Latest Updates
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Welcoming our Principal and VP
al-Salamu ‘Alaykum AFA Families,
On this blessed day of Friday (7/31), please join me in welcoming Al Fatih Academy's new Principal and Vice Principal for the 2026–27 school year.
When I wrote to you in June, I shared that we were working on a plan to hire a strong leadership team. That work has occupied much of the summer, conducting a broad search and moving several candidates for each position through multiple rounds of interviews. Our aim was to build a leadership team whose strengths complement one another and whose commitment to tarbiyah of our children is central to how they lead. We are grateful to everyone who gave time to this process.
Dr. Jade Halawani, Principal
Dr. Jade Jehad Halawani sees education as the practical work of building strong minds and strong character together — an outlook that drew her to Al Fatih Academy's mission. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University, where her research focused on teacher professional development and instructional systems, along with an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction from George Mason and a B.S. in Engineering Physics from Birzeit University. She is licensed in Virginia as a Collegiate Professional Teacher in Physics and holds an IB MYP Certificate of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Halawani brings over 13 years in K–12 education, including nine years in the classroom and five in instructional leadership as Science Department Lead, STEM Coordinator, and Dean of Students. She has taught and led in Muslim educational communities in the U.S. and Palestine and is bilingual in Arabic and English. Outside of school, she enjoys volunteering, hiking, and camping with her family.
Br. Abdus Samad, Vice Principal
Abdus Samad cares deeply about creating safe, structured, and nurturing spaces for children to learn and grow, guided by a simple mission: to support every child with compassion, kindness, and firm expectations. He holds a B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and an M.B.A. from Shenandoah University, and brings over a decade of experience in case management, healthcare operations, and executive leadership. He has led multidisciplinary teams serving children and families in both for-profit and nonprofit settings, including high-quality ABA services and support for behavioral and emotional needs, and holds crisis management and de-escalation certifications through Ukeru Systems and The Mandt System. Raised in Northern Virginia, he speaks English, Urdu, and Hindi. Outside of work, Abdus is a road-trip enthusiast, a serious foodie, and a self-proclaimed undefeated Uno champion.Our administrative team returns to campus on Monday, August 3. Beginning next week, you will start receiving the updates you need to prepare for the school year ahead. We will also be introducing our other new hires for the school year, in sha Allah.
Please keep Dr. Jade, Br. Abdus Samad, and the entire AFA community in your duas.
At your service,
Ismail ibn Ali, Ed.D.
Head of School
Al Fatih Academy
headofschool@alfatih.org -
Summer Camp Recaps
Click on the Newsletters below for a recap of each week of AFA's Pathfinders Summer Camp.
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AFA Summer 2026 Information
Al-Salamu ‘Alaykum AFA Families,
We hope you are enjoying the summer holiday! This message provides important information about Summer at AFA and how best to prepare for the coming school year.
Summer Camp
Our Pathfinders Summer Camp kicked off on Monday (6/22) and will run until August 7th. Families can register their students for a week at a time, allowing for flexibility to accommodate other summer plans. Learn more about the camp HERE and follow our Instagram to check out program photos and highlights! Check out our Video Recap of Week 1!
Summer Office Hours
Our administrative offices are closed from June 29 to July 31. However, families can contact the school between the hours of 10 am - 2 pm (Monday - Friday) if they have questions related to Summer Camp. Admin offices will re-open on Monday, August 3rd, in sha Allah.
Mark Your Calendars!
8/21 - Meet & Greet: Our Back to School Meet & Greet is Friday, August 21st. This is an opportunity for students and parents to visit their classroom, meet their teachers, and enjoy some school spirit. More details will be shared at the beginning of August about the timing and program.
8/25 - First Day of School: We welcome all students on Tuesday, August 25th. Drop-off begins at 8:15 am. Information regarding the drop-off and pick-up process will be shared closer to the first day of school.
High Priority: Medical Paperwork, Emergency Medication, and Identity Verification
Receipt of updated identity verification information, medical paperwork, and related materials is required for a student to enter AFA on the first day. Students with incomplete medical paperwork will not be permitted to attend school until all requirements have been met. Families may want to consider Minute Clinic or Patient First if their pediatrician’s office does not have any available appointments.
Upload all necessary paperwork here by August 7. Emergency Medication will be collected from August 3 to August 7.
Further guidance provided below:
All New Students (Does not apply to returning students):
Completed School Entrance Health Form
- Must be based on a health assessment dated within the last 12 months prior to the first day of school.
- Must be signed by a physician or his/her designee, or by a local Health Department official
- Must include up-to-date immunization record or notarized Certificate of Religious Exemption. Refer to the Virginia Department of Health's immunization schedule guidelines for additional details.
- For additional instructions on completing the School Entrance Health Form requirements, click here.
All Kindergarten Students (Applies to New and Returning students):
- School Entrance Health Form completed within the last 12 months prior to starting school (with up-to-date immunization report).
- Refer to the Virginia Department of Health’s immunization requirements to ensure your student has received all of the necessary immunizations.
All Grade 7 Students (Applies to New and Returning students):
- Tdap Booster: Official documentation of the Tdap booster is required. Parents or guardians should ask their private healthcare provider or the health department to review their child’s immunization record if they are unsure if their child has received the Tdap booster. Students who have received a Tdap booster at age 7 or older will meet the school immunization requirement for Tdap and will not need another dose before entering seventh grade.
- Meningococcal Conjugate (MenACWY): A minimum of 2 doses of MenACWY vaccine. The first dose should be administered prior to entering 7th grade.
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV): A complete series of 2 doses of HPV vaccine is required for students entering the 7th grade. The first dose shall be administered before the child enters the 7th grade. After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian has the right to decide whether their child receives the HPV vaccine. Click here for additional information.
All Students with Medical Conditions/Allergies:
- All students with medical conditions requiring emergency medications/plans must submit medical plans using the Asthma Action Plan and/or Food Allergy Action Plan on or before August 7. We require families to use these specific forms and will not accept other forms.
- Medical/Asthma/Allergy plans must be signed by a physician or his/her designee, or by a local Health Department official. Students with allergies or other conditions requiring emergency medication will not be permitted to start school until the medication has been received by the main office. Medication may be dropped off between August 3 and August 7 between 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
- Emergency medication must be provided in original pharmacy packaging, with prescription details clearly visible. The name on the prescription must match the name on the action plan.
- We administer medications exactly as prescribed by your child's physician. If a brand-name medication is prescribed, please provide that specific brand-name medication rather than a generic equivalent.
- If a returning student no longer requires an action plan, please provide a physician’s signed note on office letterhead or a prescription pad paper.
School Supplies
- For Preschool-Grade 5, all basic school supplies will be purchased and provided by AFA.
- For Grades 6-8 (Middle School), families must purchase their supplies:
- Some classroom teachers may require additional items, such as art smocks. This will be communicated to parents directly by the classroom teachers in August, in sha Allah.
- Preschool-Grade 8 must purchase their own age-appropriate school backpack, refillable water bottle, and lunch container. All items must be labeled.
- Specific Art Purchase: KG students and new students in Grades 1-8 must purchase a mixed media pad for art. Please follow this link to find the exact item needed. DO NOT REPLACE THIS ITEM WITH ANOTHER BRAND.
- No wheeled backpacks are permitted.
School Uniforms & Spiritwear
Students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 are required to wear a standard AFA uniform to school each day. We are working on some exciting new updates for our school uniforms. We will be sharing more information in the coming weeks, in sha Allah!
Pizza Mondays & Hot Lunch
Our Hot Lunch program allows families to order lunch for their children from local partners. This past year, our team worked to bring Hot Lunch ordering in-house instead of using a 3rd-party vendor. Alhamdulillah, based on the feedback we’ve received, we plan to continue with Pizza Mondays and will offer Hot Lunch ordering Tuesdays through Fridays. The ordering process will be similar to last year, in sha Allah. More details about Pizza Mondays and Hot Lunch will be available in the coming weeks.
Report Cards
Report cards for 2026-2027 students were sent out on June 18. Quarter 4 Report cards are also accessible to all returning families via their Family Portal (Student > Report Card). Please reach out to sulaima.kochaji@alfatih.org after August 3 with any questions.
Transcript Requests
All transcript requests received by the deadline (June 16) have been processed. Any new requests received after the deadline will be processed when admin return in August, in shaa Allah. To submit a request, please complete a Records Release form and send it to sulaima.kochaji@alfatih.org.Leave a Review!
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Have a wonderful summer!
Our Vision & Mission
Al Fatih Academy’s vision is to be a model Islamic learning community that inspires a commitment to excellence in all aspects of life.
Al Fatih's mission is to cultivate and nurture a thriving American Muslim identity that balances religious, academic and cultural knowledge and imparts the importance of civic involvement and charitable work. Through an interdisciplinary and integrated programming approach, we strive to create an educational environment that unites students, teachers, family, and community to provide an exceptional learning experience.