R.I.S.E Academy
Sr. Muna's 4th Grade Classroom
"O Allah! Increase me in knowledge" (20:114)
"By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others."
Teaching philosophy
Welcome to 4th Grade, a class filled with joyful learning, positivity, and growth inspired by the principles and love of Allah (swt), our Holy Prophet, and the Ahlulbayt! My guiding philosophy of education is to create a safe, sharing classroom where each child is able to unlock their potential and be an active, productive member of their class and community. I believe it is very important to teach to each child's particular learning style in order to spark their desire to learn, be creative, and an engaged, thoughtful student. Our classroom incorporates multiple learning styles by being hands-on, collaborative, and project based. I thank Allah (swt) for the opportunity to teach our future leaders and look to the example of the Ahlulbayt as the foundation for life long learning.
meet the teacher
Salamun alaykum! My name is Sr. Muna Hussain Abbas and I am so thankful to Allah (swt) to give me this beautiful opportunity to serve as your child's 4th Grade Teacher! My story begins with my wonderful parents, my mother, an educator, and my father, a pharmacist, who spent a large part of my childhood pursuing higher education, eventually earning his Ph.D. Both instilled within me a life long love of learning from a young age. Born in London, England, my family soon settled in Laurel, Maryland where I saw the immense commitment and sacrifice of a small group of families to build a community. Many of the most impactful experiences of my youth are tied to attending the Sunday Islamic school at the Islamic Education Center in Rockville, MD and observing the huge effort and dedication to build the Idara e Jaferia in Burtonsville, MD. I went on to attend and earn my Bachelors of Science from George Washington University with a major in Biology and minor in Psychology. After marrying my wonderful husband, I moved to the Bay Area and have been a member of the Saba community for the last 24 years. My first teaching experience was as a first and second grade combined classroom teacher with Eitz Chaim Academy in Los Gatos. However, the most significant role that I have had is being a mom to my lovely daughter and son, ages 19 and 16. Alhumdulilah, this blessing has had the most significant influence on my teaching philosophy. Through them, I have learned empathy, resilience in the face of challenge, and positivity. I am passionate about developing more awareness for children with severe food allergies and learning differences such as dyslexia. This has shown in my volunteer work with Niles Elementary School in Fremont, as a former Board member of Athena Academy in Palo Alto, and as a dedicated Saba Sunday school teacher for over 12 years. Through them, I also developed a love of sports and have been a basketball coach, baseball mom and scorekeeper, and an avid fan of soccer. I enjoy reading, hiking and spending time in nature, and traveling. Inshallah, I look forward to getting to know all my awesome students and their families in the coming years!
