NJ Maarif School

As we approach the new school year 100% remote at least until November, it's important to start strong, be organized and keep clutter to a minimum. If you are blessed to have enough room for students and adults to have space to work in privacy, you are very lucky indeed. Here are some ideas for c reating workspace for your kids  from HouseandHome.com.  For others of us with less space, it is still possible to create a semi-private space, where your student can store supplies, set up the laptop, and avoid distractions.  This space is little more than a table or desk with a tri-fold presentation board  available at Staples  (which you might be able to find cheaper somewhere else). The other supplies shown, clips, folders, notebooks and caddy with pens, pencils, ruler and highlighters, can all be found at the local dollar store. Being able to block out the visual distractions as well as having easy access to all supplies is vital to helping kids concentrate on thei...

Dear Maarif Families,  We at Maarif School hope that you and your families had a wonderful Eid celebration. Although it was not how most of us have celebrated before, and we missed seeing friends and family in the masajid, in'sha'Allah you were able to find the sweetness and light in the day.  Our Sr. Zeyap put together a wonderful video of   greetings  which  you can see here. I am reminded that our love for each other and our love of Allah SWA is what keeps us strong as a community. While the world may be facing a pandemic and many details are unknown and unknowable to us right now, we can always count on the support, prayers, and friendship of our Maarif community, Masha'Allah. For this we are very thankful.  Allah hafiz,  Sr. Ozlem and Sr. Pam 

Assalamu alaikum, to all our Maarif Community! We pray this post finds you and your families and friends healthy and safe. We also pray that Ramadan is going well for you and that you are gaining all the blessings of this most holy of months. Governor Murphy announced earlier this week that no NJ schools will reopen before the end of the school year. We all miss our students very much and pray that in'sha'Allah we are all reunited in the fall semester. In these strange and unprecendented times, we want to make sure that our children are not unduly affected by the uncertainty and fear that surrounds the pandemic. As adults, it is out job to comfort and guide our children. Here is an article from the  Healthy Children blog  to help us all navigate at home. Here are some of the highlights of the article: Since our children look to us for answers, it's vital that we talk to them honestly about the pandemic. Whatever they can imagine may be far worse and scary than the...

British journalist Nick Paton Walsh, a correspondent for CNN, the Guardian, and other media outlets, gave an interview last week. He has spent plenty of time in war zones and had some good advice for all of us who are coping with the current Covid-19 crisis at home. Here is my take on his suggestions. 1.              First, empty shelves in grocery stores notwithstanding, there will always be food. Our national supply chain is in good shape, so grocery stores and big box stores are receiving deliveries of staples like milk, bread, and eggs daily. Many stores have also instituted limits on the amounts people can buy to cut down on hoarding. Many of us have pantries stocked with stable items like dried lentils and beans, rice and pasta. You may not be able to satisfy a craving, but it’s safe to say that most of us will have access to food. If you are experiencing food insecurity due to job loss, furlough or another situation, please...