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TERM 2: JUNE 2017

IMPORTANT DATES

Message from Executive Principal

Dear Parents and Friends, Asslaamu Alaykum. Insha Allah, the last ten days of Ramadhan brings Allah (swt’s) blessings and mercy in each of your homes and all your duas and sacrifices in this wonderful month are accepted and rewarded by Allah (swt) the most merciful.

We take this opportunity to thank our parents and the wider school community for your support and presence at the launch of the College’s 25th Anniversary celebrations. It was a marvelous occasion as we all witnessed and to have so many of you there made the day a special one. Thank you.

We also thank all our sponsors for your generosity in helping make the occasion a memorable one. Our students’ performances were remarkable and I take this opportunity to thank the students, their families and teachers for the effort in putting up the wonderful performances.

Friday 23rd

June Last Day of Term 2 (students finish at 1:30pm)

Mon & Tues 26th –

27th

June Eid Holidays – School Closed

Monday 17th

July First Day of Term 3 – finishes at 3:35pm (Normal Time) (Canteen re-opens following Ramadan)

Wednesday 16th

August Curriculum Day (School closed for students)

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It is my pleasure to announce to the College community, that the College, in conjunction with ‘Hello World Travel Dandenong’, will be offering an Umrah trip to the Year 12 Dux of the College at both Springvale and Officer Campus. The student with the highest ATAR score from each of the College campuses will be eligible to receive a return air ticket and accommodation in both Makkah and Madina courtesy of “Hello World Travel Dandenong”. The Dux from each campus will nominate one other person to accompany them with return air ticket and accommodation paid for as well. This Umrah reward is an incentive in addition to the College’s existing rewards for the VCE high achievers at both campuses.

On another note, I would like to thank all those parents who provide valuable feedback. This helps us improve our practice and your feedback is always welcome.

Parents, we are in for an exciting time ahead at Minaret College with the Place of Assembly nearing completion at Springvale, foundation slabs being poured for the Early Learning Centre at Springvale and construction to commence in a few weeks with the state-of-the-art VCE Centre at Officer Campus. All the capital works is designed to provide the best quality facilities for our students.

Insha Allah, our students will have a restful break and return next term energized and eager to learn. Once announced by the Board of Imam’s, Eid prayers will be held at Springvale Campus at 8.00 am while Takbeer will commence at 7.30 am We wish you, your families and all Muslims a joyous Eid. Mohammed Taksim Executive Principal.

Office Hours During Term Holidays 9.00 am - 4.00 pm

The Office will be closed:

Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th June

Message from the Office

Dear Parents,

Our uniform supplier has introduced a new on-line ordering system and parents can now buy Minaret College uniforms on-line To do so, you need to: 1. Go to www.academyuniforms.com.au 2. Select ‘Order Online’ 3. Select ‘Minaret College’ 4. Password is: Springvale 5. Items will be sent home for a FLAT $10 (posted next day) or delivered to school (weekly) free of charge. For any clarifications please call Academy Uniforms on (03) 9574 1314.

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Message from Executive Manager Operations

Project updates

Alhamdulillah, the Place of Assembly building is in the final stages of completion. Good progress has been made in the last few months with carpet laid, wudu areas completed, lights installed. In Shaa Allah we will soon reach the Practical completion stage. The Certificate of Occupancy is now awaited from the building surveyor.

Minaret College has exciting times ahead, Insha Allah, in providing quality facilities for students and creating environments for student centeredness.

1. New Early Learning Centre for Springvale Campus. Construction has started on site and the building is expected to be completed by February 2018. It will have capacity for 60 children.

2. The major refurbishment of the toilets in the Multi-Purpose Hall will begin on 26

th June and is expected to be

completed by end of August. The impact of the refurbishment is that the toilets will be closed during construction. We are mindful that Term 3 begins on 17

th July and by then we will have the Place of Assembly

building ready and students can use the new toilet facilities until the existing toilets in the MPH is refurbished. 3. The new VCE Centre for Springvale is waiting for planning approval from City of Greater Dandenong Council. 4. Great news, Alhamdulillah, we have received the planning permit for the construction of VCE/Admin building

along with full master plan for Officer Campus. Tenders for the VCE/Admin building at Officer Campus have concluded and contract has been awarded for construction. The construction is to begin on site on 24

th July

2017 and expected to be completed by 29th June 2018.

5. The contractor is currently preparing the site establishment plan which will no doubt impact on the traffic. We

request parents and staff to cooperate with the builder’s site traffic management and ensure safety is maintained during pick-up & drop-off of children at the campus. Traffic management plan during construction is being prepared and will be communicated to parents very soon Insha Allah.

6. Springvale Campus oval upgrade works are planned during Spring this year. Unfortunately during the

upgrading works the oval will remain closed. We will update you on details in the next newsletter. 7. Planning is underway for an outdoor senior students play equipment zone at Officer campus. More on this

later. 8. The launch of the Environmental Sustainability Plan 2017. Sustainability addresses

the ongoing capacity of The Earth to maintain all life. Minaret College’s plan will provide the framework for ensuring the Minaret Community plays an important role in maintaining the planet earth by minimizing landfill, increasing recycling and reduction of emissions.

9. As part of Environmental Sustainability Plan we will be designing and installing

extensive solar power generating equipment at both campuses in 2017/18. I wish you all Eid Mubarak!

Subhan Ali Executive Manager Operations

Interior - Place of Assembly Construction commences on Early Learning Centre

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NOTICES & INFORMATION Calendar Events

KidsMatter

The Silver Jubilee Launch through the Family Fun Day was a wonderful experience for everyone in the school community, especially parents and the students. It was a pleasure to see the active involvement of students in performances as well as Fundraising activities.

The Counselling Department continued their well being sessions targeting bullying. While the AFP session raised awareness on issues related to cyber-bullying, in-class sessions equipped the students with strategies to tackle bullying. Health and Hygiene Sessions for Year 5 and 6 were equally beneficial. Social and Emotional Learning will be strengthened further by the inclusion of a Respectful Relationships Program in the coming terms.

Meanwhile, there will be more opportunities for parent involvement in Term 3 during Science, Literacy, Numeracy and Book Weeks. Parent and student surveys will also be conducted next term for gathering some valuable feedback. Parents can visit the following link or scan the QR code to get more information on parenting related topics - https://www.kidsmatter.edu.au/families

23rd

June Last Day of Term 2 (students finish at 1:30pm)

26

th - 27

th June Eidul Fitr

(School Closed)

17th July First Day of Term 3 – finishes at 3:35pm

(Normal Time) (Canteen re-opens following Ramadan)

27

th

July Parent / Teacher Interviews (Springvale Secondary) 4:00pm – 7:00pm

16

th August Curriculum Day

(School closed for students)

Message from the Principal (Springvale Campus)

Dear parents, students, staff and friends of Minaret College, Assalaamu alaikum.

We have raised over $7,000 which will be distributed to the needy people of Somalia, who have been severely affected by drought and food shortage. Thank you all for your help and contributions. A few more charity events deserve a mention. On Curriculum Day, teachers organised Minaret’s Biggest Morning Tea and raised much needed funds for the Cancer Council. The charity continues with our current halal food bank drive and a street Iftar for the homeless. Overall, it’s been a very rewarding experience and I congratulate everyone for their tireless efforts and demonstration of true Islamic and Australian spirit in helping others. May Allah accept our actions and grant us hidayah and barakah. Finally, I wish all our students, staff and parents a joyous Eid.

Sead Omerovic Principal (Springvale Campus)

Alhamdulillah, we are approaching the end of Semester 1, which has been filled with many exciting events and activities. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents and staff who have been working collaboratively to make a difference to student learning and for all their effort in making extra-curricular activities successful. In the lead up to Ramadan and in cooperation with Human Appeal International, the school ran the Annual Ramadan Fundraiser, which was mostly managed by our students. It was indeed pleasing to see the students put into practice what was learnt in class about charity, zakat and community involvement. Many parents and staff contributed generously as well.

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Minaret College Ramadan Quran Competition – Winners

The Quranic Studies department conducted a Ramadan Quran competition. It was finalized on the 6th of June (11

th of

Ramadan) this semester. Students from both campuses participated in this competition and performed extremely well. Their level of recitation and Tajweed were excellent. Their interest in the learning of the Holy Quran shows how much they love the Holy Quran. As Prophet PBUH said: ” Whoever loves the Quran, then he loves Allah and His Messenger.”(At Tabaraanee) The prophet (pbuh) also said “Recite the Quran, for verily it will come on the Day of Judgement as an intercessor for those who recite it.” (Muslim) Allah the Most High says, “Verily those who recite the book of Allah, establish the prayer (As-Salaah), and spend out of that which We have provided for them, both secretly and openly, they hope for a business (trade) that will never fail.” (35:29) Our competition was conducted at 5 levels: from each level we had three winners.

The first winner of each level were rewarded $150

The second winner of each level were rewarded $100

The third winner of each level were rewarded $50

All the winners were also awarded a certificate of achievement.

The winners recited a few verses of the Holy Quran after Friday Prayer.

The winners are as follows:

Level Ranking Name Campus

Level 1 1 Muiz Musaddiq 2B Springvale

2 Abdullah Al-Zahrani 2D Springvale

3 Yousef Jabari 2B Springvale

Level 2 1 Farhaan Safi 3D Springvale

2 AbdulMoiz Hassan 4A Springvale

3 Umama Khan 4A Officer

Level 3 1 Marjan Ghanizada 5B Officer

2 Zainab Azadzoi 5A Officer

3 Zaki Azadzoi 6B Officer

Level 4 1 Rama Salah 7A Officer

2 Mariam El-Samman 7A Springvale

3 Talha Zolj 7B Springvale

Level 5 1 Numair Khan 10C Springvale

2 Abdul Malik Hassan 9C Springvale

3 Yusuf Marzouk 9B Springvale

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SPRINGVALE CAMPUS

Highlights

Geography Excursion to Marysville

Students from Unit 1 Geography ventured out to Marysville in country Victoria. With almost 2 hours of journey ahead of us, we knew that we were all in for a treat. Marysville was ravaged by devastating Black Saturday bushfires in 2009, with 95% of the town completely destroyed. With 173 deaths, it is the worst disaster in Australian history. Students explored the town, starting from the Black Saturday Museum of history to the Historic Bushfire Learning Centre. Afterwards, students enjoyed the immaculate scenery as we made our way to Steavenson Falls. It was a wonderful experience.

Aquinas College Long Walk

My fellow colleagues, our level coordinator, Br Ahmad Naushad, and I were given the opportunity to attend the ‘Aquinas College Long Walk’ on the 23

rd May.

Upon arrival, a speech was given by two junior students based on equality and afterwards, the walk started, led by two Indigenous leaders, former senator, Nova Peris and former AFL player, Michael Long. A number of flags were being waved, each representing different schools. This was a great opportunity for us to meet students from different schools with diverse backgrounds. We learnt a lot from each other and further appreciated multiculturalism in Australia.

M Arshad Auhammud Year 11

Visit to Yarraman Nursing Home

On Thursday 25th May, Minaret College Year 12 students enjoyed their visit to the Yarraman Nursing Home. Students spent their visit chatting and playing a game with the residents. It was a very rewarding experience, listening and sharing interesting stories. The residents wanted to know more about our students, their studies and future careers. They were all very appreciative of our visit. Our students discovered that a small amount of time shared can make a huge difference to others. The Year 12 students are planning to continue their ‘random acts of kindness’ during their final term of school.

Little Wood Workers

Foundations students had a wonderful time being little wood workers for a day this term as we are learning about how toys move. We were fortunate to have Jim from Little Woodworkers, an incursion provider, help the students to make their own quality wooden toys. We made beautiful looking wooden planes. Children used appropriate tools and safety equipment like goggles, drills and mullets to assemble their planes. They also learnt a lot about environmental sustainability in a unique way and the importance of trees in our lives. The students found the activity very engaging and will remember the experience for a long time to come.

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Buddy Activity Programme

As part of the Buddy Activity Programme we, the students of 4B and 6B, teamed up with our buddies to make beautiful Ramadan cards. We sold these cards along with the Ramadan and Eid masjid pop–up cards at our school’s 25

th Jubilee Celebration and

raised funds for charity. The Senior Primary Classes were united in this effort and supported each other by making more cards for the event. Year 6 girls, in particular, helped immensely by making different coloured flower brooches and all of this was to raise funds for a worthy cause.

Banan Bantum & Rahmatullah Naser.

“Clothing for Dawah” Program

We have, alhamdulillah, successfully implemented a “Clothing for Dawah” program at Primary School, Springvale Campus, during Ramadan this year. We collected about a ton of clothing and other materials and have donated these to the “Clothing for Dawah” project of Mercy Mission. Through this program our students have learned how they can use their unused materials to benefit the community for the sake of Allah (swt) and reduce waste.

Creative Collage Work

Year 3’s are learning about living and non-living things this term. In The Arts, we experimented with some different artistic techniques to produce a collage on living things. We used some art techniques such as little pieces of paper to create different effects in our beautiful natural landscapes with the use of animals. We also used different coloured papers to create Earth, Water and Sky. We felt that it was the most interesting and fun activity ever.

Kifah, Elham, Nadhira & Hamza – Year 3

Study of Rocks

On 7th June, Year 4’s had an incursion on ‘Rocks’ for

the Inquiry Unit they have been studying this term. The students had a lot of hands-on opportunities to explore different properties of rocks while doing their investigations. Students had an excellent time and lot of fun.

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Sound and Hearing

The Year 2 students enjoyed the topic of ‘Sound and Hearing’ this term. The incursions were very engaging and children were able to apply the skills gained to make their own projects. Students took great pride in presenting their work to class. Students are very excited to work on coding to create their own interactive animations on the ipads. It was wonderful to see discussions taking place and the pride students took when presenting their animations. This is a fun and engaging way to strengthen logical thinking and design.

25

th Years Anniversary Presentation

On the 25th year Anniversary, students from Year 5 presented and assisted in the production of a magnificent presentation for the Welcome Ramadan Assembly. The following students assisted tremendously in the production of our presentation: Dawood Bektas, Zubair Bilal, Abdulbari, Ali, Ayaan , Moheeb,Ahsaan and Mellisa. We followed the shakespearan concept of how justice should not function in the absence of mercy. It was an awesome experience for me.

Dawood Bektas - 5C

Welcome Ramadan Decoration

Ramadan is here in full vigour in Year 1 classrooms. Students and teachers of Year 1 took time to decorate their classes for welcoming Ramadan. Students enjoyed making Ramadan cards for Mum and Dad along with learning more about Ramadan through different Islamic picture books and stories. The students also made their own Ramadan book to showcase their understanding of this Holy month. Numeracy is also integrated through the Islamic Calendar where our enthusiastic students love keeping track of this beautiful month and ticking the days they have fasted. Overall, it’s been an amazing opportunity for all to pray, do good deeds and count on our blessing by thanking Allah!

Debating Success

Minaret College’s Year 8 & Year 9 debating teams were successful in their inter-school debating competition on Tuesday 16

th May. Congratulations to

both teams for their brilliant performance. Best speakers were Radhi Rashdan and Amina Elkasovic. Well done students, we are proud of you. Pictured are our successful Year 8 & Year 9 Teams.

Campus Experience Excursion

On the 17th May, all Year 10 students spent the day at

Monash University and enjoyed the Campus Experience excursion. The focus was on University courses and life at university in general. The activities that were organised were very beneficial, in particular the ‘question & answer’ session with current Monash students which erased many of our doubts and concerns about university. We also had a tour around the campus. By the end of the trip, many of us felt ready for the journeys awaiting us in the future. Faizah Quadri 10A

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OFFICER CAMPUS

Message from Secondary School Assalamu Alaikum

In Chapter 2 [Surah Al Baqarah) of the Holy Quran [Verse 45], Allah SWT says, ‘And seek help through patience and prayer’. The theme of Term 2 for Secondary School at Officer Campus is ‘patience and perseverance’ through sincere prayer, kindness and charity. Students in Secondary have certainly been working well on this theme and have been engaging in some wonderful projects this term including: volunteering for the elderly at ISOMER retirement village, contributing to food for the needy through the HALAL FOOD BANK, donating second hand clothes for the homeless through the Year 10 HOPE FOR HUMANITY project and students have raised money to build a well in drought stricken Somalia. All these projects have given students the motivation and inspiration to better themselves during this Holy month of Ramadan. At Minaret College we value the contribution of our families and we held a study skills session to support parents. It was a very informative evening and we encourage more parents to participate in these events. I would also like to urge parents to remember that when it comes to your child’s education, time is very valuable and every day counts. Therefore please ensure that your child attends school regularly and in the correct school uniform. The school uniform is an important aspect of your child’s education as it promotes pride in the school and assists your child in looking their best and doing their best. As we are now in the colder months, students must be in their winter attire, with layered undergarments if they are too cold. The uniform requirements apply to both girls and boys and includes P.E./Sport uniform which is compulsory for any student who is representing the College in interschool sports and events. The School Sports Victoria (SSV) Interschool program has been a huge success in Secondary this term with our students participating enthusiastically with students from other schools. I would like to commend the P.E. teachers for their tremendous efforts in organising these activities. I pray that Allah SWT gives us all patience and perseverance during the remaining month of Ramadan and may our prayers and fasting be accepted.

Ramadan Kareem to all students, staff and parents! Jamillah Giousoh Secondary School Team Leader

Message from Primary School

We have had a very busy Term 2 at our Campus. MashaAllah, a number of events and activities have taken place, many achievements accomplished and many wonderful plans are on its way for Term 3 InshaAllah. End of Term 2 is fast approaching and alhamdulilah, we have had some excited Ramadan activities throughout the last four weeks, which all the primary students from Foundation to Year 6 participated in. We are pleased to announce that in the final round of the Quran competition with Springvale Primary School, we have four winners from Officer Campus Primary School and one from our Secondary School. Officer primary students from Foundation to Year 6 had a fantastic and colourful performance at the Silver Jubilee Launch on the 20

th May as part of the

25th Anniversary Celebrations. Students also

participated in the Welcome Ramadan assembly as well as participated in the fundraising event on the same day, where the collected amount by both Primary and Secondary schools was given to the Human Appeal Organisation. On the 9

th June we held our combined Year 6 and

Year 7 camp on campus (Loving Ramadan annual camp). This camp aimed at allowing our students to understand, internalize, appreciate and ultimately love the greatest month in the Islamic calendar. Simply put, the goal was to help our students to make this Ramadan their best Ramadan ever. I wish everyone a joyful and safe Eid break and looking forward to seeing our students on Monday 17

th July (first day of Term 3) InshaAllah.

Eid Mubarak!

Masouda Keshtiar Primary School Team Leader

2017 NAPLAN

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), fall in May every academic year. At Officer, our students in Years 3 and 5 sat for this assessment with disciplined and mature attitude. All staff involved, with great dedication, endeavored to prepare and support participating students. I am also sure that parents encouraged and provided the necessary guidance and attention at home so that students were ready for NAPLAN with a minimum level of anxiety. Thank you, parents and staff, whole-heartedly for all your support and contribution in making NAPLAN a smooth experience for our students. Also, I am hopeful that we will receive fabulous results, Inshah-Allah.

Khatol Obaid Primary School Curriculum Coordinator

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Providing Help with Exam Stress

Students entering into Senior School know there will be many differences to adjust to from their middle school days. Workloads, class timetables, and their own independence are all changes they are prepared to face. But many students don’t realize there are also many differences in the way tests are scheduled and administered at the Senior School level. So when that first exam period rolls around, it can be an extremely stressful time. Research has found that a vast majority of VCE students feel increased stress and anxiety at exam time but there are a number ways parents can help their children manage exam stress. One of the first things parents can do to help their students through their first round of exams is to make sure they don’t wait until the last minute to prepare. As soon as the exam dates are determined, help them organize a schedule to stay on top of their work, and provide gentle reminders throughout the semester to make sure they don’t procrastinate. Finally and most importantly, be sure to remember how vital love and support are to your children. Offering support is as simple as acknowledging the stress they are feeling. Help your child keep a positive attitude, and remind him or her that the first round of exams is not likely to make or break their entire VCE journey. It will all go a long way in helping your child become as relaxed and ready as possible.

Poem - Peace for All

From childhood we have dreams and ambitions We have goals that we want to pursue We have goals that we want to see through Dreams that people grow to do When you are down and feeling blue Ask and it shall be given to you When there is trouble in your mind God says to seek and you may find Knock on the door and He will open within As your God may wash away your sin You may be poor or you may be wealthy You may be sick or you may be healthy We may be Muslims or we may be Jews There may be differences of opinions and views But we must stand together Never falter Undivided and United. Poem written by Hafsah- 9B.

Highlights Building Harmony Project

Officer campus hosted the “Building Harmony Project” on Thursday 25

th May, bringing together students

from five schools of Cardinia Shire. The program provides Year 6 students with intercultural experiences through sports and activities that has the potential to transform their understandings and learn to respect other religions. During their visit this term, the children enjoyed working on various STEM projects, coming up with different and unique ways of finding solutions. Each group was then carefully observed and marked on teamwork, solution and innovative ideas.

STEM Challenge Activity

Year 4 boys and girls had so much fun doing this Soft Landing STEM Challenge Activity from the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA). Students made their own airbag system to land an egg safely on the ground using various materials, such as balloons and craft sticks, just as three rovers have landed safely on Mars using an airbag system. They followed the steps in the Engineering Design Process for this activity. This lesson fits well with this term's Inquiry theme of Day and Night, as well as the STEM program being ran at Officer Campus by the Year 4 team.

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Understanding Australian History

English Challenge Year 5 students recently had an opportunity to go on an excursion to increase their understanding of Ned Kelly. On Tuesday 23

rd May, the Year 5 students went to

the Police Museum in the city. After an information session about Ned Kelly and policing in 19

th Century

Victoria, the students had the opportunity to look through the museum and dress up as police officers from the 1800s through to this century. Our students were impeccable in their behavior and showed a strong understanding of our topic at the museum. The police staff commented that our students were one of the best behaved groups they had taken through the museum in recent times. To celebrate this, Br Mohammed Taksim presented each student with a chocolate police medallion and a congratulatory letter was sent home to each family.

Welcome Ramdan Assembly

National Aviation Museum

On Wednesday 24th May, Year 6 visited the National

Aviation Museum of Australia at Moorabbin Airport. Here they had the opportunity to look at different planes from WW1 through to current day and enjoy the chance to sit in different cockpits and pretend to fly the planes. Students have been reading about the Battle of Britain in class and were able to increase their knowledge of the aircraft used during WW2 while at the museum.

Beaconsfield Nature Conservation Reserve

This term, all Year 7 students at Officer Campus have been involved in volunteering activities at BNCR as part of the Connections Program. The reserve is local native bush-land, closed off from the public, for the purpose of providing local wildlife a safe haven. Students began their first visit with a bushwalk to familiarize themselves with the reserve and learn a bit about its flora and fauna from the Public Lands Manager, Mr. Geoff Lockwood. Subsequent visits involved placing tiles for animals to burrow under and removing aggressive plants which invade the native plant life and impact native wildlife.

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Ancient Egypt Exhibition

In Term 2, Year 7 students researched, designed and constructed their very own Ancient Egyptian artefacts that represented an aspect of Ancient Egyptian society. Students displayed the artefacts in their classroom where they welcomed other classes to view these pieces, so that all could appreciate the dedication and hard work put in to making these wonderful artefacts. A big thank you to Miss Yoanita and Miss Lina for putting this successful exhibit together.

Visiting Isomer Retirement Home We, the Year 9A students of Officer Campus, visited Isomer Retirement Home as part of our Connections Program. During out visit, we had a tour of the retirement home, met some of the residents and were able to learn a lot about the place. By volunteering to help the elderly, we can experience many things, such as: talking to people outside of our age group and helping those who need it. Going to the retirement home and being with the elderly not only gave us an insight into the lives of the elderly, but made us appreciate the Islamic values of volunteering, like patience and kindness.

Sara Abdul and Aneesa Karim Year 9A

Forces for ‘Movement’

In Foundation we have been exploring the way objects, animals and people move. In particular, we have explored toys from the past and present and discovered what forces encourage them to move. On 10

th May, students participated in a hands-on

incursion to discover how toys have changed from 100 years ago until today as well as how different toys move in different ways to bring about enjoyment for children around the world. This inquiry has provided the Foundation students with numerous opportunities to develop their English, Maths, History, Science and Social skills! A fantastic first semester at Minaret College.

Ramadan Kareem

Minaret College Officer Campus wishes all the parents, students and staff RAMADAN KAREEM! To welcome this holy month, for the first time the school organised small gift bags of dates with the Dua for starting and breaking the fast. The students were visibly delighted to take home this small but significant gift and share it with their parents. Minaret College wishes each and every one a great Ramadan and may Allah SWT accept all our fasting, prayers, good deeds and duas. Ameen

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Ramadan Camp 2017

Assalamualaykum, I am Noor. On the 9th June I took

part in a Ramadan Camp in school. I was looking forward to it all week. During the camp, we learnt to reflect on our Ramadan so far, the blessings that we enjoy and pratical ways of making most of the last ten days and Laylatul Qadr. One highlight was the Iftar - when we ate together with our friends, teachers and parents. That was really nice. Afterwards, we performed Isya’ Salah, Taraweeh then read Quran together before bed. I don't remember ever praying all five of my daily prayers in jamaah before, until today and taraweeh even! Thank you teachers for organising this for us! Alhamdulillah

Noor

Macbeth Play

Students have been performing the play Macbeth. Each student memorized at least ten lines from the play. Costumes were loaned from Ms Keely. The effort was appreciated by all students and added to their understanding and enjoyment. At the end of this term, approximtely half of the class will travel to the city to see the play performed live by the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Year 10 English

Students performing a scene from Macbeth.

Excursion To Rush HQ

In Term 1, Year 8B went on an excursion to Rush HQ. It was an amazing experience, competing for who could jump the highest, and who had the best skills on a trampoline. We were like kids in a candy shop; we didn’t know which area to start! There was a dodgeball arena, the gauntlet, the foam pit, a basketball place, where you could play basketball on the trampoline, and a rock-climbing area. After that, we got to go to Nando’s, which was conveniently across the road. It was an overwhelming experience, and we can’t wait to go to our next excursion, Insha’Allah. Suad Ali, 8B

SSV Interschool Sport Competition

2017 is the first year the Officer Campus has been involved with SSV interschool sport competition. Term 2 has seen our first taste of success with two students progressing through to the second level of inter-school cross country. Well Done to Nafisa Amin and Tanaz Faizey. We have also started to see some success in our team sports. Our Year 7 boys and girls all experienced some victory in soccer and netball while the primary soccer team were premiers for both the boys and girls at district level competition. The girls then played the next level and came runner-up in the division final. The Primary boys soccer are yet to play at the division level but will continue training and will do so on the 28

th July. We wish these boys well.

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Myuna Farm

This term, our Preschool and ELC children attended an excursion to Myuna Farm. This excursion formed part of our focus topic “Farm Animals”. Children explored the farm commencing with an introductory talk from one of the farmers. The aim was to make the connection between what we eat and what is produced on the farm. All the farm experiences were facilitated by the trained staff. These included: milking the goat, handling and feeding farm animals and also a train ride to the wetlands. Overall, we had a fun educational experience and learnt a lot from experiencing these farming practices firsthand. At Minaret, we believe that outdoor-learning forms a vital part of a child’s learning. It not only gives exposure to a range of different experiences, but also provides an ideal opportunity to involve children in the world around them.

Study & Enjoyment of Birds

We had an incursion on ‘birds’ at Officer ELC on Tuesday the 6

th June. This was organised in relation

to our program on Birds. Springvale Preschool children visited Officer ELC and had a fabulous time with their counterparts. Children had the chance to touch and feel different types of chickens, pigeons and quill. Children fed the birds, carried them and some gave them a gentle pat. This experience gave the opportunity for the children to have hands-on experience in handling birds. Also students from Springvale and Officer enjoyed the chance to play and spend time with each other.

SPRINGVALE & OFFICER

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