Mission & Values

Ummati School is a dynamic community of children, parents and teachers working together to create an islamic, experiential learning environment that fosters capable and compassionate lifelong learners. As students learn to work together, preparing for their place in a global environment, our families also work within committees and on the board of directors to support the school. Whether it’s painting walls, assembling furniture, growing the school through various initiatives, we all contribute to help Ummati School flourish. We are a teacher-led, parent-powered cooperative school offering small mixed age class sizes for students in grades KG-7.

The primary goal of Ummati is to produce committed, practicing Muslims,

• who love Allah and his Prophet ,
• who willingly strive to worship Allah with Ih'san,
• and who actively try to fulfill their role as Khalifa on earth.
Although this goal is to be reflected in every subject we teach, it is in the subject of religious education that every aspect of this goal must be attended to.

We believe that children are a trust from Allah and we are responsible to train them according to his word not only at home and in the masjid but in school as well. With our sliding Tuition, Integrated Curriculum and Cooperative model we do not have any reason to not be part of Ummati.

Values Statements

At Ummati, we believe:

• that parents are children's true teachers.
• All true knowledge comes from Allah whether revealed or acquired.
• Children are inherently kind, caring, and curious and have vast potential to contribute uniquely and positively to the Ummah.
• Academic, social-emotional, and physical learning are all essential components of a child's education.
• The learning process—asking questions, testing ideas and making discoveries—is at least as important as the answers we arrive at and the products we create.
• Experiential and integrated islamic learning allows children to gain meaningful understandings, access useful knowledge, make informed choices, and become sunnah conscious problem-solvers.
• A safe, supportive school environment fosters confidence and independence in children by empowering them to take risks and responsibility.
• Growth in all areas of development (intellectual, social-emotional and physical) requires honest and supportive feedback and regular, meaningful reflection.
• Active participation by parents, both in and out of the classroom, is integral to creating and sustaining a dynamic, nurturing and connected learning community.

These are the key elements of our unique educational approach:

• Joyful learning - We strive to create lifelong learners by helping students discover their passions and intrinsic motivations. At Ummati, children explore and ask questions to find answers, as opposed to passively receiving and recalling facts. They learn by doing and become flexible problem solvers. Ummati educators create a safe environment, a place where children feel confident taking risks and challenging themselves.
• A respect for the individual - Sending your child to Ummati ensures that they will be known and seen. Children are respected, not only by their teachers, but by the entire staff/volunteers, as well as parents, and their peers. Ummati’s low teacher-student ratios allows us customize instruction to help every child reach their potential. Because each child learns a little differently, Ummati teachers offer students multiple paths to reach their educational goals. Children are able to find routes that resonate with their learning styles.
• Learn as a Community - At Ummati we acknowledge that every individual, adult and child alike, is both a teacher and a learner. By creating a community where we are each part of something bigger than ourselves, we recognize our need for belonging and commit to becoming cooperative and responsible members of the Ummah. To make positive contributions to any community, children must learn empathy and compassion, and must develop problem solving skills. Together, we create and maintain a series of traditions and celebrations that support the islamic sense of togetherness and allow every member of the community to contribute and benefit in meaningful ways.
• Teachers are accountable and free to shape curriculum - Ummati’s teachers believe in following educational best-practices and are not limited by outdated, entrenched approaches or held back by slow-moving bureaucracies. They have the professional freedom to adjust the curriculum as needed. Instructors are eager to engage parents and explain their teaching strategies, methodologies and objectives.