Falcon Weekly Reminder

October 19 - October 23

UAF Mission

The mission of the Universal Academy of Florida is to teach our students the principles and practices of Islam and prepare them for academic success and good citizenship.

Ayah of the Week

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَنْ كَانَ لَيِّنًا هَيِّنًا سَهْلًا حَرَّمَهُ اللهُ عَلَى النَّارِ

Abu Huraira reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever is kind, affable, and easy-going, Allah will forbid him from entering Hellfire.”

Source: al-Sunan al-Kubrá lil-Bayhaqī 20806

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Attendance policy

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. In case of absence, parents must call or email the school at absent@uaftampa.org by 9.30 a.m. to explain the reason(s) for their child(ren)’s absence. Students who miss class will receive a zero for classwork, if the reason is unexcused.
Students must go to the homeroom before first period. Homeroom teachers take attendance from 8:15 am - 8:30 pm.
If a student misses homeroom but attends all classes, they must email absent@uaftampa.org and their homeroom teacher Cc'd, letting them know they were late and attended the rest of the classes, otherwise they will be marked absent.
Parents must email the teacher if their child missed any periods for them to be excused and be able to make up the work.
Please review the following FAQs and make note of the reasons that are considered excused and unexcused.
Attendance is the responsibility of students and parents. Please do not travel unless it's absolutely necessary and you can guarantee no disruption to your child's remote learning. Therefore, they must still log in to their zoom sessions following the schedule and completing their assignments.

Parents need to make sure to notify the teachers, Divisional Head and the Principal if you plan on traveling PRIOR to traveling. Absence for the students that are traveling and are not able to attend their zoom sessions are not considered an excused absence, unless the reason is approved by the Principal.

Attendance Policy FAQs

Why is attendance important?

Regular attendance is vital to student’s success in school. The student who is frequently absent misses direct instruction from his/her teachers even though written work can be made up. Any day or hour absent is a missed learning opportunity. Also, students that are on Step Up or other scholarships may lose their scholarships if they do not attend a certain number of days as part of their guidelines.

What happens if the student does not attend homeroom?

If the student does not attend homeroom they are marked absent for the entire day. If a student misses homeroom but attends all classes, the parents must email absent@uaftampa.org and their homeroom teacher Cc'd, letting them know they were tardy and attended the rest of the classes, otherwise they will be marked absent for the day.

What happens if I forget to call or email the school for my child’s absence on the day of his/her absence?

You may call or email absent@uaftampa.org to verify your child’s absence up to 72 hours after your child has been absent. Absences that are not verified within the time allowed will be considered unexcused absences.

What are the acceptable reasons for an Excused absence?

UAF follows Hillsborough County Public Schools' Attendance Policy and considers the following factors to be make the absences as excused for time missed at school:

	A.	Personal illness of the student
		A student who has demonstrated a pattern of absences due to illness may be required to present medical verification to the principal.
	B.	Court appearance of the student
	C.	Medical appointment of the student
		A note from a health care provider may be required.
	D.	Emergencies approved by the principal
		A written request from the parent/legal guardian is submitted to the principal at least three days prior to the date of absence. The parent will be notified of the decision. Absence for the students that are traveling and are not able to attend their zoom sessions are not considered an excused absence, unless the reason is approved by the Principal.
	E.	Attendance at a center under Children and Families Services supervision
	F.	Accident resulting in injury to the student
	G.	Observance of an established religious holiday
	H.	Death of a close relative
		For purposes of this policy, close relatives shall be defined as the father, mother, brother, sister,stepbrother, stepsister, half-sister, half-brother, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, grandparents, or members of his/her own household.

Absences not included in excused absences listed above shall be unexcused.

Important Reminders for parents

UAF's Social Media: Stay updated with real time updates, fun information and pictures of our school events by liking and following us on our new Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/UAFtampa) and Instagram! (https://www.instagram.com/universalacademyofflorida/).
Quarter 1 Report Cards: Quarter 1 ends tomorrow (Monday, Oct. 19). Report cards for Quarter 1 will be available in Parent Plus Portals by Friday (10/23) afternoon, Insha'Allah.
AP Exam Registration (For High School Students): AP Exam forms are due no later than October 30th (no exceptions). You must turn it in to the front office, along with the payment (cash or check). If you think you qualify for a reduced fee, you must bring in a 1040 tax form for the year 2019. Click here to print a copy of AP exam registration form.
MAP Testing Scores: MAP testing scores for students in grades 2-10 have been posted on Plus Portals. Please make sure to sign in to your Plus Portal accounts to view your child(ren)'s scores. Please click here to view MAP Parent Guide . If you need help interpreting the report, please contact Sr. Hayat at hayati@uaftampa.org
Book Pick-Up: If you need to pick up a book for your child from school, please call the front office to make sure the books are available to be picked up during Office hours (Front office hours are from Monday-Thursday 8:00am-3:30pm and Friday 8:00am-1:30pm). Please do not visit classrooms to pick up any books without permission. You must report to the front office if you are coming to pick up books.
Zoom Etiquette and On-Camera Tips: Parents, please do not attend the virtual classes with your students. They must be independently working with their teachers and peers. Be mindful of your child’s background, sometimes a teacher is recording the session and must send the recording to students. You don’t want to be caught on the camera!
Teachers Office Hours: Teachers office hours are Monday-Thursday 3:10-3:45pm and Friday 1:10-1:30pm. They will sign in every day during this time in their zoom waiting for any questions or concerns.
Virtual Student Handbook: Please click here to read the Virtual Student Handbook and make sure to have your child(ren) understand the expectation and policies.
Student Dress Code: All students are required to come dressed to their live lessons per school uniform.

FERPA AGREEMENT

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. We have noticed many parents sitting in on the students zoom session listening and observing the other students in the classroom. This may be a violation to the students' rights according to this law. Therefore, we are asking parents not to engage/listen/or attend their students zoom sessions for the privacy and security of our students. You may set your students up on Zoom, aid them with any technical difficulties, etc before class. However, you may not be present during their class period.

We need all our parents to conform to FERPA laws and sign the FERPA agreement by clicking the following link : https://app.hellosign.com/s/LntGfdhX .

(One form per family).

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This Week at UAF

Monday, October 19:

End of Quarter 1 - Half day for all students. Dismissal at 12:10pm (4th period is the last period)
Secondary (6th-12th Grade) Morning Assembly - (Attendance is Mandatory)
Virtual Chess Club for Middle School students during Middle School lunch @ Br. Waleed's Zoom link

Tuesday, October 20:

Hadith Club with the Principal at 7:40am
Elementary (1st-5th Grade) Morning Assembly & Barakah Booster Assembly - (Attendance is Mandatory)

Wednesday, October 21:

Hadith Club with the Principal at 7:40am
Secondary (6th-12th Grade) Morning Assembly - (Attendance is Mandatory)

Thursday, October 22:

Hadith Club with the Principal at 7:40am
Elementary (1st-5th Grade) Morning Assembly - (Attendance is Mandatory)

Friday, October 23:

Schoolwide Morning Assembly/Surah Kahf Recitation (1st-12th Grades)

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Br. Waleed's Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/6238325903?pwd=MG5ZNEdiWkJDemFIK0NXd2hsSWNKUT09

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Assalamu Alaikum Dear UAF Parents,

When our kids are young, we do our best to help them get the most out of the Internet while protecting them from the risks and downsides of the online world. As children mature into teenhood, our role shifts to helping them learn to make their own safe and thoughtful decisions as they navigate their digital lives.

At UAF, we believe in partnering with parents and preparing our students to:

• Think critically and evaluate websites, email, and other content online

• Protect themselves from online threats, including bullying and scams.

• Get smart about sharing: what, when, how, and with whom.

• Be kind and respectful toward other people online, including respecting their privacy.

• Ask for help with tricky situations from a parent or other trusted adult.

October is Digital Citizenship Month and this year, these efforts will include Be Internet Awesome, a multifaceted program designed to teach kids in Upper Elementary and Middle School the skills they need to be safe and smart online, beginning October 5th. One of the resources, Interland, is a browser-based game that makes learning these skills interactive and fun – just like the Internet itself. Developed by Google in partnership with educators, researchers, and online-safety experts at The Net Safety Collaborative and iKeepSafe.org, Be Internet Awesome provides fun, age-appropriate learning experiences built around five foundational lessons:

• Share with Care

• Don’t Fall for Fake

• Secure Your Secrets

• It’s Cool to Be Kind

• When in Doubt, Talk It Out

Smart, safe technology usage can enable students to help drive their own learning and help our school function better. We believe the Be Internet Awesome program will mark an important step toward our goal of ensuring that all our students at UAF are learning, exploring, and staying safe online, both inside and outside the school walls. For Lower Elementary, I will be reading books about Digital Citizenship and having a discussion.

We invite you to check out the resources for families that are available at https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us. We encourage you to ask your student about what activities they are participating in and continue the conversation at home – and who knows, you just might pick up a few privacy and security tricks yourself!

Thank you and JAK,

Morning atkhar & Morning assembly

Morning Assembly will take place daily with all our students online at 8:00 a.m via Zoom.

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2723468915

Tuesday & Thursday: Elementary (Grades 1st-5th) (Mandatory Attendance)

Monday & Wednesday: Secondary (Grades 6th-12th) (Mandatory Attendance)

Friday: School Wide Surah Kahf Recitation (1st-12th Grades)

InshaAllah, through morning adhkar we take the first step to protect our children from all harm, and help them connect with Allah swt on a daily basis.

NJHS (National Junior Honor Society)

Applications for the NJHS are now available. Students in grades 6th thru 9th are welcome to apply.

The following criteria must be met before an application is considered:
- GPA 4.0 or above
- No disciplinary infractions
- Three teachers’ recommendations
Application for new members:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wZx5sMOd0o2rnXhbkB9R2fnNVGYuMOFL/view?usp=sharing

Document to read before requesting for renewal of membership :

https://docs.google.com/document/d/15EVHr8XpnNT04yeqNkf_YFP7hZQMsL6q2cae7vK7r9g/edit?usp=sharing

Form for Renewal of Membership to NJHS:

https://forms.gle/zxBfgFz3YnGsirHNA

Email all forms including candidate information form, character essay, and teacher recommendations by October 23, 2020 to the Chapter Adviser: Saima Masood saimam@uaftampa.org
No application will be accepted after the deadline has passed.

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New Building Updates!

Donate towards New Building

On-Site Pre-K, KG & 1st Grade Students

Morning Drop off: Between 8:00- 8:20 am

Dismissal: Monday- Thursday: 2:00- 2:15 pm

Friday Dismissal : 1:00- 1:15 pm

(Aftercare charges will apply after dismissal time)

During drop off and Dismissal: Please enter from Orient Gate and remain in lane 1 and display your car tags

Lunch Menu

Lunch Account

Parent Testimonials

We want to hear from our parents! We are requesting written or video testimonials from our current and former parents. Tell us your story so we can share it with the world! Share your experience and the impact UAF has made on your child. Some of these testimonials will be posted on our website, social media platforms and possibly be part of UAF videos.

If you have any feedback or words of praise that you would like to share, please click: https://www.uaftampa.org/parent-testimonials and submit your testimonial using the form on that page.

We truly appreciate your time and feedback.

Community News

General Reminders

UAF Facebook Page

Visit our UAF Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UAFtampa) page and stay updated about fun information and pictures of our events!

UAF Instagram Page

Visit our UAF Instagram Page (https://www.instagram.com/universalacademyofflorida/) page and stay updated about fun information and pictures of our events!

Back to School Lists

For all Back to School lists and guidelines, please visit: https://www.uaftampa.org/back-school

IT Related Questions

For all IT related questions, please email:it@uaftampa.org

Parent Resources

Please click here for Parent Resources: https://www.uaftampa.org/student-life/parent-resource-center