This is an exciting week for Compass Charter Schools! We are happy and proud you chose Compass for your education. We want to reflect on some tips and guidance on starting your school year right! Our staff and teachers are here for you, so never hesitate to reach out to a friendly Firebird!
This year, we have introduced a new Blueprint and Framework for the Future:
Our school-wide Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) drive everything we do at Compass. Our core values guide us as we work diligently to provide our scholars with the best education. This year, our two WIGs are:
1: 100% of staff will report increased coherence, improved culture, and greater connectedness by the end of the 2022-23 school year!
2: 100% of our eligible scholars will graduate by the end of the 2022-23 school year!
Many of you attended our informative and fun Weeks of Welcome this week and last. If you missed any WOW sessions, you can check them out on our Compass YouTube Channel!
We hope you feel motivated and geared up for a new school year! Virtual and personalized learning is an incredible path for many scholars, and we want to share with you all the ways you can participate and be a part of the Compass Family! As we navigate through a new year at Compass, we want to guide you on the many options available to you to get involved this school year and have the whole Compass Experience. Check out these 6 tips for navigating your Compass path towards success!
TIP #1 ~ GET TO KNOW YOUR PROGRAM
At Compass, we have two stellar programs, the Online and Options Program. Our Online Program offers a virtual education with caring, dedicated teachers who provide weekly live online classes. In addition, teachers offer a weekly Q&A session to provide added support when scholars need more help with their work. Our online courses are supported by subject-specific credentialed teachers, just as you would find in a brick-and-mortar school. So reach out to your teacher and the online staff; our teachers genuinely want to see you succeed!
Compass’s Options Program is our home study program for grades K-12. Our program allows parents (learning coaches) to be fully involved in all aspects of their child’s daily education. Parents are fully committed to selecting and implementing the appropriate curriculum from the approved community provider list. Scholars and learning coaches work with their assigned, credentialed supervising teachers (STs) to develop a custom personalized learning plan for scholars. Families connect with their ST throughout the year to discuss assigned work, manage progress, and review samples and activity logs. Get to know your supervising teacher, build a relationship, and touch base with them often.
TIP #2 – ENSURE YOUR TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ARE MET
Our Information Technology (IT) Department ensures that every scholar has access to a computer and technology necessary to succeed. Our experienced team supports our scholars and staff with all technology-related issues, questions, and concerns. Do not hesitate to reach out to the team with any questions or concerns.
TIP #3 – TAKE YOUR ASSESSMENTS
Our Assessment Team is here every step of the way to help scholars excel and partake in all necessary testing. One of the first assignments a Compass scholar takes is the STAR Renaissance diagnostic assessments in mathematics and reading or early literacy. STAR diagnostic assessments pinpoint a scholar’s academic needs and provide ongoing progress monitoring, showing whether scholars are on track to achieve end-of-year targets. Supporting instruction is available to scholars each semester, as assigned by our Supervising Teachers or as needed through our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) process.
Every year, California students take several statewide tests. When combined with other measures such as grades, class work, and teacher observations, these tests give families and teachers a complete picture of their child’s learning. In addition, you can use the results to identify where your child is doing well and where they might need more support. These assessments and instructional activities will help our teachers and staff support academic growth and close learning gaps for our scholars. So, yes, take those assessments!
TIP #4 – MEET YOUR COUNSELOR
The Compass Counseling Department provides a comprehensive school counseling program that empowers all scholars to reach their fullest potential and promotes success by focusing on academic, social/emotional, and career development. At Compass, we believe that every scholar has a right to a credentialed school counselor. You will be assigned a counselor at the beginning of the school year. Please reach out to them, as they are incredible resources. Mental health is just as critical as well-being in your life and education.
TIP #5 – GET INVOLVED IN ENGAGEMENT
Our Scholar Engagement Team offers exciting activities to unite scholars and build a strong Compass community. Engagement truly brings the scholar’s experience to life. On September 23, we will host our fantastic back-to-school picnics, join in on the fun and meet friends and staff! We will provide fun activities and even host a visit from Curious George! Sign up here!
Join our Scholar Social Hour this Friday, September 2, to socialize, make new friends, and play fun Friday brain games! And, sign up for field trips, virtual scholar workshops, and scholar clubs! Compass travels to fantastic places all over California; we host incredible online clubs and have engaging virtual workshops! Finally, nominate yourself for scholar recognitions, awards, and celebrations; you are the best promoter of yourself and your future success!
TIP #6 – GET THE EXTRA HELP YOU NEED
Our Special Education Department provides support services in an online environment for scholars with IEPs, (Individualized Education Plan.) In addition, special education instructors offer services in a virtual online format. IEP services for speech, occupational, physical, and psychological therapies are provided by specialized contractors sent by Compass to provide assessment and therapy services. Contact our SPED department if you have special needs. We love our SPED scholars!
Scholar Success is our number one priority at Compass. Our Scholar Success Department works diligently to support all scholars, in all areas, including academics, tutoring, social-emotional, college & career, and special education support. Compass has developed a robust framework for MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) that focuses on differentiated and scholar-centered learning. Our MTSS program aims to ensure that each scholar achieves academic, behavioral, and social-emotional success. Reach out to our scholar success team for any of the above needs.
Compass provides the highest quality of English Learner Support Services. English Learners (ELs) are scholars developing their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in English. Regardless of language literacy background, ELs must acquire fundamental reading, academic language, and conversational skills in English to succeed academically. At Compass, our EL Coordinator works closely with our teachers to ensure the academic curriculum is accessible to scholars to meet grade-level standards and gain English language proficiency. In addition, scholars are provided with designated English Language Development (ELD) instruction utilizing the Lexia Learning curricula and small group instruction through virtual support sessions.
If you are an EL learner, reach out to our team right away!
And, some extra tips!
Join our Scholar Leadership Council, give our brand new podcast – The Firebird Chat, a listen Counseling Podcast Episode 1: Starting Strong – September 2022, share your Compass experiences and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. There are many ways to get involved in your Compass Experience, and we invite you to do them all!
About Compass
Compass Charter Schools’ celebrates 10 years as the Gold Standard in Virtual Education. Serving thousands of scholars throughout California, we support each TK-12 scholar and learning coach with in-house counselors, talented accredited teachers, and a staff of excellence. As the only Purple Star School in California and one of the few online AVID programs in the nation, Compass is beyond unique and impressive. Rise and Soar with our Firebirds – Enroll today!
Do you have a Compass story to share? Contact Kimberly Aguilar, Community Relations Coordinator, at kaguilar@compasscharters.org!