Al-Iman School
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On the orders of Grand Ayatollah Abul-Qassim Khoei, Al-Iman School in New York opened its doors to four children in September 1990, and within four years became the first Pre-K through 12 Islamic school in North America. The school's enrollment grew quickly, and between 1990-1994, several grades were added simultaneously due to demand.
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[edit] Location and building
Al-Iman School is located in Jamaica, Queens on main Van Wyck Expressway, making it easily accessible from most boroughs in New York City. The 75,000 square foot building, crowned by the traditional Islamic dome and minaret, is a blend of modern and traditional Islamic architecture.
The building, which is centrally air-conditioned, is equipped with large classrooms, science laboratories, computer lab, library, conference room, congregation hall, assembly hall, indoor and outdoor basket ball courts, and lunchroom. Plans for extending the existing building with a gymnasium, an Olympic size swimming pool, additional classrooms, and laboratories are in the works.
[edit] Classrooms
Al-Iman School’s classrooms are built to accommodate up to 25 children per class. From Pre-K to Grade 6 classroom, each one has a cubicle for personal belongings of the students including books. Desks with individual chairs are also used to store students’ books and writing instruments. The teacher has either an exclusive bookshelf or a lockable closet for supplies and storage as well as a desk with lockable drawers. Pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms are equipped with portable computers and desks and chairs.
From grades 7 upwards, there are individual subject classrooms with one teacher in charge. Students move to the appropriate room for a particular subject. Each teacher has a desk with lockable drawers and a closet for supplies and storage. Students have individual desks and chairs and their books and personal belongings are kept in individual lockers with combination locks provided by the school. Each classroom is equipped with a chalkboard, wall-charts and pictures.
[edit] Science laboratories
The School’s science lab is split into the teaching and experimentation areas. Scientific furniture, equipment, chemicals and objects enable students to do their compulsory as well as elective practical science projects including dissections and boiling and igniting. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth Science, Botany and Zoology are taught and learnt in these class/lab rooms.
[edit] Computer Lab
The computer lab is used by faculty and students for word-processing, surfing the web, researching and teaching and learning core as well as additional subjects offered at the school, including Arabic language and recitation of the Qur’an. Plans are afoot to provide each student with a personal laptop in order to reduce the use of textbooks.
[edit] Library
The Imam Al-Khoei Foundation's research library contains more than ten thousand volumes, in several languages, on all aspects of Al-Islam, including comparative religion. This reference library is available to the community at large as well as Al-Iman faculty and students for study, reference, and research. The school receives assistance from the State and City Education Department in the form of books and audio-visual equipment for the library. Formal library periods are incorporated in the day’s schedule for each grade to be able to familiarize itself with and use the multiple library resources. Students can borrow books, CDs and DVDs from the school. Through the library program, Al-Iman School also employs remedial reading teachers from the Education Department who test, assess and coach students in English language arts and reading in order to integrate them into the mainstream classroom lessons. Resources permitting, the Foundation’s library will soon upgrade its facilities and provide Internet-ready computers for research and surfing and printing facilities to the community and the students.
[edit] Conference room
The 200-person capacity conference room of the center is available to the school every Thursday for its Islamic society Club meetings whereby lectures, discussions, dialogues and presentations are delivered. Debates are also held here.
[edit] Congregation hall
The 1000-seat congregation hall is regularly used for prayers, celebrations and commemorations. Al-Iman School uses the facility that has a stage and pillars for display of exhibits during the science fair, Heritage Day, and for graduation from kindergarten and high school. On Fridays, Al-Iman School students from grades 1-12 join the rest of the community in Friday prayers. Programs from this hall may be seen online round-the-clock.
[edit] Assembly hall
Every morning and afternoon, students assemble in the prayer-cum assembly hall in the school to remember Allah SWT with recitation from the Qur’an and also to make small oral presentations to improve verbal skills and delivery in front of an audience. Midday adhaan is followed by congregational prayers in the assembly hall.
[edit] Indoor and outdoor basketball courts
Al-Iman has both indoor and outdoor sports facilities. A small indoor basketball court is used to play limited soccer, and practice martial arts and health education according to the schedule allotted by the school as well as during lunch breaks. Boys and girls in the same grade play separately.
The outdoor court can be used for limited soccer practice besides full-scale basketball, and is heavily utilized during summer school.
[edit] Lunchroom
Al-Iman School is a recipient of partial assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture’s program of meals in schools. In-house, nutritious halaal breakfast and lunch are served to students every day. Younger children also have snacks and milk during the day. Constraint of space calls for staggered lunch breaks for the younger and older children. Tea and coffee are available for faculty and staff throughout the day.
[edit] Plans for gymnasium and swimming pool
Al-Iman School has been dogged by space constraints for some time. A closed-down warehouse adjoining its premises was purchased by a bequest from a mumin and plans have been drawn to erect a four-story extension. The new facility will house a gym and health club facility with an Olympic-size swimming pool available to the community. Two floors of classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices for the school will be joined to the present building by a sheltered walkway.
