Dear Compass Families,

We look forward to the renewal of spring and the warmth bringing health and positivity into our lives. There is much to be proud of at Compass and so much going on virtually and in-person with our exciting engagement activities. I am incredibly proud of the Compass Experience we provide our scholars and if this experience meets their individual educational needs. This newsletter contains important information and updates about Compass Charter Schools’ activities and accomplishments.

This year, we introduced our Wellness for Educators series for staff, scholars, and families. The series includes workshops in trauma, stress, yoga, meditation, bilingual mindfulness, movement and poetry, dance therapy, and more! This gives our staff and families a chance to escape the stress of everyday life and the challenges in our world today, to take some time to de-stress and unwind.

Our Counseling Department has been providing incredible learning labs in topics including, ‘We All Make Mistakes,” “Diversity and Inclusion,” “March to Motivation,” and more! Our counselors do an exceptional job preparing our scholars for what is to come, whether moving to middle school or pursuing college or a career. Compass truly cares about our scholars’ well-being and success.

Semester 2 is well underway, and Compass continues to welcome new scholars into our family. Not part of the Compass family, but intrigued about the Compass Experience? Great news – enrollment is now open for the 2022-23 school year! Consider joining our family for the upcoming year!

Is there something specific you’d like to see in the newsletter? We have Virtual Suggestion Boxes for scholars and parents, where you can share your input on Compass Charter Schools. We review these monthly with our Parent Advisory Council, Scholar Leadership Council, and Staff Advisory Committee. Feel free to share your suggestion(s) today to help us continue to enhance the educational experience for our scholars.

Thank you for choosing Compass. Our goal always remains to put our scholars first. So continue to keep up the great work as we continue with our second semester.

Forever Loud & Proud,

J.J. Lewis, Superintendent & CEO

jlewis@compasscharters.org

@lewis1jj

AVID Tutorials - Our AVID elective scholars have accepted the challenge of the rigorous Tutorial Process. The goal of AVID tutorials is to use the Socratic Method to guide their learning as all scholars reflect and think critically on questions they have in their core courses. In a group setting, the scholars present their “Points of Confusion” and share their 30-second speech, where they provide an overview of their pre-work and current level of understanding. This allows the scholars to practice their public speaking skills as they build confidence and take ownership of their learning. In addition, group members provide support and engage in higher-level questioning as they interact with the scholar presenter.

One scholar, in particular, has shown tremendous dedication, focus, and bravery, Jeremiah Franco. Jeremiah is an online scholar who displays excellent leadership and preparedness skills week in and week out. In addition, he is an active listener, organized, and invests in his future.

What do you enjoy about AVID?

I enjoy the collaboration and engagement in class. And also the encouragement.

How has AVID helped you with your schoolwork this year?

I have been getting excellent grades my first semester, and I was awarded an Honor Roll Award. I believe AVID has helped me achieve that.

Would you recommend AVID to another scholar? Why or Why not?

I would highly recommend this program to other scholars because it is helpful in school and gaining a head-start into the future past high school.

What is one goal you have for your future? How does AVID fit into your future?

I would like an engineering job in the future; AVID helps me understand what colleges look for in an engineering course.

I am one of the counselors here at Compass. I work with grades 6-12 with last names beginning O-Sh. I have been a school counselor for nearly a decade, and I have been with Compass since 2016. This is my sixth school year here. As a counselor, I help scholars in three domains, academic planning and support, solution-focused brief social/emotional counseling, and college/career topics (alongside Ms. Olson, our College and Career Readiness Counselor.) These supports range from individual sessions to small groups to more extensive learning labs and VLOG production, to name a few modes of service delivery.

Tell us your “why” for doing what you do here at Compass.
My “why” for doing what I do at Compass is always the scholars. I find great joy in helping them overcome barriers, self-doubt, and the like. Most often, success starts first with assisting scholars in realizing they have all that it takes to do well already; it’s simply tapping into their own belief. Then, seeing their progress and heightened self-confidence throughout the school year gives me all the energy I need. Also, our team here at Compass is supportive, scholar-centered, and all-around fantastic. There is no better school to work for.

As a counselor, is there a piece of advice you’d like to share with learning coaches or scholars?

Take each goal and each day one moment at a time. What is that saying? “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Be patient with yourself and find grace in the errors.

Compass Charter Schools is a non-profit charter school. Your donation helps enhance and expand the Compass Experience for our scholars, learning coaches, and staff.

The easiest way to give is online at https://www.compasscharters.org/giving/.

If you can make a gift, the Compass family will benefit greatly.

Do not forget to check if your company will match your donation to Compass. It is an excellent way to SUPER-SIZE your donation! Thank you!