Al Mustaqbal Field Trip 8/28/08

OLD NEWGATE PRISON, EAST GRANBY, CT
By Zakariyya Ahmed Coverdale. 3rd Grade Student.

In the Early 1700’s Newgate was a mine. In 1773 Newgate was a prison for serious criminals.
John Hinson was the first prisoner for burglary.
It was the first state prison in America. Newgate was closed as a prison and was once again a mine in 1827.
In 1976 Newgate was declared as a National Historic landmark.

We enjoyed a guided tour and saw the underground mine and rocks with copper.

Organization is the key

 

Organization is a paramount to success, Subhana’Allah. Everyday, we benefit from having our personal lives and life in general organized.  Allah, subhana wa Ta’alaa has organized everything that He created so as to benefit us.  As He, azza wa jall, says in the Quran, (refer to how the planets follow there course) as proof of His perfect order and to the benefit of His, azza wa jall, keeping everything organized for our benefit.  Another practical aspect in our daily lives of the importance of organization is in our daily prayers.  We are required to pray at specific times and, as a result, we organize our lives around them, Subhana’Allah.  If our prayers were not organized, we would surely be at a great loss, Subhana’Allah.  So, being organized is a necessity of live.  Studies done on this subject have shown the more organized a person is, the more successful they are in their lives, whether it be their professionals or private life.  As Muslims, we know that success comes only by Allah, azza wa jall, and He is the best example of organization.

 

In this regard, we need to be organized n order to be successful in our home schooling efforts.  Time should be organized so it is not wasted, our learning environment should be organized so as to eliminate distractions, and our courses of study should be organized so that we are prepared in advance and our students know exactly what is going to be taught and it is taught in a sequential manner.  Being prepared is vital to learning because it utilizes a technique called scaffolding, which is a way in which students build on prior knowledge.  Therefore by being organized, we save time and energy which would otherwise be wasted by having to look for learning tools such as books, notebooks and pencils, and we give our students a stable learning environment which will help them to progress without hindrance, insha’Allah.   

Why Home School your Muslim children?

With the growing decay of the public school system and the general decay of the moral and ethical standards of the American society in general, the need for Islamic schools has become readily apparent to almost all Muslims across the country. As a result, nearly every community from coast to coast has either opened up a full-time Islamic school, or is in the process of doing this. In the Connecticut and Massachusetts area, there are very few Islamic schools.  As we are the fastest growing religion and population in the world, we are in need of more Islamic Educational centers for our children.

Alaa Mencke, the coordinator and head teacher of Al-Mustaqbil, has a Masters Degree in Education and over 20 years of experience of homeschooling her children.  As many homeschool studies have shown, her children finished High School at the age of 16.  

By combining the best of both worlds, of an Islamic environment and homeschool, we will be able to offer many families this oppurtunity as well.  By providing the structure and parent involvement that children need, they will exceed far above the standards!

Presenting an Overview of Al Mustaqbal Islamic Homeschool Cooperative

Assallamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullhi

 Wa Barakatahu,

Alhamdulillah! With the help of Allah Subhana Wa Ta’ala, we would like to present a a revolutionary Islamic educational center  located inside Madinah Educational Center (MEC) at 5 National Drive in Windsor Locks.  Al Mustaqbal Homeschool Cooperative is a school for grades 1 through 12.  Similiar to a Montessori environment, children will experience multiple grading in the classroom.  This means that each child will work at his/her own level and pace.  Homeschool students typically score higher than other students on state testing and finish high school at an earlier age.  Our mission is to provide our children a quality Islamic education that is cost effective without comprising Islamic values.  A cooperative combines the best of both worlds; students can benefit in-group learning while being able to pursue individual interests or incorporating other learning styles into their educational experience.   In addition, parents and teachers will work closely together to ensure the highest quality education for their students.  It will be Islamically based using the Classical approach as a framework and field trips will be taken as a regular part of their enrichment.    By intergrating Islam into academic curriculum, Muslim students will develop a strong Islamic identity with knowledge that is far above the standards.  

 While there are many very effective methods and approaches to teaching, the approach we will be using at Al  Mustaqbal Home school Co-operative is based on the Classical approach.  The Classical approach has a framework that is called the Trivium, “which organizes learning around the maturing capacity of  a child’s mind” (Bauer).

The program of study that has been chosen uses curriculum that is both challenging and engaging:

– Grammar is emphasized throughout and Latin root words will be introduced to provide a solid foundation for study of the sciences. 

– Rhetoric will be introduced to help the student develop the skills needed to speak well and present a logical, strong argument. 
– History will be a comparative course between the western perspective and the Islamic view; by doing so, critical thinking will be reinforced.  
– The Mathematics program, created by Buffalo State University, is an incremental program that introduces a new concept while reviewing previously learned ones, will be used throughout the entire program.  Since much of the mathematical concepts we use in everyday life came from the discoveries made by Muslims, the students will be introduced these facts. 
– The Science program will be enhanced by experiments and additional reading on concepts and/or personalities that were scientists in the various fields.  Again, we will focus on the contributions made by Muslim scientists that are often the basis of western “discoveries.”

– Activities such as field trips,  4-H,  sports, and community volunteer work.

– Arabic, Quran and Martial Arts will be offered to parents by their respective teachers within the same facility.

– Alternative forms of evaluation in addition to Standardized testing will be used to determine your child’s progress.

– Multiple grading in classroom

– Islamic attire is required

– Daycare services may be available
– Grades 1 through 6 (boys and girls) and grades 7 through 12 (girls only)  
– Three to four days a week with a high level, progressive academic program that focuses on History, Grammar, Math and Science.  Computers will be part of the dynamic learning process.

– The program will be year-round with ten weeks of study and two weeks off between sessions.  The summer will have a three-week break. Tuition will not be charged for vacation weeks.

– Monthly tuition is only $175 per child for grades 1-6, $225 for grades 7-8 and $300 per child for grades 9-12, discounts for tuition for additional children is available.

– Book fees of $200 for the entire year for grades 1-6, $225 for grades 7-8 and $250 for grades 9-12 is due upon enrollment.

– Coordinator and teacher: Alaa Mencke, Masters Degree in Education, with over 20 years of Homeschool Experience. 

If you are interested or have any comments or questions feel free to Blog here!

 or contact us at:

  5 National Drive Windsor Locks, CT 06096

(860) 209-0893

almustaqbalco.op@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Does anyone in the New England area interested in an Islamic Home School Co-operative?

Assallamu Alaikum,

We are pleased to present, Al Mustaqbal, an Islamic Home School Co-operative in Windsor Locks, CT.

Teachers, Volunteers, Students, Questions and comments are all welcome!!