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Supporting Bush Muslim Community During Ramadan

Message on Ramadan from Head of School Percy L. Abram
Dear Bush Community, 
 
I am writing to remind you that Ramadan begins the evening of Wednesday, March 22, and ends at sundown on Friday, April 22. The following are suggestions of ways you can support our Muslim community members during Ramadan.
  • Prayer is important for Muslims all year round. Please allow Muslim students who observe a prayer schedule to miss a few minutes of class if they wish to pray. Students may utilize the Muslim Prayer Room, located adjacent to the Community Room (formerly the Isolation Room).
  • Remember that just because a student is Muslim does not mean that they will definitely be fasting. Please don’t make assumptions about whether a student is fasting or their eating regimen during this time.
  • Be aware that some families wake up before dawn to have a meal before beginning the fast. Fasting is an act of worship as well as a way to become more compassionate to those in need. Fajr, the sunrise prayer, starts at approximately 4:30 a.m. and a pre-fast meal has to be eaten prior to that; this means some families will be waking up around 4:00 a.m. to eat and then go back to sleep for a few hours before school and work begin for the day. Other families may create a fasting schedule that works for them. At the end of the day, families come together for Iftar, to break their fast and celebrate together. For some families, these dinners can be held late into the evening. Understand that students may be tired from this change in routine.
  • Refrain from events or assignments involving drinking, eating, or food during the month of Ramadan.
  • Allow students to walk during physical education classes instead of running.
  • Ramadan is an entire month, therefore a student’s energy will fluctuate over the course of that month.
  • Students can feel singled out if asked whether they are fasting or why they are not fasting (this information came from students in the Muslim Student Association)
  • Please click here for books about Ramadan.
  • Please click here for more information about Ramadan. 
We appreciate your commitment to ensuring that all students are valued, seen, and heard. Ramadan Mubarak to all our community members observing Ramadan. 
 
Be well,
 
Percy

Message on Ramadan from the Muslim Affinity Group
Hello everyone!
 
If you don't know who I am, I'm Nabila and I am a junior. I also co-lead MSA (Muslim student affinity group) with Maya Torky '24. Ramadan begins Tomorrow 3/23, and MSA is excited about the beginning of this month. We are here to share some things about Ramadan that we think are important for you all to know as our teachers. Please read this email fully to ensure that you know how to best support your students during this month. 
 
What you might not know: 
Ramadan is a holy month for Muslims. As I am sure many of you know, we fast from sunrise to sunset every day. This means that we will not be eating and drinking (yes, not even water) during the duration of this month from 5:30 am - 7:30 pm. That's 14 hours! The time also gets pushed back as the sun sets later every day, so by the end of the month, we will be breaking our fasts as late as 8 pm. It is important to know that Ramadan is not only a time of fasting, but there are many aspects of this month that many non-muslims do not know about. Aside from the 5 prayers that are performed every day, many also go to the mosque during the night time to pray Taraweeh which is a special prayer performed during this month specifically, after the obligatory evening prayer Isha. This means that some of us do not get home until late at night. This can be hard especially given that as Bush students, we must manage homework, studying, sports, and extracurriculars, which can all be overwhelming. You can expect us to be tired, overwhelmed, hungry, and more. This can have a great impact on how we learn. 
 
Ramadan is also a time of community and gathering for many Muslims that have the privilege of celebrating and observing this month with their families. It is important to know that it can be difficult to manage time especially when we are dedicating time to be with our families so much this month. 
 
We ask that you all be patient, kind, and understanding during this time. It can be difficult to handle this all while fasting but is manageable when you all are able to give support and have the knowledge and awareness of this month. Here are some ways you all can help us make this month easier:
 
  1. Ask your student how you can best support them individually. It won't be helpful for me to give a general way for you all to support us because we are all different people and learners. Personalize it!
  2. One of the 5 obligatory prayers falls during lunch. So, if a student is a couple of minutes late coming from the lunch period, that is why. Please be flexible with this. 
  3. Don't be afraid to have conversations surrounding Ramadan! If you are not open and comfortable when having these conversations, chances are your students won't be either. 
 
Each member of MSA has been CC’ed on this email. It also does not hurt to announce and acknowledge the beginning of Ramadan in your classes, and explicitly offer support to those observing. This is to ensure that we are not leaving anybody out. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you think may benefit. 
 
That was a lot, but this is just one of the ways that we can be true to our mission and support one another in the Bush community. Please feel free to follow up with any questions and/or if you would like any advice on navigating this all. We appreciate you all for your flexibility during this time. Stay tuned for our presentation this Friday during forum to learn more!
 
With gratitude,
Muslim Student Affinity Group


Click here to read the Bush School's Religious & Cultural Observances Policy.
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The Bush School
The Bush School is an independent, coeducational day school located in Seattle, WA enrolling 749 students in grades K–12. The mission of The Bush School is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities

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