A note from the Principal's desk...
Assalamu – Alaikum and welcome back to the 2010 – 2011 school year. Insha-Allah in this blessed month of Ramadan may Allah (swt) except your prayers, duaa and fasting.
Ilhemdililah we have had a wonderful start to the new school year and we are looking forward to a year filled with new learning experiences academically and Islamically.
We are pleased to offer an academic program to our youth ”From Crayons to College”. Our average on the IOWA standardized achievements is well above the national average in all grades (2nd – 8th) with many individual students receiving scores that reflect that they have performed better than 95-99% of students nationally in 2010. Our students' success and the acceptance rate to college never ceases to amaze me as well, with students attending guaranteed medical programs, Yale, University of Chicago, MIT, Northwestern, IIT and many other prestigious universities. These successes, as well as our curriculum and yearly growth, will be the foundation of our application for renewal of accreditation with the North Central Association of Schools. With our teachers diligence, continuous documentation, classroom practices and teaching methodology we will successfully show that we have consistently exceeded the benchmarks set for Universal School by the NCA and the State of Illinois .
We also continue to renew our efforts of offering a nurturing and Islamic environment to our students, through continuous mentoring, regular assemblies on character development, daily khateeras and group prayer.
Wa-Assalamu- Alaikum Wa Rah mat Allahu Wa Barakatu.
Hanan Abdallah
Principal
Excellence in Academics...
The Elementary level consists of an established curriculum that correlates and exceeds the objectives set by the State of Illinois, Board of Education.
The Middle School and High School program adapts to the academic needs of individual students. By providing regular, honors, and AP (advanced college placement) courses to students also find themselves learning everything from web designing to journalism, sociology to graphic art and design. Universal’s Arabic department created their own curriculum, specific to the needs of Arabic as a second language for Arabic speaking as well as non-Arabic speaking students. In order to excel in Qur'an, students are placed in one of the four levels, based upon individual ability.
Universal School offers a wide variety of computer courses, from kindergarten to 12th grade. Elementary focuses on computer navigation and keyboarding. Middle school learns word processing, spreadsheets, presentation and database design. The high school learns to build websites and programming. They are exposed to HTML, JavaScript and Visual Basic, with a plan of introducing advanced placement computer courses.
Excellence in Islamic education...
Our students are taught from a very young age the basic fundamentals of Islam. All core subjects are taught in relation to Islamic principles. In addition, students are required to have an Islamic studies class as early as pre-kindergarten. By praying Thuhr daily and attending Friday khutbas, our students are implementing concepts taught in the classroom. Our value of the month allows the students not only to practice Islamic Tarbiyah, but to implement it throughout their lives.
Excellence in Extra curricular activities...
We strive to graduate well-rounded individuals, thus providing a variety of extra curricular activities to our polished academic program. The IMAN Club encourages students to become better and more productive Muslims by organizing fundraising programs to benefit Muslims globally. The student council unifies the student body by closely working with the administration to foster high morale and positive self-esteem. Our competitive boys basketball team, part of the IHSA, provides a structured avenue for academically capable students. Membership in the NHS (National Honor Society) is both an honor and a responsibility. Students selected for membership are expected to continue to demonstrate the qualities of scholarship, service, leadership, and character.