On Sunday, December 21, 2014, from 10 am to noon the students of the Sunday School at Prince George’s Muslim Association (PGMA) gathered with parents and grandparents to celebrate the end of the academic semester in a colorful ceremony. The institute has been functioning for 20 years. The keynote speaker was Dr. Ahmad Azzari, Imam and Religious Director of PGMA, who asked the students to be good examples and representatives of Islam.
Principal Mohamed Beshr along with 14 teachers, two administrators, three parent volunteers and two student volunteers run the program for the 137 students. There are 31 part time hifzh students. Many of the teachers are PhD students from the University of Maryland.
The Sunday school uses the weekendlearning.com study materials for their Islamic studies curriculum.
Muftiat Fahm, one of the administrator of the program says that weekend school learning is a vital part of life for children who attend public school, who do not have exposure to Islamic Studies. “We need to ensure Islamic education is available to all children in the community,” she says. She has two children in the program and she is very satisfied with their progress considering the limited number of hours.
After lively performances and presentations by students, awards were presented to the best students in knowledge and behavior. These students were nominated by teachers based on their accomplishments in both academics and character. “We try to tie the two together,” says Fahm. For the upcoming year, the school plans to roll out an Arabic Enrichment Program to help students who are struggling with reading.
“An ideal weekend school program teaches Arabic, Quran and Islamic Studies as core subjects with the goal of enabling students grow and learn as role models in their respective communities,” says Fahm.
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