Welcome to Michigan Islamic Academy

At Michigan Islamic Academy in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we provide excellence in K–12 education while nurturing Muslim character. We strive to develop the whole child and offer a program of solid academics, diverse extracurricular activities, community service, and fundamental Islamic values for our children.

Although we share a common bond through our faith, we respect our students as individuals and celebrate our diversity, including various racial and ethnic backgrounds.

A Message from Our Principal

Dear MIA Families, Teachers, and Students,

I pray this finds you doing well and enjoying the summer weather!

As summer vacation is in full swing, I want to take a moment to recap a year well spent at Michigan Islamic Academy. This year, our school community shared moments of celebration, offered comfort and strength during bouts of hardship, and poured its passion, grit, talent, and heart into creating a year that I can only describe as full of wonder, of purpose, of connection, and of what we hope are fond memories that make it into the MIA archives.

Before I share some of our school community’s proudest moments, I want to first name and thank everyone who made this year possible. This year’s successes were because of the efforts of:

• Our childcare staff, whose care for our littlest ones brought pockets of joy to our days (who could forget the red buggy making its rounds across the school grounds?);
• Our custodial staff, who maintain a welcoming space for our students, educators, and guests, and whose spirited personalities keep us going.
• Our office, administrative, security, and IT professionals, whose tireless work behind the scenes keeps our school running seamlessly and safely;
• Our community volunteers, jacks-of-all-trades who move between restocking vending machines to tutoring our students, contributing to a culture of giving and scholarship; and our thoughtful PTO, who make sure our teachers’ efforts are appreciated;
• Our guidance counselor and student support staff, whose presence ensures every student feels seen and heard, and whose reliable presence has been a source of stability for our students through the year’s highs and lows.
• Our teaching assistants, student teachers, and tutors, who make sure all students are supported in their learning.
• Our basketball and sports coaches, who give our students a space to build discipline, teamwork, and pride beyond the classroom.
• Our community partners who have extended what MIA is able to offer our students academically and psychospiritually, including our public school partners at Ann Arbor Public Schools, South Redford School District, Lake Orion Community Schools, and the University of Michigan (from Peer2Peer to EmpowerU).
• Our longstanding partners at Washtenaw Community College and Eastern Michigan University, who allow us to offer our students dual enrollment opportunities, helping them build competitive college applications well before graduation.
• Our foundational partnerships with our School Board and MCA, for their leadership and advocacy.
• Our vice principal and newest school leader, who has modeled servant leadership throughout her first year at MIA, and whose authentic spirit has left its mark on MIA, especially within our elementary department.
• Of course, the pillars of our school community: our educators, students, and families. Our teachers bring ingenuity and model leadership through their service, care, constant innovation, and collaboration, not only as they push our students academically, but as they center tarbiyah in their pedagogy. MIA teachers honor their commitment to nurturing our students’ social, emotional, and spiritual growth through some of the most formative years of their lives. Their risk-taking, creativity, and cross-departmental collaboration this year made extracurricular experiences like the MDOT Bridge Competition, Future City, The Quran Institute, VEX Robotics, MIST, J/MUN, and many others possible.

Our students are why we continue to invest in Islamic education. They truly form the beating heart of the MIA community and inspire us with their curiosity and ambition. We celebrate their accomplishments as student leaders, young scholars, and future changemakers. Behind our students’ success are our families’ continued engagement and collaboration.

This year, we also said a bittersweet goodbye to several members of our teaching community whose dedication has shaped MIA for years: Sr. Ayesha, Sr. Humaira, Dr. Matt, Sr. Maryam, Sr. Mona, Sr. Mounira, and Br. Shaad. MIA will miss you dearly. We pray your journeys continue to be blessed and in pursuit of impact, wherever they take you.

This year also asked us to hold grief alongside gratitude, as our community lost several members who were deeply loved. We remember Sr. Elizabeth (Liz) Handy, mother of our students and alumni Yusef, Aaliyah, and Yasmeen Eldeeb, who spent summers and afternoons leading our culinary programs, inspiring students and colleagues alike to take risks and pursue their passions. We remember Sr. Wahiba Kouider, whose passion for Islamic Studies and the Quran as an instructor in MIA’s early years inspired generations of students. We remember Sr. Leila Bouthera, beloved mother of MIA students Karim and Eman Ikharbine and devoted parent volunteer. They are, we trust, in the perfect care of Allah (SWT), but their absence is still deeply felt, and their legacies remain woven into who we are as a school.

At every level, we thank you for making this year as vibrant as it was and for upholding one another in goodness and taqwa, in line with this year’s guiding theme.

What’s to Come:

• Summer camp will be held through July. The main office will be closed for MIA matters, but feel free to email us with urgent inquiries only, please.
• During the first week of August, please look out for the 2026–2027 welcome packet. This document will include back-to-school information, school policies and procedures, and the latest updates.
• Please check out the MIA 2026–2027 academic calendar for your reference.

We wish you all a restorative and blessed summer.

With gratitude,

Fayzeh Madani

Fayzeh H. Madani, M.Ed.
Principal
Michigan Islamic Academy