1. Welcome to a new School Year!

A new school year brings lots of new energy. After a fun-filled summer, we all are ready get our lives organized. Here are some tips, on how to transition your way back into the new school year.

1. Get your child excitedabout entering a new grade andemphasizeits special advantages. Perhaps your child is now old enough to offer Zuhr Salat in the mosque or a later bedtime.
2. Celebrate the big day. Plan a special meal, activity or a small gift the night before to celebrate the start of a new school year.
3. Help your child organize space, stuff and schedules.Disorganization will turn forty minutes of math, social studies and spelling into a two hour ordeal.
4. Ask your child to periodically review assignments with you. As children get older, assignments must be managed over time. Be sure your child plans the work and works the plan.
5. Emphasize that your child's schoolwork is the number one priority, taking a backseat to Salat only. Participation in after-school activities, social activities and leisure pursuits are to be worked in around completion of regular homework and other assignments.
6. Check your child's work. Insist that sloppy work be redone. Don't correct mistakes.Since teachers need to know what must be re-taught. Furthermore, don't fall into the trap of doing your child's homework for him. Process is as important as product.
7. Familiarize yourself with classroom homework routines and enforce them at home. For example, make it a routine to check take-home folders, assignment notebooks, etc. Help children make use of the tools and routines that have been put in place for them.

Contributed by Mrs.Farisa Husssain

2. Hadith Corner

Abu Huraira (R) related that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Whoever fasts during Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. Whoever prays during the nights in Ramadan with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven. And he who passes Lailat al-Qadr in prayer with faith and seeking his reward from Allah will have his past sins forgiven (Bukhari, Muslim).

3. Ramadan is almost here!

Inshallah, Ramadan will soon be here. Here are some fun ideas that you can get started with you're your family. Take some time to plan a little each day, to make the most of the Holy month.

1. Pray in congregation - Fasting during the holy month of Ramadan reinforces the family ties. The family together with the father as Imam can make Salaat.
2. Plan an iftar party. Children can help make cupcakes, and create special place mats for the guests. It is that time of the year when friends, family members, colleagues invite their loved ones to their homes to have iftar together.
3. Set goals to read extra verses of Qur'an. If your child can read independently, encourage them to read more than what they usually read every day.
4. Countdown to Eid: The favorite activity of most families is to create a paper chain. Help your child to make colored paper chain and hang it on the wall or doorway. There must be thirty rings in the chain. Explain to the kids that each ring represents a single day of Ramadan. Everyday gently tear off a ring till the end of Ramadan. Remind the children that there can be 29 or 30 days in Ramadan.
5. Ramadan is also the time for charity. To make the children understand and appreciate the act of giving, give the children a jar and ask them to decorate it with colored papers. Ask them to collect coins and donate it to the mosque or any other charity to help the needy and explain the importance of Zakat.
6. Since Ramadan is based on the sighting of moon, it brings the attention of young kids towards the moon, stars and night sky. Ask the children to make night sky with three-dimensional objects, like cotton balls, ping-pong balls, broomsticks, clay etc. It can be a good educational experience.

Sources: 123greetings.com, Soundvision.com

4. Pack a Lunch That Won't Be Traded

One of the best parts of shopping for school supplies is picking out the lunchbox that your child will love to tote to school every day. Once you have the equipment, you need to fill it! You've all heard the famous stories about lunchbox content trading. Here are some quick lunchbox tips:

1. Make sure the lunch foods you pack are easy to eat, packed in easily opened packages, and don't require peeling or special tools.
2. Small children may not eat very much at one sitting. Think about packing appetizers instead of a large sandwich and whole banana. Cut sandwiches into smaller pieces, use tiny tortillas for wraps and small sandwich buns, serve baby carrots and peel and cut fruit into smaller pieces to interest your child in the foods you pack.
3. If your child wants the same thing day after day, go ahead and pack it, as long as the overall meal is nutritious and you are sure your child eats it. Kids don't like a lot of change in what they eat.
4. Take some time to look at the prepackaged lunches in your grocer's refrigerated section. These appeal to kids, but aren't very nutritious. You can pack the same types of snack foods, but use healthier choices for more kid appeal.
5. Salsa, hummus, bean dips, or fruit dips with baked chips and veggies or fruit are good lunchbox choices, since these foods contain more vitamins and fiber.
6. Make sure to think about food safety. Freeze juice boxes or small gel packs and place in the bag. The juice will keep other foods cool and will thaw to just the right temperature and consistency by lunchtime.
7. If you make your own snack mixes, you can include healthy additions like dried fruits, unsalted nuts, pretzels, and baked crackers. Kids love to munch on something crunchy and sweet or savory.
8. Make sure to include something fun - a sticker, cookies wrapped in plastic wrap with a ribbon tie, sandwiches cut into playful shapes, or meats and cheeses or fruits threaded on a caramel apple stick (which is safer than a traditional kabob stick).

Sources: Linda Larsen, busycooks.com