Welcome Back Guide

welcome backGuide

Houston quran academy

2023-2024

Your interactive guide to the first week at your new school!Be sure to click the info and hotspot buttons for more info!

1- Office Staff

2- Uniform

3- School Supplies

4- School Timings

5- Drop-off and Pickup

6- Lunch/Snack

7- Routines

8- Absences

9- Device Policy

10- Communications

index

Sr. Dana Chehab

Sr. Mahajabin Kazia

Dr. Hamed Ghazali

Sr. Suzan Ramadan

Sr. Shamima Khalid

OFFICE STAFF

Sr. Feda Mohammad

• Solid Navy or Gray abaya
• Any color hijab (5th grade must wear amira style)
• Tennis shoes
• Plain black abaya may be worn on Fridays

5th-12th grade

East Essence Abaya:For ease and quality, you may purhcase from East Essence

KG-4th grade

uniform-girls

• Khakhi jumper ONLY
• Khakhi pants ONLY
• White or navy blue shirt
• Amira style scarf (no wrap hijabs allowed)
• Tennis shoes

• Same as above
• Long sleeve, solid colored thobe may be worn on Fridays

6th-12th grade

Students need at least two full sets of uniform, one for wear and one for the wash.

KG-5th grade

uniform-boys

• Khakhi pants ONLY
• White or navy blue Polo style shirt

• Tennis shoes

If you ordered a kit, please check if you need to buy:

• backpack (no wheels)
• water bottle
• lunchbox
• tri-fold board and posterboard
• assignment planner
• TI Nspire CX calculator
• Quran

• Bring them on the first day of school
• Label all supplies with your child's name

school supplies

School Kit

Middle and High Supply List

Elementary Supply List

School timings

Monday-Thursday

Fridays

Pre-K

One-way traffic

drop-off and pick-up

DROP-0FF AND PICKUP

• One-way traffic, 2 lanes in the same direction
• Enter through left gate, exit through right gate
• Right lane for drive through pick up
• Left lane for passing through to exit

• Pink “Walk in” windshield signs for families to park by masjid
• Walk to HQA front door for pick up

• Drive one-way in the left lane to exit

• NO double parking at any time
• NO parking in the drop off zone

• Drive through parents remain in cars
• Volunteers will help students in and out of the car

NO cell phone use during dismissal

• Patience, patience.
• Have doors unlocked and ready

lunch and snack

• Send healthy snacks with lunch everyday.
• Per HQA policy: NO chips, cookies or candy of any sort.
• Send a reusable water bottle everyday to fill up at the water filter station (We do not have a water fountain).
• Label your child's lunchbox and water bottle with your child's name and grade.

• Foods should be ready cooked (no instant noodles or frozen meals).
• Pay attention to common allergens, i.e. nuts, peanuts, etc.
• We have microwaves for warm-ups during lunch (not recess).
• Pack snacks for recess time.
• We will sell pizza on Fridays.

Lunch and Snacks

routines

1. Drop-off

2. Assembly

3. Recess

4. PE

5. Salah

6. Dismissal

Routines

The first two weeks:

• Learn about rules, procedures, and schedules.
• Find out your Quran and Arabic levels.
• Get to know Google Classroom and Orbund.
• Make new friends!

BOY and Iowa Testing:

• Beginning-of-year testing wants to see what you already know for this year's knowledge and skills.
• This test will be the exact same as the Middle and End of Year tests.
• Do your best! We want to know your true level.
• Be prepared! Get enough sleep, eat a healthy breakfast.
• Come to school on time.

absences

For absences or early-dismissals

• Notify the office and give a reason for absence by 9 AM that morning.
• For early-dismissal, provide written notice at least one day prior to the appointment. Email all the teachers as well.
• Students are responsible for their missing work.
• Pick up children from the office, not the classroom.

For travel or extended absences:

• Submit a written request to office at least one week prior to determine excusal or not.
• Students are still responsible for all missing work and tests.
• Teachers need to know in advance in order to make arrangements.
• This is discouraged due to negatively affecting student learning.

device policy

High School

No Usage

Classwork

Only high schoolers may bring devices on campus.

Devices cannot be used at school and may be confiscated.

If required by the teacher, you may use your device under supervision.

Communications

10

Look for official school emails from admin@hquranacademy.org

We also send official text messages. Text Sr. Shamima at (832) 762-9212

Call the school during business hours.

Make an appointment for a meeting or stop by the front office.

COMPLETION

• We will pray Dhuhr prayer in the men's prayer area at the masjid.
• You should try to make wudu during free time, lunch, or in between classes.
• Girls need a hijab. Everyone needs socks!
• After salah, we will read duaa together.

Salah

For a faster response...Staff will be busy before and during dismissal time. Always come to the office, and we will help you from there.For payments, Sr. Jabin's school hours are from 8:00-12:00

• Keep doors unlocked when you enter the pick-up zone, so volunteers can open the doors and help the small kids, rather than parents helping them.

• At dismissal time, you will wait to hear your family's name called out on the microphone. Then, you will exit the front door.
• Parents: Please make a sign with your child's first and last name(s) and grade(s). Display it on the dashboard of your car when you pick your child up from school.

Dismissal

At dismissal time, you will wait to hear your family's name called out on the microphone. Then, you will exit the front door.Parents: Please make a sign with your child's first and last name(s) and grade(s). Display it on the dashboard of your car when you pick your child up from school.

Dismissal

90%

visual information is better retained.

When you enter the parking lot, go towards the left, drive around the entire parking lot, and drop off your children in front of the school building. We have one-way traffic in the morning and afternoon for the safety of our children. Do not park in the spots in front of the school building during drop off or dismissal times. If you need to enter the school building or wait by the front, you may park by building A-old masjid. Pick-up and drop-off is ONLY from Building B--the main school building.Please be courteous to other parents and children and stay in line during drop-off and pick-up. Traffic is one-way only. If you park elsewhere, please form another lane and continue with the traffic. Only enter and exit the school building from the front door (by the ramp) and not the back door (facing the playground). Also, check in at the front office first if you are visiting the school during the day.

• Have doors unlocked and children ready.
• Please DO NOT get out of the car when dropping your kids, or at the time of pick up. It takes extra seconds, sometime minutes and other parents are waiting and in line.

• InshaAllah, we are sitting in the A/C cars and kids are in the school building as well, so as you approach the pick area, your kids will come out and our volunteers’ students will assist them getting in the car.
• If you are picking up your kids through the drive through, please be very patient.

Stay cool

+12k

And the data will be stored in their brain

Scheduling Appointments and Illness

• Do not schedule appointments on testing days. Check the school calendar for more details.
• Students must be fever free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.

• Student medication must be kept in the office.

+45k

...Even if you explain it orally later

+190

You can display numbers like this.

It's all new...We know it takes time to get used to a new school. If you are having trouble adjusting, please contact our counselor, Sr. Dana Chehab.

If it's late...You can text Sr. Shamima at night, but you will not get a response until later. For longer messages, email her at skhalid@hquranacademy.org

50%

of our brain is involved in the processing of visual stimuli.

• Each grade has scheduled PE class. In grades 5 and up, girls and boys are separated.
• You will receive directions about ordering a PE uniform.
• Be sure to wear athletic shoes and deoderant.
• Don't forget your water bottle!

PE

• To keep the dismissal time short, we will be giving out the Pink ‘Walk In’ Signs (two for each family) who do not want to stay in the long line.
• They can park their cars front side of the masjid ONLY, come and pick up the kids from the main HQA building and use the LEFT LANE to exit out from the school.
• Again, it’s a One-Way path during the dismissal time.
• Put your Pink Walk-in sign on the right-hand side, inside your windshield, so if the parents are watching you from the side mirror, can see the Walk-in side and feel better that you are not cutting the line and just passing by after taking their kids.

Pink Cards

• Main Entry and Exit gates are used to route traffic in the opposite direction.
• Entry Gate will be used for EXIT Only.
• Exit Gate will be used to Enter Only to one direction (Left Only).
• The Traffic will be routed to one direction only with two lanes.
• Right Hand Side Lane will be used for the Drive through pick up.
• Left Hand Side will be used for through traffic exiting the facility.

Opposite Traffic

• Enter the masjid from the side entrance (next to the gym).
• Take off your shoes and carry them to the shoe rack. You will find your classmates in line in the men's prayer area.
• We will read some duaa and listen to a short pep talk.
• Be sure to come with wudu for Duha prayer!

Assembly

Check SPAM and "Promotions"...If you don't see the school's emails, check your "Promotions" tab on Gmail and look for emails from"Houston Quran Academy" via Constant Contact.

Excessive Absences Warning:

• Wait for approval from the office before booking tickets to ensure your child's extended absence is excused.

• Students receiving 12 or more unexcused absences may forfeit credit for classes missed or have an Incomplete on their report card.

The Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) is a national test assessing Common Core standards. This is given at the beginning and at the end of the year.The BOY test in each subject measures Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). These are given 3 times a year.

Pre-K is different...The K-12 school phone number is 281-717-4622.For pre-K or Montessori, please call 281-717-4847

These are not all snack and lunch options. Please only send healthy foods to school. We allow junk food for pre-scheduled Juz parties.

Please avoid using the cell phone, especially when you enter the school facility. As during dismissal times, kids with the walk-in families are sometimes running around, and that one second of your cell phone use could harm any child. This has happened at other masjids.

Distracted driving

Door opens at 7:40. Drop off your things. Then, head to the masjid for assembly at 7:45

Drop-off

Volunteers will not allow any parents to double park and drop the kids off if getting late or at dismissal time. During Drop-off, some parents come early, so please do not park in the drop-off zone. Park outside the drop off zone while waiting to drop the small kids to the main building under your supervision.

Parking

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This will keep your class engaged.

Each grade has a scheduled recess break. You can eat snack, play outside, and chat with your friends. Make sure to bring a water bottle!

Recess