International Maarif Schools of Australia eNewsletter

Dear Maarif Parents,

We are close to the end of the term. I hope you all had a great Bayram and enjoyed your time with friends and family. We all need an extra day for Bayram celebrations.

I am aware that many of our parents are asking what will happen to the building. Unfortunately, the building company's turnover took longer than expected, and construction is delayed. However, we are working closely with NESA and looking for alternative locations for extra classrooms. We will also definitely have kindergarten students on board next year.

I regret to inform you that last week, we witnessed a very unfortunate incident at our school, which should not have occurred. However, we must emphasize that such incidents will not be tolerated by our school. We want to make it clear that we will always stand against any attacks on our staff. We must respect our teachers so that our students learn to respect them as well. If a mistake has been made and it can be corrected, the best approach is to fix it or attempt to fix it. It is one of the most essential rules of our school that our parents follow to the parent code of conduct at all times and under all circumstances. Teaching is one of the most respected professions, and our teachers are highly valued.

I also want to remind you that our teachers are on duty until 4:00pm. If you have any questions or need a meeting, please do not approach the teachers at the end of the school day during dismissal; instead, please schedule an appointment. Moving forward, our office will not accept payments/enquiries between 3:00pm and 4:00pm. During this time, our school will also be closed to parent entries.

Additionally, to all students joining the 2024 Türkiye Trip next week, please enjoy and have fun in our beautiful country. This year, they will also be visiting the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Thank you very much for your support. I wish you all a pleasant holiday in advance.

Best regards,

Screen_Shot_2023_02_20_at_11.07.07_am.jpg

Dr Zeynep Yaseen

Principal

Dear Maarif Families,

This week, we celebrated Kurban Bayramı/Eid-al-Adha, a much-anticipated event in our school calendar. Students participated in a range of fun activities on the day. Photos of the event are shared in this newsletter.

Teachers have been busy writing Semester 1 student reports. From this year, reports will be made available via Sentral Parent Portal. Printed copies will no longer be sent home with students. It is important that parents review their children’s reports carefully as they provide valuable insights into their academic progress and overall wellbeing at school. Evaluations of student performance are grounded in evidence drawn from a diverse array of work. Teachers utilise various sources of evidence including results from both formative and summative assessments which include their own observations.

Please also take time to log into Seesaw to view work samples and/or videos of your child engaging in various activities for each Key Learning Area including Turkish and Religion. Please reach out to your child's class teacher if there are any issues in connecting to our Seesaw platform.

We are still having students turn up to school in incorrect school shoes. Please note that sport-like school shoes are not to be worn and may be worn on sports days only. Teachers will be contacting parents of students who continue to have their child come to school in incorrect school shoes and discuss the matter. Wearing the correct shoes contributes to a sense of uniformity and equality among students, reinforcing school policies and promoting a disciplined environment. Thank you for your cooperation with this.

With kind regards,

Mrs Reyhan Er

Primary School Coordinator

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024, International Maarif Schools of Australia celebrated Kurban Bayramı. Students came to school dressed in their finest Eid clothes. The sight of students in their bright and beautiful Eid clothes added a festive atmosphere to the school, highlighting the importance of cultural celebrations. The day was not just about fun activities but also about embracing and honoring the traditions that are significant to many families in the school community.

Sausage Sizzle: The delicious aroma of sausages grilling filled the air, drawing students and teachers alike to the sausage sizzle stand.
Face Painting: Creativity and joy shone brightly at the face painting booth. Students had a variety of designs painted on their faces!
Henna: The henna station was popular amongst students. Students had lovely henna designs on their hands.
Balloon Art: Balloons twisted into animals, flowers, and imaginative shapes brought smiles to many faces. The balloon artists' skills amazed the students, who proudly carried their creations around the school.
Bracelet Making Station: At the bracelet-making station, students got busy making a variety of bracelets.

We would like to thank the P&C , volunteers, staff and class prefects for their support and hard work to make the event a great success!.

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 7	Week 8
1A	Mikail Yaman	Tuvana Aslan
1B	Deren Atik	Safiyyah Kassem
2A	-	Emirhan German
2B	Rayan Wadi	Haroon Fahme
3A	Adem Rafiq	Medina Jawas
4A	Jasmine Skaf	-
4B	Teoman Seyrek	Elif Kale
5A	Azlaan Ishaq	Kerem Er
5B	Maryam Serhan	Muhammed Kassem
6A	Talia Barham	Khattab Chehaita

Also congratulations to these students for receiving an award.

What is the area of our hands?

1A students are learning about ‘Area’ for their Mathematics component. They were very busy finding the area of objects around the room including their hands. This allowed them to understand how much space is contained in a flat surface. They really enjoyed this experience, and it allowed them to make connections between different concepts whilst engaging in critical thinking skills, problem solving abilities and being involved in the decision-making process. Learning about Area gave them the opportunity to familiarize themselves with new terminology and why we need to identify the space inside a closed shape. Well done 1A students!

Mrs Ulku Turkmen

1A Class Teacher

Time in IB

1B for Mathematics this term have been learning all about time. We have been exploring both Digital and Analog Clocks and exploring terms such as ‘O Clock’ and ‘Half Past’. We have further been exploring the concepts of half past and quarter past and have been applying this into our daily routine by discussing things like ‘What time is our Bayram festival on?’ and then trying to figure out collectively how this would look like on an Analog clock. We are also super excited that we have an upcoming excursion to Ninja Park in Week 9 as part of our physical education curriculum, we will be engaging in lots of fun obstacles with trained professionals. 1B has also been working really hard on learning about the bossy ‘e’ in reading and writing and have been transforming three letter words into a new word using the bossy ‘e’.

Great work 1B!

Miss Bahar Sevgi

1B Class Teacher

Eid Recounts & The Rainbow Serpent

Students wrote a recount about how they spent Eid once they returned to school. They were careful to write in chronological order, adding important details and omitting those that are not significant. Students were excited to share their recounts!

Students have been learning about the importance or dreamtime stories and as a class have read the Rainbow Serpent. After discussing themes they represented their learning by sketching out an important scene from the story.

Mrs Zeliha Mehcur

2A Class Teacher

2B Learns About Earth's Resources and Water Conservation

In their recent science lessons, Class 2B has been exploring Earth's resources, with a special focus on water. Students have been learning about the importance of water conservation and discussing various methods to save water. As part of their studies, they have been writing speeches on water conservation, sharing practical tips and highlighting the significance of preserving this vital resource. Through these activities, students are gaining a deeper understanding of how they can contribute to water conservation efforts and protect our planet's precious resources.

Ms Suzan Tarpis

2B Class Teacher

Enhancing Skills: Length Math Games and Proofreading in Year 3

As children’s learning takes on a more hands-on approach, students willingly participated in more structured activities where they could measure length using string and rulers, to read out the length of classroom objects and artifacts. In Year 3, every student has their strength of working cooperatively, working in pairs or independently. This hands-on activity served as an ideal learning experience for them.

During their English lessons, the Year 3 students enthusiastically tackled the challenge of proofreading and polishing their editing skills. They each received a short paragraph to go through, looking for mistakes and ways to make it clearer and smoother to read. This activity helped them improve their grammar and writing abilities while emphasizing the importance of paying close attention to detail in their written work.

Ms Samira Asad

3A Class Teacher

Can You See Me?

This term in English, we are reading "Can You See Me?" by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott. Besides the central theme of autism, we have worked in pairs to explore how the authors address various other themes by finding evidence from the chapters we've read so far. We are thoroughly enjoying this novel and learning a lot about many topics.

Ms Melike Tugrul

4A Class Teacher

Multiplicative relations in 4B

Students have been learning about multiplicative relations, particularly focusing on the strategy of doubling and then doubling again to understand the four times tables and eight times tables. This interactive game was well received by the students and beneficial as it solidified a new strategy for them.

Mrs Ayse Yildiz

4B Class Teacher

Area in Maths and Tour to the Parliament

In Maths, students in 5A explored area and perimeter. To visualise the concept of area and to build up an understanding of common area sizes, we used rulers to create a 1 metre by 1 metre square on the floor. I challenged them how many students can fit in a 1 square metre space, and through a “feet-on” experiment, they were surprised almost ten boys can squeeze in there. This 1 square metre was also used as a reference when they designed their dream bedroom. “My bedroom can’t be just 3 square metres, it’s too small”, said someone who got the measuring scale wrong.

This week, our Year 5 students has had a virtual tour to the Parliament of NSW and learned about the bicameral system and the function of the Chambers. The presenter talked about how a bill becomes a law, the role of the two houses and the significance of the Mace. Students engaged in interactive activities such as repeating words and marching like a Serjeant-at-Arms.

Mr Mike Liu

5A Class Teacher

TRT Reporters of 5B

In 5B, we explored the topic of Natural Disasters through cross-curricular lessons in English, Science, and Geography. As part of our Geography lesson, students paired up to research a natural disaster that has struck Australia. With prompts to guide their research, students were tasked with presenting their findings to the class. Each pair had one student take on the role of a News Reporter for TRT World News, while the other became the expert guest on the segment. This extension actitivty brought a burst of excitement and creativity, as we set up a mock newsroom complete with a microphone for our reporters and costumes for our experts.

Students investigated the impacts of cyclones and bushfires, learning about how these events affected the people, flora, and fauna of Australia, and constructing timelines of the events. The drama element was a hit—students practiced their presentations with great enthusiasm, adding dramatic flair to their roles. They rehearsed eagerly, ensuring their performances were both informative and engaging. This hands-on, creative approach not only boosted their understanding of natural disasters but also honed their presentation and teamwork skills. The energy in the room was palpable, and the high levels of engagement and motivation were evident. Watching our 5B students proudly share their findings was a testament to their hard work and creativity, making this lesson a memorable and valuable learning experience for all.

Mrs Fatima Memedoski & Ms Amel Mehana

5B Class Teachers

English Creative Task

During the English unit, students explored the concept of Drastic plastic problem by studying the novel Song of a Dolphin Boy. Students in class had many discussions about the issue of pollution and its harm to the environment such as the wildlife. Students in class complete a poster based on aspects of pollution by extracting key words from the novel. Students create maps and symbols on an A4 piece of paper. Students used sensory and visualisation elements, such as touch and visualisation, to depict their special environment. Hands-on activities such as building and drawing allow students to use their critical thinking and visualisation skills to depict their safe place. The students also competed against each other to see who could draw the best and had the most decorated poster using graphic skills.

Here are some photos of the different posters that the students created.

Miss Dilara Ozhan

6A Class Teacher

Turkish pronunciation of clocks was practiced with Year 1 students. We acted out the hour and minute hands by making a drama.

With Year 2, students learned the concepts of half hour and quarter. We did a lot of activities and worked on reading the clocks in Turkish. By doing a quiz on the subjects we learned, we both reviewed the subjects we learned and learned how to behave in a competitive situation.

Ms Özge Ilıca Akçelik

Turkish Language Teacher

We discussed Eid al-Adha with our Year 2 and Year 3 students and then created eid cards. This activity helped our students understand the meaning and importance of the holiday while also developing their fine motor skills and creativity. Each student worked with great care and excitement to decorate their cards.

We conducted a creative writing activity with our Year 5 students. In this activity, students showcased their creativity by using fundamental story elements such as character creation, plot development, and setting descriptions in their stories. They had a fun time presenting their own stories to their classmates.

Ms Tutku Sahin

Turkish Language Teacher

In Turkish lessons with Year 3, students were asked what they want to be in the future. A competition was then held, focusing on topics related to various jobs. Additionally, they engaged in a drama activity in pairs, using texts from the book.

Mrs Busranur Namlı

Turkish Language Teacher

İyi Bayramlar

In our Turkish lessons with the Year 4 and Year 6 students, we began by recalling information about religious and national holidays, including their dates. We then discussed the typical routines and customs observed during religious holidays in Turkish culture. The students shared their holiday memories, both orally and in writing. They also created Eid cards with the shape of sheep and wrote wishes inside their cards. Also, students listened to and sang along with the song "Bugün Bayram" by Barış Manço via karaoke.

Mrs Seyma Akdemir

Turkish Language Teacher

Dua Attahiyatu with Year 1

The Attahiyyatu dua, which is a memorization, was played to the class and recited collectively. Students then recited the dua individually for those who were ready to recite it individually. Their memorizations were read and repeated one by one. We continued where we left off with Elif Ba and repeated the letters.

Mr Usama Mohammad

Primary Religion Teacher

With the music activities we conduct with our students, we aim for them to discover their own talents in various branches of music. It is commendable for a student to recognize the limits of their musical ability with different musical instruments and, at the same time, strive to use their voice as a musical instrument.

Mrs Fisun Benlisoy

Music Teacher

Welcome back Maarif Sports Family!

The last few weeks have been filled with excitement and energy! We've been actively engaging in various sports activities, keeping the life of fun and competition alive.

On the cricket field, the boys had a fantastic time playing intense rounds of ball and bat games.

Over on the soccer field, the teams have had a blast competing against each other, honing their skills, and showcasing some impressive moves. The games were thrilling, and everyone gave their best to score goals and master new techniques.

It's been a joy to see everyone so involved and enjoying themselves. Let's keep the momentum going and continue to have fun on the field!

An exciting opportunity has arisen for our Maarif Primary Soccer Team. On Tuesday, June 25th, they will compete in the prominent Wanderers Sports Cup. Our team will represent the school in an all-day gala event, facing off against other schools. Stay tuned to our social media channels for updates, news, and photos from the event.

A kind reminder to families:

For enrolled students, please ensure you arrive in your full sports uniform and water bottles. With the colder months approaching and the possibility of heavy rain, soccer sessions may be subject to cancellation. Parents will receive notifications if any cancellations occur on the day.  

Kindly ensure students are picked up on time on cancelled sports days. 

Please ensure sport payments are finalised promptly. 

Thank you, families for your dedication to sports and a healthy living lifestyle.

Maarif Sports Team

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

Yasmine Bayah - 1A

Yasin Safie - 1B

Timurhan Mengi - 2B

Muhammad Fahme - 3A

Nilgun&Melikhan - 4A

Elif Kale - 4B

Daniel Khan - 5B

Abdul Rahman Muhammed - 6A

Aylin Kice - 6A

Utku Ozalp - 6A

Maarif_Behaviour_Expectations_Matrix_final_2 _pdf 98.00 KB

School Drop off and Pick Up

Students need to be dropped off at school by 8:45am daily and pick up at 3:30pm.

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 the 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 smartwatches.

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.

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.

Student Lunches

We understand that occasionally dropping off a meal may seem convenient, but we appreciate your cooperation in supporting our efforts to promote fairness and healthy eating for all students by not dropping off fast food for your child. It is no longer allowed at our school. When fast food is brought to school, it can lead to other children feeling left out or upset if they do not have similar meals.

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 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

2024_Primary_School_Uniform_Order_Form.pdf

2024_Primary_School_Uniform_Order_Form _pdf 186.13 KB

Maarif students are expected to wear their Winter school uniform during Term 2. 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.

We request that our parents and/or carers be extra cautious during school drop-off and pick-up times.

Years 1 - 3 are dismissed from the Front School Gate.

Years 4 - 6 are dismissed from the Side School Gate.

Road_Safety.pdf

Road_Safety _pdf 274.27 KB

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 it also causes traffic congestion.

- Follow the directions of our school crossing supervisors.

- Give way to our School Bus drivers.

Road_Safety.pdf

Road_Safety _pdf 1.68 MB

Thank you for your cooperation.

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

Did you know you can organise your school fee payments into weekly, fortnight or monthly payments? International Maarif Schools of Australia uses Edstart to provide more flexibility and choice for your school fee payments. There are no additional charges for the service regardless of the schedule or payment method you choose. Getting started is easy, simply visit edstart.com.au/Maarif to set up your payments online or call 1300 139 445. If you would like further information, you can also contact our accounts team at accounts@maarif.nsw.edu.au or 02 8316 0655.

InternationalMaarifSchools_Edstart_A4_Flyer_Plus_2.pdf

InternationalMaarifSchools_Edstart_A4_Flyer_Plus_2 _pdf 642.05 KB

2024_Maarif_Calendar.pdf

2024_Maarif_Calendar _pdf 3.35 MB

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