Our Approach to Education

A common misconception is that an Islamic school is one in which islamic studies, Arabic and Quran are taught along with secular studies. The Islamic approach to knowledge and education is that ALL true knowledge comes from Allah whether revealed or acquired. An islamic school is one in which revealed and acquired knowledge is integrated so we can covey our values to the next generation. What children are taught in a school should be a direct extension of your parental views. The issue at heart is whether a child will learn to view life from man’s perspective of Allah's perspective as revealed to us by his Nabi .

Different Futures, One Goal

The first thing families should know about us is that we’re all about your student. Our objective is to help prepare students for success(falah) in whatever future endeavors they choose to pursue with the understanding that their success and wellbeing in this world and hereafter depends on their obedience to Allah . One Ummati student may go on to an Ivy Lague university; another may pursue Alim education; a third may enter the workforce the day after graduation; a fourth may choose to start a family. We want all of our graduates to enter young adulthood at their absolute best.

We meet our students where they are, nurturing their individual gifts and talents, and helping them attain personal excellence(Ihsaan).

An Outstanding Curriculum

Our curriculum is superb and the result of our unique and effective development process adopted by our teachers. Objectives and benchmarks are identified so that students know what they should be able to do after completing a lesson. Then we work “backwards” from these desired results, custom-designing our courses to achieve them. We integrate the very best texts, materials, and educational resources from leading print and online publishers to create an inspired curriculum that meets or exceeds the state standards. And just as important, it meets students’ needs.

Individual Attention and Personalized Instruction

With our approach, Ummati teachers customize their instruction to the needs, learning style, skills, and interests of each student. This gives every student the best opportunity to excel. It allows them to accelerate learning in areas of strength, or to get extra attention in areas of weakness.

Measuring Student Achievement

When evaluating how well a school prepares its students, it is important to look at academic benchmarks—report cards, standardized test scores. But we believe it’s also important to consider a student’s social and emotional development. So we regularly monitor how our students are progressing in all dimensions, and we watch their growth from the time they joined Ummati.

Socialization, Community, Friendships

An essential part of any school experience is for students to develop relationships with friends and other students. At Ummati, we make sure our students have plenty of opportunities to meet and socialize in person with their peers. We believe it’s vitally important for our students to get together regularly, to share ideas, to compare experiences, and to just have fun. Our students’ school experience is enhanced with field trips that bring classroom lessons to life, and with activities, academic competitions, and other gatherings.

Our Approach

The current trend in Islamic schools is to use the local or national secular curriculum, with an added course or two for religious education and Arabic and/or Qur’an.

Our approach is to start from the Qur’an and Sunnah, building up from Islamic principles for each subject. Where appropriate, excellent and applicable academic material has been injected. One of the results of this has been that much of what is traditionally found in the religion class, has been moved into other subjects.

For example, the history of the prophets , including Prophet Muhammad , peace be upon him, is now primarily located in the History curriculum. Biographies of important Muslims are found in English, and Muslim contributions to science and mathematics are found in those subjects.

The ACADEMIC Program strives to develop the will and intellect of each student. Your children learn to follow Nabi , love him and know Allah's Word, and live out Truth. Teachers guide your children to thrive academically and spiritually in the world Allah created. All academics and activities prepare your children to discover Allah’s purpose for their lives.

Integrated Curriculum:

At Ummati our students will learn under a theme of integrated curriculum. Teachers will use integrated curriculum by teaching in a way that addresses a theme or topic through the lenses of islamic subject area. Integrated curriculum is teaching different disciplines of knowledge within one lesson.

Benefits of Integrated Curriculum:

• Integrated curricula help students apply skills in submission to Allah .
• An integrated knowledge base leads to faster retrieval of information.
• Multiple perspectives lead to a more integrated knowledge base.
• Integrated curricula encourage depth and breadth in learning.

Example of Integrated Curriculum Lesson:
Common Core Standards and Science Standards that students will meet:

Sr. Fatima's first grade class is doing a unit on the Weather and the changing seasons. First, students will read a book on the weather (fall in particular). Students will record how many leaves fall for five consecutive days. Then, students will go outside after the leaves have just fallen and pick their favorite leaf to bring back to class. They will observe the veins of leaves and redraw their leaf. They will then research what type of leaf they have and which tree it comes from. They will research weather patterns and when leaves usually fall and why. Sr. Fatima will then integrate Islam by referencing Surah Al Anam, Ayah 59, where Allah states “that not a leaf falls but He knows it.” She will also include the hadith which states to the nearest meaning, “If a Muslim performs prayers in order to please Allah, his sins will be shed like the leaves of this tree are shed” (Musnad Ahmad). Students will then predict the weather for tomorrow and predict how many leaves will fall that day. Then, they will go out and observe and record how many leaves have fallen to see if they were accurate.

Learning Cooperatively as an Ummah

Ummati School, at its heart, is a manifestation of the local community's desire to safeguard our children's Deen. Our building, teachers, resources, and even fundraisers are all provided by the sacrifices of the community. Our teachers are local mothers and sisters who hold professional degrees in a wide breadth of subjects. Some of these teachers are volunteers who simply seek Allah's compensation for their time and efforts invested. Regardless, the teachers of our school are wholly committed to the successful education and tarbiyah of our community's next generation.

Our cooperative learning community brings together children, parents, and teachers in meaningful learning. We develop collaborative relationships and explore environments, experiences, and activities that encourage curiosity and wonder. We value who children are, celebrate their unique gifts, believe in their capabilities, encourage their interests, and honor their feelings and ideas. Parents take an active role in the classroom and are involved in all aspects of their child's learning experience. As a result, the relationship between families and our school extend far beyond the school. The sense of community between teachers, parents, and children creates a nurturing, caring space for young minds to grow, tender hearts to open and an inspired life to begin.