Filter Content
- Principal's Message
- Return to School
- School Photo Day
- Maarif International Photography Contest
- TEKNOFEST Competition Update
- Food Competition (update)
- Lunch ideas
- Students of the Week - Online
- Kindergarten
- Year 1
- Year 2
- Year 3
- Year 4
- Year 5
- Year 6
- Turkish Lessons - with Mrs Şeyma Akdemir
- Turkish Lessons - with Miss Esra Pamuk
- Islamic Studies
- Quran Reading App for everyone
- Did you know?
- Maarif Family Discount Offer
- Enrolling for 2022
- Student Corner
- Student Birthdays
- Reminders
- Important Dates
Dear Families,
We have come to the end of another online learning period this term. I would like to congratulate each of you for completing online learning at Maarif. Our students, educational leaders, teachers, staff and families have shown remarkable resilience and flexibility throughout this time. We are all aware that nothing can replace face-to-face learning with an expert teacher. Being at school with their teachers and peers is very important for student wellbeing as well as social and emotional development. Congratulations to all Year 3 and 5 students at Maarif on their Naplan scores. I would especially like to extend my congratulations to our students in Year 3: Sumeyye Turkmen, Year 5: Zeyno Hasgul and Hesna Cetiner achieving BAND 8 ranking on the NAPLAN 2021 scores. Well done! Everyone tried their very best. We are all very proud of you.
This term, students will return to face-to-face learning at Maarif with NSW Health approved COVID-safe settings on school premises using the following order:
- from 18 October – Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2
- from 25 October – All other years
For a return to face-to-face learning at Level 3 plus, the following conditions will need to have been met:
- If case numbers in our LGAs increase significantly, learning from home will resume for that LGA until case numbers drop. This will be advised by NSW Health.
- Start and finish times will be staggered, with no mixing among student classes.
- All staff members returning to school sites will be required to present evidence of 2 doses of vaccine (as per the Public Health Order) until 8th Vaccination is mandatory for all school staff.
To provide a safe learning environment for our students, minimise opportunities for transmission and enable the most effective contact tracing and containment measures in the event of a COVID-19 case, the school adopts a cohort model. The principles of student cohorting are to:
- Minimise unnecessary physical interaction between students on school grounds.
- Ensure that students learn and play only with those in their class, wherever possible.
- Minimise opportunities for transmission and enhance contact tracing.
- Minimise the potential for widespread infection across the school and wider school community.
During this period:
- Masks are strongly recommended for all students, at all times, indoors and outdoors.
- Classroom teachers will ideally be the allocated teacher for their class.
- Each class will be allocated a learning space, completing all lessons and break times with their allocated class.
- Break times and playground access will be staggered by class.
- Within each class, students will maintain strict personal hygiene and physical distancing wherever possible.
The year-based cohort system will be maintained at break times, and break times will be staggered by class wherever possible.
- Physical distancing of 1.5m should be maintained wherever possible.
- Playground equipment will be wiped down between use wherever practicable.
Drop-offs and pick-ups will be staggered by classes and the school is to use all possible entrances and exits to support the beginning and end of school days. Parents and carers must follow the school’s advice regarding changes to student drop-off and pick-up. This includes staying in the car when dropping off and picking up children if it is safe to do so. Parents should remain outside of school grounds.
Parents and carers should:
- Follow the physical distancing advice for their local area and avoid gathering outside school gates.
- Remain outside school grounds.
- Adhere to mask-wearing requirements in accordance with the Public Health Order.
- Sign in using the Service NSW QR code if entering the school.
All staff and visitors attending a school site will comply with school protocols and check-in using the applicable Service NSW QR code.
NSW Health advice requires that all staff must wear a face mask or covering at all times including when working outdoors – this includes in playgrounds and elsewhere on school grounds.
Current cleaning regimes will continue on school sites. Target areas include high touch areas and other hard surfaces, door handles, lockers, light switches and handrails in stairways and movement areas. Enhanced cleaning will be delivered as part of the daily cleaning of schools.
Uniform shop can only operate if parents have pre-ordering arrangements in place, with one dedicated staff member attending outside of school hours to arrange distribution.
I look forward to seeing you back face-to-face for the rest of Term 4.
Warm Regards,
Dr Zeynep Yaseen
Principal
Dates for Student Return to Face-to-Face Learning
From Monday 18 October 2021:
Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2
From Monday 25 October 2021:
Years 3, 4, 5 & 6
Please discuss and remind your child/ren to adhere to the following important rules when they return to school:
SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPHS WILL BE TAKEN ON:
Wednesday 10 November 2021
Dear Parents,
School photographs are scheduled to be taken by advancedlife. Whilst an envelope and flyer will be distributed shortly, if possible it is our preference that ordering be completed online to reduce administration and potential security issues related to the return of cash and envelopes on photo day.
Orders for packages and sibling photographs can be placed securely online at www.advancedlife.com.au using our school’s unique 9 digit advancedorder code. Portrait and group package orders are due by photography day.
Should you wish to purchase a sibling photograph online, the order must be placed no later than the day before photography day. Sibling photographs will only be taken if an order has been placed.
Should you have any queries concerning school photographs or online ordering, please contact www.advancedlife.com.au/contact
ORDER VIA THE WEBSITE NOW!
Enter the online order code below:
ZBV8YWKBN
2ND INTERNATIONAL MAARIF PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
The date for this contest has been extended to 29 OCTOBER 2021
You will have a chance to win one of these great prizes within your school:
First Prize: Tablet
Second Prize: Polaroid Camera
Third Prize: Bluetooth Headphones
THEME
The theme of our second International Maarif Photography Contest, which will take place with the participation of all of our students, is “Back to School”.
PROJECT SCHEDULE
| Contest duration in school | 10.09.2021 - 29.10.2021 |
APPLICATION
• Applications will be open for the participation of all students.
TERMS OF PARTICIPATION
• The contest is open for the participation of all of our students.
• Every participant can join the contest with only one (1) photograph.
• The participants are free in their ways of expression provided that they do not go beyond the frame of the specified theme and purpose.
• Photographs that have been sent to other national and international contests before and their versions with a difference of frame cannot participate in the contest; and even if they do participate and win awards, the awards will be taken back.
• The structure of the photograph should be unchanged. Photographs which are created with the montage of multiple photographs, to which any objects that are not in the original are added or from which any one of the existing objects have been taken out are not accepted in the contest; and if they have participated, a rule violation procedure will apply for the participant.
• Simple interventions such as reframing, color, contrast, light corrections can be done without excess. The jury’s appreciation will be the basis. If the jury decides that there is excessive intervention, then this will be considered as a rule violation. The organizing institution might request the original unedited version of the photograph from the participant.
• You agree in advance that they transfer the copyright of the photographs which the participants send within the scope of the contest and which are received for assessment to the Turkish Maarif Foundation.
Applications Close 29 October 2021
TEKNOFEST 2021
Our Maarif students have now recieved thier prizes in the mail:
-Semih Acar
-Rayan Ali
-Dilan Inan
-Eren Ozalp
Congratulations to all students who have made a delicious dish and explained it in Turkish. All contestants received a Certificate of Participation. The top 3 contestants have now recieved thier prizes in the mail:
First Place: Fatma Gencaga
Second Place: Utku Ozalp
Third Place: Yusuf Ali Akdemir
Lunch Ideas
Encourage your child to eat the lunch you send, by checking with them at home.
Please do not pack too much lunch. If possible, wrap “Crunch & Sip” separately and discuss which is “Crunch & Sip” to be eaten morning and which is lunch to be eaten at lunch time and afternoon “Crunch & Sip”.
Any drinks should be in a plastic or stainless-steel bottle, which a child can unscrew. No glass bottled drinks please. Please provide a named water bottle that they are able to open and can remain on their desk.
Please make sure your child can manage by him/herself and knows the difference between recess time (wrap separately), lunchtime and afternoon snack. Please make sure your child can eat them in the correct order.
Children will eat Crunch & Sip, lunches, afternoon snacks in the classroom so that teachers can encourage good eating habits and see that children are not too preoccupied with play to eat.
Encourage your child to bring home uneaten food, so you can monitor whether they’re getting a balanced diet and adjust their food intake.
If your child has a food allergy, make sure everyone knows the exact nature of it and what to do in an emergency.
Unfortunately NO LUNC ORDERS will be provided for the rest of the year
Well done to all students who have attended online learning each lesson. The students of the week deserve recognition and are to be commended for their efforts. Keep up the good work boys and girls!
| Week 1 | Week 2 | |
| Kindergarten - |
Umar Umarov |
Sumayah Osman |
| Year 1 - |
Hasan Bulli |
Irem Badem |
| Year 2 - |
Halil Ibrahim Aytekin |
Fatemah Niazi |
| Year 3 - |
Amima Ali |
Vera Bulli |
| Year 4 - |
Sumeyye Sonmez |
Melih Yenice |
| Year 5 - |
Hanife Sare Aytekin |
Kerem Kumburlu |
| Year 6 - |
Adem Aygun |
Busra Ciyim |
Finding places on maps
For our Geography unit, Kindergarten students have been introduced to maps and how and why we use them. They have located special places on maps and have identified which workers in the community use maps. Not only do maps assist children in skill development with direction but it also encourages engagement with surroundings without relying on technology. They were encouraged to look at samples of maps and locate trees, hills, houses, and treasure!
Mrs Ulku Turkmen
Kindergarten Teacher
Zooming into our final term!
Welcome to Term 4, I hope that you all had a great break. Year 1 has zoomed right into Term 4 online learning.
In Science Year 1 have been learning about Earth’s natural treasures. Students completed a hunt around their home for different treasures. Students then used their 5 senses to investigate these materials.
Year 1 then learnt about how everything is made from something. Students participated in a very exciting investigation, involving making their very own ice-cream in a bag YUUUM!! It was good seeing Year 1 make their ice-cream and enjoy it.
In Creative Arts students focused creating an artwork of a natural landscape from a book we are reading in English Dingo by Claire Saxby and Tannya Harricks. Students focused on their painting and fine motor skills. Their paintings of the natural landscape turned out amazing!
Well done for an amazing start to the term Year 1, I look forward to seeing your growth and success in your final term of Year 1.
Miss Rooba El-Sayed
Year 1 Teacher
Year 2 Survived Distance Learning!
After 12 weeks of learning remotely, next week we will be hopefully returning to face-to-face learning. Year 2 students persevered during these challenging times and I cannot wait to congratulate them when I see them face to face. In the meantime, we are still learning from home and have been very busy.
In English we are focusing on Procedural texts and last week students instructed me on how to make fairy bread. We had quite a few laughs and in the end we all understood the importance of clear and adequate instructions being written in a recipe. This week the focus was writing a procedural text on How to wash your hands.
We also began an experiment to see how important it is to wash our hands. We cannot wait to see what the results will be in our experiment. Below are some photos from this unit.
In Visual Arts we are studying the illustrations in the picture book Where the Wild Things Are written by Maurice Sendak. Last week students were given the opportunity to draw a Wild Thing and add texture to their artwork using some of the different lines we studied in Maths. Here are some of their work.
Mrs Dilek Isanc
Year 2 Teacher
Welcoming Term 4
It has been wonderful welcoming students back to online learning for our final term of 2021! Year 3 students have continued to work diligently and make the most out of our daily online lessons.
This week, Year 3 has been busy learning about collecting and representing data in graphs and tables. Students put their data collection skills to use by creating their own tally charts. Students then represented their data in clear and organised column graphs. Students were also able to analyse the information presented in their graphs by asking themselves and their peers questions, interpreting the data presented. Well done to all students for their fabulous work!
Ms Amel Mehana
Year 3 Teacher
Welcome back
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope you all had an amazing break. We are back to online learning for first 3 weeks. This term students are learning about persuasive writing this term. They focused on generating and introducing arguments for the given topic. Students presented some very interesting work.
For PDH, students are focusing on understanding personality and emotions. It was great opportunity for students to reflect on their personality and write about themselves.
Year 4 Teacher
Celebrating Culture
As we head into the final term of the year and a step closer towards the freedom to return to school, Year 5 set goals with intentions of what they would like to achieve this term. Our Creative Arts unit this term takes a close look at a variety of art forms from tribal Africa. As we delve into this colourful culture, we appreciate a variety of art and create our own. Students started the term with creating a tribal mask which focused on shapes and line.
As we start to celebrate a return to school, the students addressed strategies to build resilience and focused on how they had coped so well in the adversity of home schooling and a global pandemic. In PDH the students created flyers that highlighted strategies of resilience.
Mrs Olivia Peach
Year 5 Teacher
Welcome back
Welcome back to Term 4 of 2021. Year sixes are continuing online learning for some time this term and we cannot wait to return back to school and carry on with learning and spending a final term together. In science and technology this term, students will consider Earth as a component within a solar system and use different modes of investigation to understand Earth’s place in space. This week, Year sixes completed an activity to come up with different and interesting ways to remember the planets in order. Here are some examples of the creative sentences produced by our wonderful year sixes:
Miss Asli Arici
Year 6 Teacher
For Years: Kindergarten, Year 3, Year 5 and Year 6
Kindergarten students revised the names of facial parts in Turkish and also learnt some names of body parts. They made sentences about themselves and they introduced their toys, naming their body parts.
Year 3
Year 3 students learnt to talk about countries, nationalities and languages. They unscrambled the letters to make real words and made sentences with them.
Year 5
Year 5 students started to read stories of some traditional characters in Turkish culture. After reading, they watched the videos of the stories and answered the comprehension questions.
Year 6
Year 6 students are learning some conjunctions used in Turkish. They watched a Powerpoint presentation and unscrambled the words to make sentences. Students combined two sentences using conjunctions and formed meaningful sentences. They also made sentences about themselves using the conjunction they learnt.
Mrs Şeyma Akdemir
Turkish Teacher
For Years: Year 1, Year 2 and Year 4
Year 1
Year 1 started this term with classroom rules then revised some content from the previous term. They started learning verbs and forming sentences so they could talk about their daily activities. They also learned the Turkish names of famous story heroes and listened to the story of Pinocchio. They tried to talk about Pinocchio and learned new words from the story. They are practising to read stories in Turkish.
Year 2
Year 2 did some revision on Term 3 and learned some words about cleaning. Students repeated these words by playing the online class clean-up game. They created and animated dialogues about new words. They also learned new words about games and toys and discussed how to use these words in the toy store.
Year 4
Year 4 started this term by reading stories about family and talking about poems. They learned what to say on important occasions (condolences, graduation, celebrations...). They created dialogues with these words and did reading exercises. Year 4 also learned directions and practiced how to explain to navigate to specific locations.
Miss Esra Pamuk
Turkish Teacher
Kindergarten
Kindergarten has returned to classes in full speed, starting to memorise Surah Ihlas. In our zoom classes we have also started to memorise naming the 5 Pillars of Islam. Starting with shahadah and praying salah. We learnt that we call the 5 daily prayers Salah, Prayer or Namaz (in Turkish).
They are also doing great in their Quran reading lessons. Only a few letters to go before we have finally learnt the Arabic Alphabet inshallah!
Year 2
In our Islamic Studies lessons, year 2 students will be learning about the life of Prophet Muhammad (saw). Discussing some events which took place from his birth, childhood then adulthood. Students have so far learnt our Prophet (saw) saying “I have been sent to perfect the best of manners”. Students were advised to write down a good deed they can do for the next week to help them to perfect their manners, so we can have the best of manners inshallah. Here are some of their submissions:
Year 3
Year 3 students have learnt about some attributes of Prophet Muhammad (saw) such as his kindness towards others. They have also learnt different types of salawat and learnt that salawat is a means of praising our Prophet (saw). Here is a video from Sami Yusuf we watched to help us practice: https://youtu.be/MBhgDctImSw
Due to the upcoming Mevlid Kandili (Mawlid an-nabi) we have been reading lots of salawat collectively and individually, so we can join people all over the world sending salawat. I will be adding these readings onto the campaign so that we can also join the millions of Muslims around the world in praising him before his upcoming birthday on this Sunday. So far Year 3 students have read over 9500 salawat collectively! Mashallah that’s an amazing effort. This highest salawat reader in the class will be receiving a prize, and most importantly lots of good deeds for their readings!
You can also join the salawat campaign by entering your readings here www.8milyarsalavat.com (click on TR to change to English). May Allah accept them all inshallah.
Ms Gulcan Aksu
Islamic Studies Teacher (Years K, 2 and 3)
Asalamualikum Dear Parents,
In Shaa Allah you had a safe and good holiday. We are going to continue this term with a positive attitude on zoom lessons.
Year 1:
Students are learning about Prophet Adam AS. In Quran they are learning about the Arabic letters with vowel Dhamma and memorizing Dua Rabana Atina.
Year 2 and Year 3:
Students are learning in our Quran lessons about the Arabic letters with Madd letter Alif.
Year 4:
Students in Islamic Studies are leaning about Kindness of Prophet Muhammed PBUH, and practicing how to follow prophet’s footsteps in having good manners.
Year 5 & 6
Students are learning about the Four Rightly Guided Khalifah. In Quran Reading lessons they are learning Madd letter Alif. Year 5 students are memorizing Surah Al Humaza and Year 6 are memorizing Surah An-Nasr.
Ms B. Mohammed
Quran and Islamic Studies Teacher (Years 1, 4, 5 and 6)
Learning the Quran becomes much easier with the help of an App
The 'ireadquran' app has been developed for students who want to learn to read the Quran successfully. Please download these on to your child tablet/ipad as it will assist them for thier Quran reading lesson.
Download link for Android: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=ireadquran&c=apps
Apple Ipad: https://apps.apple.com/au/app/ireadquran/id1003701018
For those who wish to access the lessons from a laptop or computer, please use the following link, as the audio lessons are available via this website: https://itqaanseries.com/qrme-book/
Thank you to all parents for assisting your child with thier Quran reading journey.
Wassalam.
Ms Aksu
Islamic Studies Teacher
Recognising your child’s efforts through authentic praise will help with your child’s self-esteem
Your child thrives on praise from you. When you recognise the effort your child has put into their school work it boosts their self-confidence, which can result in better academic performance.
Here’s how to do it…
Try to make some time to regularly talk to your child about their schoolwork. Look for areas they have put effort into and let them know what you like about their work.
Praise the process not the person
Instead of giving your child praise that is about them as a person, such as ‘You are so clever!’ try praising the process they have been through – focus your praise on:
- the strategy your child used, such as “You used some great descriptive words in that story!”
- the effort they put into their work, such as “I can tell you tried really hard to make your writing neat in your workbook.”
Be specific
When giving your child authentic praise, one of the most important things to remember is to be specific. Try to pinpoint exactly what your child has done that you like rather than making general statements. So instead of saying, “What a great picture!” you could say something like “It was clever of you to make the koala have fluffy ears in this picture.”
Be genuine
Authentic praise means being genuine and sincere about what you are praising your child for. Try not to praise your child when you don’t mean it, or give your child praise that is over-the-top, like “That’s the best writing I’ve ever seen!” Instead, try to offer your child authentic praise for real achievements, for example, “I like how you wrote the letter B, you’ve stayed on the line and you’ve written the letter in the right direction.
Be immediate
Praise is most effective when it is given immediately – but try not to interrupt your child when they are concentrating on an activity, as that can make them lose their focus and reduce their motivation to continue on with what they were doing. Instead, wait until they are finished and praise them for their effort when they are done, for example, “Gosh, I could see you were really concentrating on your maths homework this afternoon. Well done.”
Recognising your child’s efforts through authentic praise will help with your child’s self-esteem and help them to achieve the best possible learning outcomes.
| Kindergarten - |
Esila Bayindir |
| Year 1 - |
Muhsin Emre Geloz |
| Year 2 - |
Ali Baran Dede |
| Year 3 - |
Aisha Maaliki |
| Year 4 - |
Demir Kuran |
| Year 5 - |
Hanife Sare Aytekin |
| Year 6 - |
Mansur Uzun |
The following students have their birthday in October.
On behalf of Maarif, we would like to wish them a very Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday to Students:
| Adem Aygun |
| Kerem Kumburlu |
| Yusuf Kose |
| Fatima Uzun |
| Vera Bulli |
| Haktan Cetiner |
| Halid Cetiner |
| Omer Kale |
| Kerem Er |
| Muhammad Kowaider |
| Taliha Aslan |
Uniform Shop
Our Uniform shop can will be OPEN on Friday 22 October 2021 from 10am - 12pm.
School Fees
A reminder to Parents and Carers that Maarif is a private school and the contributions made provide opportunities for students to participate in a variety of different learning experiences. It is a requirement of a student’s enrolment that school fees are paid by Parents/Carers and failure to pay fees may result in the student’s enrolment being withdrawn. Scholarships are available to families who are suffering financial hardship and we encourage all Parents/Carers to apply for scholarships if they are struggling to pay school fees.
|
Term 4 Dates for Students |
Tuesday 5 October 2021 - 8 December 2021 |
|
Face-to-face Learning (Kindergarten, Year 1, Year 2) |
From Monday 18 October |
|
Face-to-face Learning (Years 3, Year 4, Year5 and Year 6) |
From Monday 25 October |
|
Public Holidays |
Friday 29 October 2021 (Republic Day of Turkey - Cumhuriyet Bayramı) |
| Maarif Photography Contest Final Submission |
Friday 29 October 2021 |
| School Photo Day |
Wednesday 10 November 2021 |
