Monday Morning Update
Online Program ~ October 14, 2019
COMPASS SCHOOL NEWS
ASSESSMENTS: THE INITIAL ELPAC ~ In California, all scholars entering school for the first time need to be assessed through the Initial English Language Proficiency Assessments for California, or “Initial ELPAC,” if their home, primary, or first language is not English.
The Initial ELPAC is used to help identify scholars who need more support learning English to ensure they do well in all school subjects. For more information, please read the Parent Guide to Understanding the ELPAC or GUÍA DE PADRES PARA COMPRENDER LAS Pruebas de Suficiencia en el Idioma Inglés de California (ELPAC).
Parents can also look at sample test questions on the ELPAC practice tests, which can be found on the ELPAC Web site. Contact Beth Sneyd, Assessment Coordinator, if you have any questions or think you may need to schedule this assessment for your scholar(s).
AVID: THE GIST STRATEGY ~ Our second reading to learn strategy for the month that learning coaches may want to try with their scholar is called GIST. The GIST strategy is an effective approach where scholars use the chunking technique to organize the text and create summaries that are 20 words or less for large sections of text. The steps below will help scholars write a 20-word summary that is informative, descriptive and concise:
Learning coaches can share this GIST handout with their scholar to help them keep the text organized.
Scholars will read the first paragraph or section of the assigned reading
Then, they will write a 20-word summary that describes the main idea within that specific section, creating a GIST statement.
Next, they will read the second paragraph/section of the assigned reading.
Then, scholars will write a 20-word summary that combines the material in the first GIST statement and the second section.
Scholars can continue this process until a 20-word summary is created for the entire reading.
BLOG: THE BENEFITS OF PEER MENTORING ~ We’ve recently launched a new peer mentor program for their scholars, the Compass Peer Rooms. To celebrate the launch of our new peer mentor program, we’re sharing six important benefits of peer mentoring for scholars. Is your scholar interested in being a peer mentor? Or, would they like to receive guidance from a mentor? Send a message to mentoring@compasscharters.org to express your interest!
ENERGY BUS TIP OF THE WEEK ~ Encourage your scholar to be helpful this week by doing something that benefits their family a little bit each day.
ONLINE HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT ~ Did you know that Weekly Progress Reports of scholar grades in all courses are issued by email every Friday afternoon? While phone calls and emails are used frequently, progress reports serve as a formal notice of grades. Please continue to check your email each week to celebrate your scholar’s success! If you have any questions or if you are not receiving a progress report (don’t forget to check your spam folder!), please reach out to your supervising teacher.
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES HAVE STARTED ~ Start today, Monday, October 14 through Thursday, October 24. Together, scholars, learning coaches, and teachers will set goals and discuss ways to ensure scholar success. Scholars should attend this conference. If you have not received an email to schedule this conference, please reach out to your scholar’s homeroom teacher right away.
Weekly Photo Gallery
Identifying Symmetry
Note Taking
Presentation
K-8 SCHOOL NEWS
ELEMENTARY UPDATES ~ Check out our CCS Online K-5 Website for this week’s elementary happenings! Be sure to click on the Learning Lab tab to find out what your scholars will be learning this week during their live sessions.
MIDDLE SCHOOL RESOURCE PAGES ~ Our middle school team created some amazing resource pages for you and your scholars to reference for important information and helpful links! Check out our 6-grade, 7-grade, and 8-grade recourse pages. Favorite them on your computer so you can easily access them every week!
ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL NEWS
“FALL” INTO LEARNING LABS ~ Starting today, Monday, October 14 through Thursday, October 24 our online high school is having an attendance competition! Who’s class will win? Will it be Mr. Spink’s biology class? Or, will it be Mrs. Jennings’ English class? The learning lab class with the highest percentage of attendance over the next two weeks will win a special prize!
COUNSELING SERVICES
FEATURED COUNSELING SERVICES SESSION
Scholarships - Where to Begin? October 22nd from 12-1pm. Our high school scholars are invited to join this session and receive general information about scholarships. Scholars learn how to find and apply for scholarships. Please join Ms. Olson, our College & Career Readiness Counselor, to learn more about scholarships.
FINANCIAL AID FACT OF THE MONTH
Did you know that 72% of California undergraduates receive grants and scholarships? By completing a FAFSA or California Dream Act Application, scholars guarantee consideration for all financial aid options available – including scholarships! The priority financial aid application deadline is Monday, March 2, but scholars. Resources to support you and your scholar while applying for financial aid are available on the University of California admission website. Guidebooks and tips for FAFSA, the California Dream Act Application, Cal Grants, scholarship searches, and estimating your financial aid can all be found on that website.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
$20,000 Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Deadline: Thursday, October 31, 2019
Available to: High School Seniors
Award Amount: $20,000
The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is open to high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree at an accredited post – secondary institution in the U.S. Homeschooled students may also apply.
Learn more about the $20,000 Coca-Cola Scholars Program.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) MONTHLY SPOTLIGHT
Last week, we explored the social-emotional learning (SEL) topic of Growth Mindset. A growth mindset means you believe that you can grow your intelligence through practice and persistence. With that perspective, there is so much you can achieve! Check out our interactive recording here.
Enjoy a detailed list of Fall 2019 helpful college and career planning resources for middle and high school scholars.
EXCEPTIONAL SCHOLAR SERVICES
FEATURED WEBINARS ~ This month is ADHD Awareness Month. Here are two on-demand webinars that learning coaches can watch to learn more about supporting scholars with ADHD:
UPCOMING EVENTS
Visit our ParentSquare Calendar for more information on our upcoming events.
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