Compass Chronicle
Options Program | Fall 2022
A Word From Ke'Len Armstrong, Director of Options Learning
Hello! My name is Ke'Len Armstrong, and as the Director of Options Learning, I am excited about the amazing work our Options team is doing. Our school year has started off great with scholars having access to curriculum, joining synchronous instruction sessions, and our supervising teachers are meeting with families to discuss progress and learning goals.
We've revamped our Options A-G Google Classroom as well as developed new systems to improve communications and support for our scholars. One further support to our scholars this year is Paper.co, an online tutoring program that helps scholars work through homework and projects. With how our year has started, we are looking forward to a successful year for all in Options!
What's Been Happening in Options?
We have had an amazing and fun first few weeks back to school during our daily live classes!
Check out Noah's first day of TK! His teacher, Mrs. Collier, was so proud!
Scholars' Work!
Meet Arthur, a 5-Grade Options Scholar!
Scholar Spotlight: Maximiliano H., a 7-Grade Scholar
Why I chose Compass Charter School:
My family chooses to learn from home because we value the opportunity to learn English. This is one of the reasons we decided on Compass. Lexia exercises, vocabulary, and reading books help me learn English. Sometimes, I also attend tutoring. I am very much motivated to complete my assignments. After I finish, I have time to do sports.
I also have had the chance to do fun STEM projects, such as making a pencil sharpener and learning how gears work. I have built several projects. For my elective class, I learned about woodworking and how to use tools. My other two favorite subjects are art and social studies. I am happy to be part of Compass.
Check out some of Max's work:
Meet the Reed Family!
We Hear From Their Learning Coach and Mother Eneisha!
I was a mother who spent many hours on school campus volunteering in PTA, photocopying tons of worksheets to better help the teachers in my children's school. In addition, I ran errands for administration staff and attended training for PTA. On many occasions, I was the first to help and the last to leave. I share these details with you because it was one of the many reasons why I removed my children from a brick-and-mortar. I was very involved with my children's education in hopes of extending their education from classroom to home. However, my children were inundated with homework and after-school activities, so we looked forward to holidays and extended breaks to get a breather.
In 2019, during our Thanksgiving break, my husband and I decided that learning at home would be best for us. I love supporting my children's passion, but getting everyone to their after-school activities within the last few hours of the day was challenging. The beauty of learning at home is the day is better spent and is most fulfilling with my children. The younger ones begin school earlier during the morning to ensure one-on-one. I chose the earlier hours because the younger children can focus well and aren't sharing learning time with the older family members. In addition, the older children appreciate learning their lessons later in the mornings compared to when they attended a brick-and-mortar.
It has been an easy transition since removing them from traditional school. Teaching has been a bit of an adjustment for me. When I began instructing, I mimicked the traditional school schedule. I had to remind myself that a traditional school schedule requires a much larger team. I decided to adjust our sessions by setting goals for the day. Most curricula have a structured layout that can be followed every day. In my experience, my challenge with a curriculum is selecting the best fit for my children. Occasionally, the curriculum is challenging to teach, mainly because I had to refresh myself on the material.
Compass has supported me in every way imaginable. I had many complicated circumstances after transitioning to learning at home. The support of educational facilitators, coordinators, and many levels of aid, has helped change the outcome of unpredictable events. I inherited my niece and nephew due to displacement during COVID-19. They were displaced and could not find a forever home. No one could have predicted nor prepared for a major shutdown like the one we had in February 2020. Because of the lockdown, my family of four children went to six children of many grade levels.
In 2020, I had an eighth-grader, a fourth-grader, two third-graders, and two kindergartners to teach! With the help of the staff at Compass, they helped change the outcome of my circumstances drastically. I find joy in teaching in a fun environment by adding creativity and humor to our curriculum. My children love it when I make them giggle during a lesson, have a silly reaction to their mistakes, or add a twist to learning something they are familiar with.
During our free time, we love outdoor activities such as kayaking, archery, and "outdoor" movies (we pop up the projector and big screen inside our home.) My children's interests are skateboards and bikes, history, chess, anything about apple technology, and learning about the Japanese culture and language. My children's interests may grow over a school year, and I am ready to support them in every avenue.
My advice for any parent ready to take their child out of school or any parent on the fence about removing their child from school is to join a group of school-at-home parents via social media or find families that school at home in your community. Please don't be shy; ask them questions about what to expect or advice on preparing for homeschooling. In addition, you can order books online to help eliminate the fear of the unknown. Also, if you live close to or within driving distance of a school-at-home convention, try attending it. The convention offers so much advice and insight that you can get direct support from the writers or vendors that provide the curriculum you may teach or be interested in teaching. Not to forget, the school-at-home convention also has like-minded families there that you can exchange information with.
We are happy to share our #CompassExperience. Thank you so much, Compass Family!
Meet Brianna Attalla, Options Supervising Teacher!
What is your job title and job responsibilities at Compass? How long have you worked for this organization?
This is my third year as a supervising teacher here at Compass. I have the incredible opportunity to meet with scholars and learning coaches (LCs) in collaboration to make their individualized experience at Compass amazing. I am there to support LCs by giving them resources, assisting with curriculum, and working alongside them to help equip their scholars for success. I get to meet with scholars from kindergarten through 12-grade to spotlight what they’ve been learning, learn about their interests, and encourage and support them. In addition to my supervising teacher duties, I also support our incredible engagement team by advising the Music Club and chaperoning many field trips. Working at Compass is the best.
Tell us your “why” for doing what you do here at Compass.
Working for Compass is literally my dream job. As an educator, I sincerely value watching scholars have those “lightbulb moments” and see them progress throughout the years. I have built incredible relationships with my scholars and learning cachesand I look forward to each interaction. I love helping equip learning coaches with the tools to assist in their scholar’s academic success. You know you have the perfect job when work doesn’t feel like work at all!
As an educator, is there a piece of advice you’d like to share with learning coaches or scholars?
Two pieces of advice I always give my learning coaches:
1. You know your scholar best. Do what works for you and what works for your individual scholars’ needs. If it isn’t working, try something new!
2. Learning should be FUN! If a scholar (or you) are dreading school, then it isn’t working. Instead, find fun ways to teach the curriculum (add in a game or two, make up a song, have a dance party, do a hands-on activity-make it FUN!)
Share one thing about you that very few people know.
I grew up in a family of educators. Both of my parents, my sister, and even my grandma were teachers. As a child, I attended the school that my dad taught at, and I even got to be a teacher in the kindergarten classroom I went to! So I knew since a young age that all I ever wanted to be is a teacher and a mom, and now I get to do both!
What do you and your family like to do during your free time?
Spending time with my family is my favorite thing to do. If you know us, we LOVE to go on adventures. Our favorite thing is finding a new park, going to SeaWorld, or just going on a bike ride as a family. We are always trying to find new places to go!
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