Stronger Together: Growing, Learning, and Thriving as a Community
Stronger Together: Growing, Learning, and Thriving as a Community
Welcome back, families, to an exciting year of learning at IQRA College Junior School, inshallah. At IQRA, our community is at the heart of everything we do. From engaging parent events and interactive workshops to our hands-on STREAM educational program rich with experiences, we create a shared space where students, families, and educators grow together. Our school isn’t just a place of learning—it’s a thriving hub where respect, kindness, and collaboration are woven into daily life. Whether learning alongside your child, contributing to school initiatives, or fostering the values of good manners and mutual respect, we are proud to be a connected, dynamic, and welcoming community.
In our school community, we strive to embody the values of cooperation, kindness, and perseverance in all that we do. Islam teaches us the importance of supporting one another in goodness, working together with sincerity, and encouraging patience in times of challenge. The following Quranic verses remind us of the power of faith, righteous actions, and mutual encouragement in truth and perseverance.
Allah the Almighty said: “And cooperate in righteousness and piety” [Al-Ma’idah: 2], and He the Almighty said: “By time. Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience” [Al-Asr: 1-3].
House Points Heroes
Here at IQRA College students are awarded house points to support and encourage positive behaviours. House points are awarded when students show positive and virtuous behaviours, for academic achievements, and participation in extracurricular activities. Our students have flourished and enjoyed earning house points, exhibiting their many virtuous behaviours.
Our Junior Schools top 3 scoring students, so far this term, were interviewed about their house point success and here is what they had to say:
Eyas (Year 1)- I feel good, I got points for doing my best work.
Aaliyah (Year 2)- It makes me feel good.
Junayd (Year 2)- I feel really excited. I also feel really happy.
Reception STREAM – Costume Design
We have been researching sea creature features! We are now using our research to design sea creature costumes. We will be doing a fashion show at the end of this term to showcase our recycled materials sea creature outfits and our knowledge of sea creature and ocean conservation.
Giovanni – I designed shark costume. I like sharks! He has sharp teeth to eat (it’s prey)
Haniya – I designed a turtle. I love turtles! It has a shell and some teeth.
Zayd – I designed an octopus. Octopuses are great! They have 8 tentacles
Zainab – I designed a pufferfish costume, It was simple to draw (circle shape). It has some spikes.
Yaseen – I designed a puffer fish costume. They are my favourite. They have spikes to be dangerous
Reception STREAM – Pollution Busters!
We have been learning about humans' impact on animals and how to better protect them through our actions. We have learned about how leaving rubbish can endanger animals. Our class went on a rubbish walk and made posters to inform others on how to better protect our environment and our animals.
Aayah- We need to collect rubbish so the animals can be safe. The turtles think bags are jellyfish.
Rosie- Animals might eat the rubbish if it goes in the ocean
Muhammad- The turtle will eat the trash and nets get stuck on the whale’s tail.
Zohair- We make posters so then people don’t make mistakes.
Shahzain- Animals think rubbish is food.
Zahra- It is our job to protect the animals.
Ayesha- We protect the animals when we put rubbish in the bin.
Reception STREAM – Ocean Pollution
We simulated a polluted ocean using coffee powder, vegetable oil, and various waste materials. Students observed, discussed, and used tools like brushes, filters, and tweezers to clean it up, realizing the difficulty of cleanup and the importance of maintaining a clean habitat for sea creatures.
Zynah - ‘Ewwww, the sea becomes so dirty and smelly!’
Rayan - ‘Last time I was at the beach, I saw some trash, so I picked it up and put it in the bin!’
Idris - ‘Fish won't be happy because they can't breathe properly.’
Year 1 STREAM – Exploring Bee Anatomy
We have been researching bee body parts and their functions! Using our knowledge, we are designing bee art. At the end of this term, we will showcase our creations, where we will demonstrate our understanding of bee's body parts, pollination, and life cycle. This hands-on project is helping us develop creativity, teamwork, and a deeper appreciation for God creation: the bee and their role in nature!
Each student designed a bee and carefully labelled its body parts, explaining their purpose.
Manal– I designed a worker bee. I like bees! I labelled the wings to show how they help bees fly and the stinger for protection.
Tahia– I designed a queen bee. I love queen bees! I labelled the large body that helps her lay eggs and the antennae that help her communicate.
Yahia– I designed a drone bee. Drones are great! I labelled their compound eyes, which help them find the queen, and their wings for flying.
Fatima– I designed a honeybee. It was simple to draw (oval shape). I labelled the six legs for walking and collecting pollen and the antennae for sensing flowers.
Kinan– I designed a bumblebee. They are my Favorite. I labelled their fuzzy body, which helps them collect pollen, and their legs, which carry it back to the hive
Year 1 STREAM – ‘th’ is for Thistle!
The Year 1’s have been as busy as bees this term learning about the importance of pollinators in our environment. To incorporate aspects of Visual Arts and their ‘sound of the week’ in English, we looked at photographs of bees on top of Scottish thistles. We used a variety of different art tools to create the vibrant purple colour and applied our learning in Science to add a realistic bee, looking closely at the anatomy of a bee.
Mousa: “It is so spikey!”
Alp: “How will the bee not hurt himself on all those spikes?”
Minha: “I enjoyed blending all the colours together!”
Zoya: “My bee is so fuzzy!”
Year 1 STREAM – Pollinators
Pollinators are nature helpers that move pollen from one plant to another, making it possible for new plants to grow. The students in 1A collaboratively worked to create the life cycle of a bee, inside the hive.
Joseph was very proud of his scientific drawing of a bee; He couldn’t believe that he did it.
Jannah said that her bee had four wings, and the flapping of the wings that make the buzz sound.
Year 2 STREAM – Human Development Milestones
This term, our students have been leading their own inquiry into human development milestones. As a class, we explored key questions about how babies and toddlers grow, learn, and change over time. To find answers, we visited the crèche, where students had the chance to observe young children in action and engage with caregivers. This real-world experience provided valuable insights into early childhood development, sparking curiosity and meaningful discussions back in the classroom.
Khadija. I - “I was surprised that toddlers nap for 2 hours”
Amira - “I thought babies started eating solid foods at 1 years old, but they start eating at 6 months old”
Ilyas - “I learned that toddlers start to colour on paper at around 14 months old”
Year 2 STREAM – How Can I Express my Uniqueness Through Art?
During Term 1, the Year 2 students are focusing on a variety of art projects and techniques that allow them to express themselves and learn about others. These beautiful works of art are allowing us to foster a warm and welcoming community, and to learn what we might have in common with others around us.
Shaza – I like that we got to draw our favourite stuff!
Adam – I enjoyed doing the colouring and doing the blue because it is my dad’s favourite colour.
Zavian - I liked it because I got to show the things I like to think about and do outside.
Eliza - My favourite part of Art is the painting, colouring, writing!
Year 2 STREAM – How am I Connected to my Community?
This term the Year 2 students are focusing on who they are. We looked at what community means to them – and how they are connected to others in their community here at school. We made a community circle joining together our members to create a web of connections.
Aamina – community is people who gather and work together
Areej – it shows who we connect with in our class
Muawiya – our community circle showed that we play with our friends
Aya – we have lots of family friends in our class
Year 3 STREAM – Stories in Shadows
This term, Year 3 has been practicing drawing and coloring scenic backgrounds using silhouettes. Through this art form, they have explored how simple shapes can create powerful and meaningful images. By using contrast between dark silhouettes and vibrant backgrounds, students expressed their creativity while learning how art can tell a story.
We can’t wait to showcase their amazing work!
Aisha: I enjoyed colouring this. These colours show the colours of the sunset and it was a fun activity. I learned how to draw palm trees.
Yahia: This actually didn’t take me a long time and I found it very easy to do. I’ve never done a silhouette before, and I thought it might be difficult at first.
Ammar: I really enjoyed drawing the trees. This was something new for me.
Iqra: It was fun and a bit difficult. The shading was hard but when I completed it, I was happy with my work.
Year 3 STREAM – Farmers Market Math
In our math lesson, students to created their own shops and set prices for their products. Other students then visited these shops, using their addition and subtraction skills to calculate their total spending and check their change.
Along with this activity, we explored inquiry questions about buying and selling, connecting math to real-life experiences.
Noah: “This skill can help us calculate.”
Waleed: “I know how to check the change when I visit the shop.”
Nameer: “One day, I can go to buy things.”
Sedra: “I can sell my bubble milk tea for $5.”
Grace: “The change is $2 because you bought two $4 coal chips with a $10 note.”
Year 3 STREAM – Living Things and Life Cycles
In Year 3, students are studying living things and their life cycles. To deepen their understanding, they have participated in a range of hands-on activities designed to reinforce the significance of plants and their life cycle. These activities enable students to better comprehend key concepts related to plant life and their essential role in our daily lives.
Our students are eagerly waiting for the seeds to grow!!!
Mohammed Zaid – Plants give us oxygen, so we can breathe.
Hamza- I found bubbles in the water next to the leaf.
Noura- I am so excited to see the seeds growing.
Our Manners Bear is Visiting Junior School Classes
We have a new friend in the Junior School – he is our Manners Bear! Every week teachers can nominate their class if they feel that the students have gone above and beyond to display the manners of an Iqra student. Our Manners Bear then spends the week with the winning class in their classroom as recognition for their amazing efforts. We have had two winners so far this term: Ms Kiki’s class for beautiful listening to their teacher, and Ms Dalia’s class for setting a good example for their friends.
Junior School HPE Feature
In our Junior School PE lessons, our young athletes have been improve their fundamental movement skills by strengthening their ability to jump, throw, catch, dodge, balance, and run in small games and play situations with the aim to . Playing safely and fairly, as well as follow rules, have been a key teaching points in these physical activities.
Ali: I know how to balance. You look forward!
Haniya: You swing your arms and do this (spring your legs) when you jump!
Adam: You dodge if you don’t want to get caught
Muawiya: You can do overarm throwing.
Asiya: You jump with two legs! Not like this (tip toeing)
Hamza: When you catch, you look at the beanbag!
Parents and Friends Committee
The Parents & Friends Committee (PFC) at IQRA College plays a vital role in supporting student learning, fostering community connections, and organizing school events. Their key objectives include enhancing academics through workshops, volunteering for events like Iftar and Adha Fest, assisting new parents in settling in, and fundraising for school projects. This dedicated team has successfully hosted events such as the Eid Fiesta, parental workshops, Teachers’ Day celebrations, and a Family Day at Glenthorne Park, along with a holiday summer camp featuring activities like MMA, robotics, and netball. PFC is always looking for new members and fresh ideas—if you're interested in joining, visit the IQRA College website under “Our People” or scan the QR code to connect!
Parent Phonics Workshop by PFC
Families joined us, here at IQRA, for our Jolly Phonics Parent Workshop in partnership with SPELD SA, where they learnt how we teach early reading and writing skills through fun, multi-sensory phonics activities. This session gave families practical strategies to support their child’s learning at home. Thanks to the Parents and Friends Committee who organised this session for families.
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