In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be with you dear parents,

We are very happy to announce that Nur Montessori in Falls Church is expanding to include a Primary classroom (ages 3-5) and Upper Elementary (ages 9-12) in Fall of 2016, insha'Allah.

Insha'Allah on Sunday, December 13, 2015, Nur Montessori will host a presentation and discussion of the future direction of Muslim Education entitled, Islam and Montessori: Hope for the Future. Please join us for a thought provoking and serious look at post modern schooling and its impact on children and society.

Presenters, Maimuna-Mahdi Wildeman, Mary El-Khatib and Tasniya Sultana will discuss the value of a Montessori education, how its philosophy, curriculum and methodology perfectly align with Islam and its potentially transformative effect on our children and society.

Maimuna Mahdi (Primary)

Born in Sierra Leone and educated on three continents, Maimuna is a Muslim American and a ‘Third Culture Adult’. She has a Bachelor’s in African Studies from the University of London, England, and was certified by the American Montessori Society in 1993 at the Primary (3-6) Level. Maimuna began her teaching career in Evanston, Illinois, graduating from the Midwest Montessori Teacher Training Center, and has been a Directress in Montessori Schools in the US and in Saudi Arabia since then. Registered as an American Montessori Society Consultant, she received her American Montessori Society Elementary Level I Credential in 2010. She is currently working towards a second Bachelor’s in Islamic Studies while working as a substitute teacher at local Islamic Schools, and volunteering for her non-profit “Hajar’s Well”. Maimuna has participated in the ‘Conversations on Diversity’ Series of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center at the University of North Carolina and co-presented “An Introduction to the Islamic Community” for the Diversity Council of the City of Durham, NC. Maimuna is blessed to have her extraordinary parents, Muhammad and Roshan, as well as her daughter, Qasima in her life in Durham.

Mary El-Khatib (Secondary)

Mary is an Irish American who was drawn to the compassion, ease and beauty of Islam while living and teaching in Jerusalem. She perceived a major disconnect between the Islam she was learning and images of Islam being put forth in the world. After attending a week long conference, "Beyond Schooling" featuring speakers Hamza Yusuf and John Tayor Gatto, she was convinced that the current educational system was working against the true nature of the child and became determined to reform the education of our youth by actively teaching peace and conflict resolution, helping children realize their role as stewards of the environment and most importantly their connection with the Creator and all creation. In September, 2011, Mary established Nur Montessori to fulfill that vision.
Mary received her training in Montessori curriculum and pedagogy at the Barrie Institute of Advanced Montessori Studies. Mary has held teaching positions at The George Washington University, The College of Science in Jerusalem, Arlington County Public Schools, Henson Valley Montessori School and the Islamic Saudi Academy in VA where she also served in the capacity of Assistant Principal, Chair of the Elementary ESL Department and Chair of Philosophy and Goals Committee for school accreditation. She was awarded a teaching Fellowship by The George Washington University where she earned a Master of Arts Degree in Iberian Spanish Literature. She has also published in the Journal of Religion and Teaching on issues relating to the acquisition of English for Muslim students. Mary offers yearly workshops on the topic of Montessori and Islam which she has presented at the annual convention for the Islamic Schools League of America.

Tasniya Sultana (Upper Elementary)

Tasniya Sultana recently received her Masters in Elementary Montessori Education from Loyola University Maryland and her AMI diploma from Washington Montessori Institute. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the University of Virginia. As a former teacher of Islamic Studies, Tasniya observed that most Islamic schools have adopted the standard workbooks, textbooks, and worksheets to teach various concepts like math, science, history, and language with very minimal hands-on experience for the child. Tasniya believes children should be excited and passionate about learning both secular subjects and Islamic subjects. Her dream is to change the landscape of Islamic education by providing more concrete materials and experiences for the children in the classroom. She believes that Montessori teaching methods and Islamic education create a perfect synergy. One of Tasniya’s goals is to incorporate Qur’anic Arabic into the Montessori method of teaching grammar, morphology and syntax so that students can have a better understanding and deeper relationship with the Quran. Tasniya is currently studying Quranic Arabic with Bayyinah to make her vision a reality. External Event Url
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003
6507 Columbia Pike, Annandale, VA 22003, USA