Monday Morning Update
Online Program ~ March 23, 2020
As many uncertainties have arisen during this difficult time, Compass Charter Schools has adopted No Kid Hungry as a way for our Compass community to give back to those in need. We encourage all of our stakeholders to support this incredible organization's efforts by either advocating online or donating to our fundraiser for No Kid Hungry. Our fundraising goal is $3,095 in honor of all our 3,095 scholars. To see an overview of No Kid Hungry’s work towards COVID-19, please click here. We are grateful for the opportunity to come alongside this organization and support their efforts to ensure that no child is hungry, especially now during these uncertain times.
COMPASS SCHOOL NEWS
ASSESSMENTS ~ Don’t forget to take your Physical Fitness Tests (PFT)! The window opened in February, and you should have received an email from your teacher the week of February 10. This health-related fitness test developed by the Cooper Institute intends to help scholars acquire lasting habits of regular physical activity.
We believe the physical fitness of our scholars is essential to their overall academic success, and in accordance with our mission and vision, and we believe physical fitness will help prepare scholars for their future success. Please contact your teacher if you have any questions about PFT. The deadline for this test is Friday, May 29.
AVID ~ As AVID instructional strategies are introduced school-wide, we focus on empowering scholars by teaching soft skills such as critical thinking, inquiry, and self-advocacy. Learning through inquiry, which includes the use of Socratic Seminars, encourages scholars to collaborate by teaching reflection and questioning techniques as they master content and make connections.
Join this week’s AVID Academic Support Sessions for secondary (today, Monday, March 23 at 1 pm) and elementary scholars (this Wednesday, March 25 at 1 pm), learning coaches and instructors as we discuss the Socratic Seminar strategy and ways to use it in learning labs and at home.
BLOG ~ Our thoughts are with all our scholars, staff, and parents during this challenging time. Read our latest blog on 6 Ways to Stay Calm During a Crisis.
CCS IN THE NEWS ~ CCS celebrates Michael Effie, Jr. and Lyric Hearne-Hooker as 2020 Carson Scholar Fund award winners!
CCS also celebrates Online Elementary School Teacher Crystal Villages, who was a featured speaker Saturday, March 21, at Spring CUE!
CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY RESOURCES ~ Compass is proud to partner with the California State Library to provide access to standards-aligned K-12 content from Britannica, ProQuest, and TeachingBooks! Visit our Parents & Scholars page (remember, the password is loveCCS) to access these and many other great resources!
ENERGY BUS TIP OF THE WEEK ~ Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. We also encourage you to view tips from The Energy Bus to support your scholar’s social and emotional needs.
ONLINE HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT ~ During these difficult times, please remember that your teachers are available to support you. Attend your teachers’ live, real-time Q&A sessions as needed to receive additional support and instruction. Don’t forget that our teachers are also available by appointment to help further meet the needs of your scholar.
K-8 SCHOOL NEWS
CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE ~ Scholars in grades 3-8 have received a constructive response writing assessment to prepare for the writing portion of CAASPP testing. Since CAASPP testing has been postponed, the constructive response assessment deadline has moved to Monday, April 20. Please ensure your scholar shares their completed assessment with the appropriate staff member by the due date. All scholars who receive a 2 or above on this writing assessment will receive credit for a language arts assignment. Use the links below to find your grade level prompt if you haven’t done so already:
ELEMENTARY UPDATES ~ Check out our Online K-5 Website this week for elementary happenings! Some exciting themes you don’t want to miss are learning about spring and Women’s History Month!
6 GRADE SCIENCE ~ 6-graders, please come to Ms. Angelo’s learning lab this Friday, March 27 at noon to learn about making your own weather video. You, too, can be a meteorologist!
ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE ~ Scholars in grade 11 have received a constructive response writing assessment to prepare for the writing portion of CAASPP testing. Since CAASPP testing has been postponed, the constructive response assessment deadline has moved to Monday, April 20. Please ensure your scholar shares their completed assessment with the appropriate staff member by the due date. All scholars who receive a 2 or above on this writing assessment will receive credit for a language arts assignment. Use the link below for access the 11-grade writing prompt: Grade 11
MARCH MADNESS ~ Only one more week to see which class is our ultimate March Madness winner! This week, Ms. Rosen’s economics class won with 28% attendance. The class with the highest percentage attendance during our contest will receive a special prize from their teacher!
COUNSELING NEWS
FEATURED COUNSELING SERVICES LESSONS
CCS Cafe: Summer Jobs - Interview Do’s and Don’ts - tomorrow, Tuesday, March 25 from 12-12:30 pm in the Counseling Learning Lab
Summer is just around the corner, and now is the time to start thinking about summer jobs! In this session, we will share interview strategies from the perspective of the employer and tips and tricks about the interview process. Join Ms. Olson and Mrs. Schwartzberg for this CCS Cafe from 12-1 pm in the Counseling Learning Lab.
COLLEGE & ADMISSION UPDATES
ACT & SAT Testing Updates: The College Board and ACT are canceling and rescheduling some spring test dates. View ACT updates and SAT updates. Students should plan to check for updates regularly, as things have changed very recently.
NACAC College Admission Status Update: NACAC has developed a tool that will serve as a gathering point for updates from colleges and universities about how they are adapting to the impact of the coronavirus. Many colleges are changing policies around school visits, deadlines for replying to offers and submitting enrollment deposits, and sharing other ways to get in contact.
Upcoming Virtual College Admission Events
Be sure to check directly with colleges for other resources about connecting with colleges remotely.
Enjoy a detailed list of Spring 2020 helpful college and career planning resources for middle and high school scholars.
SPECIAL EDUCATION NEWS
FEATURED VIDEO ~ From our El Dorado County Charter SELPA, this video explains the Individual Education Program (IEP) clearly for anyone that needs a better understanding of the process.
FEATURED WEBINAR ~ Supporting Students with IEPs During eLearning Days: Digital learning environments are known to present physical, sensory, and learning barriers for students with disabilities. As learners and teachers move to fully online environments in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, what are the considerations for students with IEPs and the accessibility of the materials and technologies selected? What are the best practices for supporting students with disabilities remotely? Join us today, Monday, March 23, at 2 pm.
FEATURED VIDEO ~ A Practical Guide to Positive Parenting: Geared towards parents with scholars having ADD/ADHD, Additude Magazine shares ways to boost your child’s self-esteem — and still enforce the rules? Start with the positive parenting techniques in this video.
ENGAGEMENT NEWS
VIRTUAL EVENT SPOTLIGHT ~ Transport your scholars beyond the walls of their at-home classroom and inspire them to be agents of innovation. Working alongside the experts of Stanley Black & Decker Makerspace, scholars will see and experience first-hand how math, science, technology, creativity, and teamwork can lead to technological advancements in our everyday lives. This unique experience will this Thursday, March 26. Registrations are currently open for this virtual event! Click here to learn more!
VIRTUAL COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITY ~ Earn some volunteer hours from the comfort of your home! Join us this Thursday, March 26 at 1 pm for a virtual scholar workshop where we will create toys for shelter animals using household items! Registrations are currently open for this virtual event! Click here to learn more!
VIRTUAL MUSEUM TOURS ~ We are excited to share how you can experience a little culture and education while you’re at your home. According to Fast Company, Google Arts & Culture teamed up with over 500 museums and galleries around the world to bring anyone and everyone virtual tours and online exhibits of some of the most famous museums around the world!
CLUB SPOTLIGHT ~ Come join the Virtual Field Trips club! They meet once a month and go on exciting adventures all over the world from the comfort of your own home. To learn more about this club or any of our other Scholar Clubs, please visit the “Parents & Scholars” section of our CCS website.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming VIRTUAL Engagement Events
*In response to COVID-19 and the cancellation of in-person field trips in March, we have added more virtual engagement opportunities until we can resume our in-person field trips.
*Please view the details at the links below and fill out the virtual event registration for each event that your scholar(s) would like to attend
Tuesday, March 24 - Virtual Scholar Workshop - Innovation Generation
Wednesday, March 25 – Virtual Scholar Workshop - Snowy Owl Art Project
Thursday, March 26 - Virtual Scholar Workshop - Creating Animal Toys for Shelters
Tuesday, March 31 - Virtual Scholar Workshop - The Solar System: Mars
Wednesday, April 1 – Virtual Scholar Workshop – Scholar Social Hour
Thursday, April 2 - Virtual Scholar Workshop - Aerospace Innovation
Compass Charter Schools
- Ashley Daugherty, Online K-8 Coordinator, at adaugherty@compasscharters.org.
- Janae Smith, Online High School Coordinator, at jsmith@compasscharters.org.
- Erin Smith, Director of Online Learning, at esmith@compasscharters.org.
Email: info@compasscharters.org
Website: www.compasscharters.org
Location: 850 Hampshire Road, Suite P, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States
Phone: 855-937-4227
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CompassCS/
Twitter: @CompassCS