Principal's Message, Term 1 2018

Dear Irfan Families,

Assalamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,

I pray this message reaches you in the best of health and faith. With the permission and grace of Allah (swt), Irfan College has commenced its sixth year of operation this year with improved facilities and additional team members.

Alhamdulillah, we were able to commence the academic year with our new state of the art building. Our new building houses Years 4-9 and includes a commercial kitchen and canteen, science laboratory, student amenities, and a secondary staff room. Each classroom has been dedicated to a scholar, thinker, or leader who has contributed to the field of science and knowledge within the Islamic tradition.

A mural depicting the scholar's achievements have been assigned to each class with the hope that their achievements will inspire our students with their future careers.

We also have some new additions to our teaching staff along with new services for our students. Our new staff members are specialised and experienced teachers that will enhance the field of Secondary Mathematics, History, Creative Arts, and PDHPE. Some amendments have also been made to Primary which we aim to further improve the learning outcomes of our students.

Our new services include Chaplaincy and Girls Well-being. The Chaplaincy service has been developed to provide our students with spiritual guidance and mentoring by our Islamic Studies Coordinator, Mr Erol.

Mr Erol will be sitting with students who have been referred to the Chaplaincy program to provide students with Naseeha (Islamic counsel) based on Quranic injunctions and traditions from Prophet Muhammed (saw).

This year we have also decided to split the boys' and girls' well-being. Mr Mustafa will be coordinating the Well-being department and overseeing the boys' well-being and Ms Joumana will be overseeing the girls' wellbeing.

Another exciting initiative that we have been able to launch this year is the implementation of the Islamic Integration Project. Last year we were able to complete the integration of Islamic worldview handbook for History and Geography K-6, and this year our primary teachers integrated the Islamic worldview into their history programs.

Teachers also underwent a 10-week professional learning program exploring the theoretical and pedagogical aspects of integrating the Islamic worldview to the Australian Curriculum and their classrooms. We aim to complete the entirety of the integration project by the end of 2018.

In relation to teaching and learning, we aim to continue the improvement of our students' learning outcomes. A three-year school strategic plan has been developed by our executive team to assess and evaluate the learning outcomes of our students on a term by term basis.

Being a school that upholds an inclusive philosophy with student enrolment, we have invested a significant amount of resources to ensure that no student gets left behind.

Students that are having difficulty coping with our learning expectations have been identified and individualised learning programs have been developed. We are working closely with our parent body to provide the best possible opportunities for all our students, irrespective of their learning capabilities.

We appreciate and gladly welcome our parents to inform us about their child's progress and/or any concerns they may have regarding their development.

Finally, we have some exciting projects in the pipeline this year including the installation of a double-storey modular building, the construction of a multi-purpose hall, and an upgrade to our sporting facilities. Please keep us in your prayers and all the best for the academic year of 2018.

Best regards,

Mr Ali Arabaci