Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday- 8:30-12:30.

Academic Calendar 2022-23: The first day of the 22-23 school year is Monday, August 29th. You can find the new school year calendar at Madina Academy Academic calendar.

Important Dates:

• August 22nd - Teachers return
• August 29th - First day of school for students
• September 5th - Labor Day (school closed)

Have a lovely summer!

Dr. Ray Cooper

principal@madinaacademy.org

Madina Academy is very pleased to introduce the launch of its Zainab Khalid College Scholarship. This new scholarship is aimed at all students who will complete grades 9th through 12th at Madina.

Initiating in the academic year 2022 2023, the Zainab Khalid award is open to our rising 9th graders in the amount of $3,710 which will go towards the students' college tuition.

Madina Academy believes that by retaining our students through the high school years, it will aid in improving the high school program while enriching students' school experiences.

We all deal with insecurity. For some of us it may not be overbearing, but for others, the pressure of insecurities makes day-to-day life difficult. Not only does it make life less enjoyable, it also affects how you interact with people. Adjusting your perspective on your insecurities and taking action can immensely help overcome insecurity.

1. Adjusting your perspectives:

• If you feel like you can’t accomplish something, imagine yourself as a completely different person. Think about the advice you would give to another person in your situation.

• Write down common insecurities you feel and try to identify their root causes. For example, if you are insecure about your weight, then identify the cause. Is it social media? Does it have to do with your physical appearance?

• Remember every time you have succeeded. Don’t remember the times you have embarrassed yourself. If you are insecure about yourself then focus, not on your flaws but, on your positive traits.

• Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen?”

• Positive self-talk is beneficial. Telling yourself two sincerely nice things about yourself for every bad thing is a helpful practice to get you more comfortable with positive self-talk and to reign in your identity. It is not necessary that they are related.

2. Taking action:

• Hang around friends who don’t judge you, rather they uplift you.

• Be more forgiving of others. Don’t be so quick to judge them. You never know what they are going through.

• Do one thing that excites you every day. It could be a hobby, or something new!

• Address the flaws you can address. Remember, Allah (SWT) has created you for a reason. We should love His creation, including ourselves.

• Stop comparing yourself to other people and the false standards you see on social media.

• Talk with a family member or close friend about your insecurities. They will surely be able to help.

• Work to excel at something. If you want to feel better about yourself, have genuine interest in something. It can help as a distraction from the negativity in your life.

• Learn to laugh in the good moments of life.

• The most important thing is to remember you aren’t alone in your feelings. Everyone has their own insecurities.

By Maryam Akbar (High School)

Aisha Mohammed: Elementary School

Aisha goes above and beyond what is asked of her with her school and homework. She follows all the rules and is very kind, polite, and respectful! She is an excellent role model to her peers and continues to exceed expectations. She is well mannered and stays quite while teachers are talking. Aisha always gives her peers chances to answer questions and doesn’t shout out the answer.

Eshaal Kashif: Middle School

Eshaal is dedicated to her studies and works hard every day to improve. She has an amazing work ethic and a positive attitude toward learning. Her art is of really high quality. Eshaal is passionate about acquiring Deen and spreading Islamic information, and she enjoys conversing with others about Islam. She is not just respectful of the faculty, but also kind and forgiving of her peers.

Aasim Fullwood: Elementary School

Aasim is a fantastic student. He treats teachers and students with respect. He has excellent manners and is constantly improving as a student. Even when he makes mistakes, he doesn't let it stop him from moving forward. Aasim always gives his utmost and completes all of his tasks to the best of his abilities.

Zainah Khaliq: High School

Zainah is an outstanding student. She maintains a positive attitude about learning and makes a regular effort to learn. Because of her Muslim faith, she is an incredible role model. Zainah is always prepared for her quizzes and tests. She tries to help everyone in the class when they need it. She greets everyone with a special smile that warms your heart.

Eman Shaikh: Middle School

Emaan is an excellent role model for her peers. She is always pleasant to everyone she encounters. Her work is consistently completed on time and with high quality. Eman exemplifies strong Islamic values and sets a positive example for those around her. She constantly greets everyone with a smile and offers assistance to the best of her abilities.

Farida Barakat: High School

Farida has been an outstanding class leader who is always helping her classmates. She makes sure to be mindful about others around her in any situation. Academically, she is an A+ student. She completes her work on time and it is always in great quality. Farida displays strong Islamic values and serves as an inspiration to people around her. She is a great role model and the type of student every class needs.

As Ramadan passed and Spring break ended, students and teachers returned to Madina Academy for the final quarter of the school year. To get back into the flow of school life, the PTS threw an Eid festival for all to enjoy. Activities provided for students included a bounce house and soccer. Fresh watermelon and hotdogs were great addition to the Eid festival, lightening the moods of both students and faculty

Throughout the week of May 2nd to May 6th teachers were appreciated among staff and students. They received a free breakfast as well as additional freebies for their hard work and devotion to the students of Madina Academy.

On May 21st, students were able to dress down for $3 to fund a field trip for the elementary students to the Mystic Aquarium! In addition to the dressing down, the 8th grade students hosted a bake sale selling snacks from cotton candy to samosas!

Towards the end of this month, the middle and high school enjoyed many field trips, including a virtual reality field trip. It was an educational trip that gave a structured learning experience. This place had all different types of games and activities that provided an amazing experience. The VR games recreated a real-world area made up of a series of films or still photographs. It was an excellent resource for students to learn the significance of observing as they prepare for real-world scenarios.

The year ended with a full week of MAP testing, parties, year- end field trips, graduation ceremonies and field day.

By Abdalhadi Alnas (High School)

When it comes to extracurricular activities, your participation is one of the few opportunities that colleges can learn about your personality. Madina Academy makes up for its lack of athletics and clubs with educational programs in which students can join. Participation in educational competitions such as National History Day, Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair, UCMUN, and GenCyber Cyber Security Camp are a few examples. In these programs, students are able to learn problem solving skills, time management, critical thinking, proper work ethic, and group coordination–in addition to whatever subjects they relate to. However, there aren't always a lot of people interested in doing competition work or getting involved in educational programs, which is why I think it would be better to have more variety in the extracurricular activities for most people to enjoy. Not just extracurriculars related to education.

By Yameen Ahmed (High School)

Assalamualaikum. At this point, why is school even a thing? This is a special letter to the teachers. Please, I beg you, don't give work during the last 2 weeks of school. Like pretty please with all the whatever you want on top. This is so lame. I'm not even smiling while typing this. To be honest, I'm trying to find humor on Google, but it's so unfunny. Also, I'm going on a field trip tomorrow which I kinda didn't want to, but my friends were like just go it'll be fun. I paid 25 dollars, which is half of my allowance, so it better be worth it. My eidi has already run out, and it is the only time my parents give me money, so please make duaa that I find $200 by mistake. Actually just make dua I become a trillionaire. Remember any dua you make for someone comes back to you ;) k bye.

By Tasneem Haroun (High School)