Our School

A Message from Dr. Amna Latif

Peace and blessings on behalf of the Tarbiyah administration, staff, and faculty. Tarbiyah School stemmed from the vision of inculcating a whole Muslim child who has a strong connection to Allah SWT and who excels in the affairs of this world. With this vision, two families started a homeschool at my house. Alhamdolillah the enrollment grew exponentially in a few months and we transitioned into a proper school facility.

Tarbiyah started with one faculty member and four students in 2010. By the Mercy of Allah SWT, in 2014, we serve over one hundred families,  approximately one hundred and eighty students, and twenty nine faculty and staff members. We have a diverse team of professional educators who are qualified and certified in specialized fields of education. Our continuous unique training programs enrich our faculty academically and spiritually. Our faculty has been trained by local, national, and international educators, specialists, psychiatrists and psychologists. They have also worked collaboratively with Christina School District faculty.

Tarbiyah is an Arabic word that means raising and nurturing, often used in the context of a childhood education. The concept as envisioned goes beyond the school to encompass the home and the community at large. Tarbiyah also refers to the process of unfolding, i.e., unfolding of talents, skills and abilities that a child is inherently blessed with. We believe in creating a strong relationship with our parents to aide the child’s learning process. Learning takes place everywhere and we encourage our students to share their lived experiences, be creative, and curious about their surroundings.

In the globalized society of today, we realize the importance of developing  critical thinking, problem solving, and leadership skills in our students so that they are prepared for college, workforce, and family life. We provide our  students with different opportunities to express themselves and maximize their learning such as hands on activities, experiments, dissection, projects, self‐created videos, scenic photography, art, exchange/interaction with other school students (private and public), group work, peer teaching, and participation in community services.

Tarbiyah’s unique curriculum focuses on a balance of academic and Islamic subjects. Online textbooks, educational resources, and online homework and a state‐of‐the‐art curriculum system attest to the quality of education we promise to provide our students. Our system is password protected and provides each student friendly access to all lesson plans updated by teachers a week in advance, daily homework, online tests, quizzes, activities, communication with teachers, class wikis, attendance, discipline, and grades.

Our aim is to make the learning process easier for students and parents on a daily basis and equip our students with the technological know‐how of today’s world. Islam is a way of life, this is what our students experience at Tarbiyah. Islam is integrated in all subjects including English, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Our faculty research and work diligently and painstakingly in  incorporating Islam in all their daily lessons. We believe that  students must understand and be able to make connections with Allah SWT as they read a text or attempt a Math problem. I enjoy working with a diverse team of faculty and staff who share the same vision and mission AlhamduLillah.

Co‐curricular activities are an integral part of  Tarbiyah’s curriculum. Students retain 80‐90% of what they learn by doing. We provide our students with  frequent field trips, special speakers, visits from  government agencies, and experiential learning  opportunities.  I must say that Tarbiyah is truly blessed to have a dedicated team who goes above and beyond to meet the needs of the students.

Tarbiyah students have performed consistently above and beyond state and national standards. This is  evident in the standardized test results with students performing in the range of 80‐99 percentile every year. Consider this with the perspective that national average stands at 50th percentile; this means that for state and federal purposes a child in the 50th percentile range on the standardized testing is  considered to be meeting state and national standards. It is  evident that Tarbiyah’s focus on superior academic achievement is resulting in high quality students who surpass any national or state standards by a very high margin.

Tarbiyah receives federal funds for the Title I and II Program (provide academic support in English and Math to struggling students) and the School Lunch Program every year. Many of our students have received scholarships from national and local organizations including Children Scholarship Fund of  Philadelphia, Brandywine Zoo, Delaware Museum of Natural History, and Delaware Nature Society.

Tarbiyah is a home to many students and staff . Every stakeholder of Tarbiyah is valued as a member of the family and team. Through a rigorous, yet nurturing environment, we train our faculty, staff , and students to exceed standards of teaching and learning. Parents drive from as far away as Philadelphia, PA and North East, MD everyday to pick and drop their children. This is a testament to the trust that parents have on Tarbiyah’s educational philosophy and pedagogy.

Thank you for your consideration in entrusting us for your child’s education and we look forward to provide quality Islamic education and services.

Dr. Amna Latif, Director & Principal of Tarbiyah School
Doctorate in Education Leadership and Cultural Foundations (University of North Carolina)
MS Educational Administration (Eastern Illinois University)
MS Technology Management (Eastern Illinois University)
BS Computer Science (Islamabad, Pakistan)