Monday Morning Update
Options Program - September 23, 2019
COMPASS & OPTIONS SCHOOL NEWS
ASSESSMENTS ~ Scholars should be finished with their diagnostic assessments in either Istation (grades K-5) or Edgenuity (grades 6-12). If your scholar(s) haven’t taken their assessments yet, please make time this week to complete them. Parents can use the Edgenuity Parent Guide to interpret their scholar’s scores on the assessments. Information about the Istation Parent Portal was released in last week’s Monday Morning Update. Please contact your homeroom teacher if you have any questions about our diagnostic assessments.
AVID ~ Organizational skills are most effective when setup at the beginning of a semester, and reinforced throughout the school year. When supporting scholars’ organizational skills be sure to clarify expectations. Self-reflection can help scholars understand what is and what isn’t working. For example,
“What are the expectations for organization?”
“How can those expectations be clearly and consistently communicated and supported?”
“How can I help my scholar(s) understand the reason for creating organization systems?”
Research shows that scholars who organize their materials by using processes, procedures and tools to study are prepared for their courses, participate during instruction, interact with instructors, and are more likely to self-direct, self-evaluate, self-monitor, and self-advocate.
BLOG ~ To help kick off the college application season, we’re sharing eight key ways that parents can help their scholar successfully apply to their favorite colleges. Read our latest blog!
CHARACTER DAY ~ Join us in celebrating Character Day this Friday, September 27 and Saturday, September 28. Watch the acclaimed films “30,000 Days” (11 minutes), “The Science of Character” (8 minutes), “The Adaptable Mind” (11 minutes) and the feature length film, “Connected.” Each video link includes a number of resources available on Character Day, and every day. Join the conversation online using the hashtag #CultivatingCharacter.
ENERGY BUS ~ Tip of the week: Try to focus on the good things, however small. This simple perspective shift will make a huge difference!
OPTIONS HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT ~ This week, we highlight two terms we regularly use at Compass:
- Learning Coach - Parents and guardians are known as the “learning coach” for their children, and they are an integral part of their children’s success at CCS. Since we are an independent study school, much of the learning is facilitated by the learning coach.
- Scholar - At CCS, we choose to refer to each student as a “scholar.” Scholar is defined as a person who is highly educated or has an aptitude for study; a distinguished academic. We refer to students as scholars because we want to emphasize our commitment to helping every individual be academically successful
SPECIAL EDUCATION ~ Our Special Education Coordinator, Dr. Goodly, shares insights on Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) with LearningSuccess. Check out his insights!
TEACHING BOOKS DATABASE ~ Fully-funded for all Californians via the K-12 Online Content Project, our families have access to TeachingBooks, a curated collection of digital resources that brings children’s and young adult books to life. They strive to enrich reading for everyone in the community, including librarians, teachers, scholars, parents, and all who share a joy for books. Access information can be found in the Parents & Scholars section (remember the password is loveCCS) of our website!
VENDOR NEWS
New vendors in Northern California:
Contra Costa County
Evolve Aikido (Pittsburg)
Poison Apple Productions (Pittsburg)
Liberty Gymnastics Training Center (Concord)
Perfectly Whelmed Improv (San Pablo)
Marin County
Art Abloom Studio and Gallery (San Anselmo)
Solano County
Omagine Academy (Benicia)
Sonoma County
Music to My Ears Inc (Cotati)
Scribbles and Giggles Creative Art Center (Rohnert Park)
Sebastopol Ballet (Sebastopol)
New vendors in Southern California:
LA County
Michael Horowitz (Burbank)
STEM World Pasadena LLC (Pasadena)
Barron Academy of Music (Long Beach)
Orange County
Mathnasium of West Grove (Garden Grove)
VENDOR REQUESTS ~ If there is a materials or service vendor that you would like to see on Compass’ approved vendors list, let us know! Please provide your EF with the vendor name, contact person, and contact person’s email and phone number. Your EF will pass the information on to our Vendor Relations Department. You may also direct Interested vendors to fill out our New Vendor Interest Form.
COUNSELING SERVICES
A SCHOLAR’S GUIDE TO THEIR FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE
This 10-episode series covers topics ranging from applying for financial aid to picking classes to finding mentors and navigating life on your own for the first time. These free YouTube videos feature advice from Michelle Obama, interviews with college access experts, and tips from upperclassmen in college. You’ll also hear from Malcolm Jenkins of the Philadelphia Eagles, and Wes Moore, CEO of Robin Hood. You can watch all 10 episodes now on NowThis's YouTube channel.
DON’T TEXT AND DRIVE SCHOLARSHIP
Deadline: Monday, September 30
Available to: High school freshmen through graduate students, year 5
Award Amount: 4 awards of $1,000
The Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship is available to high school, undergraduate or graduate scholars. You must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident and complete a short statement on why you pledge not to text and drive in order to qualify for this award.
Learn more about the Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship.
Enjoy a detailed list of Fall 2019 helpful college and career planning resources for middle and high school scholars.
EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLAR SERVICES
FEATURED WEBINAR ~ Maximize Learning in the Classroom: What Teachers Should Know About Their Students with ADHD: In this hour-long webinar-on-demand, our learning coaches can learn strategies for maximizing learning for their scholars.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Visit our ParentSquare Calendar for more information on our upcoming events.
Compass Charter Schools
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