International Maarif Schools of Australia eNewsletter

Dear Parents and Carers,

In this newsletter, I would like to shed light on the importance of attendance on time and its impact on students' overall academic and personal development. Regularly attending school on time helps students establish a healthy routine. When students arrive promptly, they can settle in, prepare their minds, and make the most of the early moments of the school day. These precious minutes allow them to engage fully in classroom activities, absorb information, and actively participate in discussions. It teaches them the value of commitment, responsibility, and self-motivation. By arriving on time, students learn to manage their time effectively. They understand the importance of planning, organising, and prioritising tasks, which are essential skills for success in school and beyond. Regular attendance and punctuality positively impact academic performance. Students who are present and on time have more opportunities to grasp concepts, engage in discussions, seek clarifications, and participate in group activities, leading to a deeper understanding of the curriculum.

Being punctual not only benefits the students individually but also contributes to a conducive learning environment for all. Unfortunately, over the past few weeks, many disruptions caused to the administrative staff due to late arrivals and I would like to remind that the importance of being punctual is essential for the smooth functioning of the school. The administrative team plays a crucial role in managing various tasks and responsibilities essential for the school's operations. Your child/ren late arrival not only affects their workflow but also hinders their ability to address other important matters promptly. We are expecting to be committed to improve punctuality to contribute to the smooth functioning of the school. To prevent any further inconvenience, I kindly request the cooperation of parents and carers in reinforcing the following practices:

· Establish a regular routine for waking up, preparing for school, and leaving home.

· Encourage students to get a good night's sleep to ensure they are well-rested and ready for the day ahead.

· Help students organise their school supplies and pack their bags the night before. This proactive approach minimises morning rush and ensures a smooth start to the day.

If circumstances arise that may hinder punctuality, I encourage parents and carers to communicate with the school in advance. This allows us to provide support and work together to find suitable solutions.

At Maarif, we believe that every minute matters in a student's educational journey. By prioritising timely attendance, we lay the foundation for their academic and personal growth, enabling them to flourish and achieve their full potential.

Thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration. Together, let's inspire our students to embrace the habit of punctuality and embark on a remarkable school year filled with valuable learning experiences.

Kind regards,

Dr Zeynep Yaseen

Principal

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Dear Parents/Carers,

We are fast approaching the end of Term 2 already and so much has been happening at Maarif! Teaching and learning has been at full pace, where students continue to engage in quality instruction in supportive and inclusive classrooms. Recess and Lunch Clubs have commenced, and students are well into the activities and are enjoying their time during these sessions as they learn valuable skills. We have welcomed our new professional music teacher Mr Serkan Ün, who will be working with students across Kindergarten to Year 6.

Thank you to the parents who have worked towards ensuring students are in full school uniform. There are still some students wearing incorrect school shoes, coming to school with jewellery, wearing incorrect hats during recess and lunch, etc. Black sneakers/trainers are not acceptable apart from allocated sports days. Students are expected to keep their hair neat and tidy and off their face and out of their eyes. I ask you to work alongside us to ensure the image of the school is upheld.

If there is an occasion where your child is not in correct school uniform, please send an email or letter to your child’s teacher explaining why your child is not in full school uniform. ‘Out of School Uniform’ passes will be issued for students who do not have an explanation from parents/carers. Phone calls will be made to parents/carers of those students who are consistently out of school uniform.

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind you that valuables such as mobile phones and toys should not be brought to school. This includes Pokemon cards which are banned due to several incidents at school. All students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have been spoken to about the ban and that they will have them confiscated if any staff member sees them at school.

With best wishes,

Mrs Reyhan Er

Primary School Coordinator

Well done to the students who have been selected as 'Student of the Week'. These students are selected for academic achievement and for modelling our school values.

	Week 5	Week 6
KA	Cesur Bugdayli	Amira Taha
KB	Sophia Alameddine	DAVUD KOPRA
KC	Yasin Safie	Alizah Hayaath
1A	Elanur Ayan	Ahmed Boga
1B	Omar AlNabulsi	Musa Chehaita
2A	Taliha Aslan	Sumayah Osman
3A	Nilgun Basiri	Aya El-Helou
3B	Zayna Harambasic	Elif Kale
4A	Musa Kassem	Haktan Cetiner
4B	Salimah Nahle	Aleena Khan
5A	Rayyan Khan	Deema Ahmed
6A	Ishtiyaq Mohammed	Saffiyah Temel
6B	Safiyah Kassem	Taha Aslan

Also congratulations to these students for receiving an award.

Let’s Make Potato People

KA students did a follow up activity after reading the story “Potato People” by Pamela Allen where they saw potatoes become old and wrinkly. As a class we decorated these potatoes and watched them grow horns and become old. It was a fun experience as it allowed the students to use their imagination of how living things like humans grow old and wrinkly. Research shows that children who activate their imaginations through being read to or reading themselves develop higher activity in the left-sided area of the brain that is responsible for cultivating mental images and comprehending verbal cues, which is good for their developing cognition.

Mrs Ulku Turkmen

KA Teacher

Dice Game

This week and last week we focused on numbers till 100 and learned how to count by tens till 100. The children had a lot of fun listening to the song ‘Count by Tens’ song by Jack Heartman. Then we played a dice game where the children had to say the number on the dice when they had their turn. Some children needed more practice so this was a perfect game for them to memorise the numbers by tens.

Ms Gulden Aksoy

KB Teacher

Food Allergy Awareness

KC enjoyed learning about food allergies this week as part of Food Allergy Awareness Week. We learnt what allergens were and the signs and symptoms to look out for if someone has an allergic reaction. Students had a great time ‘shopping’ at Woolworths (via catalogues) looking out for common allergens. We also discussed healthy eating habits and the importance of eating healthy foods. KC agreed that chips, chocolate, and lollies are ‘sometimes’ foods and they should not be brought to school. Students enjoyed sitting altogether and having their fruits and vegetables during Crunch and Sip time. We opened our lunchboxes and identified common allergens. KC students did a fantastic job at washing their hands with soap after they ate to stop cross contamination.

Ms Saadet Ugur

KC Teacher

Excellence

Year 1A students have demonstrated their commitment to our school's value of excellence, showing remarkable progress and growth. We have witnessed a significant amount of improvement and are proud of students' accomplishments. We look forward to 1A’s continuous growth and success.

Merve Sarikaya

1A Teacher

National Road Safety Week

Hi Parents! This week the students learnt about National Road Safety Week. Every year, approximately 1200 people are killed and another 44,000* are seriously injured on Australian roads. Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15 and the second-biggest killer of all Australians aged between 15 and 24. These numbers are growing every year but are preventable if we choose to Drive So Others Survive!.

National Road Safety Week is an annual initiative from the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, partnering road safety organisations and Government. The week highlights the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it.

Students took home National Road Safety temporary tattoos and learnt the essentials of road safety.

Ms Derya Karaman

1B Teacher

Memorable Milkshake Moments

In Science, students are investigating the properties of different materials and learning about the interaction between substances.

This milkshake making experiment was a wholesome and fun learning experience! Students' taste-tested their milkshakes and made observations about how their chosen ingredients interacted with one another.

Ms Maryam Faisal

2A Teacher

Story Tellers!

Students of Year 3A had the opportunity to work collaboratively with their peers on writing a narrative using the Seven Steps of Writing. They worked together to brainstorm ideas and concepts for the narrative, allowing all students to have a say in the story's direction. Next, they worked together to plan out the story's structure, including the introduction, rising action, climax, falling action, and conclusion. Through this collaborative process, students can learn from each other's strengths while developing their writing skills in a supportive and engaging environment.

Let’s Learn About Allergens!

During food allergy week, students were encouraged to participate in activities that help to raise awareness about food allergies and promote understanding and empathy for those who have them. Students participated in activities where they find food items that contain allergens and displayed them in their posters.

Ms Samira Asad

Year 3 Teachers

Cricket

The advent of Week 6 has been heralded with students consolidating their skills in cricket. As the popular sport of the former colonial rulers of this nation, cricket has shaped this society in numerous ways. Students understood the basics associated with this activity ranging from how to throw a ball all the way to control of the uniquely shaped bat. Within the classroom, the topic of time has been introduced to students. Timekeeping and the application of this to problem solving can be quite difficult to understand for individuals with no prior knowledge. Ultimately, exposure to key ideas and terms via repeated practice has formed the bedrock of our approach to this conceptual milestone.

Mr Aziz Hawlader

Year 3 Teacher

Anti-Bullying Worshop

Students attended an Anti-bullying workshop presented by our school counsellor Mrs Serdal. Students learnt about the effects of bullying on the victim and the bully. This workshop included physical, mental, emotional, and social impacts of bullying.

Mrs Ayse Yildiz

Year 4 Teacher

Liquid Olympics: Volume and Capacity Showdown!

Our 4B class had an absolute blast exploring the Mathematical concepts of volume and capacity this week. They participated in a capacity relay race, which was designed to help them understand the concept and develop their problem-solving and teamwork skills.

During the relay race, students worked in teams to transfer liquid from large containers to smaller containers and back again using different mediums such as sponges, spoons and cups. It was great to see the enthusiasm and excitement on their faces as they worked together to complete the challenge.

To add a fun variation to the lesson, we used containers of different shapes and sizes and varied the amounts of liquid that needed to be transferred. This helped the students to apply what they had learned in new and challenging ways, while also making the lesson more engaging and enjoyable for everyone.

Students were encouraged to make hypotheses about the amount of liquid they thought they had in their containers. They used measuring cups to check the volume, and then, to double-check the exact amount, they utilised digital kitchen scales. This process allowed them to apply their mathematical knowledge and learn about estimation, accuracy, and the significance of precise measurements in real-life situations. This hands-on activity deepened their understanding of volume and capacity as fundamental mathematical concepts.

Our students rose to the challenge with their creativity and resourcefulness and their mathematical reasoning. They eagerly shared their findings and engaged in discussions about the accuracy of their estimations. They demonstrated a great understanding of the concepts of volume and capacity, as well as the ability to convert units of volume. We are thrilled to see our students engaged and excited about their learning in such a practical and meaningful way.

Ms Suzan Tarpis & Ms Fatima Memedoski

Year 4B Teachers

Welcome to Week 5!

Students this week engaged and participated in an anti-bullying workshop conducted by Mrs Serdal. Students were made aware of the psychological and emotional impact bullying can lead to and how seeking help through a teacher is essential if anyone is experiencing bullying.

During PDH, we explored the opportunities and actions that lead to healthy, safe, and active lives. Through developing the protective strategies in promoting and maintaining their own and others’ wellbeing. Students explored ways of being active to contribute to fitness and health. This week students were engaged with an outdoor activity of cricket and silent ball, this provided them with opportunities to value personal identity and diversity and contribute to building positive environments within the school and wider community.

Mrs Sevim Keselik

Year 5 Teacher

Sorry Day

During Week 5, 6A students explored the importance of Sorry Day to Australian history. Students in class completed the hand activity of remembering the importance of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities to Australian history and the amount of hardship the indigenous community had gone through in history. This day holds importance due to the historical importance of apology and how the apology changed Australian culture. Students in their history lessons have been exploring Australian History. This activity related to the historical unit of Australia as a nation and how it has developed. Students used sensory elements such as touch and visualisation to create a hand that reflects the coming together of Australian and Indigenous communities. Hands-on activities such as building, drawing and designing allow students to use their critical thinking skills and visualisation skills. The students also competed against each other to see who can create the nicest hand and had the most decorated hand using graphical cultural skills.

Here are some photos of the different hands and students working on the activity.

Miss Dilara Ozhan

6A Teacher

Reversible and Irreversible Chemical Changes

Before using an interactive to explore familiar changes observed in the kitchen during our Science and Technology lesson, we began considering changes students can observe in the natural world. Students learned how to classify these changes as either reversible or irreversible, then applied this knowledge on an interactive game. Students did a great job with identifying how some chemical changes are reversible whilst some may not be able to be reversable.

Excursion – Australia as a nation: Australian Colonies

As part of our Stage 3 History unit, which encompass the study of Australia as a Nation, Stage 3 students participated in a guided tour of the Rocks where they were able to walk in the footsteps of colonists and learn about the cautionary tales of real colonial settlers. Students enjoyed walking through The Rocks as convicts where colonial Australia began. They listened to stories of those who left their homeland to settle in Australia. The program highlighted the positive contribution immigration and migrants have made to Australia and its society through overcoming hardships to build a new life.

Mrs Asli Tekirdag

6B Teacher

Auburn Library

As part of our MacqLit program it is essential for our students to engage in reading and broadening their minds with different texts and types of genres. We planned a fun experience for our year 3-6 MacqLit students to Auburn Library.

Many students have never been to a library before and were very excited.

Students read books and showed enthusiasm enquiring and asking the wonderfully helpful librarians about different novels and types of texts they were interested in. We even had a few students who had made a library card beforehand even borrowing books to take home and continue their reading journeys at home.

It was a great day for all, and is something we hope to do on a regular termly basis for our amazing students.

Mrs Heba Barham and Mrs Cansu Kaba

MacqLit Teachers

İSTANBUL'UN FETHİ KUTLU OLSUN!

This week we commemorated the 570^th anniversary of the conquest of İstanbul.

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "Istanbul will definitely be conquered. What a great commander is the commander who conquers it, what a great army that army is."

In recognition of this victory, the 21-year-old ruler was thereafter known as Mehmed the Conqueror (Fatih Sultan Mehmet)

Maarif students watched the conquest video Conquest Video read a text about conquest of İstanbul and listened the march of conquest Fetih Marşı - YouTube while they were doing a coded painting activity on the topic.

Mrs Ayşegül Şeyma Akdemir

Turkish Language Teacher

Light & Heavy

Students in Year 1 learnt the concept ‘light’ and ‘heavy’.

Students categorized the items according to their mass with a cut and paste activity.

Year 2 students learnt about the technological items in Turkish. They matched the technological items with the pictures.

Ms Fisun Benlisoy

Turkish Language Teacher

Islamic Studies

Assalamu Alaikum wa rahmetullahi wa barakatuh,

All praise be to Allah (SWT) and may peace and blessings be upon His beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his family, companions and to all those who follow him.

In Qur’an class Year 1 students were reciting, practising, and memorising Dua Attahiyatu which was displayed on the smartboard as well as watching a YouTube Qur’an lesson which went over and covered some of the pages in their Elif Ba books.

We pray that Allah (SWT) allows our students to keep the Qur’an in the centre of their lives and let the Book of Allah be the light of their hearts.

Mr Muhammed Ordukaya

Qur’an and Islamic Studies Teacher

International Maarif Schools of Australia has commenced recess/lunch clubs, providing a variety of opportunities for each student. Here are some photos from some of our clubs these last two weeks.

Bağlama Club

Chess Club

The Student Corner is a dedicated space for students of any year level to showcase their unique work and talents!

Yasmine Bayah - KA

Khadijah Kassem - KC

Elanur Ayan - 1A

Ibrahim Karaca - 3A

Muhammad Fahme - 2A

Miray Durdu - 6B

As our school is growing, we request that our parents and/or carers are extra cautious during school drop off and pick up times.

Please ensure NSW Government rules regarding road safety are being followed and adhered to at all times.

This means:

- Respecting the road rules and signs, and driving within the speed limit of 40km/h in a school zone.

- Parking safely in designated parking areas or in drop off/pick up zones.

- No double parking, as it is dangerous and illegal.

- Three point turns and U-turns are not permitted in school zones, as not only is it dangerous for students and other vehicles but also causes traffic congestion.

- Follow the directions of our school crossing supervisors.

- Give way to our School Bus drivers.

Thank you for your cooporation.

Road_Safety.pdf

Road_Safety _pdf 1.68 MB

Parent-Teacher Communication

When communicating with teachers, please try to be respectful of their time and understand that they may not always be able to respond immediately. This means, giving them a reasonable amount of time to respond to your emails or messages, and understanding their work hours.

Please avoid sending multiple follow-up messages when not receiving a response immediately, teachers have many responsibilities.

Written Communications

Written communications to the school, including emails and letters, please include student's full name and class for identification purposes

Phone & Electronics

Primary School students are not permitted to bring to school, their phones and/or any electronics. This includes smart watches.

Birthday Celebrations

We love to celebrate our students at Maarif and accept that some families may want to share the special occasion of their child’s birthday with his/her class peers. As a school, we embrace this opportunity however would like to enforce a strict policy of not bringing in food or other edible items for these one-off occasions. It is important we cater to all students including those who have severe allergies by monitoring this closely. If you would like to celebrate your child’s birthday, we would suggest an alternative to food.

School Permission Notes

All school permission notes must be returned by the due date that is on the note. In the case where signed notes are not received by the due date, students may not be able to attend.

All permission notes must always be returned to the class teacher and not the school office. Hard copies can be sent in with students or soft copies can be emailed to class teachers directly.

We are no longer accepting cash payments for excursions. Please use the link or QR code provided in the permission notes for payments.

Toys and Valuables

Students are not permitted to bring toys and valuables to school. These include Pokemon cards, fidget toys and weapon like toys. Students are only permitted to bring in appropriate toys on allocated Show and Tell days. Please check with your child's class teacher if unsure.

All uniform requests can be made as follows:

Order Submission Only

Primary school parents are to complete the attached uniform order form
Order forms should be emailed to uniforms@maarif.nsw.edu.au or sent in to the school office with students if required
Orders will be processed weekly on Wednesdays and uniform items will be sent home with students by the following day
Contact number for uniform related enquiries 0402 393 844

Attached below is the Uniform Order Form

2023_Primary_School_Uniform_Order_Form.pdf

2023_Primary_School_Uniform_Order_Form _pdf 186.13 KB

Maarif students are expected to wear their Summer school uniform during Term 1. Please be reminded of the importance of naming all items of school uniform with your child’s name and class. This means that lost items found around school can easily be returned.

We consider that uniform is important for several reasons.

It provides pupils with a sense of identity and pride in their school.
It enhances the appearance of pupils and therefore the reputation of the school.
It helps to instil a sense of purpose in pupils when they put on their uniform in the mornings.
It helps overcome the worry about “fitting in” with fashions and keeping up with other children. All children feel equal and there is no stress, competition or worry for families about expensive brands/labels.
It overcomes the problem for both parents and teachers about what is suitable attire for school.

According to ACARA National Standards for student attendance, parents are required to complete an Application for Leave Form for holidays within the school term or other leave. Applications should be submitted 14 days prior to the leave. The Principal approves this leave as appropriate.

For all student leave requests (1-50 days) an application form should be submitted to the school at least 14 days prior to the requested leave date. Supporting documentation, such as travel ticket or itinerary, should be included with student holiday leave applications.

Holidays taken by students outside of School vacation periods are included as absences.

Families are encouraged to holiday or travel during school vacations rather than in term time. If travel during the school term is necessary, the following considerations apply:

If the Principal accepts the reason for the absence, the absence will be marked as justified leave.
If the Principal does not believe the absence is in the student’s best interests and does not accept the reason, the absence will be recorded as unjustified leave.

The Leave form can be accessed below:

Student_Short_Term_Leave_Application_Form_less_than_50_days_.pdf

Student_Short_Term_Leave_Application_Form_less_than_50_days pdf 263.96 KB

We have many items including school uniform, lunch boxes and water bottles in our lost property baskets. Please be advised that all these items will be thrown out if not claimed. The lost property baskets will be located in the office area. Please clearly label all items with your child's name, surname and class.

Instagram: @australiamaarif

Facebook: Maarif Australia

Twitter: @AUmaarif

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World Environment Day	5 June 2023
Public Holiday - King's Birthday	12 June 2023
Fundraising Event	13 - 16 June 2023
WriteOn 2023	16 June 2023
World Music Day	21 June 2023
Qurban Eid Holiday	28 - 29 June 2023
Qurban Bayramı Festival at School	30 June 2023
Term 2 - Last Day for Students	30 June 2023

2023_Academic_Calendar.pdf

2023_Academic_Calendar _pdf 853.94 KB