Compass Newsletter -- May 20, 2009

Check out today's Brattleboro Reformer: Front page article on Compass

Here's a link to the story on their websiteà http://www.reformer.com/localnews/ci_12408990

Great Senior Project Presentations!- The seniors did an excellent job presenting their senior project exhibitions on Friday. Projects ranged from working on an organic farm in California to traveling to India, explorations in art, music, and photography, website development, social work in Washington DC, HIV/AIDS education, rally car driving, therapeutic writing, wilderness skills and vision questing, outdoor leadership training, study of native American culture, yoga training, and barber training in New York. The Big Room was alive all day with displays, visitors, presentations, and discussions. Great work!

Come to Soo Mi's art show this Friday in Brattleboro

Twin Vixen Press invites you to attend an opening at our studio for our friend Soo Mi Park, a Compass School senior who has been working long and hard to create a linoleum print presentation that conveys the injustice of racism. The show is called IMAGINING A COLOR BLIND WORLD, and is presented on MAY 22ND, FRIDAY, 6~8 PM AT TWIN VIXEN PRESS STUDIO, 28 Williams Street in Brattleboro.

Compass 10th Anniversary Celebration - Sunday May 31^st at 5pm

     It is hard to believe Compass has been in existence for 10 years! It seems just yesterday when the idea of providing a high school and middle school option where every child could find success was being presented at a school board meeting. After beginning with 47 students in grades 7-9, Compass is proud of its many successes, with its 7th graduating class this June, with over 90% of its students going on to college. Colleges recognize the power of a Compass education, with this year's seniors being awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars of merit based scholarships for academic excellence, leadership, and community involvement.

   The community is invited to celebrate this important anniversary at Compass with a dinner at the school on Sunday, May 31st starting at 5:00 p.m. After dinner, we invite talented musicians and famous acts from Compass years past to perform on stage, followed by an open sharing time for people to make remarks about Compass and its history and impact.

 If you want to be in the Talent Show, please email eric@compass-school.org so we can organize the event. Come join the Compass Community from the past decade for this festive celebration. A donation of $10 for the cost of dinner is suggested. If you can contact the school to tell us you're coming, that would be great (but not required). You can email janice@compass-school for more information or to RSVP. See ya!

Parents/students needed to help with set-up on that day; please contact Janice if you can help. Thanks!

Schedule Notes: The last month of school is an exciting time; we will be busy with exhibitions, roundtables, presentations of learning, project week, and final ceremonies. Here is a schedule of events:

·        Wed. May 20^th and May 27^th - 12:40-2:10pm each day - 9^th Grade Portfolio Sharing - Parents are invited as 9^th graders present their reflections to the class.

·       Sat. May 23^rd - Vermont state Frisbee tournament in S. Burlington

·       Mon. May 25^th - No School - Memorial Day

·        Tues. May 26^th at 10:30am-12noon and Wed. May 27^th at 8:30am-12noon - 7^th Grade Presentations of Learning - 7^th grade families sign up for slots with lauren@compass-school.org

·        Wed. May 27^th/Thurs. May 28^th/Fri. May 29^th - 2:15- 7pm - Senior Graduation Roundtables - Each senior will present his or her portfolio and describe readiness for graduation to a committee consisting of teachers, parents, board, community members, and peers.

·        Thurs. May 28^th and Mon. June 1^st - 8:30am-12noon  - 8^th Grade Roundtables - 8^th grade families sign up for slots with lauren@compass-school.org

·       Sun. May 31^st - 5pm - Compass 10^th Anniversary Celebration! - Everyone (students, alumni, parents, staff, board, and friends) invited to a relaxed barbeque with music, speeches, and connection to celebrate our 10^th birthday.

·       Mon. June 1^st and Tues June 2^nd - High School final exams

·        Tues. June 2^nd - 6:30pm - 8^th Grade Graduation ceremony - 7^th graders are strongly encouraged to attend and all middle school families and friends are invited. A dessert potluck will follow the ceremony so bring a sweet treat to share!

·        June 3^rd-10^th - Project Week - Project week will be held June 3-10. This is a chance for students to demonstrate mastery through a teacher-organized group projects or student-directed individual academic projects. Faculty group project offerings include farming and cooking with Beth, building an outdoor classroom with Bruce, an artists' retreat with Lauren, French or storytelling with Ron, and preparing and planning for Health Week '09 with Janet.  The possibilities for student initiated projects are endless: job shadowing, internships in the community, or self-designed academic projects. Each project must have a research component as well as a written piece and a visual exhibition that will be shared during our Community Celebration on June 10^th. Individual project contracts are due by May 22nd. The contract form has been distributed and can also be downloaded on our website:

http://www.compass-school.org/sites/default/files/images/Individual%20Project%20Week%20Contract.pdf

Also, please contact Lauren (lauren@compass-school.org) or Ron (ron@compass-school.org) if you would like to volunteer during Project Week as a mentor or internship supervisor OR if you have ideas for projects, organizations to partner with, or friends/colleagues who would be interesting to job shadow.

·       June 3^rd-9^th -Portfolio Roundtables for 10^th Grade - slots scheduled in afternoons during project week.

·       Sat. June 6^th - 2:00pm - Graduation for the Class of 2009  --all are invited!

·       Wed. June 10^th - Closing Celebration -- The school day for students will run from 12:30-8:00pm. Students will set up exhibitions of their project week work in the afternoon. Families are invited to a pot luck dinner at 5:30pm followed by a closing ceremony and celebration 6:30-8:00pm.

·       Thurs. June 11^th - Last day of school!

·       June 12^th-19^th - Teacher meetings

Graduation Roundtable "Evaluators" -- The Graduation Roundtables are a significant rite of passage at Compass. A key part of their success is the involvement of outside community members not associated in any way with the school who sit on the roundtable committee and help make the decision about the student's readiness to graduate. The roundtable meetings are each approximately 90minutes long and will be scheduled on May 27, 28, and 29. If you know anyone who might be interested in serving on a graduation committee, please forward their name to Eric who will invite their participation.

Fast Friends Drive: The 7^th grade is collecting blankets and stuffed animals (without removable parts) for Fast Friends, a greyhound rescue in Hinsdale, NH. The drive will continue through May 22. Please bring donations to Lauren's classroom or to the office. Thanks!   

Parents-Please return your 2009-10 enrollment contracts and deposits if you have not already done so. Thanks! 

Are you a gardener?

We invite you to plant a row for the Compass School and our community partner Our Place Drop-in Center in Bellow's Falls.  Please check out our website about hunger in Vermont and the US which was created by the service-learning Winterm project (http://www.compass-school.org/sites/default/files/users/Beth%20White/Our%20Place%20Drop%20In%20Center%20Winterm%20Journal%203-21-09%20web%20version.pdf).  If you would like to participate, please let Beth know (beth@compass-school.org) and stop by to get a Compass/Our Place Plant a Row Stake to put in your garden!  Thanks for considering it!