islamic college of melbourne icom newsletter · they learnt the story of al-imran: yahya, zakari,...

several videos, performances and

nasheeds relating to Ramadan. The

annual Quran Competition also

commenced during Ramadan with

the final competition to be held in

the last week of Term 2, Insha'Al-

lah.

The college also held its annual

student/staff Iftars where the Islamic

Studies department led the organi-

sation of one for the Year 5 & 6

students and the Primary SRC and

then another one for the Secondary

students. I have no doubt that all

the students and staff enjoyed the

iftar and the activities that were

organised. Another Iftar was held

separately for ICOM’s first group of

Year 12 students. This was held off

campus, it was wonderful to be able

to see the students in a more casual

setting.

On another note, the college is

happy to inform you about the

great success of our students in the

interschool debating. This is a great

accomplishment for the college, the

students and the teachers who

mentored them.

There was also another annual

program that concluded this

term, this was the Life Educa-

tion van where Primary stu-

dents learnt to make safe and

healthy lifestyle choices now

and into their adult lives. Next

term, the Primary students will

be commencing the 9-week

gymnastics program. Gymnastics

encourages and develops physi-

cal wellbeing skills, life skills,

brain development and motor

development skills which are

important for students’ overall

progress.

With the last day of term being

this Friday, 22 June 2018, the

college will end it with its annual

Eid Festival. As mentioned,

ICOM students will enjoy a day

filled with rides, activities and

food, with parents and the com-

munity welcomed to join the

festivities between 3.30pm to

5.30pm. I wish to see you all

there insha’Allah and if I do not,

I hope that everyone has a re-

laxing but productive school

break, and see you all next term

on Tuesday, 17 July 2018 in-

sha’Allah .

Dr Abdul M.

Kamareddine

College Principal

Principal’s Message

Islamic College of Melbourne

20 June 2018 Term 2, Issue 4

ICOM Newsletter

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah

Wabarakatuh

As we return to the normal

school hours and bell times, we

thank Allah (SWT) for allowing

us to complete another blessed

Ramadan. Insha’Allah all your

prayers and dua’s are accepted.

A great community initiative this

year involved the College arrang-

ing Tarawih prayers in the gym-

nasium. The College also held

Eid prayer too. This was great

for the community and it was

delightful to see a number of

familiar faces at both these

events. Below are some photos

from the Eid prayer.

Of course, the atmosphere of

Ramadan filled the college during

school hours too. This was ac-

complished with the Ramadan

man, Ramadan decorations in the

hallways and around the school,

classes integrating the im-

portance of fasting and during

the morning assemblies with

student performances. The col-

lege also held a special Ramadan

assembly for Primary students

where students were shown

Important Dates

Character Day

(Primary only)

Thurs 21 Jun

Eid Festival

Fri 22 Jun

Last Day of Term 2

Fri 22 Jun

First Day of Term

3 (Admin. office)

Mon 9 Jul

First Day of Term

3 (Students)

Tues 17 Jul

Careers Expo

Wed 8 Aug

Arabic Week

Mon 30 Jul - 3 Aug

Scholastics Book

Fair (2 weeks)

Mon 6 - Thurs 16 Aug

Hajj Week

Mon 13 - 17 Aug

Eidul Adha (TBC)

Wed 22 Aug

Year 5 Camp

Wed 12 - Fri 14 Sept

Important Reminders!

Please ensure that students are given food or money for recess and lunch as it is a huge

concern that students have been coming to school without any food.

Students should not be dropped off to school before 8.20am unless they have morning

classes. This is to ensure the safety of your child as teachers start their morning supervi-

sion at 8.20am.

Parents are reminded that all school gates will be opened at 8.20am every morning and

students should be at school for morning assembly at 8.35am. Gates 1 & 3 will

close at 8.35am and only gate 4 will remain open for students to join the assembly. After

morning assembly at 8.45am, gate 4 will be closed and the only entrance into the college

will be near the Administration building. The gates will then be opened again at 3.30pm

for afterschool collection.

If your child is absent or will be absent, please ensure you contact the Admin. Office or

reply to the absence text that is sent on the day with the reason of your child’s absence.

Parents are also reminded that in Term 2 & 3, students are to be wearing the winter

uniform, as per the policy. This includes the winter tunic/skirt and dark grey leggings/

tights for female Primary students.

Parents must advise the college of any medical conditions their child may have, whether

it is severe or just a mild condition.

Please ensure you inform the college or update your details on the Parent Portal if your

contact details have changed.

Enrolments for 2019

Enrolments for 2019 have now closed. Unfortunately, due to

the number of students currently enrolled at the Islamic Col-

lege of Melbourne and the number of new enrolments already

received, the college will no longer be accepting any further ap-

plications. Parents who have submitted an expression of inter-

est form will be contacted if a place is available for their child

next year.

For parents who have already enrolled their child but have not

returned all the documentation please do so by Friday 22 June 2018.

Enrolments for 2019 closed on Wednesday 13 June 2018.

ICOM Newsletter Term 2, Issue 4

Term 2, Issue 4

The college’s Parent Advisory Committee continues to meet and it is great to the enthusiasm

of the members during the meeting. At ICOM we believe parents are the primary educators

of their children and as such are an important section of the school community. We value and

actively encourage parents to be involved through the ICOM Parent’s Advisory Committee

(IPAC).

During the meeting the committee

members discussed a number of

items including the Orphan Spon-

sorship Program, multicultural day,

the school carpark and road safety.

As the members for 2018 have

been elected, if you have any other

items you would like to bring forth, please do not hesitate to email the committee at

[email protected].

ICOM Parent Advisory

Primary Ramadan Assembly Ramadan was exciting and different this year at ICOM. We had many activities and

events to celebrate the month and boost the love and spirit of Ramadan within the

students. On the first day of the Holy Month, some of the staff of ICOM went around

to the classrooms with the principal. They gave the students dates to revive the

Prophet's Sunnah and Ramadan gifts to celebrate the beginning of this month.

On Friday the school started with Ramadan celebrations and dedicated the first peri-

od of the day for a whole primary school assembly. Students participated with

nasheeds, hadiths, performances and speeches. The Islamic department created two

videos featuring the students to welcome Ramadan and to set some goals for the

month. You can watch these videos on the ICOM website.

The Principles and Practice of Aus-

tralian Democracy

As is the case with any other Australian

School, the Islamic College of Melbourne is

established in line with and operates con-

sistently within the principles of Australian

democracy.

This was clearly stated in our school's

governance, vision and mission documents

as well as in our constitution and publica-

tions.

Our school's programs and teaching practic-

es support and promote the principles and

practices of Australian democracy, including

a commitment to:

elected government

the rule of law

equal rights for all before the law

freedom of religion

freedom of speech and association

the values of openness and tolerance.

ICOM's Philosophical Statement

Education, a life-long journey, is Learn-ing

to Know, to Do, to Be and to Live Togeth-

er. The values of Openness and Tolerance

as expressed in the Teach-ings of Islam and

the Australian Demo-cratic Principles are

integral to this definition of learning.

At the Islamic College of Melbourne we

believe learning occurs through collabora-

tion and interaction within the family unit

and within the school, local, wider Australi-

an and global communities. The social,

emotional, physical, spiritual, academic and

aesthetic development of our students is

pivotal to their success at school, within

their families and the communities to which

they belong. Respectful relationships are

foundational to the learning and living

culture of the school and pro-mote the

values of openness and tolerance.

We want our children to be Australian:

people who understand and value

Islamic Teaching and Prayer and their

relevance to their lives in contempo-

rary society

community members who con-tribute

socially, economically and culturally to

society

responsible individuals capable of

relating to family, friends and col-

leagues

life-long learners who are able to

make sense of the world in which they

live

informed citizens who understand and

contribute to civil and com-munity

relations at a local, nation-al and global

level

ICOM Newsletter

Primary Ramadan This year we incorporated the theme of Ramadan in all subject studies, the students

decorated the school with lanterns, posters, artwork and much more. The daily ICOM

Ramadan quiz was successful and taught the students about Ramadan and Islam, many

students participated and received gift vouchers for their answers. May Allah SWT ac-

cept all the hard work and everyone's efforts in this Holy Month and 'Eid Mubarak from

the Islamic Department of ICOM.

Year 5 and 6 Iftar:

The Islamic Department organised a very successful Iftar for Year 5 and 6 where the

students stayed back at school and enjoyed a lovely Iftar with the staff. They attended

an exciting spiritual program which started with soccer for boys and yoga for girls. Stu-

dents’ prayed Asr had a guest speak which was followed by trivia. The kids prayed Ma-

ghrib in Jamaa' and had Iftar together; a delicious meal catered by Nando's.

Quran before school

The school has been working very hard on the Quran before school program, 80 stu-

dents joined the program this year; making it a very engaging and exciting semester for

the program. Every year we teach the students a different syllabus including different

chapters from the Quran. The kids enjoyed learning verses 32-39 of Surat Al-Imran and

they learnt the story of Al-Imran: Yahya, Zakari, Mariam and Issa. We wrapped up the

beneficial and exciting semester with an end of semester and Eid celebration where the

students were given show bags and participated in many fun and exciting activities.

Next semester we are going to start Surat Taha and teach the students the story of

prophet Musa. We would like to announce a vacancy for students in Year 1 and 2 on

Monday and Friday. If you are interested please enrol your kids with the front office

and the fees are only $100. The program will resume in week 2 of term 3, see you

then.

ICOM Islamic Studies Department

ICOM's Vision

Our vision is to ensure excellence, in both

academic and Islamic development, with

continuous progress to produce a new

generation of Muslims, who are committed

Australians, embracing the Australian values

of care and compassion, doing your best,

freedom, honesty and trustworthiness,

integrity, respect, responsibility, openness,

tolerance and inclusion.

The diverse programs to be implemented will

foster a love of learning, a sense of achieve-

ment and a respect for, and understanding

and tolerance of others. Students will feel a

strong school spirit coming from a sense of

belonging to our multicultural school com-

munity and the building of community part-

ner-ships.

Teaching and Learning practices in our school

accommodate the diverse needs of our

students as teachers seek out best practice

and embrace educational initiatives for

continuous improvement to occur. Learning

through a variety of programs enables stu-

dents to become literate, numerate, self-

directed, skilled in creative thinking and

reasoning and technologically proficient.

Students, parents and teachers are required

to work together as active learners to ensure

that all experience success.

Our students will develop an awareness of

their responsibilities to the community and

their environment and be prepared to

contribute positively to the local and national

community and the wider world. The realiza-

tion of this vision will ensure that the school

community can face the local, national and

global challenges of the 21st century with

confidence.

ICOM's Mission

This school provides a positive learning

environment where staff and students work

co-operatively to achieve their best and to

develop a commitment to continuous learn-

ing and effective participation within their

wider community. We are committed to

fostering a community of learners, and to

provide an academic curriculum that devel-

ops a broad knowledge base, while promot-

ing the skills of critical and creative thinking.

We seek to do this within a challenging and

supportive Islamic environment which

develops individuals as both independent and

collaborative learners.

Objectives for Students:

To foster the development of Islamic

manners and love of learning in students

To promote the physical, spiritual,

academic, social, emotional and moral

development of each student

To provide adequate and appropriate

educational facilities

To provide a safe and violence - free

school

To encourage the highest level of

community and parental involvement

To provide a positive, caring and sup-

portive climate

To work as a team to accomplish our

mission

Term 2, Issue 4

This term, the Year 1 students have been learning about natural and built places.

Students were asked to use their imagination and make the most of their creativity in order to create a diorama

of their own natural or built place.

The dioramas presented were outstanding. Students showed great excitement and enthusiasm when it came to

sharing their creations with their peers.

All students should be incredibly proud of the work they presented. Well done!

Year One Teachers

ICOM Newsletter

Year One - Natural and built places dioramas

A message from the Primary Art Room Term 2 has been a rich term within the Primary Art Department, full of creativity from all year levels.

Our Foundation levels enjoyed making the creative Ramadan card dedicated to Mum and Dad.

Our students at ICOM have participated in the Ramadan Activities beautifully.

Students had the opportunity to experience the joy of the inspirational month of Ramadan, through the study of art elements,

the principles of using different colours and techniques. Some examples of their creative work are on display below.

Mrs Lamia Al-Asaly

Primary Art Teacher

Term 2, Issue 4

A win for the After-School Debating Program A selected number of students in year nine and ten participated in an after-school debating program which is part

of the Debaters Association of Victoria. The DAV Schools Competition is the largest English-language debating

competition in the world. This competition is divided into 19 regions encompassing both inner and outer Mel-

bourne suburbs, Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo.

The format of the competition is Australian 3-on-3 style - with three speakers to each team, debating over five

rounds, spread across the year.

ICOM is proud to share that the Year Ten team consist-

ing of Sara Abdalhamid, Nur Abubaker and Abdulsater

Bey won their debate against Westbourne Grammar

School on 9 May 2018 with Sara Abdalhamid winning the

best speaker award!

Some of our debating champions. From left; Farhad Ah-

madi, Amir Hussein, Ayna Mehicevic, Enaia Marten, Sara

Abdalhamid and debating coach Mr Carrington.

Furthermore, the Year 9 team consisting of Ayna Mehicevic, Farhad Ahamdi and Enaia Marten also had a brilliant

win against Suzanne Cory High School on 30 May 2018 and the best speaker award given to Ayna Mehicevic!

This is an outstanding achievement from both teams and we cannot wait to see many more successful outcomes.

Well done to all students on their consistent hard work and dedication!

Miss Aleksandra Peric – English Teacher and Debating Coordinator

Term 2, Issue 4

Primary Incursions - Foundation Community Helpers On Friday, 1 June, the Foundation students had Community Help-

er’s Dress Up Day. Throughout Term 2, students have been learn-

ing about ‘People and Places in our Community’. Police Officer

James came to visit the students during the

day and the students enjoyed asking ques-

tions about how police officers can keep our

community safe.

Ms Michelle Culjak,

Foundation A Teacher and Team

Leader

ICOM Newsletter

Term 2, Issue 4

Ramadan Man comes to visit Primary students were excited to welcome Ramadan Man to ICOM.

Every student received a pouch with dates and a colouring book, to welcome Ramadan in 2018.

ICOM Library News

Assalamu Alaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh,

Ma’shallah and Jazak’allah Kheiraan for all the students, staff and parents who visited the Ali-gator Book Fair with-

in the 2 weeks. Al hamduallah we are receiving $1,756.89 worth of Arabic and Islamic books and re-

sources for the ICOM Library (135 books and resources). May Allah (s.w.t) reward you all the very best. Thank

you to everyone who assisted in making this library event very successful.

A friendly reminder- when a library book is borrowed under the student’s name, it must be returned within 2

weeks. Library books due date: 4 June 2018. Take home reader books: 7 June 2018.

Please ensure that the library books are returned on time. If the book is lost or damaged a library fine will be is-

sued out.

ICOM Library Fun Activity:

Arrange the following 10 words in alphabetical order. This technique will help you find books on the shelves.

ARE, EXTRA, THE, ALL, THERE, FUN, WHY, FUNNY, THEIR, EXTRAORDINARY

Jazak’allah kheiraan and thank you.

Mrs Haifa Atatreh and Mrs Zetty Latip

Library Department

Answers:

ALL, ARE, EXTRA, EXTRAORDINARY, FUN, FUNNY, THE, THEIR, THERE, WHY

ICOM Newsletter Term 2, Issue 4

On a quiet Thursday afternoon after all the students had

made their way home and the teachers had just finished

up with their meetings, an extraordinary rescue mission

happened at ICOM. As some of you may be aware, we

have many lost or abandoned cats who have sought ref-

uge at our school, they live underneath our classroom

portables, seeking food and shelter in stormy and cold,

hot and humid days. Since the beginning of term two, the

school staff have noticed many teeny tiny kittens roam-

ing around the school and becoming trapped underneath

the portables. Two kittens were lucky enough to be res-

cued by our amazing teachers over the last few weeks

and these teachers have gone out of their way to take

them to an animal hospital or shelter and make sure they

are looked after and possibly adopted by a family.

What a beautiful act of kindness this is.

However, the story does not stop there! As you all

know, our teachers can notice the smallest of things…

The kitten kept meowing all day long, the noise was al-

most unbearable. This scenario lasted for almost two

days and it was heart breaking to hear the little kittens

constant cry for help.

They called the animal shelters such as RSPCA, the local

vets and animal hospitals but unfortunately they also

could not provide help. By this time, the teachers knew

they had probably attempted all possible sources but

decided to try one last option and call the emergency

services – the police. And luckily enough, they agreed to

come promptly and investigate the situation. Three po-

lice officers came and attempted to take the kitten out

of the pipe, after an hour of trying, they too had no luck!

So they called the Fire Brigade. Five men from the Fire

Brigade came and were not successful either. So what

now you may ask? Seven members from SES joined in

the operation and after a few hours of their hard work

they finally saved the day! This rescue mission ended at

9.30pm! Wow, what an incredible journey that was!

From the beginning until the end, twenty-one people,

from teachers to SES members were involved in the op-

eration of rescuing the infamous ICOM kitten.

The Qur'an describes that animals form communities,

just as humans do:

"There is not an animal that lives on the earth, nor a be-

ing that flies on its wings, but they form communities

like you. Nothing have we omitted from the Book,

and they all shall be gathered to their Lord in the

end" (Qur'an 6:38).

This should serve as a constant reminder that we

must always be kind and merciful to all living beings.

Miss Aleksandra Peric

English Teacher and Debating Coordinator

ICOM Cat Rescue Mission Term 2, Issue 4 ICOM Newsletter Term 2, Issue 4

ICOM’S SCIENTISTs OF THE MONTH

The following students were chosen to be ICOM’S Scientists of

the month for their outstanding interest and motivation in the

Science classes and for their incredible Science skills and tech-

niques in the laboratory.

Razan Kamarelddin (7C)

Aimen Raza (8C)

Amir Hussein (9C)

Mohammed Hammoud (10A)

Well done Scientists.

Crystallisation of salt water.

This term the Year 7 students have been learning all about mixtures and about the different techniques that could

be used to separate mixtures.

In the laboratory they conducted an experiment which allowed them to separate a dissolved mixture of salty water

and form crystal salts. This process is known as crystallisation.

“Sheepy’ brains

The Year 9 students have been learning all about the nervous system and our body responses to changes happening

around us.

In the laboratory, they had

the opportunity to examine

and dissect a sheep’s’ brain.

The brains resemble a hu-

mans’ brain so they were

able to identify the main

parts that make up a brain:

the four lobes, the cerebel-

lum, the brain stem and the

medulla.

Ms Safa Osman Science Teacher & Coordinator

Science @ ICOM Term 2, Issue 4

The college continues to emphasize the importance of

daily attendance and punctuality. Daily attendance of stu-

dents has a paramount effect on their education. The

college will follow up on this daily and action will be tak-

en to maximise students’ attendance. Your cooperation

will be highly appreciated for the best interest of the stu-

dents.

At the Islamic College of Melbourne we aim to:

Maximise learning opportunities by ensuring stu-

dent absenteeism and late arrivals is kept to a min-

imum.

Put into place agreed processes for managing stu-

dent absences and late arrivals within the school.

Create a parent culture that views regular school

attendance and communicating student absences

to the school as important.

To ensure students abide by the college’s attendance

policy, the following is implemented:

Student attendance register is maintained daily by

following these steps;

Office staff to start checking the list of absence/

late arrivals during Period 1

Send an SMS message to parents informing them

of the students absence/late arrival and requesting

an explanation for their absence/late arrival.

If the child is absent for more than 2 days, parents

of absent students are required to notify the

school of the reason for their child’s absence/late

arrival. The notification can be made in person, via

a written note, text message and /or phone call.

These notifications are to be updated on the elec-

tronic system by the administration office.

If the child arrives late to school/class on more

than 5 occasions, the administration office will

contact the parents to provide an explanation for

the students’ continuing lateness

If the overall attendance per term is below 85%,

including late arrivals, the office will then send a

letter to the students’ parents/guardians to identi-

fy the reasons behind the poor attendance of the

particular student.

Student Responsibilities:

Students are expected to arrive to school on time

every day at 8.35am, in time for morning assembly

Students are expected to attend the classes on time

and for the entire time indicated in the timetable. If

they do not, they may be marked absent/late

If the overall attendance over each academic term

falls below 85%, the Principal or nominee will con-

tact the student. Once the student is contacted, the

student should immediately make a sincere attempt

to improve his/her attendance at the College which

includes arriving on time

If the above does not work the school will contact

the parents to discuss the student’s attendance/

lateness

Actions provided by the Principal may include con-

tacting the Department of Education and cancelling

the student’s enrolment at the college.

To obtain a late pass from the administration office.

If student comes to class without one, they are to

be sent back to the office.

Student Attendance

Term 2, Issue 4 ICOM Newsletter

Lateness and Leaving Class:

Students are expected to be at school

by 8.35am, in time for morning assem-

bly. Students who arrive after 8.45am

will receive a late pass from the ad-

ministration office which will be rec-

orded on the students file.

All students who arrive at school after

9 am, will need their parents/guardian

to fill in the ‘Late’ form which they

then take with them to class.

Students who are late to homeroom

and/or class, more than 5 minutes, are

to obtain a late pass from the admin-

istration office. If a student comes to

class without one, they are to be sent

back to the office.

Any student leaving the school

grounds before the school time is

over is required to fill in the “Early

Departure” form. This will be done

by their parent or guardian in the gen-

eral office and entered into the sys-

tem.

Actions provided by the Principal may

include contacting the Department of

Education and cancelling the student’s

enrolment at the college.

Holidays:

All students who are enrolled at the

Islamic College of Melbourne are ad-

vised to arrange their holidays during

the college term breaks. The College

discourages any leave during school

terms. Therefore, the school may not

approve leave forms submitted during

the school terms however, the princi-

pal may approve special leave on com-

passionate reasons.

Sickness:

In case of illness or other special cir-

cumstances, students may be excused

from attending classes. Such absence/

late arrivals from the classes should

be reported to the College as soon as

possible. A medical Certificate, from a

registered Medical Practitioner is re-

quired. The student should submit the

certificate to the class teacher. Par-

ents need to notify the college with an

explanation for student absence/late

arrivals other than illness. This should

be provided to the office.

For more information or to view

the policy in its entirety, please

visit the Parent Portal.

Student Attendance (cont.)

Would you like to leave some feedback about this newsletter? If so please let us know by emailing to: [email protected]

Islamic College of Melbourne

83 Wootten Road

TARNEIT VIC 3029

Phone: 03 8742 1739

Fax: 03 8742 1959

E-mail:

[email protected].

au

Term 2, Issue 4 ICOM Newsletter

islamic college of melbourne icom newsletter · they learnt the story of al-imran: yahya, zakari,...

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