MCC Academy News
May 2017
 
Upcoming Events:

May 1-5 - Scholastic Book Fair - Please join us for our upcoming SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR at the Skokie campus from MONDAY, MAY 1st - 5th! In addition, during the Book Fair on Tuesday, May 2nd, we will have a "Book Fair Open House Day" from 4:00-6:30pm for the MCCA Morton Grove students at the Skokie campus. Any MCCA Morton Grove students who come by to Skokie that afternoon or evening can enter into a drawing to receive books, posters, accessories, or all of the above! This opportunity is SPECIFICALLY for our students who attend MCCA in Morton Grove!


PURCHASE TEACHER GIFT CERTIFICATES
Scholastic has provided lovely "Teacher Appreciation" gift certificates. Teachers and staff can redeem them during the Book Fair being held on May 1st-5th at the Skokie Campus! Please contact the MCCA Librarian, Donelle Bergeson, at  [email protected]
to purchase a gift certificate for your child's teacher!


Sat., May 6, 3-5:30pm - Mother Daughter Seminar on Transitioning to High School - presented by Alimah Sawdah Mangera and Alimah Shabana Nizami at the MCCA - Skokie campus (see flyer)

Weds., May 10, 8:30-9:30am - Donuts for Dads for Preschool, Prek and KG classes - Dads or any other male caregiver can stop by to enjoy donuts with their child in Preschool, Prek and Kg in the school cafeteria. More information will be going home with your child this week. 

RAMADAN PROGRAM AT SKOKIE CAMPUS
This year, we have the opportunity to celebrate the holy month of Ramadan; unfortunately due to the limited space, we cannot have one program for the whole school instead we will have three: 
- Preschool to kindergarten May 10 at 10am
- First to Third grades May 11 at 10am
- Fourth and Fifth grades May 12 at 10am
We hope parents or caregivers will attend the Ramadan program on the date your child is performing. Due to space limitations in our gymnasium, each child may invite up to two individuals to attend this special program.  


Thurs., May 11, 5pm - 8th Grade Islamic Scientists Play at the Morton Grove Public Library - 
8th grade students will be performing their unique plays about famous Muslim scientists and their discoveries at the Morton Grove Public Library, 6140 Lincoln Ave., Morton Grove, IL

May 8-12 - Teacher Appreciation Week - PSG has lots of exciting activities planned for the teachers this week. If you'd like to participate in celebrating MCCA teachers this week, please contact the PSG to learn how to get involved. (see PSG box below)

Saturday, May 13, 6pm - Ladie's Mezzanine Fundraiser


Weds., May 17, 6pm - Drama Club and Performing Arts Troupe Performances - Both clubs will present their one act plays at Skokie campus. This performance is open for staff, friends and family of the students participating in these programs. However, if you are a community member and interested in coming to this evening performance, please email me for more information! My contact:  [email protected]


Tues., May 23, 5-6:30pm - MCCA Student Art Fair 
Parents, stop by the MCCA - Skokie Campus - to enjoy looking at all of the student art from this past school year. Art Teacher Nazia Sikander will have students art on display from grades 1st-5th. This is event is free and open to extended family. Light snacks will be served. 

Saturday, May 20, 8am - MCCA Family 5K and Fun Run
Race will take place at Harrer Park in Morton Grove. Please register at www.mccacademy.org to participate as a family. See PSG update below for additional information. 

Monday, May 29 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day Holiday - School is closed for students and staff. 


PLEASE NOTE: We will no longer be sending home a printed monthly calendar of events. Please refer to the calendar on our website at www. mccacademy.org for updated information on events, sports, clubs and holidays. This is the most updated information available.  






 

 
A Note from the School Council

Salaam alaikum MCCA Community,

Another month has gone by and we meet again. I'm happy to report that in April our students took the IOWA Test of Basic Skills. The results will be given to parents in June along with report cards. MCC Academy always invites students from local Hifz schools and students who are home-schooled to take the IOWAs at our school. Mrs. Salma Ahmed administered the test to 70 such students. 

We are excited about the upcoming MCCA 5K Family Fun Run and Walk. This event will take place on  Saturday, May 20. Families and friends please support MCCA by registering and participating.  All funds raised will support a running track at the Morton Grove campus and the school's STEM program. THANK YOU PSG for organizing this fun and beneficial program.

We are also looking forward to our new MCCA Summer Program run by former MCCA Teacher Mrs. Salma Pathan. This four-day a week camp program will include math, reading, arts and crafts, sports and field trips. Please REGISTER your child while space is still available. Visit our website at  www.mccacademy.org for registration information.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Musarrat Khan
 MCCA Council Chairperson

PSG Update

UPCOMING EVENTS:


PSG Board Nominations 
Nomination forms will soon be sent home for the upcoming PSG Board election. You will be able to nominate yourself or any other parent to a PSG Board position. All positions are open for re-election this year. Nominations will be accepted starting early May and will be ongoing until May 26th.  The PSG Board election will take place on the last day of school, June 9, 2017.

Teacher Appreciation Week
May 8th -May 12 -  Emails and letters have been sent home with kids for parents on how to participate in this project. Too busy to cook? No problem! Your monetary donation can be used towards catering orders. PSG will be hosting the following events that week:
Monday May 8th - Breakfast for our Staff
Wednesday May 10th - Potluck Luncheon
Friday May 12th - Sweet and Savory Table

Donuts with Dads for Pres, PreK, Kg - May 10, 8:30am, Skokie campus cafeteria. PSG will be hosting another wonderful Donuts with Dads program this time for early childhood students to attend with their dads or any other male caregiver. We look forward to seeing the kids and their favorite guy on May 10th. 


Family 5K Run and Walk for Eduction
May 20th- 5K Family Fun Run and Walk  for Education at Harrer Park  in Morton Grove. Registration is ongoing. You can register yourself and each of your family members to participate. Children can participate further by collecting pledges to support their efforts. Pledge forms were sent home last week. To register, click here

PSG Board Election - June 9th - Please come out to vote in the PSG Board Election taking place at both campuses 

DQ Fundraiser (Led by Amira Kashif) - Our annual Dairy Queen ice cream fundraiser was a huge success alhumdilAllah. Prek-A students had our top sales. Students all loved Oreo flavor the best with Chocolate Xtreme coming in second place. Thanks to all of our students and parents who participated. 

KEY DATES:
May 5th , 12th,19th and 26th PSG meetings
May 18 - 8th Grade graduation party - PSG to help with these festivities
May 26 - PSG Board nominations are due
June 9 - PSG Board election at both campuses

For more details, feedback or comments, please email [email protected].

MCC Academy 2017 Graduates Moving on to Top High Schools and Honors Programs

The MCC Academy Class of 2017 is our largest graduating class ever with 54 students graduating in June, alhamdulilah. These amazing students will soon be leaving the warm halls of MCC Academy and heading on to challenging and exciting new paths at some of the most prestigious high schools in Chicago and the suburbs. Mashallah, from among the 10 students who live in Chicago, eight have been accepted to selective enrollment schools.  Four of our graduates will be attending high schools that rank among the top ten in Illinois. Madeeha Hassan has been accepted to the prestigious Northside College Preparatory School, the number one high school in Illinois and ranked among the top 20 in the entire country. From among 8000 applicants each year, Northside only accepts 235 students. Mashallah, this is our 5th student to be accepted to Northside in the past 8 years.  Two students, Ashira Johara and Hafiz Muhammed Osman, have been accepted to attend Lane Tech College Prep High School and have both been waitlisted to attend Northside under the principal's discretion. Hafiz Zakariya Siddiqui has been accepted to Jones College Prep High School. 

Omar Siddiqui has been accepted to the University of Chicago Lab School where the average ACT score is 31.4. Ibrahim Salih has been accepted to the Von Steuben High School scholars program. Hamza Ibrahim has been accepted into all honors courses at Northtown Academy. Two boys, Danish Qadri and Mohammed Pehlari, have been accepted to top-ranked Northridge College Prep High School, an all-boys school rated a top ten private school in Illinois and among the top 100 private schools in the nation. Mashallah, nearly 30 of our students will be attending Niles West and North High Schools, and half of these students have signed on to take honors classes, and several others will be attending other prominent suburban high schools.

Congratulations to all of our students, their parents, and our teachers, whose dedication and constant efforts helped each of our students achieve their very best. We hope and pray these kids continue to be connected to MCC Academy and the MCC as part of our Teen Leadership Academy (meets throughout the year on Saturday afternoons at MEC) and as community volunteers. May Allah swt bless these students in the next leg of their journey.

-- MCC Academy Principal Mr. Habeeb Quadri, M.Ed.


 
Saudi Arabia Education Delegation Impressed by Visit to MCC Academy

A delegation of educators and administrators from the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Education visited MCC Academy's Skokie campus. The delegation, in Chicago for a week, was visiting the US as part of a US State Dept.-sponsored program to study the K-12 system. Our school's former Chairman, Rizwan Kadir (2009 - 2013), invited the delegation to the school to showcase a successful American Muslim education institution.

Principal Mr. Quadri and Vice Principal Mrs. Mujta ba gave them a tour of the Skokie campus and a presentation about the school. The visitors had lots of questions about the curriculum being used, teacher training and professional development, Islamic studies, and secular subjects being taught. They were impressed specifically by the Hifdh program. They were also very pleased to learn that our alumni perform well in high school - both academically and socially - and that many of them go on to attend top universities in the US. The representatives from the State Dept. appreciated Mr. Kadir's initiative to build bridges across the Muslim world and the US.


 
MCCA Places 2nd Place in Math Contest

MCC Academy Math Club students attended the Niles North Math Meet.   7th and 8th graders competed in two separate competitions.  The first competition was a 30 minute 15 question multiple choice contest.   Our MCCA students worked hard to answer questions that were varying in difficulty and varying in points. Afterwards, all of our students worked together to answer group questions and earn more points for our school. Prizes were awarded at the end for the top scorers (7th grade: Hovan Pacheco, Kulthoom Mangera, Hamza Ahmed, and Zainab Khan; 8th grade: Ashira Johara) and MCC Academy won second place in the overall competition! Mashallah and congratulations to the winners. These students worked very hard on practice problems to prepare for the event. Alhamdulillah, their hard work and dedication paid off at the competition, and they were able to bring home a win for MCCA! 
 

7th Graders Seriously Impress in Annual Lecture Games Contest


Crowds form, all eyes are watching, nerves are on edge, as the annual Middle School Lecture Games commence. 7th graders have been diligently preparing speeches on various topics ranging from dealing with racism, the status of women in Islam, choosing good friends, and reforming the heart by cultivating forgiveness and making dua (supplication). After researching and writing their own speeches, students went through a preliminary round of presentations and the top 12 students were chosen at random to present in front of the whole school. This year's top student, who won first place among the group of presenters, was Ayham Yousef. MashAllah, congratulations to Ayham! Last year's Lecture Games winner 8th grader Omar Siddiqui was one of our guest judges evaluating his peers as they presented. Students and teachers alike benefited from the knowledge all the participants conveyed. The Lecture Games truly highlights how MCC Academy develops minds and builds character within each of its students.
-- submitted by Ms Iram Shaikh, MCCA Islamic Studies Teacher
 

Cooking Club with Ms. Malik and Ms. Umar




At recent Cooking Club session our students made carrot cake yogurt bowls! It's a twist on the usual parfait or yogurt bowl and a healthy dessert. We were surprised to find out that it was quite delicious! ingredients include shredded carrot, Greek yogurt, chopped dates, ground cinnamon and cardamom, maple syrup, toasted coconut flakes and you can also add toasted nuts or granola. (We toasted the coconut flakes using our very own toaster oven!)

Then, at another session, we made a healthy and delicious Mediterranean chickpea salad with our very own creamy greek yogurt dressing. It was a great team effort with everyone chopping and mixing ingredients! You can find the recipe for the salad below!

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
One 15 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 package of Romaine lettuce (or about 4 cups torn Romaine lettuce)
½ cup bell pepper, chopped
½ cup of cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cucumber, chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
⅓ cup of shredded mozzarella cheese or feta cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
12 kalamata olives, sliced in half (optional)

Dressing (makes a cup - serves about 4-5 salads):
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, from one lemon
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar or honey
1 teaspoon minced garlic, from about 2 cloves
1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill (optional)

Steps:
1. In a large bowl, toss together the salad ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The dressing keeps well for 3-4 days.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss.

4th and 5th Islamic Studies - Ms. Iram Shaikh



5th Grade:
We have spent several weeks looking at what respect means in Islam and to us as Muslims. We've looked at it from different perspectives and the different things and types of people it impacts: humanity, nature, parents, teachers, elders, and most importantly ourselves! The unit study of Ihtiram, the Arabic word for respect, will culminate in students collaborating in groups to perform skits. The skits will reflect our study of Quran ayahs and hadiths that highlight how respecting our environment, others, and ourselves is a huge part of our faith.

7th Grade:
Islam in a Social Context serves to provide students with the the skills to identify as Muslims and practice their religion wherever they are. Currently, students are reading from the book The War Within Our Hearts and focusing on understanding how Allah (swt) created us, and as our Creator knows whats best for us. Students broke into groups and were given everyday scenarios which posed a problem students had to solve in light of the Qur'an and Sunnah. The scenarios gave way to a beautiful class discussion in which the students discovered that the Qur'an and Sunnah are a mercy given to us as a guide when we can't figure out what's best for ourselves.


P.E. Update from Ms. Umar

Students are kicking off the last quarter with soccer and track and field! They will be learning various skills to handle the ball including passing, dribbling and shooting. Students are also preparing for the end of the year fitness assessment and MCC Academy 5K/ fun run with our own runs and walks for fitness. We will continue to develop muscular and cardiovascular strength and endurance as well as other fitness skills such as power, agility, speed, and coordination.


12 MCCA Students Among Winners at Inter-Islamic School Qirat Competition

MCC Sunday School hosted the Annual Inter-Islamic School Qirat Competition. There were 15 Islamic schools participating in this competition. From among the 33 total winners, 12 were MCC Academy students, mashAllah. Mabrook to the following individuals for their astounding accomplishments:
Inayah Sheikh, (2nd place), Amine Chabou, 2nd gr. (2nd place), Ayaan Butt, 2nd gr.  (2nd place), Yusuf Ismail, 3rd gr. (1st place), Maaz Ghouri, 3rd gr., Mustafa Aziz, 4th gr. (2nd place), Mohammad Isoev, 6th gr. (1st place), Mohammad Abelmajid, 6th gr. (2nd place), Abdelhaq Isoev, 8th gr.(3rd), Aadil Patel, 8th gr. (3 rd), Huffaz Osman Muhammad, MCCA Hifdh (2nd place), Zubair Faisal, MCCA Hifdh (3rd place)






Library Update from Mrs. Bergeson



Alhamdulillah! At the start of April, we turned in the Library Reading Logs for 1st - 5th grade students. Anyone who completed their reading log (at least half-way correctly) was entered into a drawing for special gift caddies filled with fun prizes! Staff members were also invited to complete a reading log and were given gift bags for their participation! A very special thanks to the Fattah Family for providing the funding for all our gift caddy prizes and gifts for the participating staff! Jazak Allah Kharyn!
 
This month Skokie Public Library came to present shadow puppet shows to the Kindergarten classes! Later this month, they will also be visiting with the 4th graders to share "Cool Summer Reads," to inspire summer reading. In addition, they reminded the students that FREE PROGRAMS are ongoing at the library and they will have more classes this summer! Visit in person or check out the websites of your local public libraries to find out more about the free programming! Skokie  https://skokielibrary.info, Morton Grove  http://www.mgpl.org, Niles  http://www.nileslibrary.org.
 
Scholastic Books also has a Summer Reading Challenge that is FREE for student participation and they can earn prizes as well! To learn more and to register your child, go to this website:  http://www.scholastic.com/summer/2017/index.htm
 
With Ramadan on the horizon and school winding down, the usual routine for library will change as well. We will not lend books out to students the last few weeks of school and students will be required to return any books they have borrowed. Students who have outstanding fines for lost books or have not returned a book will not receive their report card at the end of school. Please remind your child to bring their library book or pay outstanding fines if necessary!
 
MAY DATES:
May 1st-5th: Scholastic Book Fair!
May 2nd: Book Fair OPEN HOUSE from  4:00-6:30pm. Shop late after work!  J
*BONUS: There will be a prize raffle entry for any students coming from the Morton Grove MCCA campus!!!
MAY 15th- 19th: Last week to check out books from MCCA Skokie Library
 
Thank you for your support and cooperation. An early Ramadan Mubarak to everyone!
 
Ms. Bergeson
MCCA Skokie Librarian


Student Newspaper Club Off to a Busy Start

Middle school students are enjoying writing, editing, taking photographs for, and laying out their very own student newspaper. Led by Mrs. Bara Elmasri, the 15 students partaking in newspaper club plan to publish on a bi-monthly basis with their first issue set to print very soon!  



SKOKIE DRAMA CLUB & MG PERFORMING ARTS TROUPE!


Asalaamu alaikum,
 
Alhamdulillah! Ramadan is almost here and I have had the pleasure of working with two FANTASTIC groups of students! Those groups are the 3rd-5th grade students in the Skokie Drama Club and the Hifz and Middle School students in the MG Performing Arts Troupe! They have been working diligently on two original plays for Ramadan that I have written in collaboration with both groups.
 
On Wednesday evening, May 17th at 6pm at the Skokie campus, the Drama Club and Performing Arts Troupe (P.A.T.) will each present their One Act plays in a back-to-back performance!
 
For Act I., the program will open with an original play by the P.A.T., "Ramadan Chaos." Complete with middle school "drama," this play captures the humor and complexities of middle school friendships, the importance of family, and the healing of kindness.
 
For Act II., the Drama Club will debut, "Salaam Scrolls: The Ramadan Quest." This original script introduces the wisdom of Uncle Dore, and reveals that anyone can be a superhero for Allah! Join our superheroes, Lunar Girl, Crescent Kid and their friends as they stop the "villains" we all face during Ramadan with the power of haadith!
 
This performance is open for staff, friends and family of the students participating in these programs. However, if you are a community member and interested in coming to this evening performance, please email me for more information! My contact:  donelle.bergeson@mccacademy.org

Girls Scouts Cadette Troop Enjoys Learning How a Family Keeps Their Urban Farm in Chicago

Our Girl Scouts Cadette troop had a lesson in urban farming when they visited one of our very own MCCA families that raises goats and chickens in their backyard in the city of Chicago. Girls learned Nigerian goats are very friendly and playful, and in the harsh Chicago winter their fur keeps them warm in the backyard barn. The family also raises chickens, including chickens from Poland and Egypt.

Jr. Crescents Basketball Finishes 3rd in Conference

The MCCA Junior Varsity basketball team finished 3rd place in the Southwest Conference. The Crescents had a tough season but were able to string together a small winning streak to complete the season heading into the playoffs. Our boys beat IFS to take 3rd place. 4th Grade student Ammar Ibrahim was the leading scorer in the game. Congrats to our Jr. Crescents for a great season!
-- submitted by MCCA Coach Kadir Oz

1st Grade - Miss Malik, Ms. Adhami, and Mrs. Nabeel

1A finished off the quarter strong with the study of graphs. We created a classroom graph on our favorite pets. We're welcoming the 4th quarter with new goals that we shared with our parents. Students in 1-C sharpen their math skills by using a pictograph to depict their favorite muffins. Chocolate wins! They also worked on their adjectives and creativity by writing on their life from the perspective of a butterfly. We are so proud our frog-tastic first graders! :)




Part-time Early Childhood - Mrs. Sabiha Patel

Our little ones in part-time early childhood have been learning about Life Cycles. They each made their very own butterflies to complement this topic.

Middle School Science - Mrs. Saleh

Designing an environmentally efficient home while learning about thermal energy was the goal for the 6th graders this month incorporating STEM into their learning. Using technology to determine where thermal energy is evident, provided an opportunity for the students to use problem solving skills that will allow their homes to be sufficiently insulated and not waste energy. They worked on a budget of only $25 to build and insulate their structure. 

Dissection of specimens were underway this past month. From starfish to lampreys to frogs, students learned of Allah s.w.t creations by identifying their organs and understanding the complex design of each organism that can only be created by a master! Much appreciation was taken into consideration once the students reflected on their findings Alhamdulillah. 

How many grams can a bridge hold? That was the challenge for our 8th grade students this month. Using balsa wood, each pair of students constructed their own bridge that would have the best structural efficiency. Using math, each student determined this concept by taking the max load divided by the mass of the bridge.  The winners will be announced for house points! 


Middle School Literature - Mrs. Gomaa 

6th graders in literature starting off the quarter with a Gallery walk on Mexican immigration and discrimination, a pre-reading activity introducing our 6th grade novel: Esperanza Rising  



5th Grade - Ms. Barkat and Mrs. Rehman


 
The fifth graders just went on an amazing field trip to the Volkening Heritage Farm located in Schaumburg. Volkening Heritage Farm represented the 1880s environment and life style of a German farm. People dressed authentically in 1800s attire not only welcomed them, but also guided them through the field trip. Have you ever seen a working horse?  Did you know that a working horse can weigh an average of 1,800 pounds?  The fifth graders were able to see working horses which are far more different in size and weight than the normal riding horses. The working horses plowed the farm and pulled large wagons. Students were able to groom this enormous horse by cleaning it with a metal brush with bristles. Students also witnessed real live chickens and roosters roaming amongst them. They learned that chickens lay an average of one egg per day. Eggs can vary in different colors, but taste exactly the same. The fifth graders fed the chickens with seeds and grains from their hands. Alhamdulillah the students had a great experience of what life was like on a farm. They learned that children in the 1800s had great responsibilities in helping their parents milking cows, cleaning and feeding the animals, cooking, sewing and much more! The students took a small tour a house that represented an 1880 German house by observing the kitchen, guest room, and grandparent's bedroom. They even learned to make pretzels which was first invented in Germany. All it took was some yeast, water, salt, sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter! Take a look at what fifth graders experienced at the Volkening Heritage Farm.


2nd Grade - Mrs. Sheikh, Mrs. Baig, Mrs. Bozai

This month has been very busy for second graders. They have been practicing for IOWA tests which took place at the end of the month.  They learned how to tell time to the hour, minutes, and elapsed time. Students worked on pictographs and tables of 3 and 4.  In science, we learned about different kinds of weather and different states of matter and conducted experiments to reinforce their learning. We  published books came back and were sent home.
Second graders also went on a field trip to Lego Land. Thank you to all the parents who volunteered to chaperone the field trip.  Parent/teacher conferences went well and we thank all parents who came to discuss their child's progress.



Kindergarten - Mrs. Shariff, Mrs. Siddiqui, Mrs. Khawaja

All the kindergarten classes worked on spring activities. One prompt was:  Poem about Spring description, and another was learning how plants grow in Spring.   We also made kites from a story we read and wrote down the problem and solution of the story.  KG went to a Field Trip to Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum on Monday, April 17th. We learned about Butterflies, reptiles, and how plants grow. They had a workshop for our students set up to learn the process of a plant and each child was able to bring back a plant back home. 


Preschool - Mrs. Malik

Preschool has already sprung into spring. Students were introduced to some friendly critters at the beginning of the month. We have five fuzzy caterpillars that we will get to observe as they go through the life cycle to become beautiful butterflies. 



PreK - Mrs. Fayyaz and Mrs. Metovic

Prek-A &  Prek- B has had a fun -filled month! We had so much fun at the Shedd Aquarium. We went on a nature walk and had many different fun activities for Earth Day. Students love exploring with play-doh. We can make 3-letter words using play-doh. We are also learning pre-primer sight and practicing through writing and using sand.  We are also great artist's, we enjoy  painting oh so much! We are looking forward to more learning next month inshAllah.





4th Grade - Mrs. Patel, Mrs. Aziz-Khan, Mrs. Iftekharuddin

Fourth Grade worked incredibly hard to research and present biographies of any famous person of their choice in the form of a talking "wax museum". They put together detailed presentation boards with a timeline of their subject's life and photos. They each dressed like their subject and when guests approached them in the wax museum, they would speak from the perspective of their subject. They did an amazing job, mashAllah!