Ponn Sabra dashes from room to room excitedly talking about a new school that opened earlier this month.
“Every room has a resting center where tired students may nap,” she says. “Homework won’t be boring memorization. Every day there will gym.
“And in this room no English will be spoken,” she states. “Only Arabic.”
The school she’s talking about is Salma K. Farid Academy --the first Muslim school in southwestern Connecticut. Its location in a converted warehouse on Leeder Hill Drive in Hamden puts it next to the Bible Gospel Center and across the street from the Highville Charter School and Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy.
On Sept. 20, nearly 800 Muslims got a first look at the school -- two weeks before it opened for classes.
“We believe there is a void out there for parents of Muslim children who want a full curriculum plus Islamic teachings,” says Kamran Farid, who with his brother, Tariq, established the school in memory of their mother.
Tariq says years ago he and his brother obtained a $40,000 loan from their mother to buy their first building.
“When we went to pay her back, she accepted $20,000 but told us to take the rest and do something good with it,” he says. “This school fulfills our promise.”
They chose Sabra, a Meriden native, an author and entrepreneur, as the school’s administrator.
“It’s been hectic, exhausting, but extremely rewarding,” says Sabra.
The school, which can accommodate 75 children, opened with an enrollment of 12 boys and eight girls in its advanced kindergarten to fifth grade classes and four boys and four girls in its pre-school to early kindergarten classes.
There are four full-time and four part-time teachers. Farnaz Yasmin, a full-timer teaching advanced kindergarten to third-graders, is from Bridgeport, Sabra says.
“Both of her children attend this school,” says Sabra, whose three daughters also attend.
Tuition is $3,800 plus $600 for books for the kindergarten through fifth grade, and $4,200 plus $600 for books for the after school program.
“We intend to grow slowly,” says Kamran Farid, who is not disappointed by the low enrollment. “We believe as word gets out the numbers will increase every year. There is a void for schooling Muslim children in this area.”
The state has two other Muslim schools, in Waterbury and Windsor.
As she walks through her school, Sabra explains the set-up of each room.
She points to a corner in every room where there is a Persian rug, a pillow and a blanket.
“If we have a tired student who feels the need to take a nap, they can do so,” says Sabra. “Then they will be energized and alert to learn the rest of the day.”
There’s a creativity and imagination room, where students can create a project, and a mathematics center.
“There is a great amount of literature and case studies showing art and creativity along with science and mathematics [can] heighten intelligence by teaching children to be problem-solvers,” says Sabra, who, in 1998 at age 25 become the country’s youngest health official when Hartford named her deputy health director. “We want to encourage our children to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and leaders.”
There’s a reading and writing center where students will read and produce a newspaper. There’s a social studies center with a map showing all the countries that are members of the Organization of Islamic Conference.
There’s an Islamic library and reading center and a Quran room, where children will sit cross-legged near a bench and study the Islamic Holy Book. There’s also a prayer room so students and staff can meet the obligatory five prayers per day.
“We need an Islamic school to help our children fast for Ramadan,” Imam Zaid Shakir told the 800 gathered in the school’s gymnasium on Sept. 20.
From dawn to dusk during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Muslims are required to refrain from drinking and eating.
“Here, they will not be put in a cafeteria with all the other kids who are eating,” Shakir says.
Sabra says there are plans to open afterschool and adult education programs later this year.