Meet our Faculty & Staff

Kristine Austin has been teaching for almost 15 years here at Al-Hamra. Her specialty is in teaching Mathematics.

Deanna Latham is the school counselor here at Al-Hamra Academy. She has been working with children and adolescents for over 20 years. Before coming to Al-Hamra, she taught Language Art for 15 years in a public middle school.

Dr. Nadia Aljam, MD, originally from Syria, has a certificate of memorizing the Holy Quran from Damascus and from the Association of the United Muslim World in Jordan. She is teaching Quran from KG to 4th grade and Tajweed from 5th to 8th grades and has been working at Alhamra Academy for over 15 years!

Nisreen Ameer has taught preschool through elementary years and leads her class in experiential learning through field trips and interacting with nature.

Zuhdiah Abdeljaber has been teaching at Al-Hamra Academy since 1998. To her students and colleagues, she is better known as Sr. Eman. She is currently the 7th-grade homeroom teacher as well as the ELA teacher for both 6th and 7th and math for 6th.

Phil Najemy has been teaching 4th grade here at Al Hamra for 5 years. He has his BA in English; MLitt in English; MSc in Creative Writing, and Ph.D. in Creative Writing/English

Sara Safdar teaches Social Studies, Religion and is an assistant ELA teacher to middle and elementary school students.

Shahad Kamoona is a Kindergarten teacher. She has 6 years teaching experience in Math and Physics. And 2 years teaching math and science at Al-Hamra Academy.

Mariyah Ghauri is a dynamic Elementary art teacher. With a passion for creativity, Mariyah brings enthusiasm and expertise to inspire budding artists. From painting to sculpture, Mariyah fosters imagination and expression in every student, making art education an unforgettable journey.

Zaynab Abdelwahab became a part of Al-Hamra Academy's administrative team (office) in 2023. Working in an Islamic school is deeply fulfilling for Zaynab. It means advancing her career while contributing to a greater cause – nurturing and guiding the young minds of our community.

Sophia Anwaruddin is one of our Directors of Elementary & Middle School and has been with Al-Hamra for over ten years.

Sharon Martin is a 1st-grade teacher here at Al-Hamra! Her 14 years at Shrewsbury Public Library as a Children's Librarian and ultimately Head of the Children's Room were excellent training for teaching at Al Hamra Academy.

Naima Ghouli is an Elementary and Middle School teacher here at Al-Hamra and has taught Arabic & Religion to our students for 6 years!

Sumyrha Qureshi teaches 4th & 6th grade Science. This is her 10th year teaching science at Alhamra. She has a Bachelors's and Master's degree in science.

Alexander Jeong is the Martial Arts/PE Teacher. He has been involved with Taekwondo for 25 years and is currently a 5th Degree Black Belt. He hopes to share his experience and knowledge for the development of the student's mental and physical discipline.

Chuck Pratt acts as the Security Officer for Al-Hamra Academy. This is his 2nd year with Al-Hamra. He retired from the Shrewsbury Police after 34 years and feels this has been the perfect job for the next chapter in his life.

Shazia Jawwad is a teacher's assistant for our Preschool. She is originally from Pakistan and completed her education there. She holds a professional certification in child care and development. Her hobbies include cooking, traveling, and inspiring children.

Karen Kabbara is the 4th Grade homeroom teacher. Karen holds a bachelor of science in Nutrition and Dietetics from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon and a Master’s of Education from Framingham State University. Karen has taught for 7 years at IB schools in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Chandni Sadozai is a 1st Grade teacher this year and is also teaching Religion to her 1st graders. Previously, she introduced religion to our little friends at Tiny Sprouts through reading books and related crafts. Also, Chandni taught art classes to elementary and lower elementary students at Al-Hamra Academy.

Ms. Amanda is a Kindergarten teacher. She has been in the field of Early Education for over twenty years now, but finally found her home here at Al-Hamra in 2021 and absolutely loves it. Amanda has been enriching her education over the years while still working full time as a single mother. She is Director certified and holds certifications in Special Education and Social Emotional Learning.Amanda genuinely enjoys nurturing and caring for each child in her care.

Charlean Cooley has been the School Administrator here at Al-Hamra Academy since 2011. She enjoys working with families and getting them started on a fantastic journey at Al-Hamra.

Nedhal Saoud is from Baghdad, Iraq, and has been working in Alhamra Academy since 2010. She teaches Arabic and Islamic studies to Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade!

Habibe Balciouglu has been with the Academy for 5 years. She has worked at Al Hamra as an assistant teacher and a math supportive teacher in different grades through Elementary and Middle School. She has also taught art and religion classes to first graders.

Fehmeeda Mehta is the Bookkeeper at Al-Hamra. She has 2 boys. Her oldest graduated in June 2020 and the youngest is in Grade 4. She loves numbers and so she really enjoys her work here!

Nazia Naveed started with Al-Hamra Academy as a substitute teacher and has now joined as an Assistant Teacher for the first grade.

Fakhera Merchant is a second-grade aide. She brings years of experience working in an Islamic school in Chicago. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and was a practicing attorney in her previous life. She is also a certified Youth Mental Health First Aider. In her spare time, she loves to travel, go on hikes with her family and run her Islamic store.

Naureen is a Social Studies, Religion and Art Teacher. She teaches 6th & 7th grade Social Studies and 8th grade Religion. She also teaches Art for 4th through 8th grades.

Nazia Hassan is a Preschool/ Pre-kindergarten teacher. She has completed her education in Islamic Studies. She has a 9 year old son at Al-Hamra. She loves working with kids and feels motivated working with them.

Attiya Malik is a dedicated and passionate Preschool/ Pre-Kindergarten teacher with a wealth of experience in instilling social and moral values in students. She has over eight years of teaching experience at various Islamic educational institutions.