1. education
2. school

Al Siraat College
Al Sir a at
college
Al Siraat College is an exciting place.
By the grace of Allah, I would like
to recognise that 2014 has been a
year of exceptional growth for the
College in relation to student learning,
student
well-being,
establishing
community connections and site
improvements. This has only been
made possible through your support
and the dedicated effort of our staff
throughout the year. In particular,
I would like to thank the College
Principals, Mr Andrew Houghton and
Ms Rahat Arain, who have worked
tirelessly with their teams to try and
deliver the best possible outcomes for
our students.
Currently the Principals are finalising
the College Strategic Plan for the next
five years. The Strategic Plan will be
a detailed action plan in relation to
how the College will implement the
following six Strategic Directions as
approved by the College Board:
Strategic Direction 1: Our Identity
Promote
and
implement
the
understanding that a person can be
an Australian and a practising Muslim.
Strategic Direction 2: Student Learning and
Achievement
To provide a high quality learning
environment within and beyond the
classroom that delivers rigorous and
differentiated programs.
Strategic Direction 3: Student Culture
Focus on the development of an
inclusive culture amongst staff and
students that reinforces the values of
care, consideration and respect for
self and others.
newsletter
Term 4: Newsletter No: 05 | December 2014 | 1435
Strategic Direction 4: Inspirational Staff
Attract, develop, retain and recognise
high quality teaching, management
and support staff.
Strategic Direction 5: Places and Spaces
Plan for and provide quality facilities
in response to educational priorities in
a financially responsible manner.
Important Dates
for 2014 / 2015:
19th December 2014: College Office closes
2015
19th January 2015: School Office re-op
Hifz only classes commence
ens
4th February 2015: Term 1 commences
for
Strategic Direction 6: A Connected
Community
Yr 7 – 12 students
Enhance
communications
and
connections with parents and the
broader ASC community.
6th February 2015: Term 1 commences
As Al Siraat continues its journey, we
are particularly excited about 2015.
We have recruited an unprecedented
number of 22 teachers across the
Teaching, Quran and Islamic Studies
teams. We are also finalising the
land purchase of 65 Harvest Home
Road allowing the College site to
grow and making preparations for
the construction of the Science /
Technology wing (including science
labs, food technology, textiles,
ceramics, art rooms, graphic / design
spaces and a canteen). As you may
be aware, I am now running Barakah
Information Sessions to allow parents
and the community to invest in the
growth of Al Siraat. I would like to
thank all of you who have attended
and look forward to working with
you to make Al Siraat a wonderful
institution. Most importantly, let us
all make du’a to Allah to accept our
humble efforts and thank Him for His
infinite favours.
Wasalaam,
classes)
5th February 2015: Term 1 commences
for
Yr 1 – 6 students
for
Foundation students
11th February 2015: School ID photos taken
Junior
24th February 2015: First Aid Progr am (all
Day
13th March 2015: National Ride2 School
on,
23rd March 2015: Year 7 – 10 Immunisati
Session 1
2015 Term Dates
• Term 1: 4 Feb - 27 March
• Term 2: 13 Apr - 26 June
• Term 3: 20 Jul - 18 September
• Term 4: 5 Oct - 11 December
Fazeel Arain
College Director
Page 1
“What a great idea... Let’s use our superannuation
money to benefit our community”
We need your support in funding
our building program.
Barakah Superannuation Information Session
Join Barakah Properties to get School Fee Discounts of $100 per
child per term or $400 discount per student per annum.
Information sessions will be held every week on Tuesday 7.00
pm, Wednesday 8.30 am and Saturday 9.00 am. Please contact
Maqsood Ahmad at the office, email [email protected].
au or call 0425 700 333 or SMS to register your interest.
For enquires on existing, new superannuation funds, SMSF with
holding certificates, please send email to
[email protected]
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Glancing Back, Looking Forward
Salam to the Al Siraat Community,
Throughout Term Four my time
has been invested in the process
of ‘Glancing Back …Looking
Forward’. The 2014 academic year
has come to a close and reflecting
on the progress throughout the
year I am delighted with the
physical, educational and social
growth of the College. It has
certainly been a great year. I give
thanks to Allah for His blessings on
our community and the strength
and guidance He provides.
The staff of Al Siraat College has
worked tirelessly to support the
children in our care. On behalf of
the community I thank them for
their efforts. Working with children
is a career that brings joy to your
life every day. Thank you to all
parents and carers for giving Al
Siraat College the privilege to be
part of the lives of your children
and family.
During 2014 the College embarked
on a strategic planning process
to determine the direction the
College will take for the next 5
years. The six strategic priorities
have been shared with you earlier
in the newsletter.
To achieve
the priorities, the College has
made a large investment in
human resources, in particular,
attracting high calibre teachers
for 2015. Next year we welcome
22 new educators to expand our
Senior Secondary subject choice,
increase our capacity to provide
greater VCE subject choice, and
to support the growth of additional
classes in the Junior School and
Religious Instruction. In addition,
the College has created new coordinator positions in the Junior
and Senior School to provide more
support to students and better
communication with families. A
full list of the 2015 inspirational
staff is provided in the newsletter.
At the commencement of 2014
I challenged all the students to
raise their academic standard
and value the opportunity they
have been given to learn.
In
the Secondary School I further
challenged the students to adopt
a positive attitude to learning and
seek help if required. It has been a
long journey, however, I am proud
of the efforts made and palpable
change in student culture.
In
the last six months it has been
obvious that all classes have
improved with some outstanding
individual efforts. While it is not
‘mission accomplished’ for all,
I am satisfied we are moving in
the right direction inshaAllah. On
Friday we acknowledged our high
academically performing students
and those who have demonstrated
excellent personal growth. For the
Senior School we have introduced
a Dux award for each year level.
This award will be presented to the
student with the best academic
results across all subjects for the
Page 2
year. I congratulate the awardees
and again acknowledge the growth
in all our students. A list of all
Junior School and Senior School
Dux award recipients is included in
the newsletter.
As evidence of growth I share with
you some reflections given by
Year 7-10 students during our last
assembly.
Tarek Taleb - Year 10
School is the foundation of our
lives, without school, children will
live without an education, without
a bright future, without hope to
even live, meaning it could lead to
stress, depression, even suicide.
Receiving a good education can
open a wide range of awesome
careers in which you may have
dreamt of becoming such as a
pilot, doctor, and so on.
Benefits of going to school are
countless however I will name a
few... students may not have friends
outside of school yet as they go to
school, they have the opportunity
to meet and make new friends,
school can distract students from
their personal issues and let them
continue with their lives instead of
worrying about issues, problems,
incidents, and events, school
can teach students literacy and
numeracy in order to look and feel
well educated and that motivates
students to learn even more.
Personally, I do show gratitude
towards my school because it has
helped me, it has benefited me;
it has saved me from becoming
an uneducated, unsuccessful,
unmotivated person into an
average student looking forward
for VCE next year.
Here’s a real life example of myself,
for the last few years I had been
struggling, failing nearly every
single test, exam, even NAPLAN. I
used to be immature at the time,
and stupid, however I wasn’t happy,
in fact I was stressed every time I
got home because all I would think
about was my future not happening
and me being an uneducated, sad
person. However this year, I had a
wakeup call, which literally woke
me up and made me realise the
importance of school and what I
can do with it. Alhamdulillah, now
I haven’t failed any tests and I am
proud and grateful towards my
school.
Fausia Ali – Year 9
Why is school important to me?
Though I have my days, at the
back of my mind, I’ll always know
and understand that school is
important to me for a few simple
reasons. One being that, just like
many of us here, I do have big
dreams and school is where they
all start. The next being that if I do
want an education, which I do, I
have to attend school and make
the most of my time because I do
acknowledge the fact that many
children my age don’t have the
opportunity to attend school.
What do I want to get out of being
at school?
As I briefly mentioned a few
moments ago, I do have big
dreams. One thing I want to get out
of school is learning new concepts
and being able to teach those to
who don’t already know them.
Though it may sound clichéd, I
really do want the best education
I can possibly achieve.
Taherah Moslih – Year 8
Personally, I believe that we go
to school to prepare us for our
future. Every subject that we learn
in school benefits us in one way or
another. For example, I want to be
a forensic chemist. Maths gets my
mind ready for the problem solving
I’ll have to do in that field. As a
forensic chemist, I’ll also have to
do a lot of reports, both orally and
written; English prepares me for
those. Even subjects like history
are beneficial. By learning about
our history, we’re thinking outside
of the box, which is a valuable skill.
Besides the subjects we have,
school also teaches us skills
such as speaking publicly and
being comfortable in our working
environment. All in all, school
prepares us for our future in every
way.
Farah Mohamed – Year 7
Fellow peers and teachers, I am
here to talk about my education.
Education is a very important
aspect in my life. For me I want to
get the best education that I can
get.
My education is very important to
me because without the education
teachers provide, I wouldn’t know
simple ABCs. Education is the key
to my success and getting a job
and more without my education, I
can’t do what I want to do in the
future e.g. engineer or pilot and
more. I always had a favourite
quote for education:
“Education is our passport to the
future, for tomorrow belongs
to the people who prepare for it
today.” - Malcolm X
In closing, I thank all the community
for supporting me in my role as
Principal during 2014. It has been
a privilege serving the Al Siraat
Community and working alongside
Ms Rahat Arain (Principal – Islamic
Tradition).
I have also greatly
appreciated the support of the
College Director, Mr Fazeel Arain
and the College Board without
whose support the progress made
in 2014 would not have been
possible. 2015 is going to be
another year of positive growth,
inshaAllah, and I look forward to
helping Al Siraat College continue
to grow and prosper.
Andrew Houghton
Principal
Page 3
General College News
Inspirational Staff for 2015
SENIOR SCHOOL
COLLEGE EXECUTIVES
College Director
Vis Naidu
Head of Senior School
Andrew Houghton
Principal
Maha Elsayegh
VCE Coordinator
Rahat Arain
Principal Islamic Tradition
Hatice Mohamed
Year 10 – 12 Co-ordinator
Emel Esen-Sener
Year 7-9 Co-ordinator (Boys)
Marwa Breis
Year 7-9 Co-ordinator (Girls)
Fazeel Arain
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
SUBJECT CO-ORDINATORS
Fazeel Arain
College Director
Andrew Houghton
Principal
Esra Boz
Head of Teaching and Learning
Rahat Arain
Principal Islamic Tradition
Hatice Mohamed
Head of Maths
Vis Naidu
Head of Senior School
Sarah North
Head of Humanities
Shahidah Osman
Head of Junior School
Gjulsime Idrizi
Head of Science
Sonia Cheema
Head of Well-being
Emel Esen-Sener
Head of English
Esra Boz
Head of Teaching & Learning
Suffian Amin
Head of Art
Mohamed Azim
Head of Islamic Integration
Sevdat Bektash
Head of PE/Sport
CLASSROOM TEACHERS
JUNIOR SCHOOL
Teacher
Subject
Shahidah Osman
Head of Junior School
Vis Naidu
English
Noori Ahmad
Year 3-6 Co-ordinator
Maha Elsayegh
Chemistry
Cheryl Becker
Foundation - Yr 2 Co-ordinator
Emel Esen-Sener
English
CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Marwa Breis
Psychology/Humanities
Cheryl Becker
Foundation
Hatice Mohamed
Maths
Najma Anis-Reusch
Foundation
Sarah North
English/Humanities
Asma Ahmad
Foundation
Gjulsime Idrizi
Biology
Behnaz Toranji
Year 1
Hadia Shoaib
English
Amina Zeneli
Year 1
Dilek Komser
Science/Biology
Elif Boz
Year 1
Ruby Sian
Physics/Maths
Rasha Ali
Year 2
Joseph Vella
Maths
Nazreen Keown
Year 2
Maryam Salhab
Maths
Safeera Wahid
Year 3
Katherine Mignano
Humanities/Business Management
Amera Atiya
Year 3
Nick Keown
Year 4
Syed Ahmad
Year 5
Teacher
Subject/s
Zahra Zafar
Year 5
Suffian Amin
Arts
Shafni Ismail
Year 6
Sevdat Bektash
ICT/PE/Sport/Health
Noori Ahmad
Year 6
Stamatia Spiliotis
Art/Technology
Annette Ferrao
Hifz & Learning Support
Daniel Saleh
PE/Sport/Health
Aquila Zafir
Hifz & Special Education
Layal Tannous
PE/Sport/Science/Health
SPECIALIST TEACHERS
WELL BEING STAFF
Sonia Cheema
Head of Well-being
Maryanne Kapoulitsas
College Counsellor
Shazmin Shahim
College Counsellor
Aquila Zafir
Special Education Teacher
Annette Ferrao
Learning Support Teacher
Page 4
General College News Continued
Inspirational Staff for 2015 Continued
RELIGION STAFF
Mohamed Azim
Head of Islamic
Integration
Khadeejah Anderson
Secondary Islamic
Studies Co-ordinator
Mehanaz Ali
Primary Islamic Studies
Co-ordinator
Sadia Hussain
Religion Instructor
(Hifz)
Abdullahi Abdulrahman
Religion Instructor
(Hifz)
Mohamed Nizam
Previously
information
was
provided to you advising you of the
changes to the students’ uniforms
from 2015 as well as the transition
period. We are now providing you
with further guidelines so that you
can make the correct choices
particularly when it comes to sizing
requirements.
Quran and Hifz Coordinator
Fauzia Murtaza
Uniform Requirements for 2015
Religion Instructor
(Hifz)
Zehra Gunceler
Religion Instructor
Arwa Abboud
Religion Instructor
Nuha Abdalla
Religion Instructor
Amir Tariq
Religion Instructor
Osman Mohaggeb
Religion Instructor
Ahmad Hachem
Religion Instructor
Noorhayati Kassim
Religion Instructor
Mohammed Ibrahim
Religion Instructor
Owais Baran
Religion Instructor
Asim Malik
Religion Instructor
Saniya Hanif
Religion Instructor
Please make a note of the
following points when making your
purchases for the secondary girls:
• The length of the sports top must
be to the knees;
• All items must be loose fitting
(should not reveal contours of the
body);
• No alternate uniform items are
permitted other than what is
available from Buxwear (eg: the
school sports trousers are the only
option for sports, not tights);
• The hijab should not be seethrough and the length long
enough to cover the chest area
(not a style that sits just around the
neck);
• The school shirt must be long
enough to cover the upper thigh
area.
• A College School Bag must be
used
• Black leather like school shoes at
all times except when wearing the
sport uniform
For the boys, the main
considerations are:
• Hair should be cut to equal length
(no under cuts);
• White Islamic caps must be worn
at all times as part of their uniform;
• No alternate uniform items are
permitted other than what is
available from Buxwear;
• A College School Bag must be
used
• Black leather like school shoes at
all times except when wearing the
sport uniform
In addition to the uniform
requirements, students must be
neatly presented, without makeup or any visible piercings or
markings.
In 2015 the College will be strictly
enforcing the school uniform in an
effort to improve the appearance
of our students. I thank you in
advance for your support.
A full Uniform List is included with
this newsletter on the next page.
School Uniform Shop Opening times
To assist families with the purchase
of the uniform for 2015, Al Siraat
College has negotiated with our
supplier Buxwear to operate a
uniform shop on site. It is located
in the Heritage Cottage building
and will be operating during the
school holidays as follows:
Monday morning days
Friday afternoon days
(8 – 10 am)
(2 – 4 pm)
JANUARY
JANUARY
19th
23rd
27th (Tuesday!) 30th
Extended Hours: 10am – 3pm
Monday, 19th January 2015
Friday, 23rd January 2015
Besides the above opening times
at the College, you can make
purchases directly from the
Buxwear Uniform Shop on 218
Settlement Rd in Thomastown
during business hours Mondays
to Fridays as well as on Saturdays
from 9 am - 2 pm.
Page 5
School Uniform - Price List
AL SIRAAT COLLEGE
SCHOOL SHOP HOURS
TERM 4 MON 8-­‐10 & FRI 2-­‐4
UNIFORM PRICE LIST 2015
YEAR 7 - 12
CODE
SKT186
BLO185
JUM186
ITEM
SKIRT
GIRLS UNIFORM
Items marked with an asterisk are optional
GIRLS LONG
LONG SLEEVE BLOUSE
JUMPER
WOOL BLEND
12mths transition
POL196B SPORT POLO L/S
TRP187B UNISEX TRACKPANT
Summer
TRP185B UNISEX TRACKPANT
Winter
PFT186 * POLAR FLEECE JACKET
BAG186
JKT185 *
BAG SENIOR
RAIN JACKET
COLOUR
SIZES
12-16
18-24
XS-3XL
2XS-XL
2XL-4XL
S-3XL
PRICE
$76.95
$77.95
$42.95
$76.95
$77.95
$77.95
$38.95
$30.95
$33.95
$36.95
S-2XL
S-2XL
LARGE
S-2XL
$35.95
$35.95
$60.95
$39.95
MAROON
8-14
16-­‐24
10-­‐24
6-­‐10
SKY
MAROON
SKY/MRN/GLD
BLACK
BLACK
MAR GIRLS
NAVY
MAR GIRLS
QTY
SIZE
BOYS UNIFORM
Items marked with an asterisk are optional
BTR186B TROUSER PLEAT FRONT
NAVY
72-87
$50.00
92-107 $55.00
112-127 $59.00
BOYS CAN CHOOSE TO WEAR EITHER THE KAMEZE OR SHIRT
SHT188B SHIRT
SHT186
POL195B
JUM186
LONG SLEEVE KAMEEZE
SPORT POLO S/S
JUMPER WOOL BLEND
12mths transition
TRP187B UNISEX TRACKPANT
Summer
TRP185B UNISEX TRACKPANT
PFT186 * POLAR FLEECE JACKET
BAG186
BAG SENIOR
JKT185 * RAIN JACKET
BUXWEAR DIRECT
218 SETTLEMENT RD THOMASTOWN
SCHOOL SHOP HOURS IN JAN
WHITE
KIWI BLUE
SKY/MRN/GLD
NAVY
BLACK
BLACK winter
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
2XS-3XL
2XS-L
XS-3XL
6-­‐10
12-16
18-24
2XS-XL
2XL-4XL
S-3XL
S-2XL
LARGE
S-2XL
$27.95
$58.95
$36.95
$69.95
$74.95
$77.95
$30.95
$33.95
$36.95
$35.95
$60.95
$39.95
ENTER FROM REAR
PHONE 94647555 FAX 94647566
HOURS MON TO FRI 9-5 PM SAT 9-2 PM
JAN 19TH - 10 TO 3PM , 23RD - 10 TO 3 PM, JAN 27TH - 8 TO 10, JAN 30TH - 2 TO 4 PM
TOTAL
School Uniform - Price List
AL SIRAAT COLLEGE
SCHOOL SHOP HOURS
TERM 1 FRI 1-­‐3 pm
UNIFORM PRICE LIST 2015
FOUNDATION TO YEAR 6
ITEM
CODE
BLO300
BLOUSE
12 mths transition
TUN185
TUNIC
GIRLS UNIFORM
Items marked with an asterisk are optional
LONG SLEEVE
JUM186
JUMPER WOOL BLEND
12mths transition
POL 196
GIRLS SPORT POLO L/S
TRP187
UNISEX TRACKPANT
Summer
TRP185
UNISEXTRACKPANT
Winter
PFT186 *
POLAR FLEECE JACKET
HAT185
WIDE BRIM HAT LOGO
HAT186
LEGIONNAIRES HAT
BAG185
BAG JUNIOR
JKT185 *
RAIN JACKET
CODE
BTR185
ITEM
PANTS
COLOUR
WHITE
SIZES
6-14
PRICE
$21.00
QTY
SIZE
TOTAL
MAROON
4-8
10-16
$68.95
$73.95
$69.95
$74.95
$34.95
$26.95
$28.95
$32.95
$35.95
$34.95
$10.95
$9.95
$45.95
$35.95
QTY
SIZE
TOTAL
ENTER FROM REAR
PHONE 94647555 FAX
HOURS MON TO FRI 9-5 PM SAT 9-2 PM
94647566
MAROON
SKY/MRN/GLD
BLACK
BLACK
MAR
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
MAR
6-­‐10
12-16
6-14
4-8
10-16
4-8
10-16
4-14
OSFA
OSFA
MED
4-14
BOYS UNIFORM
Items marked with an asterisk are optional
ELASTIC WAIST
COLOUR
NAVY
BOYS CAN CHOOSE TO WEAR EITHER THE KAMEZE OR SHIRT
SHT188
SHIRT
LONG SLEEVE
WHITE
SHT185
KAMEEZE JUNIOR
KIWI BLUE
JUM186
JUMPER WOOL BLEND
12mths transition
POL195
BOYS SPORT POLO S/S
TRP187
UNISEX TRACKPANT
Summer
TRP185
UNISEXTRACKPANT
Winter
PFT186 *
POLAR FLEECE JACKET
HAT185
WIDE BRIM HAT LOGO
HAT186
LEGIONNAIRES HAT
BAG185
BAG JUNIOR
JKT185 *
RAIN JACKET
BUXWEAR DIRECT
218 SETTLEMENT RD THOMASTOWN
NAVY
SKY/MRN/GLD
BLACK
BLACK
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
NAVY
SIZES
4-8
10-16
PRICE
$32.95
$34.95
4-16
4-8
10-16
$26.95
$52.95
$57.95
$69.95
$74.95
$32.95
$26.95
$28.95
$32.95
$35.95
$34.95
$10.95
$9.95
$45.95
$35.95
6-­‐10
12-16
4-14
4-8
10-16
4-8
10-16
4-14
OSFA
OSFA
MED
4-14
SCHOOL SHOP HOURS IN JAN
JAN 19TH - 10 TO 3PM , 23RD - 10 TO 3 PM, JAN 27TH - 8 TO 10, JAN 30TH - 2 TO 4 PM
Student Achievement Awards
Primary: ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Dec 2014
Grade
Primary: BEST EFFORT December 2014
Name
Grade
Name
FA
Sumayyah Brookman
FA
Rimsha Dawood
FB
Safiyah Mohamed
FB
Walid Ahmed Ahmedin
FC
Maya Liyana Pera
FC
Jameela Makbool
1A
Fahma Faseer
1A
Rayan Elayoubi
1B
Aisha Muhyadin Ibrahim
1B
Sulekha Dahir Mohamed
2A
Tariq Maqbool
2A
Mariam Moeladawilah
2B
Mariam Siddiqui
2B
Zakariya Ali
3A
Sania Jabeen
3A
Amirah Al Aboudi
4A
Zaynab Ibrahim Kewal
4A
Nameer Siddiqui
4B
Haniyah Jabeen
4B
Eman Tiba
5A
Safiyyah Moeladawilah
6A
Mariam Al-Ghazawi
6A
Aishah Arain
5B
Ayman Yohannes
5B
Yusuf Brookman
6B
Khaled Wahab
6B
Ibrahim Elayoubi
Hifz A
Mohammed Abdul Saleem
Hifz A
Hamdan Mohammed Yousuf
Hifz A
Jabir Abdirazak Farah
Hifz A
Ruweyda Yusuf
Hifz B
Omer Mohammed
Hifz B
Mohsin Khan
Hifz B
Abdirahman Hassan
Hifz B
Yusuf Mohammed Sardar
ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE IN HIFZ: ABDIRAHMAN MOHAMED
BEST EFFORT IN HIFZ: IBRAHIM USMAN
COMPLETE MEMORISATION OF HOLY QURAN: MOHAED HASSAN
Secondary Awards
DUX Awards
In 2014, the College has introduced the awarding of the DUX
of each Secondary year level. This award is presented to
the male or female student who achieves the best academic
results across the year. It may not be presented at a year
level if a suitable candidate cannot be identified. The DUX
is a recognition of high performing academic excellence
which has been awarded to the following students in 2014:
Year 11
Amnah Arain
Year 10
Abdullahi Khalif
Year 9
Fatima Alhamdani
Year 8
Bilal Adnan
Year 7
Zahoor Leghari
ICAS Awards
The International Competitions and Assessments of
schools (ICAS) are independent skill based assessments
with a competition element. It is commonly referred to as
the UNSW. The Principals Awards go to
Mathematics Year 2:
Dawud Ali Alam
English Year 4:
Hamdan M Yousuf
Spelling Year 4:
Hamdas M Yousuf
Page 8
Annual Art Exhibition
Al Siraat College held its second Arts
Exhibition on Friday, 5th December, in
the Primary Building. It was wonderful
to see so many parents and students
attending this special annual event.
After the official opening of the
Exhibition and welcoming speeches
by Ms Stamatia and Mr Houghton, the
students were presented with Awards
for Excellence in Arts.
Following this, artworks, like paintings,
pottery and some Tech works (wooden
doorstoppers and key rings) were
on sale inside the building while the
sausage sizzle attracted parents and
students outside the Primary Building.
Ms Aquila demonstrated excellence
in clay pottery wheel throwing and
students participated in print making
and hand-building with clay.
The evening was a great success with
lots of positive feedback given from
parents.
All funds raised from the artworks
sale will go towards purchasing new
arts resources for 2015. Art work will
continue to be on sale for any parents
wishing to still make a purchase. Please
see admin staff until the Office closes
on Friday, 19th December 2014.
Primary News
Life moves pretty fast, But in the end it’s all about Our faith, our family, and the
relationships We’ve formed along the way. (Mathews, T., 2005)
Assalamu’alaikum wr. wb.
It has been another wonderful year in
my journey with Al Siraat. As we have
reached the end of the year, I have
been reflecting on the rich experiences
I have gained with our students and
staff leading the Junior School as the
Primary Co-ordinator. I believe that
leading with the heart is about many
things and this is what I have relished
in my journey this year. It is about
caring, setting team goals, ‘walking
the talk’ and most importantly about
building relationships with students,
parents and my teammates. Building
relationships are also about having
opportunities to stay positive, focused
and patient, while learning from one
another and to grow.
Our Junior School’s focus on Inquiry
Learning has given students a greater
responsibility for their own learning.
Primary Exhibition this year, with our
theme ‘IDENTITY”, took our students’
learning to a high level. It is amazing
to see students involved in the inquiry
process and having the shared
responsibility among members of their
classes to be engaged in an in-depth
type of learning. Many opportunities
were given to students to explore their
research skills through the Inquiry
Units of Work, which required them
to take risks, build their confidence
and become independent learners. It
is without doubt that presenting their
findings on the night of the Primary
Exhibition was an unforgettable
moment for students, parents and
teachers. It was a night to be proud of
and hopefully inspired our students to
be life-long learners and inquirers.
These positive outcomes could only
take place because of a large number
of people in the school community. I
thank Mr Andrew Houghton and Ms
Rahat Arain for their great support
and leadership, which continue to
form and strengthen the school and
its resources. I would like to sincerely
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Primary News Continued
thank the primary teachers and other
staff for their commitment to ensure
our students’ learning throughout the
year. It is really a privilege to be able
to lead this fine group of educators. I
would like to congratulate all students
for their achievements and showing
commitment and perseverance
in their learning journey. Finally, I
would like to extend my most humble
thanks to our parents’ community
for their relentless support and
understanding in building up a
partnership with us in their child’s
education at Al Siraat College.
Have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Looking forward for an exciting 2015!
Ms Shahidah Osman
Primary Co-ordinator
Year Foundation Excursion:
Bundoora Farm
On Thursday, 20th of November all
the Foundation students went on an
Excursion to Bundoora Farm. While
we were there we made scones,
patted chickens and lambs, fed the
baby goat a bottle and went on a
bumpy tractor ride. We saw many
animals including kangaroos and
emus and had lots of fun feeding the
sheep, who tickled our hands with
their mouths. We learnt how milk,
butter and cream come from a cow
and discovered many new plants to
eat in the Community garden. At the
end of the day we ate our scones
and played in the playground. It was
a wonderful day and everyone had
lots of fun.
Year 2 Excursion: Science
Works
Year 1 Excursion: Diamond
Valley Railway
On Wednesday, 26th of November,
Grade 1’s visited the Diamond Valley
Railway in Eltham as a part of our Unit
of Inquiry “Transportation”. We had
long rides on the miniature train. The
train journey was scenic and set in
natural bushland. The two kilometre
track went over bridges, through two
tunnels, up and down with slight rises
and descents, through the middle
track of the main station for a second
smaller loop. After that we had lunch
in the beautiful BBQ area. The kids
had so much fun!
The Grade 2 students went on an
educational excursion to Science
Works on 2nd December 2014. The
program complements our unit of
inquiry ‘Toys and Tools’ and enhances
their learning. The students were very
engaged in experimenting with toys.
They participated enthusiastically in
the science show that encouraged
them to investigate the actions of
forces in the workings of different
toys. The children had lots of fun
learning about pushing, pulling and
friction. The excursion has been a
great opportunity for the students
to participate in curriculum-related
activities outside the normal school
routine.
Hifz A and Foundation
Excursion:
Strawberry picking
All Foundation and the Hifz A students
enjoyed a wonderful excursion to the
strawberry fields in Bacchus Marsh
on Wednesday, 10th December 2014.
They all had a fantastic time eating
lots of juicy and sweet strawberries
on site and enjoyed bringing home
some delicious strawberry baskets
to share with their family. Students
were also able to enjoy some fun play
time at the Adventure Playground in
Bacchus Marsh.
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Secondary News
2014 has been a year of considerable
change for the Senior School. The
end of year Examinations were
well received and problem-free
and students got the message that
they needed to work harder if they
wanted to achieve success. They
also realised that they have to work
consistently throughout the year and
not just for examinations.
ACADEMIC
2015 heralds in many changes, with
the introduction of our new school
uniform, electives for Years 9 and
10 students, wider subject choices
for the Year 11 students and our first
class of Year 12 students. In terms of
administration and staffing, we will
be having more co-ordinators and
many new, experienced staff who,
together with our current teachers,
will guide the senior students through
the most important years of their life.
Parents need to also play their part
in motivating their children to strive
for excellence, instead of settling for
mediocrity.
NUTRITION
Next year there will a strong focus
on nutrition and healthy eating.
Parents are encouraged to cut down
on buying lollies, chips, energy and
sugary soft drinks for their children
and certainly not to pack these for
their school lunches.
The poor
nutritional content of these foods has
a direct impact on the ability of the
student to learn and concentrate in
class. Chewing gum is not allowed at
school and I urge parents to support
us in this regard.
PUNCTUALITY AND UNIFORM
disorganised and unsettled for the
day. Homegroup is an important
time for announcements and for
students to get themselves sorted
and organised for the day.
Wearing the proper school uniform
is a requirement as it instils a sense
of discipline and pride in the student.
Parents are encouraged to use this
holiday to get the proper uniform for
their children, as there will be strict
enforcement next year. Appropriate
school shoes also need to be
purchased as canvas shoes and
other fancy shoes will not be allowed
at school. Proper runners need to be
worn for sport for safety and health
reasons.
Looking forward to 2015 – a year of
partnership, growth and success!
It is imperative that students arrive
on time to school at 8:20 am.
Being late results in them being
Vis Naidu
Head of Senior School
Well Being News
“One looks back with appreciation
to the brilliant teachers, but with
gratitude to those who touched our
human feelings. The curriculum is
so much necessary raw material,
but warmth is the vital element for
the growing plant for the soul of the
child” - Carl Jung
Every teacher has the capacity to
touch human feelings and shape
their future. We try to touch human
hearts and incorporate values in
every day life at our College. What a
great year!! And where has the year
gone? It seems like only yesterday
that it was the first day of Term 1. It
is hard to believe that the end of the
school year has arrived!
The year’s end always brings
with it a tremendous sense of
accomplishment. So many things
have been accomplished this year!
From the Year 6 to 7 Transition Program
– in which our students were involved
in an exciting number of activities on
11th December 2014 - to Happy Fruit
Day to sharing ideas with Whittlesea
Council members regarding National
Youth Week 2015 and a full week of
anti-bullying activities. Of course,
we should not forget the tremendous
amount of learning that has taken
place during the year. Throughout all
of these activities our students have
demonstrated great character and
good values, which are an integral
part of our College! I look back over
2014 and remember a year that has
been exciting, challenging and lots of
fun.
In the coming year, we will be
introducing new Well Being Projects
for our students and Parent support
groups, such as Gardening projects,
Healthy
Achievement
Program,
ongoing Counselling services and a
new Well Being Centre at Al Siraat
College.
I would like to take this opportunity
to wish you all a Sun-safe and happy
summer. Looking forward to working
with you with lots of new ideas and
well being activities.
Dr Sonia Cheema
Head of Well Being
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Well Being News Continued
National Youth Week 2015
We are proud to announce that our
SRC members (Secondary) and
Senior students have participated
in the National Youth Week 2015
survey. It is an initiative by Whittlesea
Council to involve youth to design
projects and activities for next year’s
Youth Week. We had the Whittlesea
Council Youth Development Officer
and his colleague visiting our College
at lunch time to share their ideas.
What a proud moment!
Antibiotic resistance is a community
problem and everyone is a part of
solution. At Al Siraat College, we
joined the fight against antibiotic
resistance and helped building
understanding amongst students
about this important issue. The
following website has an educational
and engaging video that was played
in the class rooms to help educate
our students, our community and
ourselves to fight for better health:
www.nps.org.au/schools-join-thefight
Antibiotics Awareness Week
Multicultural Youth Forum
“Antibiotic Awareness week” is a
global initiative that ran from 17th 23rd November 2014, designed to
encourage the community to learn
more about antibiotic resistance.
The World Health Organisation has
flagged antibiotic resistance one of
the greatest threats to human health.
NPS MedicineWise (a not-for-profit
organisation dedicated to building
a medicine-wise Australia) is half
way through a five year campaign
to reduce the inappropriate use of
antibiotics within Australia.
The
Victorian
Multicultural
Commission (VMC) is the main link
between Government and Culturally
and Linguistically Diverse (CALD)
communities in Victoria. The VMC
holds a regular series of state-wide
consultations each year to determine
the needs of Victoria’s diverse
communities.
Next month the VMC will be
embarking
upon
specialised
community consultations aimed at
young people aged 16-25 years, to
be hosted as a series of Multicultural
Youth Forums. The VMC would
appreciate your assistance in
encouraging young people in your
area to participate.
We want young people to share
their opinions and ideas about
multiculturalism with the VMC so that
we can feed that information back
to other government departments.
Young people’s voices are important
because they can tell the VMC what
the real issues are, as they see it.
Young people will be able to give us
their thoughts at the Youth Forum and
online at: Facebook/multiculturevic
or #twitter/multiculturevic
Refreshments will be served.
The Multicultural Youth Forum in
your area is at:
Region: WHITTLESEA
Date: 16 December 2014
Time: 3.00-5.00pm
Venue: The EDGE, Westfield Plenty
Valley, 415 McDonalds Rd, MILL
PARK
RSVP to (03) 9651 0605 or email to
[email protected].
gov.au
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Sports News
Ride to School Day
Our latest Ride2School Day on
Tuesday, 18th November 2014, saw
more than 30 students and some
parents riding their bicycles to
school in the early morning under
the supervision of Mr Saleh and Mr
Houghton. For the first time, students
and staff were able to make use of
the brand new bike path that runs
alongside the school and connects
back onto Harvest Home Road
(via 35 Harvest Home Rd, which is
owned by the College).
We will be back with more healthy and
active Ride2Schools Days in the new
year and will also be participating
in the National Ride2School Day on
Friday, 13th March 2015.
Important Reminders
Road works at the Harvest
Home Rd Intersection
The long awaited construction of the
traffic lights at the Harvest Home
Road and Epping Road intersection
has commenced. Harvest Home
Road West will be closed from the
8th December until mid-February.
Harvest Home Road East, which
is the school side, is scheduled
to remain open. As such, we are
not expecting any major access
issues to the school site. However
it is expected that speed limits will
be reduced and delays will occur.
Please allow some extra time when
dropping off students from the 8th
December.
We look forward to the completion
of this signalisation as this has been
a major concern for our school
community.
Essential Documents for
Enrolment
A review of all student files has
revealed that many families have not
provided the mandatory documents
the school requires for enrolment.
This relates to both existing families
as well as new enrolments for 2015.
It is essential that the College has a
copy of the following documents:
• Proof of age (birth certificate or
passport).
• An Immunisation Certificate (issued
by Medicare Australia).
• Return of the College’s Offer Letter.
•
Any
Medical
Information.
An
Asthma/Allergic
Reaction/
Anaphylaxis Action Plan MUST be
signed by your GP. THE STUDENT
CANNOT COMMENCE UNTIL THIS
DOCUMENT HAS BEEN PROVIDED.
• Any additional and supporting
documents for special needs (eg.
from speech pathologist etc.).
If you are aware that you have
NOT provided any of the above
documents, please do so as a matter
of urgency. You may contact the
College to confirm that your file is up
to date.
We thank you for your co-operation.
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Community Notices
Library “Summer Reading Club” for children
aged
3 – 12 years
The Summer Reading Club is an incentive to keep children
aged between 3-12 years, reading over the school break,
helping them return to school in the New Year ready to
learn and reading with greater fluency and with improved
vocabulary and comprehension skills. This year’s theme
is ‘Paws to Read’, and Yarra Plenty Regional Library will
be hosting a number of fantastic events at each of our
nine branches over the course of the summer holidays.
Library “YRead Summer Reading Program” for
Teens aged 13 – 18 years
YRead is Yarra Plenty Regional Library’s summer reading
program which runs from Monday, 1st December 2014
until Sunday, 1st February 2015. This summer, YRead will
have you Reading Under the Stars, and each of the library
branches will have events on throughout the school
holidays to celebrate this theme. See the events flyer in
your local library for more information.
VicSwim Summer Kidz Program
The Victorian Government has committed to fund the
2015 VicSwim Summer Kidz program, which enables
the delivery of a cost-effective aquatic and water safety
program to all Victorian children for only $25.00. VICSWIM
is delivering its “Learn to Swim Program” in three intensive
five-day options, catering for participants of all ages and
abilities:
Program Start date
End date
1
Monday, 5th January
2015
Friday, 9th
January 2015
2
Monday, 12th January Friday, 16th
2015
January 2015
3
Monday, 19th January Friday, 23rd
2015
January 2015
For all locations and times, visit www.vicswim.com.au
Congratulations
to our year 6
graduating
students!
All the best
for senior
school!
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