Golden Eagle T-shirts

Dear parents,

Assalam Alaikum! I am happy to announce that we received the students' Golden Eagle t-shirts last Friday. Please pick-up your child's t-shirt tomorrow, Wednesday 1/23, from Room 5 after dismissal (2-3pm). Students are to wear these shirts on Friday, January 25th.

This week marks the birth of prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Let's take this opportunity to send salutations on our beloved prophet, and remind our children about him.

Science Fair for grades 4-8 is this Thursday. Join us for the award ceremony at 6:45pm. Science Exhibition for grades 1-5 will take place next Tuesday, January 29. Please check GIS Website homepage for details.

I would like to remind you to ensure your child is in school before class starts at 8am. Our teachers open their classroom doors at 7:45am. 

The first volunteer cards are due next week on Thursday, January 31. Please remember to ask for a receipt when you turn in your card.

For those of you making traveling plans for the summer, the first day of the 2013-14 school year is Monday, August 26.

We have our annual Open House next Friday, February 1st from 8:30 to 11:30am. Please spread the word to your friends! Here is a copy of the Open House flyer.

Our 25th anniversary celebration is in less than 2 weeks (Sunday Feb 3 at the Marriott)! Please join us on this special occasion. We understand that the event is taking place on a Sunday, and we planned a short program that starts at 6pm with dinner and ends at 9pm after entertainment. A few reminders:

1. We will be showing our 25th Celebration video featuring Granada students, alumni, parents, teachers, board members and founders.
2. We have an adjacent room for the alumni to watch the Superbowl.
3. Two iPad 2 will be awarded as door prizes.
4. Students who sell the most tickets will win an iPad Mini. 2nd and 3rd prizes are iPod nanos. Competition ends on Monday, January 28th.
5. Ticket prices will go up after Monday, January 28th.

Sincerely,
Nihad Mourad

New Security Measures

Assalam Alaikum Dear Parents:

In light of recent events and recommendations by the County of Santa Clara, we are taking the following additional security measures effective Tuesday, January 15 for enhanced security at GIS.  

1. The parking lot gate and all school doors (except the lobby door) will be locked from 8:05 am to 3:15 pm (2:00 pm on Wednesdays).  Students arriving after 8:05 am should be brought through the front lobby door by their parents.
2. The GIS lobby door will be kept locked from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm (1:45 pm on Wednesdays) and people will be buzzed in by the receptionist.
3. Pre-K will keep both their doors locked at all times.
4. Pre-K half-day parents will need to enter the building through the MCA lobby (entrance #5) or the GIS lobby (entrance #6).  

Please remember that the school is off next Monday, January 21, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Please check the following link for Muslim Spelling Bee.

Sincerely,

Nihad Mourad

Granada 25th Anniversary Celebration - Feb 3

Dear parents,

Assalam alaikum, We are very excited about our upcoming 25th Anniversary Celebration. Alhamdulillah it's a major milestone for our school, and we are grateful to Allah Taala for this achievement. The event will also include the first official alumni reunion. We are honored to invite you to be part of this celebration.

• Theme: Soaring to New Heights
• Date: Sunday, February 3rd from 6:00-9:00pm
• Place: Santa Clara Marriott

Granada Family Special (one week only - Monday 1/14 to Friday 1/18)

We have a special offer for our Granada families which will only be available next week. If you purchase two adult tickets for the dinner, you will receive a free  child's ticket ($20 or $25 value). This purchase can only be done at school site next week: mornings between 8:00 to 8:30 or after school 3:00 to 3:30 (Wednesday 2:00 to 2:30).

Student Prizes

We are offering our students a chance to support their school by selling tickets for the dinner. We are offering the following prizes:

• The student with the highest number of sold tickets will receive an iPad mini. The 2nd and 3rd top sellers will receive iPod nanos.
• The class with the most sold tickets will receive a pizza party.
• The Red and Gold Houses will get points depending on the number of sold tickets.

Volunteer for the Dinner

Would you like to volunteer for this event? We have many opportunities before and on the day of the event. Please check the following link for details: Fundraising Dinner Volunteers.

Sponsoring the Dinner

Do you have a business or know of a business that can sponsor our dinner and get some exposure in the community? We have 3 sponsorship packages starting at $1,000. For more details, check the Sponsorship Packages or email Linda Zielinski, Business Manager.

Sincerely,

Nihad M. Mourad

Principal

Welcome Back

Dear parents, 

Assalam Alaikum, happy new year and welcome back to school.

It's time to form the committee for the Madeha Lashin Scholarship Award (MLSA). Each year a new committee is formed from different stakeholders (parent, teacher, board, admin). The committee members choose a topic for this year's essay and evaluate the essays to determine the winners. Please let me know if you are interested to be on this committee.

First volunteer cards are due on Thursday, January 31. Please turn in your completed card to the school's front office and make sure to receive a receipt. This card is worth $200. This month we have volunteering opportunities during the Science Fair and also for the fundraising dinner.

Session 2 Club registration starts today Wednesday, January 9 and goes on until Tuesday, January 22. Club information and registration are available on the GIS homepage (Session 2 Clubs).

We placed the order for the Granada T-shirts before the break, and we are scheduled to receive the shipment this Friday. We will distribute them next week, insha Allah. Students are to wear their Granada shirts on Friday, January 25. We are planning an exciting activity for that day!

Granada will be off on Monday, January 21st for the observation of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

25 more days to our 25th celebration! GIS fundraising dinner and alumni reunion is scheduled on Sunday, February 3rd at 6pm at the Santa Clara Marriott. Please mark your calendar and spread the word.

Sincerely,

Nihad M. Mourad
Principal