Meet Our Teachers

Pre-K

Kindergarten
Mrs. Hepah Asmar and Ms. Sharon Matheny.
"When it comes to teaching 3- and 4-year-olds, one must have patience, lots of energy, compassion, and a love of children.  Children are a great blessing from Allah. Children are truly amazing with their gentle hearts and curiosity; their little minds are like sponges that absorb everything, and can be easily shaped. For many children, Preschool is their first experience in a structured setting with teachers and groups of other children outside the home. Preschool is an opportunity for a child to learn how to share, follow instructions, and develop motor skills, learning language and cognitive skills in the process. In order to have a successful year, we have set up a structured Preschool classroom environment; even though it may not seem like it, the students have the ability to make choices and learn to take care of themselves and others by learning socially, emotionally, and academically." 
“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me, and I may not remember. Involve me, and I’ll understand.” ~Native American Proverb
www.prekuap2015.weebly.com
Mrs. Moshirah Abdalla 

1st Grade 

Mrs. Rebecca Zimmerman 

2nd Grade

Mrs. Amat Alshaibani
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"In the words of Dr. Seuss; “You have brains in your head, feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose.” Learning and aspiring to be anything you want is important to me as a first grade teacher because the students I teach are so young and eager to learn new things. If you teach them the right things and lead them to make the best choices; you just know they will grow up to be great people and do great things.  Make every day count and aim to do great things by reading and learning as much as you can.
"Please click here to visit my website for more info about our classroom." Mrs. Z.
Email: rzimmerman@uapschool.org
“Every child has a different learning style and pace. Each child is unique, not only capable of learning but also capable of succeeding” Robert John Meehan.
   "My ultimate goal as an educator is to reach to all the different types of learners, recognize their potential, and continuously expand on what they know. With that goal in mind, I can help students reach their God given potential and succeed.
In order for learning to take place; it’s important for students to have clear expectations and follow consistent procedures. I believe in building that sense of community in the classroom and promoting positive relationships among students and teachers.  With good classroom management, students feel safe and comfortable to equally contribute to the class discussion and gain knowledge.
Along with providing the right environment, it is equally important to incorporate multiple teaching techniques.  In my classroom I strive to incorporate different instructional strategies such as using technology and manipulatives to actively engage students. Thus, it helps them effectively learn the material taught and retain information for later use in life.
What drove me to this field is the fact that I love to teach others and help them succeed. I believe in order to successfully achieve the above goals, the teacher should be passionate and enthusiastic about teaching. A passionate educator is someone who inspires and encourages students to strive for greatness.  Teachers can inspire an uninterested student to become engrossed in learning. They can motivate them to participate and focus, and even bring introverted students out of their shells. A great teacher can get students reading, inspire a passion for languages, make math or science fun, and turn history lessons into fun and exciting stories."
Email: aalshaibani@uapschool.org

3rd Grade

Mrs. Elizabeth Matthis
"Some say teaching is like a garden, helping flowers bloom. However, I believe teaching is more like a trick candle. We light the flame and watch it dance and spark; we see students learn, encourage them, help them understand, help them burn brighter. Then, POOF! The flame goes out, a blow, a failure. But low and behold! The flame returns, never to be extinguished, never to give up! That is what a good teacher does- encourages the student to always burn brightly, no matter how hard the wind blows; pick yourself up and burn brightly. Show the world you are there!"

Come visit our third grade classroom here!
http://uap3rdgrade.weebly.com/
Email: ebaldauf@uapschool.org

Language Arts & Social Studies: 4th- 6th Grades

Mrs. Laurin Arafat 

 Mathematics & Science: 4th- 6th Grades

Mrs. Shorouq Bader
"I believe that every child should have the right to learn, and access to a quality education.  Every child should feel safe, comfortable, and loved; they should not be afraid to ask questions.  An Islamic education provides the opportunity and responsibility to also include religion and beliefs in the classroom setting, which will lead to well-rounded students with a strong Muslim identity.  I respect the diverse group of languages, ethnicities, and cultures that make up my student body.  We all have something valuable to add to the conversation, based on our own life experiences.  Teachers and parents are merely the supporting members of an educational team that must put the student first; after all, you cannot teach someone without taking into account their needs and abilities.  I strive to teach lessons in a way that all children can understand, regardless of their preferred method of learning.  Students will not only see, hear, write, and repeat information from a lesson, but will also create their own interactive notebooks that allow self-discovery and a hands-on approach to learning.  In Language Arts, students will tackle the standard areas of Vocabulary, Grammar, Decoding, Spelling, Writing, and Comprehension.  Equally important, however, will be the love of reading that I hope to inspire in all students.  As author Frank Serafini boldly stated, “There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book.” It is not enough to simply know how to read, but we must also use that ability to continue to learn and improve ourselves.   In Social Studies (depending on grade level), students will learn to not only read about history, government, geography, and economics, but to identify where the information is coming from, and if there is any bias.  I truly believe that teaching students Social Studies is just as important as the other Core subjects: “Social Studies is more than just a textbook, more than passing a benchmark or getting a good grade on a paper; Social Studies is an ever growing, ever evolving study of human life and the events that have built our society into what it is today…The students of today are the architects of the future, but they must first understand the foundations of history” –Susannah Ahlhorn.  After all, today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, and we must provide them with a strong foundation while they are entrusted to us." 
laurinarafat.weebly.com
Email: larafat@uapschool.org
"My Philosophy as an educator is an aspiration of the life of prophet Mohammad (SAAWS). In which I am committed to a life long journey of learning, teaching, academic excellence, personal and professional growth, respect, honesty, diversity, collaboration, communication, creativity, responsibility, and over all morality (all for the sake of Allah). 
Helping my students, adding values to their lives, encouraging, inspiring, giving, and guiding them for success is what satisfies me. Keeping on mind that our youth are the hope of the future of this Ummah."
Email: sbader@uapschool.org

Mrs. Sayema Azizi -Islamic Studies 

Mrs. Eman Iskander - Art
Mrs. Gheed Khattab - Pre-K - 6 Quran Teacher