Have you seen what’s in the latest Compass Connector?

Recent Compass Connector Highlights

The Compass Connector is a weekly email distributed each Friday to our community with highlights from the school and surrounding area.

  • Thank you to all the parents who came together to make staff feel so appreciated on Wednesday, May 1st. When the Compass family committee decided to host a Staff Appreciation Day we had no idea how many parents would volunteer their time, donate materials and funds, and join us as we came together as a whole community.

    Parents and students shared stories and 'shout outs' of gratitude to teachers. I heard things like, "We are so grateful to have a school where our kids want to come everyday." and "The level off flexibility and personalization is what makes our kids, who are 'unique' learners, so successful here."

    Listening to parents, teachers, and students share breakfast together was just lovely. Honestly, I haven't seen the dining room so full in ages! Colored tablecloths and hand-cut flower bouquets made it quite fancy.

    And check out the pictures of our Maypole dance! We're hoping we started a new Compass tradition! I dropped a few 'shout outs' of my own at the end of this newsletter.

    Thank you again to all for such a special day.

    Cara

    Director of Flexible Pathways and Community Engagement

  • if you haven't already please be sure to schedule a meeting with me about that -- expect some changes to come regarding the tuition payment process and financial aid. Please do this by no later than Friday, May 10th.

    Here is a link to our inquiry form: https://www.compass-school.org/enrollment. This process will revolve for as long as we have capacity to accept students.

  • The 9th and 10th grade humanities classes are working hard at preparing our annual Decade Living Museum, this year featuring the 1920s!

    The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 9th from 5:30-7pm. We invite everyone in the community to join us and explore our exhibits as America in the 1920s comes back to life.

    All 9th and 10th graders are required to attend the Roaring 20's Museum evening on Thursday 5/9/24. It is the culminating project for the trimester. Students will remain at school to prepare the museum and will not depart until 9pm on the day of the event. The school will provide a pizza dinner for students. There will also be light fare at the event for all who attend.

    We hope to see you all at the museum!

  • The Gardening Service group is still looking for donations of potting soil, mulch and seeds for the Compass garden beds. Have any in your garage or shed? We will gladly accept any donations!.

    Email Sandra at sandra.stromberg@compass-school.org with questions or donations!

  • ➡️Monday, May 9th - 5:30 to 7pm Freshman/Sophomore 1920's Living History Museum

    ➡️Friday, May 10th - DEADLINE to speak to Kendra about re-enrolling your student for the 2024/25 school year

    ➡️Tuesday, May 14th - End of Trimester 3

    ➡️Tuesday, May 14th - Senior Project Exhibitions 9:30-11am

    ➡️Wed, May 15 - Fri, May 17 - Spring Trips by Grade (advisors will reach out directly)

    ➡️May 20th - NO SCHOOL, Teacher In-service Day

    ➡️May 21-24 - Portfolio Week

Images from May 1's Appreciation Day

🙏🏽It was wonderful to see so many parents here on Wednesday for Staff Appreciation Day! Sharing stories, the Maypole dance and breakfast together really helped us see how connected our community is. So many parents volunteered their time to help make this happen. We appreciate all of you.

📣 A special shout out to  Arlie Hart for putting up the Maypole, Alexandrin for leading the dance, and Lori Wright for clearing her day and giving chair massages to the whole staff!

Want to know what it's like to be a Compass senior?

The 2024 Compass Seniors

The Senior Project, a Compass graduation requirement, is a major independent endeavor.  It is structured for a senior to explore their interests in a deep and meaningful way.  The goals include demonstrating skills and knowledge learned in four years of high school; exploring future career or educational paths; and meeting the challenge of creating and carrying out a personally meaningful project of a depth and scope not previously experienced. 

As part of the Senior Project, Compass students maintain a blog of the endeavor and here’s your chance to read on and get to know our senior class of students for 2024.

Have you seen what’s in the latest Compass Connector?

Recent Compass Connector Highlights

The Compass Connector is a weekly email distributed each Friday to our community with highlights from the school and surrounding area.

  • About Project Week: May 28 - June 5Each year we end the school year with our traditional Project Week, where students engage in projects that are individually designed according to a chosen area of interest.

    The week culminates in an evening exhibition where our community is invited to see all of the projects and talk with students about their work. Project week is a chance for students to do something fun and meaningful for their own learning, and it is never too early to talk with your student about project ideas!

    Successful projects take many forms and can include such things as: 

    Arts: Create a mural, movie, dance, poems, short stories

    Immersion: Try being an artist, or a poet, or a scientist

    Learn a skill: Fix a car, build a cabinet, cook Chinese food

    Academic Discovery: Research an animal species, read about WWII, conduct a science experiment

    Community Service: Do yard work for an elderly neighbor, volunteer at a farm, connect with an activist organization, do a job shadow, assist your parent’s business. Please discuss project week ideas with your child.

    In the weeks leading up to Project Week, students will need to complete a project proposal and gather parental permission. These forms will be forthcoming as we move into May. Students can engage in a project either at school, at home, or at a site in the community-- for that, additional details will be needed in their proposal. We will also be offering a handful of group projects for students who prefer that option, but students are encouraged to develop their own projects.

    If you haven't yet, please begin this conversation with your student and contact their advisor with any questions. 

    Excited to see what your kids learn and create,

    Gabe Allen-Fahlander

  • Compass accepts students on a first come first serve basis. The enrollment process is designed to get to know new students so that we can plan accordingly with a series of conversations and paperwork. If you know anyone who is interested in attending Compass, please let us know. Here is a link to our inquiry form: https://www.compass-school.org/enrollment. This process will revolve for as long as we have capacity to accept students.

    For students who wish to re-enroll, if you haven't already please be sure to schedule a meeting with me about that -- expect some changes to come regarding the tuition payment process and financial aid. Please do this by no later than Friday, May 10th.

    If you don't commit to re-enroll by that date, the seat will be opened up for the first come first serve process Compass adheres to - per Vermont's mandate Series 2200.

  • The Gardening Service group is looking for donations of potting soil, mulch and seeds for the Compass garden beds. Have any in your garage or shed?

    We will gladly accept any donations over the next few weeks, but hope to start spreading mulch around the week of Tuesday, April 16th.

    With gratitude, Sandra and the gardening crew.

  • ➡️April 22 - 26th - Spring Break, No School

    ➡️ Wednesday, May 1st - Staff Appreciation Day

    ➡️Monday, May 9th - 5:30 to 7pm Freshman/Sophomore 1920's Living History Museum

    ➡️Tuesday, May 14th - End of Trimester 3

    ➡️Wed, May 15 - Fri, May 17 - Spring Trips by Grade (more info coming soon from advisors)

Juniors in Puerto Rico!

The Junior class returned to Compass this week from their recent service trip to Puerto Rico. Thank you to Louise for all her hard work making this happen and to Board Member Rick Gordon for going with them, and to all that supported their donation drives to make this trip happen!

April 8 Eclipse Field Trip Cancelled

The previously scheduled Compass School field trip north for the Solar Eclipse has been cancelled due to low interest. Instead, School will be closed on Monday, April 8.

We hope your families take advantage and enjoy this once in a lifetime event in our region. Below is a link to some free places to view!

Compass School still has solar eclipse glasses that your student will receive next Friday, April 5. We look forward to hearing your stories about this experience.

What makes a state mushroom? Compass School students featured on VT-NPR today.

Compass School students pose in front of their final choice for a state mushroom: the bear's head tooth. From the left are Nicholas Duprey, Zinth Holder, and Mustapha Tucker, the three Compass students who testified.

Vermont Public Radio aired a four-minute piece at approximately 7:44 AM Thursday morning, March 21, about the bill recently passed by the Vermont House of Representatives proposing the Bearś Head Tooth as our State Mushroom.

Three students from Compass (Mustapha, Nicholas, and Zinth) along with three students from Windham Elementary School were interviewed for this feature. 

Volunteer Opportunity: The Nature Museum in Grafton, VT

April Vacation Volunteer Opportunity

Are you a nature lover? Need community service hours? This is a win-win!

The Nature Museum in Grafton, VT. is looking for a winter camp assistant to support counselors throughout the week.

Read through the details and full schedule with the link below then email Jay to apply.

They are also looking for paid summer camp assistants for the 2024 season!

From the Compass Connector: Student Spotlight for Mar. 15

Well done, Mustapha, Nicholas, and Zinth!

On Tuesday, March 12, three Compass Middle Schooler, Mustapha Tucker, Nicholas Dupry, and Zinth Holder, testified before the Vermont House of Representatives' Committee on Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry on a bill proposed by Vermont Representative Michelle BosLun, who represents, Westminster as as well as Rockingham and Brookline.

The Bill, H664, seeks to designate Hericium americanum, the Bear's Head Tooth, as our state mushroom. All three had prepared testimony and were compelling in their presentations. H664 passed out of committee on a unanimous vote and will be voted on in the full House on Friday.

A rigorous, relevant, and respectful learning community for grades 7 -12 in Westminster, Vermont.