Fatima Islamic School has many short and long term goals we would like to see become a reality. All these aims require extensive funding & donations.

Short Term:

-Computer Lab: We would like to have a fully operating computer lab which allows us to bring students in each week and work with them using the numerous sources online for Shia learning. We would like them to be familiar with the site of their Marja and how to navigate through it to find answers to fiqh masail they may have.

-Islamic Library: We are working on trying to build an Islamic books library for our students. We need to acquire books on Islam at all levels on various topics for our students.  We would love to receive books from Astan e Quds foundation in Masshad and we’d like to order books from Ansariyan Publications in Qom.  Many writers are now writing books on Islam in English that are high interest and attract young readers. Having a library can make our students life-long learners.

-Teacher Training: To build a strong future, we must continuously train the teachers. We would like to receive funding to provide professional development in the area of teaching Quran and Islamic Studies. We would also like to provide strategies of managing a classroom, dealing with student behavior etc. We would like our teachers to be genuine models per the Imam’s (atfs) standards so that they can impart the proper and accurate knowledge to the next generation. If not, we risk losing this generation.

Fatima Islamic School has been serving the education needs of the FIS community for the past 22 years.  We started with 6 students and only 2 classes.  Today, we have a student population of over 60 students with 12 teachers on staff. We are also blessed to be overseen by Maulana Syed Mahir Husain who teaches students as well as guides the teachers when needed. We turn to this excellent resource to assist with tough fiqh masail, and he is always willing to help.  We teach students at grade levels Kindergarten through 8^th grade. Our students come from various cultural backgrounds and socio-economic levels. Our students include, but are not limited to, Pakistanis, Indians, Afghanis, and Iranians. We take pride in this diversity and encourage all students to respect one another and do their best.

When Fatima Islamic School started, we used very simple curriculum. Some was created by teachers, and some was taken from Tanzeem al Makkatab. Quickly, we found this was not enough for our students nor was it standardized.  In 2007, we adopted Maulana Nabi Raza Abidi’s Islamic Studies curriculum from SABA center. This curriculum covered the areas of akhlaq, fiqh, and history. After several years, we switched to the SIMS (Shia Ithnashari Madressa ) curriculum from London, England. Currently, we are using QFatima, and we launched this curriculum on Kindles which were generously donated by several community members

At Fatima Islamic School, we feel our responsibility to the Holy Quran is not fulfilled simply by reading the Quran.  Recitation and memorization are both tools of preservation and internalization of the Quran. However, we encourage our students to reflect, ponder and observe the Holy Book, incorporating it into their daily lives.  We aspire to finish Juz Amma by 6^th grade, by helping children create friendly short surah books with translation, tafseer and activities for each surah. We encourage them to not only memorize but internalize the message of the Quran. Teaching the meanings of Asma ul Husna and some basic Arabic, helps our students in reading as well as appreciating and understanding the verses they are reading.  We are using Sheikh Rizwan Arastu’s `Tajwid: A Guide to Quranic recitation’. In addition to this, our students participate in a schoolwide Quran competition. This activity builds a love for the Quran and its minute details.

Aside from the regular curriculum, our madressa hosts many special programs. Below is a brief description of each:

1. “Mock Hajj” – We recreate the main components of Hajj including ihram, tawaf, 2 rakat namaz behind makhame Ibrahim, saee, taqseer, stay at Mina, muzdalifah and jamarath. This activity brings Hajj to life for our students.
2. “Hussain Day” – Each class presents an aspect of Karbala and Imam Hussain’s (AS) struggle.  Presentations have included, women at Karbala, weapons at Karbala, the companions of Imam Hussain at Karbala, the mission of Imam Hussain, Waqiyah of Harrah, etc. This event is fantastic and operates like a museum. Parents, guests, and other students walk around and view all the exhibits. We have also done multiple 4-act plays on topics related to Karbala.
3. “Prophet Muhammad’s Wiladath” – Students present about the Prophet’s life, akhlaq, and stories in various different ways. In the past we have used songs, plays, poems, and speeches to display what they learned.
4. “Year-End” – Students display what they have learned through plays, skits, posters, Powerpoint presentations, and speeches.