Andalusia Voice

Andalusia High School

Inside this issue

Winter Breeze ............................ 2

A Beautiful Winter ...................... 2

Rob Astorino Internship .............. 3

Winter ........................................ 4

Hunting Hawk ............................. 4

My Brother ................................. 4

December 2013 Volume 1, Issue 2

Assalamu Alaikum

There is so much going on at Andalusia High School these days!

During the first week of December students in the tenth and eleventh grade received their

PSAT scores. They also received a score analysis report so that they can review the

questions that were incorrect.

A few high school students will need to take the Regents in January 2014. Please visit the

website link for the schedule: http://www.p12.nysed.gov/assessment/schedules/

Seniors are vigorously working on submitting their college applications. Two seniors applied

for “early action” to Fordham University and both received acceptance letters, Masha’Allah!

Please see the bulletin board outside the office for updates on acceptances under the title

“Hard Work Gets You Places.” We will also be updating “acceptances” on the home page of

the website next to “up-coming events.”

I am working closely with teachers to gear up for total Common Core readiness. The

students entering the 9th grade in the academic year 2013-2014, will be the first class to take

the Common Core Regents starting in June 2014 in Integrated Algebra.

The eleventh graders will be focusing on the SAT’s in the spring. On January 7, the eleventh

graders will receive registration packets to review with parents at home. The four-member

lead-committee of the National Honor Society will be working with the eleventh graders on

tips for the essay and math skills for the SAT’s.

The four-member lead committee will be the peer advisors to all high school students in

grades 9-11, getting them ready for community service and volunteerism. The American Red

Cross Club is working on a “Cancer Awareness Workshop” for the Multi-Subject Fair. More

updates in the upcoming January newsletter on events and trips.

Whether it is submitting college applications, planning for SAT prepping, gearing up for

Common Core readiness, or working on great events and trips—Andalusia High School is the

place to be!

Jazak Allahu Khairun

Sister Ghada High School Instructional Leader

Up-Coming Vacations

Winter Vacation:

December 20th ‘13—January 6th ‘14

Happy New Year!

When I look out the window

I see the white winter snow

I feel the cold winter breeze

And I get the shivers in my knees

“Haha!” I hear the laughter of kids all around

As the snow continues to fall on the ground

Smells of hot cocoa, tea and coffee

The taste of the cookies fresh out of the oven

To me, baked cookies are the taste of winter

Snow, snow beautiful snow

I wish, I wish you never go

-Manar Flaifel

Class of ‘16

Poems using figurative language and sound devices

Winter Poems Winter Breeze

A Beautiful Winter

Watching the sky while it

snows,

Sitting around the fire while it

glows,

Children yelling and laughing

outside,

Going into winter with full

stride,

Slipping, sliding, sledding

down the hill,

Feeling the cold wind, giving

me chills,

Driving in the snow as slow as

a snail,

People shoveling in front of

their houses making a trail.

-Waleed Alaeddin

Class of ‘16

2

Extra Curricular Activities

American Red Cross-Cancer Awareness Campaign

National Honor Society: Event Coordinators and Volunteer programs

Yearbook: Layout and photography

Newsletter: Design, editing, photography

Volunteer Work

As Muslims we must

give back to our

community in anyway

possible.

Opportunities are

being made possible

by the American Red

Cross Club. The goal of

the club is to help the

community by doing a

variety of different

activities such as going

to a soup kitchen and

going to a nursing

home.

Rob Astorino Internship

During the month of October, high school juniors and seniors of

Andalusia School participated in the re-election campaign of Westchester

County Executive Rob Astorino by reaching out and campaigning. After

weeks and weeks of hard work, Election Day finally arrived on November 5th.

Stepping into the campaign office, one was able to distinguish how significant

this day was. The office was crowded! There were both men and women of all

ages, including the campaign manager Rob Alberty and his assistant, Diane.

The girls, along with other volunteers were instructed to make phone calls and

encourage citizens to go out and vote for Rob Astorino before 9 p.m.! It was

very reassuring when many of the people that were called assured us that

they had already voted for Rob. However, tension rose when the polls were

neck and neck. The male students went to the polls and convinced individuals

to vote by handing out flyers and information. While watching the updates on

the television monitors in the office, we could perceive that Rob’s Democratic

opponent Noam Bramson seemed pretty confident. Phone call after phone call,

voicemail after voicemail… we were determined to get the word out. Despite

being hung up on by a few people we called we did not stop. Leaving the

campaign office that night was suspenseful; everyone was anxious to know

which one of the candidates would take home the victory. The results were

finally displayed on News 12 after 9 o’clock. Rob Astorino had won! Our hard

work had finally paid off and it was a relief that it was over. Congratulations to

Rob Astorino for another four years!

-Tasnia Ahmed

Class of ‘15

3

Newsletter Team

Sonya Annabi

Taznia Ahmad

Tahia Khan

Rabia Kamal

Saiem bin Ferdous

Diya Mohanna

Sarah Ali

Zaki Masoud

Vocabulary Stories

As winter comes in

through the windowsill

Her ghostly grip is chilling

to the bone

And overnight, the world

is frozen still

The snow falls one by one

never alone

Remembrance of a warm

summer’s embrace

Is ruined by the bitter cold

we know

A chilling breeze brushes

upon my face

Covered in snow no more

flowers will grow

I love this weather , I'll

hate it when it’s May

Cold beauty marks the

end of autumn’s reign,

Shatters the fragile joy of

yesterday

I love winter, my feelings

won’t be faint

Just one brush of her

frosted finger tips

Leaves me in utter joy and

happiness.

-Tasnia Ahmad

Class of ‘15

4

After every short story or novel, Sister Ghada, gives the definitions of words and then gives students the opportunity to write another short

story using those words. We will be publishing some of these vocabulary stories in the newsletter.

Winter

There was once a hawk the size of a small car. It was hungry and

decided to bring some food into its lair. At first the hawk brought a peach but

when he tried it, he felt it was very loathsome. He really wanted to gorge its

stomach so he thought meat would do the trick. As he soared through the air

he thought of what he wanted to eat, “mice are too small, but lions are

infamous for being dangerous.” As he flew he saw the gazelles at the

watering hole and decided they were perfect to eat. He swooped down and

as he got closer the gazelles fled to where they thought they would be livid.

This only angered the hawk since he was hungry so when he did finally catch

them, he dug his sharp talons into it and caused the gazelles much affliction.

He saw they were covered with dirt and flies so he brought his kill to the wa-

tering hole and purged it of filth. He flew back home with his stomach aching.

With the kill in his beak, he finally feasted.

- Semir Mulic

Class of ‘14

The edifice of the building captivated

my attention. I was mesmerized by the

sultry weather of the specific region

that everyone apparently had great

reminiscence of. I had to admit, it was

pretty gorgeous, but for me mostly

nostalgic. The panorama was just as I

had remembered it. So quiet and

peaceful anything but boisterous! My

brother and I used to play in this grand

area, and reverently did we play. Now

this place remained impersonal. My

dead brother lay in the ground some-

where and my heart was a whole enti-

ty. I may be all grown up, 21 to be ex-

act and only a child for that matter

too. A gaunt and a broken version of

the old jovial me. My old self, who I

believe also died on these very

grounds alongside my brother.

-Ayesha Alam

Class of ‘16

5

The Hunting Hawk

My Brother