It is hour six of school and hour eight of fasting for the Muslim students. Junior Anisa Yusuf heads to the prayer corner in the library to pray Dhuhr. From adjusted schedules to quiet spaces, CHS aims to support Muslim students during Ramadan.
As part of its efforts to support students during Ramadan, the school acknowledges the importance of praying and fasting—two fundamental pillars of Islam.
The school has provided a space in the back left corner of the library for daily prayers and a space upstairs in the subschool five hallway for Jummah or Friday prayers. The space has privacy panels stacked so students can open and move them as they want while praying.
“The library space is so small that I have to move the barrier to even get into the space to be able to pray,” senior Hala Younes said. “Along with that, I have to wait 5-10 minutes to even have room to pray when there’s only two to three people praying before me. The space fits about three people in a school with over 50 Muslims and it is just not acceptable.”
This makes it hard for Muslim students to pray. The administration acknowledges the issue but struggles to find space.
“Due to Chantilly being overcrowded, we do not have an open space to dedicate beyond what we already have,” principal Amy Goodloe said. “If a teacher is willing to offer space during free periods, we could explore that option.”
For students who need to leave class during instructional time for prayer, parents/guardians need to send an email or handwritten lettering excusing them. This ensures students don’t have absences that count as unexcused or tardy. All requests for accommodations during instructional time should be directed to the school principal.
According to the Pew Research Center, fasting for Ramadan is common across all the demographic groups that are part of America’s 2.15 million Muslims.
“The school has given us a space in the library to go when we’re fasting if we don’t want to sit in the lunchroom, so that’s really nice,” Yusuf said.
According to MyStudyLife, students who fast can have low energy levels and feel lethargic. Additionally, students’ sleep patterns get disrupted due to the late-night prayers and pre-dawn meals (suhoor) that can impact how they engage and communicate during the school day.
“Teachers understand when we’re not as energetic in class and answering questions as often as we do,” Yusuf said. “Some of my teachers give extensions or have an understanding when it comes to assignments and tests.”
The Muslim Student Association (MSA) board works to raise awareness about Islamic events and meetings, Goodloe ensures staff are informed about student needs during Ramadan. This raises awareness on students’ needs and any accommodations.
“We like to make all of our staff aware that there may be students fasting during Ramadan,” Goodloe said. “We try to remind teachers to be really mindful that students might be a little bit more lethargic, might need to ask for a break or accommodations to avoid food-related activities.”
Additional support for Muslim students during Ramadan includes the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) issuing a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from Feb. 28 to March 28, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The school menu will be reflected in the lunch kits provided by the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). Each day, students are entitled to one lunch box and one breakfast. Students cannot pick up a kit that day if they buy breakfast or lunch at school.
“I think just continuing to spread awareness and making sure that all of our Muslim students feel comfortable advocating for their religious needs and their personal beliefs,” Goodloe said. “I hope all students know that we’re an open faculty in terms of listening to questions, needs and advocacy for all.”
