Wanis Shalaby
Principal
wshalaby@salamschool.com
 

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but I know: The ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” -Albert Schweitzer.

Wissam Kaddoura, Middle School Unit Leader, graduated from Lebanese University, Saida, Lebanon with a BA in Arabic Language and Literature in 1995 & MA in Arabic Language and Literature in 1997.He has been teaching Quran & Arabic at Salam School from 2001 to the present. He is an Arabic Language Instructor at University Of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) since fall 2003 to present. Currently, he is a candidate to the “Doctorate In Leadership For The Advancement In Learning And Service” at Cardinal Stritch University

Blair Thorpe is new to the Salam High School this year and will be teaching in the Social Studies Department.  He will be teaching the following courses; AP US History, US History, Sociology and Economics.  Blair has a strong back ground in these subjects and has been teaching in the Elmbrook School District for the last 4 years.

Blair graduated in May of 2000 from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  After a year and a half of soul searching, Blair returned to Milwaukee from Colorado to begin his Masters work in 20^th Century US History.  Blair received his MA in 20^th Century US History in December of 2003.  Shortly after, Blair entered the Master of Arts - Teaching Program at Cardinal Stritch earning his teaching certification in Secondary Education in February of 2006.

Blair Thorpe
Teacher: Social Studies
bthorpe@salamschool.com

“I am Still Learning,” - Michelangelo

Andrew Beechtree comes to Salam High School with nearly 20 years experience as a secondary classroom Social Studies teacher.  He has his Undergraduate degree from UW-Milwaukee where he majored in History and minored in Geography.  While attending UW-M he was a Wingspread Fellow with the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.  He earned a Master of Arts degree from Silver Lake College and majored in Teacher Leadership.

Mr. B. is well versed in most subjects relating to history and other social sciences.  He is confident in his ability to teach and inspire students to do well in his classes.  He is a true student of the art of teaching.  His enthusiasm is real and noted by students, staff and parents who work with him.

Mr. B. is married and Mrs. B. is a Guidance Counselor in the Wauwatosa School District.  Together they live in the east part of Waukesha, next to Manooka Park.  They have a married adult son and daughter-in-law.  They are the proud grandparents of little Taylor Kathryn (the Apple of Grandpa’s eye!)

Mr. B. also has a lot of other life experiences: a former US Army soldier and Military Policeman, he has also been involved in the Security business for more then the past 25 years (24 years with Summer fest.)

Mr. B. is eager to work with his students this year and looks forward to a fun and productive 9^th Grade and 10^th Grade school year here at Salam High School.
Shukrin.

Sahar Ahmad is happy to be starting her first year as a faculty member at Salam School.  She began her collegiate career at Youngstown State University before attending George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and subsequently received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Psychology at Alverno College in 2004.  Her goal is to to create an exciting and stimulating learning environment that focuses on both academic education as well as a social learning environment in which students can be active participants in their own education.  Sahar  urges  parents to be more active in their child’s education and interests as parents are the most integral part of their child’s education. A strong learning environment as well as a strong parental presence will eventually become the foundation for students to realize their own abilities and allow them to accomplish their goals of succeeding in higher learning as well as in their future goals in life.

Sahar Ahmad
Teacher: Psychology
& Science
sahmad@salamschool.com

Sandra Mayfield has been the Business Manager for Salam School since June 2000.  She graduated from Rufus King High School, and holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration from Cardinal Stritch College (now Cardinal Stritch University).  Prior to coming to Salam School, she was a Music and Computer Teacher at St. Leo Catholic Urban Academy, a Paraprofessional and Substitute Teacher with Milwaukee Public Schools. 

She also worked for various community organizations and small businesses as Secretary, Office Manager, Bookkeeper/ Accountant, and once had her own home-based business.Ms. Mayfield is a passionate lifelong learner, and feels that this makes her a passionate teacher in whatever she chooses to learn and teach.  She is very active in her church, where she is the Music Minister and Sunday School teacher.

In her spare time, Ms. Mayfield loves to read, watch and collect classic (vintage) movies, travel (via automobile) to Music Education workshops/seminars, sing, play piano and teach voice.  She also loves to crochet, and feels blessed to be able to spend time with her immediate family – which includes her parents, five sisters, two brothers-in-law, three nephews, two nieces, one great nephew and one great niece.The greatest thing you will ever learn…is just to love and be loved in return… Eden Ahbez

Mahmoud Saed is originally from Palestine. He graduated from The Hashemite University in Jordan in 2009 with a Bachelors degree in Accounting. He taught Arabic at Al Edreesi High School for one year. Working in an Islamic environment fulfills his passion in teaching, as well as teaching the Arabic language to new learners. It brings him great joy to educate children and lead them to successful careers.

Mahmoud Saed
Teacher: Arabic / Quran
msaed@salamschool.com

Majdulin Badwan has been teaching Quran for 5 years at the ISM evening program. She also taught Sunday school for 7 years. She graduated from Al-Salt College with a major in Islamic Sharia.  She  earned her degree in tajweed from Jordan University in Amman. She enjoys teaching Arabic and Quran to children and feels that if they learn the Quran, they will succeed in life.

Majdulin Badwan
Teacher: Arabic / Quran
mbadwan@salamschool.com

When I think of Mathematics, the first thing that comes to my mind is numbers, equations, and proofs.  My definition of mathematics is “the study of using functions and concepts to reflect events”.  When I think of algebra, I think of basic equations and manipulations of those equations to solve for a variable.  I understand that there is more to math than school and math assignments.  I know that learning math and excelling in math gives you stronger mental power and therefore makes you a more prestigious individual.  

I enjoy the application and conceptual view of mathematics.  My confidence grew as my math skills developed in high school with the increasing difficulty of the subject matter.  Once I got to high school, I had teachers that encouraged me to excel in math.  I specifically remember my favorite math teacher.  I liked him the most because he made his students think and brought math to a different level.  His teaching of math went beyond lectures to an understanding for every student in the class.  He made each student “think” and be active in the class to enhance their learning.  My teacher described mathematical concepts and the reasoning behind them so that they could be more easily understood for each student.  My teacher would adapt to every student so that everyone would understand the material.

I have come to a frightening conclusion.
I am the decisive element in the classroom.
It is my personal approach that creates the climate.
It is my daily mood that makes the weather.
As a teacher I possess tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous.
I can be a tool of torture, or an instrument of inspiration.
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal.
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated, and a child humanized or de-humanized.

Dr.Hiam ( Between Teacher and Child)

Douea Ibraheem
Teacher: Math
dIbraheem@salamschool.com

Mr. Forecki  comes to Salam School with  extensive teaching experience .  He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from UWM and graduate math credits from Marquette.  He recently retired from Rufus King High School after 39 years, where he taught math for 22 years and was currently Guidance Director.  He has taught Math at the college level: Alverno, UWM, and MATC.  For him there is no job more important than teaching.  His favorite quote is, “ The world seldom notices who the teachers are: but civilization depends on what they say and what they do”.

Dave Forecki
Guidance Counselor
dforecki@salamschool.com

Brother Nasir (Nicholas) Kotelensky was born and raised in Lombard, IL.  In 2004, at the age of 19, he was given the blessing of being guided to Islam.  After graduating from the University of Illinois – Chicago in 2006 with a degree in the teaching of English, Brother Nasir taught in two Islamic schools in the Chicagoland area. Feeling a need to develop his Islamic knowledge, he went to the Institute of Islamic Education, located in Elgin, IL where he studied Arabic and Islamic studies for two years. He is thrilled to return to the teaching profession and even more excited to be working at Salam School.

Nasir Kotelensky
Teacher: English
nkotelensky@salamschool.com

Muna Muvarak is one of the Arabic and Quran teachers in the middle and high school.  She is originally from Palestine. She graduated from Birzeit University in Palestine, earning a bachelor’s degree the Arabic language.

She taught for one year at AL-Najah Secondary School in Palestine. She also taught ahkam al-tajweed at a masjid in Madison, WI. She has also tutored many children privately. Her goal is help children learn to read the Quran with fluency.

Muna Muvarak
Teacher: Arabic / Quran
mmuvarak@salamschool.com

Jason Then is a first year teacher at Salam School, joining in August 2009 to teach middle school Language Arts. Mr. Then grew up a short ten minutes away in Oak Creek, so he knows the area well. After graduating high school he attended UW-Madison, where he double-majored in English and History. Jason’s desire for travel inspired him to move to South Korea for a year to teach English, which turned into two years, which soon turned into four. He finally came back this past June, but not before having the good fortune to have traveled to North Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and a few countries in Eastern Europe.

When he is not engaged in instructing students on the writing process, Mr. Then enjoys spending time with his wife, Jessie, perusing through nerdy literature and history books, listening to classic rock n roll, and playing guitar. He is also enrolled in Alverno’s Master of Arts in Education program, and so actually has very little time for the above activities.

William Weber has been an educator for well over thirty years.  He entered the field when bowties where prevalent and Carter was president.  During this time, he has worked at several high schools including Brown Deer and Rufus King, the latter for nearly twenty-five years.  Over his career, he has taught nearly all the sciences but settled into the role of teaching pre-IB/IB physics and physical science.   He graduated with highest honors from the University of Wisconsin in physics, bio-physics, and science education and accumulated two B.S. degrees and a M.S.  Over the years, he has been recognized as the Engineering teacher of the year in Wisconsin, the first high school physics teacher honored by Marquette for lifetime contributions, a pioneer member in the FAME, WASDI, and other science-math programs.  He is also a Woodrew Wilson Fellowship winner in materials sciences from Princeton and a workshop presenter at Harvard, Tufts, the Brookhaven National Laboratories and at science round tables in Washington, D.C.  His most exciting moments came in publishing a module/text called Sports Physics for Northwestern University and working on the PBS film “Transistorized” as a science consultant. 

At Salam, he enjoys hobnobbing with students (yes, each year they appear younger and younger to him) and stirring their interests in raising their personal achievement bar.  He feels very fortunate in his quest in guiding students into their next chapter of their lives.

William Weber
Teacher: Science
wweber@salamschool.com

 

Amanda Allison is excited to begin her first year at Salam School in the Biology department.  She graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Genetics and shortly after obtained her Master of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.  She has over four years of research experience, has mentored students both in the field and in the lab, and has spent the past two years teaching laboratory Genetics.  She also entered the Master of Arts - Teaching program at Cardinal Stritch University in 2012 to earn her teaching license in Secondary Education for multiple science areas. 

Amanda’s goal is to foster a hands-on learning experience for all of her students.  She aims to bring in her energy and love of science into the classroom to help her students not only master the content, but also evaluate the information, make connections, and apply what they have learned to their real lives. 

Today is the day we discover something great!

Asim Khan grew up in Chicago and is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics and also has a strong background in Pre-medicine. Asim enjoys helping others to understand and apply challenging ideas. He recently returned after teaching three years at an American-based academy in Dubai, where he had exposure to students from over 25 different countries. Some of Asim’s relevant achievements are receiving the ‘AP Scholar with Distinction’ award from the College Board and the ‘Best Debut Teacher’ award from the first school where he worked. He has also coached and participated in various educational and athletic events.

Asim very much looks forward to a new experience at Salam School!

 Ibtisam Abujad graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literary and Critical Studies. She is currently pursuing her Master of Arts degree in English Literary Studies and Cultural Theory at UWM, while completing graduate certificates in both Women’s Studies and Middle Eastern and North African Studies. Her scholarly contributions include literary analysis and critical poetic compositions, which she presented at national conferences. She is a member of both the College English Association and AMWRRI.

Ibtisam’s passion for the pursuit of knowledge is born from her belief that education shapes knowledge and, thus, the world. It enhances individuals’ understanding of themselves and their surroundings; Knowledge empowers the individual to interact with his/her society and better develop communality, identification, and social action. Ibtisam aims at empowering her students to become more engaged with the literary productions of the world and to aim toward advanced understandings of the written word as cultural artifact.

John Chojnacki started his career in education with the Milwaukee Public School District, working primarily with elementary and middle school students with severe developmental disabilities. He has also taught in regular education environments as classroom teacher and tutor to middle school and high school students. Prior to that, John was a software trainer. He is a  University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee graduate, earning his MA in Special Education from Cardinal Stritch University.  

Mr. Chojnacki's outlook on education is based on the belief that academic success, both for the school and for individual students, results from strong, mutually supportive relationships among all concerned- students, parents and families, teachers, and administrators. When everyone works together with a common focus- student achievement- there exists a strong base for taking decisive, effective action. 

Mr. Chojnacki lives happily on the south side with his wife, three children, and two cats. He enjoys mainstream and nu-age jazz, and house music. He dabbles, with some success, in Milwaukee history, woodworking, and guitar.

Nishat Ahmed is a Chicago native who relocated to Milwaukee. Nishat started at Salam School in 2012 and looks forward to being a part of the Milwaukee community. Nishat received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Benedictine University in Lisle, IL and plans to pursue a Master's degree in the near future. On her free time, Nishat enjoys cooking, visiting Chicago, and spending time with family.

Osama Siddiqui is a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he completed his bachelor’s degree in Biology. At UW he utilized the Socratic questioning method to teach other undergraduates difficult topics in the biological sciences. Aside from tutoring, he also gained administrative experience as a Course Director for the Microbiology Department through the Peer Learning Association.

Osama is excited to be working as a Science teacher at Salam School. As a native of Milwaukee, he has high hopes of benefitting and being of benefit to his students insha’Allah.

Samir Jaber is joining Salam School’s staff as a member of the High School Islamic Studies Department. Mr. Jaber is an alum of Salam School, having attended the school from 1993-2001. He graduated from Rufus King High School in 2005, and received his BA in English and Middle Eastern History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009. In 2012, he received his Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Mr. Jaber is strongly committed to promoting a safe, supportive, and challenging educational environment for students at Salam School. As an alumnus of Salam School, he understands that Muslims growing up in this country require a strong foundation in Islam, one which includes a thorough understanding of their faith. It is through that foundation that Muslims can be prepared to address any challenge. He also believes that an Islamic foundation is necessary in order to promote interfaith and intercultural understanding. Thus, while Mr. Jaber hopes to promote the academic development of his students, he is also committed to fostering their intellectual development with the intention of shaping them as leaders in both the American-Muslim community and in the broader American society.

Robin Ranjbar is the Middle School Social Studies teacher.  She has been a teacher for many years and has taught in the United States and Japan.  Mrs. Ranjbar received her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she majored in History and minored in German.  She received her master’s degree from National Louis University. 

Mrs. Ranjbar spends her free time at home with her husband and daughter.  She enjoys reading and has been in a book club for the past 9 years.  Mrs. Ranjbar also enjoys cooking and traveling.

Ibtihaj Oweisi teaches Islamic Studies in 3rd through 5th grades. This is her 14th year in various schools. Eight of those years have  been in Salam School, either as a substitute, assistant, or teacher. She has taught students in elementary and middle grades.

Islamic Studies has always been her  first priority. By teaching students the core values of Islam, students are better able to understand and practice what is expected of them. They must understand their religion and know how it came to be. She hopes to be a part of that learning process by engaging students and instilling a love of Islam in them.

Peter Azmani is the Middle School Math teacher. He received his undergraduate degree from Ripon College, with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and a minor in Business Administration. He is currently working on his Master’s Degree in Education at Mount Mary College. After graduating college, Mr. Azmani moved to Orlando, Florida to work at Disney World for 1 year. He then moved to Chicago, Illinois and helped manage a fitness gym.

Three of Mr. Azmani’s favorite things are teaching what he knows to others, the Green Bay Packers, and country music. He enjoys playing piano, the outdoors, and coaching swimming and water polo. When he finds time, he loves to travel and learn about different cultures. During his undergraduate studies he was given the opportunity to study for a semester in Morocco at Al Akhawayn University. He then lengthened his stay in order to travel Europe.

Khawla Asmar has been in the education field for almost 2 decades. Currently in her 4^th year as  one of the assistant principals at Salam School, she leads the elementary unit. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from New Jersey City University with a major in Business Administration. Following that, she received her teaching certification from the state of New Jersey. She completed her Master’s Degree in Administrative Leadership from UW-Milwaukee.  

"The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.”
― Khalil Gibran

Sue Shalaby/ Resource Teacher 

She has one daughter who attends Salam School and is in 8th grade. Alhamdillulah, she is thankful that her daughter is able to receive an excellent Islamic education and become bilingual. She believes that children should be educated academically and religiously in order to form both their character and moral development. She looks forward to another great year at Salam School!

Be the change that you want to see in the world. -Mohandas Gandhi

Sue Shalaby
Resource Teacher
sShalaby@salamschool.com
 

This is Diane Silla's first year teaching at Salam School, but not her first year in the classroom.  She is originally from Utah, where she received her BS in Elementary Education at Weber State University.  She taught grades 5, 3, and 6, before moving to Minneapolis in 2006.  There, she and her husband were blessed with two beautiful little sons, Isaiah and Benjamin.  Her family is now excited to make Milwaukee their home, and she is eager to return full-time to the classroom.  She will be teaching

fifth grade this year, and plans to continue her studies at UWM this winter.  She is pursuing her Master's degree in Urban Education. 

Diane enjoys teaching all the academic subjects, but has a special love for writing and literacy.  She is working on her second novel, and is an avid reader.  In Utah, she was a facilitator and consultant for the Utah Writing Project, helping educators across the state improve reading and writing instruction.  She also has a strong background in the performing arts, and has performed designed and directed productions on all levels.  In Utah, she launched and directed a school choir which performed at several venues throughout the year. 

When she's not teaching, Diane enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, cooking, and sewing.  She hopes to be able to travel extensively someday and to see her books in print.
 

Diane Silla
Teacher: Grade 5
dsilla@salamschool.com

     Christine feels honored and blessed to be able to join the faculty of Salam Elementary School as a first grade Teacher this year. She formerly taught fifth grade at the Al Salam Day School in Manchester, Missouri. She has earned current Teacher certifications from the states of Missouri and Utah, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Western Governors University. Her family consists of her husband Jihad, who is both a current business owner and graduate student in Saint Louis, Missouri, son Jordan-Ahmed who is excited to be attending 4^th grade at Salam School this year, and older son Jason. One of Christine’s favorite hobbies is completing crossword puzzles as a form of “brain exercise”. She has an interest in completing her Master’s Degree in English Language Learning / Reading. One of her favorite quotes is “Life is not measured by the amount of breaths you take, but by the amount of moments that take your breath away”.

Christine Migdady
Teacher: Grade 5
cmigdady@salamschool.com

Jamila Azzam is originally Palestinian but has been living in Lebanon for 17 years. After she came to the United States, she has received her Associate Degree as a medical administrative specialist from Milwaukee Area Technical College. This is her first year of joining Salam School as a teacher assistant for the fifth grade. She’s enjoying the work at Salam School. She believes that working in an Islamic environment is  valuable skill and rewarding opportunity that is aligned to her future goals.

My name is Judith Makowski and I am currently teaching grade 4B at Salam School.  I have a Bachelors Degree in Education from UWM and have an extensive background in music and reading education. I have been teaching for over 25 years and greatly value teaching in a faith filled environment.

As an educator I am committed to high expectations in student achievement. It is my goal to provide a positive, supportive environment in which the children are encouraged  to strengthen good leadership qualities and build good character traits.  It is my endeavor to instill in the children an enthusiasm for lifelong learning and academic success.

Judith Makowski
Teacher: Grade 4
jMakowski@salamschool.com
 

Amy Zollitsch graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison in 2002 with her BA in Psychology, and received her teaching certificate from UW - Milwaukee in 2005.  Before joining Salam School, she was a substitute teacher in four school districts around Green Bay, including several long-term placements in grades 2, 3, 4, and 5.   

During her free time, Amy enjoys spending time with family and friends.  Depending on the season, you can probably find her on the golf course, ski slopes, bowling alley, or in front of her TV watching football (she is a Badger that lived in Green Bay, after all).  Amy, also, loves to travel to learn about other places and new faces.  She is very excited to learn as much about her students as they will be learning from her.

Amy Zollitsch
Teacher: Grade 4
azollitsch@salamschool.com

This is Yasmeen Sheikh’s first year at Salam School. She is an assistant teacher for 4A and 4C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in computers and a Master’s in Business Administration from India. 

She believes that the teacher has a unique opportunity to share the magic of the subject with the students, and it is the teacher who can kindle, in the students, a curiosity and quest for a better understanding of the subject.

She aims to bring an open mind, a positive attitude and high expectations to the classroom each day. She  strives to bring consistency, diligence and warmth to her job in the hope that she can ultimately inspire and encourage such traits in the children as well. 

“Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”  -  Plato

Sandra Abusaif
Assistant: Grade 3rd
sAbusaif@salamschool.com
 

Frances Vazirabad has been an educator for over twenty years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Glenville State Teacher’s College in West Virginia. She has taught at a variety of schools throughout West Virginia and has taught students from first to fifth grade. She relocated to Wisconsin to marry and start a family in 1990.

Thanks to Allah, she is now the mother of three children and has taught at Salam School for many years. Her interests include collecting children’s books and being a good mother.

“Teaching at an Islamic school has given me an opportunity to help lay the foundation of not only your child’s educational needs, but God Willing, their spiritual needs as well.”

“The ink of the pen of a scholar is more precious than the blood of a martyr.    -Prophet Mohammad (P.B.U.H.)

“Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.”     -Theodore Roosevelt

Frances Vazirabad
Teacher: Grade 2
FVazirabad@salamschool.com

Erin Blaedow obtained her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin,  Oshkosh in December of 2006, where she also received a minor in Mathematics.  Before she joined the Salam School staff, she worked for the Boy Scouts of America, where she did an outreach program for the surrounding school districts of the Fox Valley. 

During Erin’s free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.   She is also a huge hockey fan and her favorite team is the Detroit Red Wings.  She also is looking forward to being the middle school girl’s assistant basketball coach!

Erin is looking forward to an exciting year with her students and she is also looking forward to learning more about the Islamic culture.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” – Abraham Linclon

Ghadeer Kadadha
Assistant: 2nd Grade
gkadadha@salamschool.com

Lateefah Abdullah has been with Salam School since 2003. She has been an assistant for K4 and K5.  She also taught K4 for two years. She is now a teacher’s assistant for K 5. She home-schooled her children for 10 years. She also operated an in-home day care center for 3 years.

This is Farzana Ahmed’s first year at Salam School. She’s working as an assistant teacher for 2^nd grade. She has a Master’s Degree in Business and Administration from Hyderabad, India. She is a mother of 3 children, and she is a Salam School parent for 8 years. She loves working with children.    

Ghada ElNatour:
This is Ghada’s first year at Salam School.  She is a teaching assistant in 1^st grade. Ghada holds certificates in many early childhood and childcare venues.  She is also trained in CPR for adults and children.  

Ghada plans to continue her education and earn her bachelor’s degree.  Ghada is a mother to 4 beautiful children, 3 sons and a daughter.

Ghada Elnatour
Assistant: 1A
gelnatour@salamschool.com

Maysa Ahmad
Assistant: 1st Grade
mahmad@salamschool.com

Jennifer Meschi is our new K5A teacher!  She recently moved back to the Midwest after teaching first grade for three years in Phoenix, Arizona.  Prior teaching in Phoenix, Jennifer was a teacher assistant in Aurora, Illinois for two years.  It is her true passion to work with children and help them succeed academically. 

Jennifer graduated with honors from Winona State University.  Her degree is in Elementary Education with a Middle School Reading and Language Arts endorsement.  She began her Master’s Degree in Reading at Arizona State University and plans to complete the program at the University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 

Jennifer is absolutely thrilled to be part of the Salam School Community!

Jennifer Meschi
Teacher: K5
jmeschi@salamschool.com

Jessica Schneider graduated from Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 2007 with a degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education.  She taught children from 6 weeks to 6 years old at Kohl’s Corporate Child Development Center for eight months  and taught combined four and five year old Kindergarten last year in an inner city school in Milwaukee.  She loves seeing a child’s face light up once he or she finally grasps a concept they have been struggling with.  Not only has she taught her students, but her students have also taught her.  Each day is a new adventure with the children she teaches.  One never knows what a child will say and that makes teaching exciting.

Jessica’s philosophy is to guide students through the learning process and to help them gain new knowledge.  She strives to teach in a structured and orderly fashion, but injects fun into her lessons.  She wants her students to leave class, learning something new each and every day.  She wants each student to feel important and needed in the classroom.  She believes that each student is unique in his or her own way and can add a lot to the classroom by sharing his or her individual wisdom.   She thinks that children are born with all the knowledge in the world, but they need help putting their knowledge to use.

~"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Confucius

Julie Gray graduated from UW-Whitewater in 2003 with a B.S.E. in Elementary Education.  She is  certified to teach grades PreK-6.  She has been a teacher at Salam School for 7 years. 

Mrs. Gray taught K-5 for 3 years.  She then moved up to teach 1st grade for 2 years.  She is now back in K5 which is her first love.  She enjoys working with children, helping them learn and grow.  She feels the biggest reward from teaching is to see children succeed and accomplish their goals.

Shireen Abd-AlSamad
Assistant: K5
ssamad@salamschool.com

Maha  Mosa was born in Jordan and joined Salam School this year. She loves children and is happy in her roles at the school as a teacher’s assistant. She holds certifications in many different child care venues such as skills and Strategies for the Child Care Teacher, Infant & Toddler Child Care Worker, Introduction to the Child Care Profession, Fundamentals for Family Child Care Worker and CPR  training for infant and adults. Before coming to Salam School, she managed her own home day care.  She has three beautiful kids, two boys and one girl, 4, 7 and 6 years old. She loves working at Salam School.  In her spare time, she loves to read and write. She is a Green Bay Packers fan.

Maha’s future goal is to continue her education to get her BA in education, Insha’Allah.

Maha  Mosa
Assistant: Grade K5
mmosa@salamschool.com

Mary Widmann has a MS in Curriculum and Instruction and a BS in Early Childhood Education from UW-Milwaukee.

Mary’s classroom experience includes K4, kindergarten, and first grade, both public and private. Her teaching experience has taught her how to teach mandated knowledge and skills to diverse populations of students (of varying abilities) where they are able to apply instruction to the real world.

Mary recently completed her master’s degree at UWM in Curriculum and Instruction; graduate studies have provided her opportunity for self-reflection and insight to innovative teaching practices and classroom management. She is now pursuing a Reading Specialist Certification because she understands reading and writing have a profound impact on the overall school experience.

Besides being a teacher and student, Mary is also a wife and mother who has been blessed with three children. When she isn't busy with work and/or school, Mary enjoys watching and attending sporting events (she's a huge Wisconsin sports fan!), reading books, watching movies, and most importantly spending time with her family.

Mary Widmann
Teacher: K4
mwidmann@salamschool.com

Wegdan Mahmoud was born in Palestine and studied at the Al-Najah University in Nablus where she majored in Arabic. She came to the United States in 1988. She is the proud mother of two girls and one boy. She has worked in the education field for almost 15 years.

“We have made it a Quran in Arabic” (Quran 43:3)“The best among you is he/she who learns and teaches the Quran” (Prophet Muhammad)

Asia Altayeb has been a teacher for over two decades. She graduated from The Teachers’ College at Madani, Sudan and received a bachelor’s degree from Alneelain University in Khartoum, Sudan. Asia worked at numerous schools in Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and the US. Asia has been with Salam School for five years.

Teaching youngsters has always been Asia’s passion. Moreover, she believes that being a teacher of Quran and the language of Quran is an honor that enables her to both spread knowledge of Quran and attain Allah’s pleasure. It is also her firm belief that educating this young generation in Arabic and Quranic Studies is crucial and most vital to maintaining a proud Muslim identity. Asia’s aim is to bring forth a generation that is well-equipped in Islamic knowledge and is affirmed in its Muslim character. She is an honorable wife and an outstanding mother.

“The power to shape the future is earned through persistence..”- Anonymous

Amineh Shanaa is a dedicated teacher with extensive and varied experience teaching diverse populations. . She believes in building a strong bond with students, parents and colleagues to help students achieve success both academically and personally.

She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Lebanese University. She earned her Teaching Certificate, Specialization in Elementary Education from Siblin Training Center, Lebanon. She was an Elementary teacher at Salam school in the year 1998-1999. She joined Salam school again in the year 2000-2001. She is currently teaching Quran and Arabic to elementary school students.  

Amal Haidar is the 4^th and 5^th grade Islamic Studies teacher this year. She has studied Arabic Language and Literature at the University of Damascus. Amal is currently a Hafiza of the Holy Qur’an and holds an Ijaza in two different Rewayhs. The Ijaza that Amal holds can be traced back to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Mrs. Haidar was the principal of the Qur’an & Arabic Institute (QAI) from 2009 – 2012. She translated many works of literature including a book and various articles. Amal has consistently taught weekend schools in four Islamic Institutions in the past twelve years. Amal is the principal of MIWA Sunday School and currently holds weekly adult classes in Arabic language, Tajweed and Tafseer of the Holy Qur’an, as well as, Islamic Ibadat. Mrs. Haidar believes that teaching is a mission not a profession. Each student has a unique personality and each personality has its own access key. However, respect is the master key for every personality.

Farheen Hussaini,
This is Farheen Hussaini's first year at Salam School.  She is working as an assistant teacher for second grade. Farheen is also is also a Salam School parent. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Commerce from Hyderabad, India. Farheen is a mother to three sons. She enjoys working with kids, strongly believes in serving the community and having a positive impact on Salam School students.

Farheen Husseini
Assistant: Islamic Studies
fhusseini@salamschool.com

Tamam El-Natour is the elementary school computer teacher. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Science-Botany from Nasser University in Tripoli, Libya. She also has an Associate degree in Visual Communication/Computer Graphics and is now studying to earn a second associate degree in eCommerce/Web Administration.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, working with computers and designing websites.