BHA POST December 2013

In this Issue...

Geography Night

Brighter Horizons Academy

Volume 8 Issue 1

December 2013

Garland, TX 75044

Phase II construction nearing completion

By Raya Kashu Writer The Phase II school construction project began during the school year of 2012-2013, with a symbolic ground breaking ceremony. Today, the shell looks like a true building. According to the LEE Lewis contract, approximately $2.8 million is the cost of building. So far, $1.3 million has been paid, with a remaining of about $1.4 million necessary to finish the project.

Looking at the blueprints, one sees the complete building will include two floors. Floor one includes eight classrooms, an office, a weight room, a stor-

age room, study room, auditorium, stage, seminar rooms, and a multipurpose hall. Floor two includes nine classrooms, two seminar rooms, an office, storage, two labs, a lab office, and a lab prep room.

“The master plan was initially drawn up for Phase II in 1997-1999 and the final plan was completed in 2011. It took only one month for the city to give the permits to begin construction,” said Isam Alimam, the project architect.

At this time, the ISF, parent organization of BHA, is working hard to secure funds so the project can be completed on

See Construction on pg. 2

Photo credit BHA Public Relations Construction workers oversee Phase II construction site as the poles for the canopy are set in the ground.

The canopy will be used to protect the students during dismissal against bad weather conditions.

Student Council hosts first blood drive

By Ameel Faraz and Ayaan Faraz Writers The high school Student Council hosted the first blood drive in the history of Brighter Horizons Academy on October 25 th.

Student Council coordinators, Sherry Kuzbari and Ayesha Mohammad contacted the Garland Carter Blood Care branch to park their mobile blood unit at the main building during Jummah prayer for blood donations.

Brighter Horizons donated a total of 37 pints of blood. “The amount of blood donated was surprisingly high for a first time,” commented Kuzbari.

According to Carter Blood Care, the donated blood will be shipped to hospitals around the United States and given to people in need.

The Carter Blood Care website states anyone 16 years or older may donate blood.

However, 16-year-olds must have written parental consent.

Other donor guidelines list general good health and a minimum weight of 110 pounds. The website

may be consulted for certain medications that may eliminate donations.

For many donors, this was the first time to give blood. Many contributors expressed varying sentiments about their experiences.

Administrative Assistant Fatima Lopez said she had given blood before so she knew she would have to eat prior. ”I ate something before prayer. I felt okay afterwards, and will probably donate again,” said Lopez.

Although Principal Muhammad Diwan gave blood, it was his first time doing so. He stated that before giving blood he was required to fill out a questionnaire to determine if he was a qualified candidate.

Some were unable to give blood due to health issues. For example, Fatima Elnashar, College Guidance Counselor, said, “I could not give blood because after testing I learned I have low iron.”

In addition, teacher Maria Zidan was also unable to donate blood due to be-

See Blood Drive on pg. 3

Photo by Zena Derwazeh Principle Diwan stopped by the Carter Care Blood Mobile to donate blood during the Student Council’s first school wide blood drive.

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Phase II construction halfway completed Continued from pg. 1 explore the new phase. But time. According to the head of the ISF Construction Committee, at least eight classrooms should be finished out and available by the end of August, 2014. The exterior should be completed by January, 2014.

Some of the remaining items yet to be done are the roof, second floor windows, curtain wall, canopy, sky lights, fire sprinklers, fire alarms, and emergency heaters. So far, about 65% of Phase II has been completed.

At this point, BHA students and staff are witnessing daily accomplishments of the contractors and can’t wait to

many students are curious to know more about the gym construction. According to Aliman, gyms must be designed at a specific height to accommodate different sports activities. All grades will be able to attend the gym during their physical education classes. Tournaments, movie nights, and dinners may also be held in the gym.

In the future, the ECE building will have a walk way designed so students can arrive at the main building safely and unsoiled. Also, if enough money is collected a canopy could possibly be built for the walk way.

Photo by Abdurrahman Fridi A construction worker sits on top of the new building overseeing construction of the inside.

Fire Prevention Week activities held at ECE

By Deema Izzat Writer Knowing what to do in case of a fire may prove to be a life-saving strategy. With this in mind, some of the ECE staff enlisted the aid of firemen during the Fire Prevention Week in October.

Garland firemen arrived at the ECE building in their red fire truck to address Preschoolers and Kindergarteners about fire safety and what to do when there is a fire.

Teachers noted that the children were very attentive to what the firemen had to say and they promised to make an escape plan at home if there is ever a fire. Students were allowed to go inside the fire truck and look around. The students’ excitement was evident during the fire truck tour, according to staff.

Following along with the week’s theme, students had different activities planned for them in class which were for all grade levels in ECE. They were

The Garland Fire Department teach kindergarten students fire safety and what to do in case of a fire.

able to watch different videos about fire and safety in class and also a daily fire safety video was viewed during lunch. Teachers read fun, educational books during classes followed by multiple class discussions.

Teachers expressed the importance of children participating in these kinds of activities during the school year. They added that learning through hands on activities and interacting with the actual firemen

brings greater awareness for students. Furthermore, being able to have discussions with teachers and firemen also helps young children connect to the whole safety idea. For example, if there is ever a real fire emergency,

Photo credit BHA Public Relations

children would feel safer seeing the firemen in their uniform at the fire site. They would realize that these firemen are there to help and not harm them which might prompt them to move faster to safety.

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STUDENT COUNCIL

December 2009 Page 3

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Student Council gives back

Editorial Staff

Staff Writer Ibrahim Janney Abdurrahman Fridi Raya Kashu Deema Izzat Ameel Faraz Ayaan Faraz

Contributing Writer Fatemeh Nikpour

Staff Photographers Abdurrahman Fridi Deema Izaat Ibrahim Janney

Graphics Design & Layout Anam Bakali Ibrahim Janney

Advisor Natalia Suleiman Teresa Nikravan

By Fatemeh Nikpour Writer When I first heard that Student Council’s main agenda of the year was community service I was thrilled from the start! Every opportunity I can get, I take, this being one of them. I got to help with the annual food drive at Spring Creek Church for those who are less fortunate.

In addition to that, special-needs teenagers who are my age joined along with the fun. It was an event and experience like no other.

At first it was kind of strange for me because I

have never worked with special-needs children before. However, within ten minutes these teenagers opened my heart to an experience I shall never forget. Before cars came into the line to receive food, BHA Stucco members and I received a chance to get to know the “special” kids from the Garland High School.

It was crazy! They were hyper, laughing, just a bundle of fun! These kids were just something else and there wasn’t a time they didn’t make me smile.

I got to meet many of these children and some were completely dis-

abled and some legally blind. The best part about them is that most became completely open to us and we got to have all the fun we could imagine. There were many different races among these teenagers— they were Mexican, Caucasian, and Asian. Our sponsor, Sherry Kuzberi, asked us to partner up. I was paired with a junior named Dave and he was the funniest guy! I really enjoyed his company and he made me jump around and scream all morning.

All the kids were insanely fun in their own way, and some would play games while others

Students, faculty, parents donate blood

The BHA Post is published by the Journalism Club of Brighter Horizons Academy, 3145 Medical Plaza Dr., Garland, TX 75044. The BHA Post is a member of the Teachers Association of Journalism Educators and the Interscholastic League Press Conference and a recipient of the 2006 Award of Excellence in overall ILPC newspaper competition, as well as two year nominee for a Star.

Continued from pg. 1

Letters to the Editor All of our readers are encouraged to participate in this forum by submitting letters to the editor for publication.

Letters can be mailed or E-mailed to natalia@bhaprep.org. Letters must include the signature and telephone number of the writer. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and grammar.

Disclaimer The views and opinions of the journalism students do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of the Academy’s Administration.

The BHA Post is a platform by which the student body’s voice may be represented within the highest journalistic and Islamic ethical standards.

wanted to sing.

Then we were busy giving out food to the families in cars.

For about one-and-a-half hours, the Stucco members were busy making these people’s day better by giving them food that they needed. The smiles we saw on their faces were just a pleasure like no other. We received many expressions of appreciation which made our day even better.

Ms. Sherry is the one who organized the event, and I am so grateful she did and I got to be a part of it. It is an experience I will be forever grateful for.

Photo by Deema Izzat Student council food drive participants Sumayyah Zidan and Sahar Kuzbari hand out food with Garland highschool special needs students

Students help with food drive

By Deema Izzat Writer According to Islam it is important to give and help the needy.

Whether you give food, clothes, toys, or even a kind word, Islamic teachings count these as kind acts.

With that in mind, BHA Student Council decided to give back and help those in need by volunteering recently with the North Texas Food Drive across the street at the Spring Creek Church. There were an estimated 200 cars filled with families that were asking for assistance.

A variety of different foods from vegetables to cakes was

donated to be handed out to these families. Many volunteers appeared to be excited to give a helping hand and many were smiling at the end of the drive. “It’s important to be able to get our students out there to help out and give back and also to help clear the stereotypes and show that we are happy to help and are just like everyone else,” explained Sherry Kuzberi, Student Council sponsor.

On the same day, BHA students were also able to volunteer with a group of disabled children from Garland High School. Many of our students expressed the belief that BHA students have much to learn

from volunteering with the special-needs group, but they appeared to be very hands-on with the children. Our students were also able to participate in the buddy system where they paired with a GHS student and worked together.

Even though it was cold and there was a little drizzle of rain, everyone got the work done with smiles and laughter.

Each month a different set of members will be able to volunteer and together give back and help make a difference. In fact, the North Texas Food Drive and the Student Council are set to meet every third Thursday of the month.

ing anemic.

However, three of her children were able to donate. Summayah, 12 th grade, and Abdullah, Alumni, donated and both said they felt fine afterwards. However, their older brother, Ahmed, also Alumni, had a different experience.

“As for myself, I came out feeling a bit woozy,” he said. Afterwards he said he needed help getting to his car and found it difficult driving back home. Asked if he would give again he replied, “I wanted to give my part to my community, and honestly it was in my bucket list. I will have to think about it.”

Overall this first school blood drive experience appeared to be successful. Supporting this conclusion, Kuzbari said, ”Because of the seemingly positive response, we may have more blood drives in the future.”

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Student wins two awards for photography Credited to Photo Department Photo by Nawal Elnashar Geography Quiz Night closes the Geography Awareness Week successfully. The teams answers questions about continents, capital cities, national parks and landmarks, and other geography topics. Audience participation made the event fun and interactive.

First Geography Quiz night at BHA Credited to Social Studies Department Geography Awareness Week, November 18-22, culminated this year with the BHA social studies department hosting a firsttime Geography Quiz Night.

The event was held in the MPH on Friday night of that week. It involved three teams with a student from 6 th, 7 th, 8 th, and 9 th grades each forming the three teams.

First-place team winners were Mohamed Benaissa (9 th), Ayaan Faraz (8 th), Ishaaq Razack (7 th), and Nawal Mahmood (6 th).

Team members winning second place included Khaddeja Zulqarnain (9 th), Mustafa Ahmad (8 th), Huzair Mehdi (7 th), and Amin Salem (6 th).

Coming in third place were Aaliya Jaleel (9 th), Qasim Rahman (8 th), Nadia Zuberi (7 th), and Yusuf Wadi (6 th).

Insaf Lachtar, social studies department head, was asked her impressions of the first quiz night. She exclaimed, “We are definitely doing it again next year! I felt it was a great success.” She said the audience seemed very involved and focused on the questions during the entire quiz.

The participating students were volunteers who had studied for several weeks to prepare for the quiz. They were provided only with the following six questioning categories: geography terms, continents, capital cities, extremes, national parks, and

landmarks.

On the night of the competition, Claudia Ahmad, social studies teacher, read nine questions from the six categories. Each question was displayed on a screen for all to see. Each team was given 15 seconds to respond to their question before the round moved on to the next group. At the end of each of the six rounds, points were tallied by judges Lachtar and Teresa Nikravan, social studies teacher, and winners were based on the highest score.

Between rounds, as contestants relaxed, specially prepared questions allowed parents and children (KG2 nd grade) to get involved in the fun. Parents answered mostly Islamic history questions while younger students were asked basic geography questions. Each winner was presented a gift from the social studies department.

Thinking back to the hard work that was involved in this endeavor, Lachtar expressed her appreciation to the 10 th grade students who volunteered with setup and cleaning afterwards and with taking charge of the additional geography activities stationed in the hallways.

In addition, she thanked several teachers and staff members that came to help and support the social studies department. She also wanted to thank the many parents, teachers, administrators, and board members that were present on quiz night.

At merely 16 years old, Summayah Zidan became a published photographer with an award-winning picture she took when she was only fourteen. Now, a twelfth grader, she has continue to add to her resume by winning two awards of excellence, on October 19th, at the TAJE (Texas Association of Journalism Educators) Fall Fiesta Competition in San Antonio, in the categories of architecture and action.

Nawal Elnashar, Extracurricular Activities Advisor and Event Coordinator, recognizes that Zidan has been a member of Yearbook club since 8th grade. Elnashar said, “I’m proud of her accomplishments at San Antonio”.

And yet, Zidan will tell you that she’s more than a girl with a fast camera lens...“Aside from my extracurricular activities in journalism and yearbook, I keep myself busy.”

An active member of Student Council, this year Zidan gained recognition as Vice-President.

Aisha Mohammed, Main Campus Librarian and Student Council Advisor, said that Zidan is a compassionate and dedicated person. “I can always count on her to fill in the gaps and support her fellow Student Council members.”

As far back as she can remember, she has been a part of the first BHA girls’ soccer team since the age of six. Since the seventh grade, Zidan has also coached

other girls’ soccer teams, “I refereed games, played basketball and volleyball, and continue to be part of the BHA soccer team.”

But if that is not enough to keep her busy, she will humbly admit that she carries a full school load and tutors several BHA students in mathematics afterschool; a job she has had for the last two years.

Sofia Zamir, Math Department Head and her previous advanced Math teacher, has nothing but positive things to say about her. “She is assertive, a good role model and has her goals set straight.”

Zidan plans on attending The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and hopes to become either a nurse or pediatrician.

Summayah Zidan won two awards at TAJE. The top phot won an award of excellence in the category of Architecture, and the bottom photo won an award of excellence in the category of Action.