RSA Winter 2015 Highlights

We hope that you all had an enjoyable and relaxing winter break filled with health and happiness. As we start the new year, we continue to ask Allah (SWT) to guide us to the righteous path in raising and educating our dear children to become leaders of tomorrow...Ameen..

As we reflect on last month's accomplishments, we sincerely commend the efforts and contributions of all RSA stakeholders. We would like to share with you our major highlights of this winter so far. Make sure to scroll all the way down through this newsletter and enjoy the pictures!

PTO Nominations are Now Open!

It is the time of the year where we encourage more parents to step up and become more involved and present in RSA's school activities. Nominations for PTO elections are now accepted till Friday, January 8th. Parents who are interested of nominating themselves, please complete this Nomination Form and drop it in the main office. Nominate, Vote, Participate!

	Read All About It! The Rising Times is Fresh Off the Presses! The Rising Times editors, staff and advisers are excited to present our first issue of The Rising Times! Mashallah, it was an impressive first issue (if we do say so ourselves!).
If you didn't get a copy, press the link below! RISING TIMES ISSUE #1

	A Great Family Fun Night to Remember: What a special Friday evening to spend with family and friends to celebrate our students' success in Quran memorization and recitation. Once again, RSA students who excelled in the annual Quran competition were acknowledged with unique trophies and medals. Keep up the great work RSA students !
Pre-K , KG and 1st Grade Winners!! 2nd, 3rd and 4th Grade Winners!! 4th and 5th Grade Winners!! Great and talented performances by RSA students! Quran recitation, nasheeds, and skits...Masahallah!! Jazakum Allah Khair parents , staff, students and community members who made our auction a great success!

	RSA Students Partake a Leading Role in our Weekly Halaqas.. In line with our mission of cultivating students with a passion for our beautiful faith, our weekly halaqas continue with the focus on the life of our beloved Prophet (PBUH).
Abu Hurairah and Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, the angels surround them (with their wings), (Allah's) mercy envelops them, Sakinah, or tranquility descends upon them and Allah makes a mention of them before those who are near Him." [Muslim].

	RSA's 6th Annual Quran Competition: Jazakum Allah Khair Sheikh Hassan Saleh, Sheikh Omar Saleh and Sheikh Reda Elhendawy for spending the day at RSA to judge our students for their Quran recitation and memorization skills. Special thanks to Sheikh Abdelhameed Haddad and Ismail Haddad for their great efforts.

	1st Marking Period Principal's Brunch Mashaallah, a great morning to commend our exceptional students for their academic excellence. Takbir!
Keep shining RSA Stars!

	1st-3rd Graders Visit the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts: Our elementary students explored unique exhibits that featured the activities of New Jersey farming families. They encountered the diverse facets of agricultural life in the early 1800s.
Students examined an extensive collection of woodworker's planes, and learned more about these indispensable hand tools. What a great experience that enhances the understanding and appreciation of America's past..

	4th & 5th Grade Students had a Blast at the Liberty Science Center! RSA students explored multiple hands-on museums in Liberty Science center in Liberty State park in Jersey City. They experienced spectacular seasonal activities ranging from building and displaying a huge snowflake, tasting ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and enjoying exciting live events!

	Pre-K through 3rd Graders Enjoy a Great Assembly with Hudson County Sheriffs! Special thanks to Br Essam Doukali for leading a very informative session to our Pre-K to 3rd graders about how to stay safe all the time and call 911 when you need help. Hudson County Sheriffs were also kind enough to allow our youngsters to feed their curiosity and enter their police cars!

	...And with Union City Fire Department Officers! Another informative session where our youngsters met with the great community helpers who make our city and neighborhood safe and fire-free.
Union City Fire department officers' assembly provided our students with the necessary safety education. Thank you for educating our children on the proper steps necessary to stay fire safe.

	Sr. Sarah's Students Creating a Historical Map:
AP and Honors US History I students enjoyed a belated class-thanksgiving and channeled their creativity skills to collectively compile a timeline of what they have learned so far!

	"He Named Me Malala" Film Screening Middle and high school students watched the acclaimed documentry on the life of Malala Yusafzai. The conversation continues within RSA classrooms on the impact only one individual can make.. MashaAllah. An inspiring Story.

	Sr. Abir's Gym Class Took a Walk to the Hudson River! Our location gives us access to beautiful views of NYC!

	1st Graders Enjoy a Slumber Play-time! Cuddling their special teddy bears and sharing their home-made snacks, Sr. Ana's students enjoyed a "pajama" playtime before they head for their winter break!
"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." -O. Fred Donaldson

	2nd Graders Present t heir Habitats Projects! Sr. Sumaiya's students proudly shared their habitats' displays and presented the special features of the animals that lived there and the ecosystems they lived in.
"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you"..B.B.King

	3rd Graders Conclude their Arabic Lesson with a Catering Session Sr. Razan's students brought in all the ingredients for a carrot cake and enjoyed making the cake, baking it and eating it together in class.

	KG Students Mastering their Geometric Shapes If you attended this Math session in Sr. Deniz's class, you would be amazed how RSA kindergartners are able to apply all the properties they learned about different geometric shapes in order to identify them all. Students were able to use yarn as well as geoboards to create their shapes.
" Children must be taught how to think, not what to think" ..Margaret Meed

The Mission of

Rising Star Academy

Rising Star Academy aims to provide an inclusive educational environment, where students of diverse backgrounds feel safe and inspired to become life-long learners. RSA nurtures academic excellence and strong Islamic values of character, leadership, faith and community in a positive learning environment.