An Islamic school in Richfield, Minnesota
Students from kindergarten to grade 8 learn in English, with Arabic and Quran every day. Families come from many places, and every one of them is welcome to visit.
Classes
Each grade group has its own classroom. The school day is the same for every grade, and Friday ends early for the midday prayer.
Kindergarten and grade 1
Arabic letters and sounds every morning, and a read-aloud after lunch.
Grades 2 and 3
Arabic reading begins with short texts.
Grades 4 and 5
Islamic studies and a first research project.
Grades 6 to 8
Round-table seminars and lab days.
Class size is the most students in one class. The office confirms it at the visit.
Sample programs.
The school year
Eid and Ramadan follow the moon, so their days move from year to year. The office sends each one as soon as it is known.
Once in the fall, once in winter
Walk the building, see the prayer room and meet the principal and the teachers.
November
For the fall that follows.
Mid-March
By letter and by phone.
Set by the moon
Shorter days, and lunch becomes a quiet reading hour.
One or two days, set by the moon
The school is closed. The office sends the days as soon as they are known.
One or two days, set by the moon
The school is closed. The office sends the days as soon as they are known.
Late December
Early September
Families come for a short gathering in the morning.
Sample dates.
The prayer room
Rugs, a shelf for shoes and a window. Students pray the midday prayer here after lunch, in groups by grade, with a teacher. The room is open before the first bell and after the last for any student who wants a quiet place. Prayer times follow the sun, and the office posts the week's times every Monday.
Dhuhr, the midday prayer, after lunch: about twenty minutes.
Jumu'ah on Fridays, before the early dismissal.
A student who does not pray reads quietly in the library next door.
What students study
The day is in English, with Arabic and Islamic studies taught as subjects every week.
Letters and sounds in kindergarten, short texts by grade 3, and reading and talking in Arabic a little more each year.
Water, circuits and plants on a lab bench, with a science fair night in the spring.
Recess every day and a field day in the spring, with the whole school and its families at the edge.
Faculty
Teachers and staff share the grades. Three of them are here.
Principal
Leads the school, teaches the grade 8 reading seminar and greets families at the door most mornings. Speaks Somali, Arabic and English.
Arabic and Islamic studies teacher
Teaches Arabic from kindergarten to grade 8, beginning with letters and sounds and moving to short readings. Speaks Urdu, Arabic and English.
Upper-grades math and science teacher
Teaches math and science in grades 6 to 8 and runs the spring science fair night. Speaks Arabic and English.
Questions
Yes. A visit day is a morning in a classroom and a talk with the principal. Children are welcome to come along, and most families visit before they apply.
No. Students start at every grade, and each class begins with the letters and sounds before it moves on to reading.
Hot lunch is halal and ordered by the month. Families can pack lunch instead. Tell us about allergies at the visit; we ask privately once you enroll.
After care runs until 5:30 pm on school days, with a snack, homework time and time outdoors. Families can use it on the days they need.
Class size is on the table at the top of this page, by grade, and the office confirms it at the visit.
Visit
A visit day is a morning in a classroom and a talk with the principal. Bring your children, and bring your questions about Arabic, prayer and the school day.