ISLAMIC EDUCATION
MCGP SCHOOL
Notes from Faraz Khan
The Foundational Principles
The Quran and the beautiful character and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him (sunnah) serves as the guiding principles of the Islamic education.
Mission Statement
At MCGP School, we strive for students to
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Learn Islam
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Practice their Faith Openly
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Make Friends and have Fun
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Be Proud of their Muslim Identity and
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Be Model Citizens in Service to God.
Methodology
The student to faculty in-class ratio at MCGP School is about 7:1. This low ratio allows the students and teachers to fully engage and encourage each other in a meaningful way. In general, each class has 15 students, one teacher for Islamic Studies along with a teacher assistant, and another teacher for Quranic Studies with a teacher assistant. We recognize diversity of abilities when it comes to religious studies. For this reason, we have formulated a differential model to teach advanced and lagging students. At the beginning of the year, students are given a comprehensive review to place them in an appropriate support structure to help them advance their learning throughout the year.
Every class the emphasis is on Inspirational teaching. First rule is to teach manners with manners. Tarbiyah (upbringing and nurturing mind and soul) is to encourage good habits and discourage bad ones. Teachers and students are expected to be role models.
Homework = Teamwork
We believe all learning starts with a prayer. We also believe that teaching your child requires teamwork. It takes more than great teachers to inspire a student. InshAllah together, teachers and parents can accomplish the great mission of developing an inspirational individual who achieves success in this world and the hereafter. It requires that both parents and teachers fulfill their responsibilities for the success of every child.
Generally, we ask parents to spend at least 60 minutes with their child on a weekly basis to inquire and support their learning activities, homework, and studies. We promise the parents that our amazing staff is only an email/text message away from helping your child grow in their love for Islam. We ask that you don’t hold back in reaching out to the teachers for assistance in school-related matters.
Curriculum
The Quran and the Sunnah form the basis of our curriculum. The core religious learning is based on two subjects Islamic Studies and Quran Studies. Each level has goals and topics to cover so teachers are provided a baseline curriculum and then develop their own lesson plans. We utilize Safar Publications’ Islamic Studies books for each level and supplement with additional resources that are relevant and grade appropriate. The additional resources include discussions on public and Islamic holidays, books of adhkar and dua, Muslim heroes and personalities, seerah of the Prophet, and performance and understanding of salah (namaz). The Quranic Studies relies on memorization of the short surahs, meaning (for Level 3+), dua’ from the Quran and sunnah, learning to read and write Arabic and then as they progress they start to memorize Surahs, learning their meaning as well as some basic tajweed/recitation rules. Teachers are encouraged to use other age-appropriate resources such as Islamic songs, story time, arts and crafts, plays, online quiz and trivia games, presentations to enhance the learning experience.
Friends & Fun stuff!
It would not be fair to cover all the educational material and not talk about what makes MCGP School so loving in the eyes of the students, staff, and parents! We make every effort to give students space and time to have fun and form friendships during the school day. We celebrate Islamic holidays and have fun outings to places such as Funplex, Liberty Science Center, Six Flags Safari. We serve pizza and ice cream in moderation to raise student and staff morale. We invite guest performers to entertain students. This year we have added a school mascot to be present at the beginning of the school day to welcome students in a playful and fun way. Our PTA is crucial to our success in planning family nights at the mosque and outdoor family trips as well.
Competitions
During the school year, we also host several academic competitions such as our annual Quiz Competition and our new Surah Competition which allow the students to demonstrate their Islamic knowledge and progress in a friendly competitive environment and gives them the opportunity to win prizes such as gift cards, bicycles, and other toys.