We are excited to announce the launch of ACI’s Muslim Parent Association (MPA) in the 2023-24 school year!
If you would like to be a part of the MPA and would like to receive regular updates please complete this form.
Meeting Dates
October 12th 2023 - In person
November 9th 2023 - In person
December 14th 2023 - online meeting
January 11th 2024 - online meeting
February 8th 2024 - in person meeting
March - March break and Ramadan (possibly we will organize an Event before that)
April 18th 2024 - in person (possibly we will organize Eid potluck in this meeting)
May 23rd 2024 - in person
As as part of welcoming Ramazan for the Muslim Community of ACI, the MPA has organized a Ramazan Awareness Display in the ACI Library. The MPA is grateful to the school administration to provide great support to the MPA and the MSA initiatives.
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The MPA has raised $250 from different sponsors and sponsored 10 tickets to support the MSA's Iftar night.
The MSA is hosting AGINCOURT MSA Iftar night at ACI.
There will be a speaker, a prayer, food, and dessert.
All ACI students and staff are welcome to attend, as well as family members of ACI students. It will be hosted March 22nd from 6:15-8:45.
Get your tickets outside the cafeteria at lunch or on school cash online for only $8 dollars!
To attend, please register here via the google form Complete your Payment via TDSB Cash Online "Agincourt MSA Iftar Dinner".
Registration Form: https://forms.gle/yFb34zABcPSPAoDk6
TDSB Cash Online : https://tdsb.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/237396/153/False/True
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We are happy to share that the MPA has purchased 5 long prayer scarves for the MSA!
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PIAC Conference Updates:
1- On Saturday February 03, 2024, Parents Involvement Advisory Committee - PIAC organized an amazing conference at Earl Haig Secondary School. PIAC supports parents as partners in education. All ACI parents association representatives participated in this beneficial event. If anyone is interested to find out more about PIAC here is the link: https://www.torontopiac.com/home
2- Br. Essa Mughal attended the conference from Muslim Parents Association - MPA along with one MSA student, we were contacted by several parents who were interested to find out more about MPA and they wanted to join MPA but as we are only local ACI association so we had to guide them accordingly.
3- It was an excellent experience to attend PIAC conference, one thing was exceptional that all the volunteers were school students and all the food including breakfast and lunch was prepared at school and it was amazing to find out that they considered diverse audience and provided Halal and Kosher food on different tables and everyone enjoyed that a lot. Then event was streamed online and here is the recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT-8Kcqa8AM
4- We thank ACI School administration and staff to provide great support and guidance to all parents groups during that event, specially our respected ACI Vice Principal.
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5th MPA Monthly Meeting:Thursday February 08, 2024 at ACI Library - Highlights:
Joint Meeting of Muslim Parents Association (MPA) with Muslim Students Association (MSA).
This meeting was a great success as several MPA parents and MSA students attended along with school representatives. We started meeting with Recitation led by MSA general member.
Following are some important updates and highlights of the meeting:
MSA Updates:
1- MSA has held five events this school year, including the new Prayer Space in the library and Charity Week
2- The new Prayer Space is being used and has been running smoothly for more than 2 months now
3- Eleven executive members plan MSA events and attend weekly meetings; there are approximately 60 general members
4- MSA engages general members through Instagram posts, during Heritage Month and Charity Week, and through morning school announcements
5- MSA’s focus this year is 1. to fundraise for MSA and charities and 2. to hold events to raise the publicity of MSA through school events with the aim that more students will join MSA in future years
6- Ms. Amro (MSA Staff Advisor) has been a MSA staff advisor for four years and observes that MSA executives are self-sufficient students who plan everything, are very organized and Ms. Amro is proud of the 2023/2024 MSA executive’s initiatives
7- MSA is also participating in ACI Freebie Fundraising Days and planning to sell samosas to fundraise for MSA or charity as follows:
• Wednesday, February 14th @ lunch
• Wednesday, February 21st @ lunch
• Wednesday, February 28th @ lunch
• Wednesday, March 6th @ lunch
8- Few of the future events which MSA is working towards are as follows:
• Organizing Iftar Event in Ramazan
• Henna Station
• Traditional Attire Day
• Participating in MIST Toronto 2024 https://www.misttoronto.com/whatismist
MPA Action Items to Support MSA :
1- MSA requires more head scarves for the Prayer Space
2- MSA seeks help from MPA in securing sponsors for Iftar and to invite parents and spread word for Iftar event, and to support with decorations (e.g., lanterns) for MSA’s first Iftar
3- MPA will find sponsors to help support MSA students who want to attend MIST Toronto 2024 and MPA representative will speak with School Council about supporting MSA for MIST Toronto 2024
At the end of the meeting; MPA gave away gift bags to all the MSA executive team members and to all the students who attended the meeting.
4th MPA Monthly Meeting: January 11th 2024 - Online Zoom meeting - Highlights:
1. Muslim Students’ Association (MSA) Update
MSA secretary representative H.K. provided an update on the following:
- The prayer room in the library is busy and being used by students.
- The MSA was involved in the Holiday Hall fundraiser in December.
- The MSA is considering doing something for Ramadan, such as inviting a guest speaker and inviting other students to attend.
- Agincourt MSA members attended an event at Cedarbrae Collegiate Institute, which was open to all MSAs in the area. There was a guest speaker at the event who spoke about Islam and modern days. The guest speaker delivered an hour-long engaging lecture and food was provide Cedarbrae’s MSA has about 50 members.
- The MSA would like to hold a Ramadan food drive again this year as it was successful last year.
- The MSA would like to request baggy and full-on clothes for some individual students who would like to wear more modest clothing for the Prayer Room and for for hygiene reasons
- H.K. will attend the next MPA meeting on Feb. 8, 2024, in person
2. Other meeting items discussed
- The MPA’s first priority is to get prayer mats first for the MSA.
- There are 67 general members in the MSA; the number of active general members is unknown.
- MSA executive members organize activities and general members participate.
- The MPA may provide the MSA with some cost effective baked goods or food treats.
- MSA executive member, I.E., will share more details about the MSA’s plans for Ramadan with the MPA.
3rd MPA Monthly Meeting: December 14th 2023 - Online Zoom meeting - Highlights:
- Ms. Amro joined from MSA and shared some updates, mainly around daily prayers arrangements, anything which Muslim students need to organize any event or prayers
- We discussed the importance of MPA and MSA working together towards the betterment of education and time students spend at school
- MPA will explore ways to show support towards Muslim students specifically and in general for all students
- One parent increased the awareness to provide support towards the students with special needs or those who don't come forward and stay behind due to lack of confidence, so MPA should do something for such students
MPA Meeting with Muslim Students Association (MSA): Thursday November 30,2023 - Online Zoom Meeting:
- We discussed daily prayers and Friday prayers arrangements, MSA will prepare a quick guide to share details and make announcement for Friday prayers.
- We need prayer mats so MPA will provide around 5 to 10 prayers mats
- To support each other; MPA parents will encourage their children to join MSA and MSA children will join their parents to join MPA
- The best way to get MSA updates is to join their Instagram page, their handle is @agincourt.msa (open for both children and parents)
- MSA is planning to organize an event before Ramazan or during Ramazan so we decided to let MSA organize the event and MPA will provide their full support in terms of what need from us
- MPA will invite MSA representatives in our monthly meetings to increase collaboration and exchange updates and plan mutual events
2nd Meeting : November 9th 2023 - Highlights:
- That was very fruitful meeting and we discussed several important items
- We reviewed prayer areas for the students
- MPA will organize an event before Ramazan to increase awareness where some gifts will be given away to those students who will attend the events (logistics will be discussed in upcoming meetings)
- MPA coordinators we will meet with ACI MSA (Muslim Students Association) leads to find ways to work together and deliver one awareness event before Ramazan.
- All future meetings dates were decided and posted above, our next meeting will be organized virtually on Thursday Dec 14th 2023.
1st Meeting : Thursday October 12th 2023 - Highlights:
- Around 15 parents attended our first along with Principal, Vice Principal, Mr. Qureshi and Ms. Sharon Walker.
- We introduced ourselves and had exchange ideas and reasons of joining ACI-MPA and we discussed what are the few objectives which we would like to achieve this year.
- We discussed the need of one Parent Lead Coordinator and Assistant Coordinator for these meetings, here are the names based on feedback from attendees:
Lead Coordinator: Essa Mughal
Assistant Coordinator: Sister Sameena
Secretary: Suraya Haq
- Based on everyone's input we agreed to have ACI-MPA meetings on monthly basis (2nd Thursday of every month at 7 PM where possible) with the flexibility of having an in-person or online meeting (in winter if required), mainly we prefer to have in-person meetings.
- For regular communications and to stay in contact, we agreed to have a WhatsApp group which is very commonly used for other Parents Association.
- There is a grant from TDSB for school councils which we can apply; so here the link for parents to review and share ideas if we would like to apply for it: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/Community/How-to-Get-Involved/Grants-for-Student-Need/School-Council-Innovation-Grant