Compass Chronicle
San Diego Charter | September 2020
A Word from our Principal, Kasey Wingate
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year! Greetings to our new and returning CCS families. We hope the first few weeks have been rewarding and enriching! I am very excited to serve all of you in my first year as principal. I have been in education for over ten years in many different roles, six of those years have been with CCS. I am passionate about serving our scholars and meeting their needs, which is why I moved into personalized learning. Personally, I have been married to my wonderful husband for almost 5 years and we have two fur babies we take on our adventures, as we are a big outdoorsy family. We go on an extreme hiking trip every summer.
Last school year was an unprecedented one in the history of our educational system. As a result, we will become stronger as we support one another throughout this journey. As always, we will provide an amazing learning experience for our scholars and we will all come together and do great things this year as scholars, parents, staff, and community!
What's Been Happening at the San Diego Charter?
The first few weeks of school have been spent on taking our benchmark assessments--Istation (grades TK-5) and Edgenuity (grades 6-12). We want to thank each and every one of you for contributing to this important initiative, as it helps Supervising Teachers (STs), our special education team, our Scholar Success Coordinator and tutors, target areas of growth, and where we can best support our scholars. We are also able to celebrate strengths so we appreciate our scholars doing their very best on these benchmarks!
Work Samples and Learning Labs!
Family Spotlight: Gagnon Family
Meet the Gagnon Family!
Why did your family choose to learn from home instead of a traditional school building?
Many factors play a part in the decision to learn from home instead of a traditional education plan. I discovered a long time ago that education is not a "one-size-fits-all" approach, because every child is unique. I feel as though traditional education puts an enormous amount of pressure on children that leads to anxiety and stress. Many years ago, I pulled my oldest daughter out of school and began independent studies with her. For the first time in her life, she began to get A's. Her self esteem went up as well! That spoke volumes to me.
I have tried some hybrid schools with my other two kids and it was like public school at home, which was still overwhelming, partly because I didn't know what I was doing at the time. We have also tried a couple of learning centers, where I ended up teaching as well, and it really helped me gain confidence in my own teaching abilities. So many parents doubt their own ability to be a great teacher, but I've learned from many trials and errors that we are capable, competent parent educators and we need to give ourselves credit for not throwing in the towel!
Some of the other factors that contribute to our decision to homeschool are the fact that I also feel there is a very liberal agenda towards sexual education and other topics that I don't necessarily agree with, nor do I feel has a place in the education system. I believe children should be influenced by family values, rather than a value system decided upon by the government.
Does learning from home help your scholar achieve their goals? Is yes, please explain how.
I believe that learning from home is a better choice than traditional school because it guarantees parental involvement. When I first started homeschooling, I didn't want the responsibility and I hadn't yet made the choice to want to take on that burden. Now, I am glad that I did and I'm proud of myself and my kids for being forced to grow and learn new things. I can see the value in it on many levels.
Homeschool does put a lot of responsibility on the parents to get involved and stay on top of what their child is learning from day-to-day. I get the wonderful opportunity to have meaningful dialogues with my children about so many different topics, from history and science to things going on in our government and novels we read. I love the fact that we can talk about more than just assignment details but to ask questions that make them think about what occurred in the lives of other people, their experiences, and the impact certain things have on other individuals that shape the history of our nation.
As far as achieving their goals, I make sure the kids obtain their daily and weekly goals to complete their assignments, and I also ask questions about what they want to pursue as a career path. I have also given them a couple of personality tests to help them see what kind of occupations they might be good at. My kids are currently 15 and 13, and it's not too early to start thinking about career paths. Every goal has a path to reach it, and my hope is to help my kids figure out what they're good at and find joy in the pursuit of those things.
We know that when learning at home each day is different, but what is a typical school day like for your scholar?
A typical day is up and breakfast sometime before 9 a.m. They are expected to be working on their studies no later than 9 a.m. I have a schedule printed out for them so they can keep track of when they are expected to log in for a class if they are taking a class with someone else. I also teach homeschool classes, so we all have to know our schedule! The kids will work for an hour or so, take a short 20-minute break, and then it's back to work for another hour or until their work is done. I always give room for flexibility. I don't want to be overly rigid but it's nice that the kids can take a break, go outside, get a snack or play with the pets for a few minutes in between their studies. They are usually done by about 2 p.m. each day.
What has been your greatest joy in schooling your scholar at home?
My greatest joy is the feeling of satisfaction knowing that I can be available for whatever my children need, whether it helps with homework, an important, yet spontaneous conversation, or an escape from everything and get out of the house!
Share a challenge that you have experienced as a learning coach and how you have worked to overcome the challenge.
One challenge is learning how to stick to somewhat of a schedule and get organized. I realized that when I felt mentally overwhelmed I had a hard time coping and staying on track with their homework, so I had to figure out how to manage my stress. Usually, that involved some quiet time and a nap before I could get my head back in the game! Another challenge I've had to overcome is dealing with the curriculum. I have found that there is a vast amount of free or low priced curriculum that is available online. I just had to go looking for it. What a lifesaver!
Why did you decide to school from home with Compass Charter Schools?
I have been with several other charter schools but we love Compass because they are so easy to work with. That wasn't the case with other charter schools. I love the fact that Compass offers oversight and accountability, especially with the record-keeping, but it doesn't feel stifling. Every person I've ever dealt with from Compass is cheerful and has a winning attitude. It's a great fit for our family!
How does Compass support your scholar?
Our family feels completely supported by Compass because they are friendly, prompt, and efficient in their responses. I know how busy each person must be in their roles, but they are all very professional and courteous. The kids and I all love our Supervising Teacher, Becky Jans. I have no doubt that Becky wants the best for all of us!
What do you enjoy most about being part of the Compass family?
I do enjoy the flexible spending funds that I can use towards my child's education, but even if that wasn't available I would still be with Compass because they help keep us on track and make sure that the record-keeping is done properly. That is so important to a homeschool family.
Share a piece of advice you’d give to a parent thinking about taking their child out of school to school at home?
I would tell them, "You can do this!" Yes, it requires commitment, but just because you may not presently know how to proceed doesn't mean the answers aren't available. You will find the homeschool community is very helpful, encouraging, and a great support system. They have many of the answers you may be looking for, so trust your community to help guide you through the struggles.
What do you, your scholar, and your family enjoy doing together during your free time?
As a family, we enjoy going to the beach, going out to dinner, and spontaneous outings. The one thing we really love our road trips and mini-vacations. We love adventure!
Staff Spotlight: Becky Jans
Meet Becky Jans, Supervising Teacher!
What is your job title and job responsibilities at Compass?
My job title is Supervising Teacher and I’m responsible for supporting and guiding families and scholars who choose to homeschool at Compass. I help families select and order curriculum, meet with them regularly to check in on learning, collect work samples, and support them in any way needed.
How long have you worked for this organization?
This is my third year at Compass.
Tell us your “why” for doing what you do here at Compass.
I love working with children and families and find this job rewarding because I get to help students learn in the way that works best for their family and one in which scholars are most comfortable and successful.
As an educator, is there a piece of advice you’d like to share with learning
coaches or scholars?
Every day does not need to look perfect and follow the exact schedule you set. Be flexible, do your best each day, and have fun learning together!
Share one thing about you that very few people know.
My great uncle was a famous surfer and surfboard innovator before dying at Windansea in La Jolla, CA while surfing.
What do you and your family like to do during your free time?
We love to go to the beach and swim/play in the ocean. We have a favorite spot, know the lifeguards, and invite friends to join us each week.
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Compass Charter Schools
Email: info@compasscharters.org
Website: www.compasscharters.org
Location: 850 Hampshire Road, Suite P, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States
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Twitter: @CompassCS
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