Compass Connections

• "Gatortines" Spirit Week- all week (see below)
• Intramurals- Monday, February 12, 4:00-5:00 pm (Gym)
• Community Service Club- Monday, February 12, 4:00-5:00 pm (Rm. 142)
• Robotics Club- Tuesday, February 13, 3:55-4:55 pm (Rm. 144)
• Block E (Academic Support)- Tuesday, February 13, 3:55-5:55 pm (Rm. 141)
  
• Culinary Club- Thursday, February 15, 3:55-4:55 pm (Rm. 143)
• Block E (Academic Support)- Thursday, February 15, 3:55-5:55 pm (Rm. 140)
  

For the upcoming clubs & activities meeting schedule, follow this link.

It might be wintry now, but it's the time of year when many colleges and universities have applications open for current high school students to learn on their campuses this summer. From STEM, to the arts, to athletics (and MORE!), the opportunities are many. While some schools have opportunities for all ages, students who will be juniors and seniors next year have many different opportunities to extend learning while experiencing a college campus this summer. An assortment of summer programs from colleges with links to more information are below:

• Aurora University - Camp Spartan - Camp for neurodivergent students who are rising juniors or seniors
• Beloit College - Summer Programs
  
• Colorado School of Mines - SUMMET Program
  
• Harvard University - Summer College Programs for High School Students
  
• Illinois State University - Summer Research Opportunities
  
• Northern Illinois University - Summer camps (STEAM, Summer in the Arts at Northern, and Athletic Camps)
• Northwestern University - Pre-College programs
  
• Michigan State University - Pre-College programs
  
• Purdue University - Summer College For High School Students
  
• Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - Summer Camps
  
• University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) - Summer programs for fine arts (FAA)
  
• University of Wisconsin - Summer Pre-College Explore Programs
  
• Wheaton College - Summer Institute
  

The Compass staff celebrated Ms. Mercado's 60th birthday last week.

We're grateful that she's a part of our team!

Attention graduating students:

The State of Illinois requires all graduating students to either complete the FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid), or complete the non-participation form to receive their diploma.

For students completing the FAFSA:

Students who have applied, or plan to apply to 2-year, 4-year, or technical schools that use the FAFSA should complete the online form now. Completion of this form allows educational institutions to provide financial aid support that is need-based. The FAFSA has been changed this year (hence the delay of availability until January 1st). The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) is a great resource for students and parents to get assistance filling out the FAFSA.

The FAFSA is completed by both students and their parents completing their respective parts of the online application. Students and parents establish separate logins with the website linked above to complete their portions of the online document. When both the student and parent portions are completed, the federal government will email students their estimated student aid report, and then send it along to the educational institutions you requested while completing your paperwork. Educational institutions will then send you a financial aid award letter outlining need-based financial aid you qualify for. Students should make sure to use their PERSONAL EMAIL (not school email) to complete the FAFSA, since emails from outside entities are blocked on school email accounts.

Students not completing the FAFSA:

Some students' post high school path might not involve the need to pay for education or training (example: when students enlist in a branch of our military, they don't need financial aid). These students should login to the ISAC portal (linked above in this email), and sign off with their parents electronically, indicating they are aware of the financial aid opportunities available via the FAFSA, but declining them.

Questions?

For help completing the FAFSA, see the isac.org website for more information and support.

If you need general information, please get in touch with Ms. Ohlson when she returns to school at the end of January.

STUDENTS MAY COMPLETE THEIR LUNCH ORDER FOR THE WEEK BY CLICKING THE BOX ABOVE AND MAKING THEIR SELECTION BY 10:00 A.M. MONDAY MORNING.

Compass Academy students pre-order their lunch, so if your student plans to order lunch, please have them complete this form. Students are always welcome to bring food from home, if they prefer. If your student may qualify for free or reduced lunch, please complete this form or have them get a paper copy of the form from the Compass office.

CLICK THE PHOTO BELOW TO SEE THE WIDE ARRAY OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO ORDER.

The Global Youth Leadership Camp is a six-day program organized by Northern Illinois University and funded by the U.S. Department of State. It will be held on May 3-12. This is a free opportunity for selected Illinois high school students, ages 15-17, to work alongside peers from ten Southeast Asian countries, to learn about diverse cultures, to build lasting friendships, practice leadership and civic action skills, and to join a tour to Washington, D.C. Selected students will also take part in a challenging academic environment and intensive civic leadership training. To succeed, the participants must be highly motivated and be able to collaborate with people of different social and cultural backgrounds.

Download and complete the application or complete it online. All materials must be received by March 1, 2024.

If you have any concerns or questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Southeast Asia Youth Leadership Program at cphanenbecker@niu.edu, 815-753-6956.

Are you interested in learning about the various career options available in St. Charles? Through the city's career pathway job shadow program, Compass students can shadow people in many career fields, including office administration, communications, accounting, firefighting, government, law enforcement, construction, forestry, water management, and vehicle maintenance. Students who participate in job shadowing on Wednesdays, and then write reflections about their experiences, have the opportunity to earn credit for career exploration.

Students may register for these opportunities by scanning the QR code on the bulletin board in the academic hallway or by getting a paper copy of the form from the counselor's office. If students have questions, they should view the video shown in advisory, which outlines everything they need to know about this opportunity, or make an appointment with Ms. Ohlson, the Compass counselor.

Email: sharon.stanley@d303.org
Website: https://compassacademy.d303.org/
Location: Compass Academy, South 9th Street, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: (331)228-3400
Twitter: @CompassD303