Compass Connections

• Indigenous Peoples' Day (No School)- Monday, October 14
  
• University of Illinois-Springfield Rep Visit- Tuesday, October 15, 11:50-12:20 (LRC Conference Rm.)
• Block E Academic Support- Tuesday, October 15, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)
• COMPASS 11TH GRADERS TAKE PSAT- Thursday, October 17, 9:15-11:45 am
• Culinary Club- Thursday, October 17, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 143)
• Block E Academic Support- Thursday, October 17, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)
• Compass Parent Advisory Committee Meeting- Thursday, October 17, 6:00-7:00 (Community Room, 140)
• END OF FIRST QUARTER- Friday, October 18

As required by the State of Illinois, all 9th grade health examinations and 12th grade meningitis vaccine documentations are due to the nurse prior to Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Please submit all required documentation as soon as possible to the nurse in the Compass main office. Per state law, students who do not submit the required documentation will be excluded from school until this documentation is received. If you have any questions about this, please contact Mrs. Kearbey, the Compass nurse, at (331)228-2780.

District 303 high school juniors will take the National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test (NMSQT/PSAT) during the week of October 15th. At Compass Academy, all juniors will take this test the morning of Thursday, October 17th. They will then continue with their regularly scheduled classes for the rest of the day. All other students will have a regular school day that day. More information about testing was emailed to students and parents last week.

Because the standardized test required in Illinois for all students in grades 9-11 has shifted to the ACT, District 303 will utilize Horizon Education to administer digital, adaptive Pre-ACT/ACT college readiness benchmark assessments during the week of October 21st. The testing day for all students in grades 9-11, and those seniors who have not taken the SAT, will be Thursday, October 24th. Seniors will not have scheduled classes on 10/24, but will instead have a choice of post-secondary planning and exploration activities to engage in on that day. More information about this will be emailed to students and parents on Friday, 10/18.

Students, do you want a great career after high school, but you don’t think a 4-year college degree is for you? Join us for Pathways Night on October 30th where you will learn about opportunities in high school and after high school to pursue a career that doesn’t require a 4-year college degree. Audience: grades 9-12 + parents. This event is open to ALL D303 high school students.

Wednesday, October 23rd-- Manufacturing Month field trip 9:00-12:30pm
If you've ever wanted to see modern manufacturing in progress, you're in for a treat as we tour TekPak’s CNC lab in Batavia and McFona in Geneva. The first 28 students to return their completed field trip form are able to attend! You can submit your completed FT forms in Ms. Ohlson’s yellow mailbox outside of her office. Audience: grades 9-12.

Thursday, October 24th -- Financial Aid Information Night 6:00pm-7:30pm
Have you ever wondered how the financial aid process works for colleges, universities, and technical schools? We are joined by the folks from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to learn all about FAFSA and the financial aid process. Audience: Students and parents grades 10-12. SIGN UP HERE.

Wednesday, October 30th - Pathways Night 6-8pm in the Community Room
Want a great career after high school, but you don’t think a 4-year college degree is for you? Join us for Pathways Night where we learn about opportunities in high school and after high school to pursue a career that doesn’t require a 4-year college degree. Audience: grades 9-12 + parents. (this event is open to ALL D303 high school students)

Wednesday, November 6th -- Aviation Career Field Trip
Mark your calendar! We’ll be heading over to DuPage Airport to learn about careers in aviation, use flight simulators, and operate drones. This field trip is open to the first 30 interested Compass students. Field trip form will be coming soon! Audience: grades 9-12.

Thursday, November 7th -- Fox Valley Career Center’s OPEN HOUSE
Flyer is HERE. Junior and senior students in D303 are able to take a long list of great elective classes at FVCC. Programs include Autos, Cybersecurity, PC Repair, Game Programming and Tech, Welding, Electrical Systems, HVAC, Law Enforcement, Fire Science, and a long list of medical-related courses. Open house is a great chance to see the campus and learn about these great programs. Course selection for next year begins in December, so this Open House is right on time! Audience: grades 9-11.

Thursday, November 7th -- Compass Academy OPEN HOUSE 4:00-7:00pm
Stop by with your family and friends. Think: Student work on display. Think: delicious food trucks. Think: Scavenger hunt. Think: raffle prizes! Know anybody that’s Compass-curious? Bring them to Compass and show them around! Audience: ALL Compass students/families and the St. Charles Community. Don’t miss it!!

Tuesday, November 12th -- FSA ID Workshop 5:30-7:30pm
Seniors are required to submit the FAFSA -or- submit the waiver form to the state in order to receive their diplomas. One (sometimes challenging) part of that process is for parents and students to set up their FSA ID account, which is required to complete the FAFSA. Our friends from the Illinois Student Assistance Commission will be on hand to help students and parents request their FSA ID. SIGN UP HERE.

Thanks for reading, JOIN US! If you have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Ms. Ohlson via email (brenna.ohlson@d303.org) or phone at (331)228-6343.

District 303 is proud to partner with the Glenbard Parent Series (GPS) to offer our families broader access to information sessions and resources that support their child’s development.

For decades, GPS has been offering free programs that aim to empower and strengthen families, individuals and communities. As a partner organization, District 303 will support promoting upcoming programs and their importance to our local community.

Students who are interested in staying for clubs or activities, or who need to stay for Block E Academic Support, may stay any day they would like to stay and take the Compass activity bus at 4:45, which will take them to the elementary school closest to their home. To register for the activity bus on a day-by-day basis, students may sign up any Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday during lunch in the community room or they may sign up ahead of time each week by clicking the link here.

Compass senior, Kiera M., created custom drinks, complete with student-created labels, for the entire Compass staff as part of her final project for the Coffee & Chocolate seminar. Students in Atomic Theory conducted flame tests with various common metal salts as they worked to identify unknown compounds and learned about how different elements emit specific wavelengths of light energy when burned. On October 10th at the conclusion of parent-teacher conferences, there were hints of the Northern Lights show to come in the sunset viewed over the Compass garden, which is still producing vegetables and herbs for use in culinary seminars.

"Alligator Dundee" hung out with other Compass Gators (students and staff) over the weekend, representing Compass Academy at Scarecrow Fest and promoting our Open House on November 7th.

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 during the school year, and then write reflections about their experiences, have the opportunity to earn credit for Career Exploration.

For more information about this opportunity, students should scan the appropriate QR code on the bulletin board in the academic hall or make an appointment to see Ms. Ohlson, the Compass counselor.

STUDENTS MAY COMPLETE THEIR LUNCH ORDER FOR THE WEEK BY CLICKING THE BOX ABOVE AND MAKING THEIR SELECTION BY 9:45 A.M. MONDAY MORNING.

Compass Academy students pre-order their lunch, so if your student plans to order lunch, please have them complete the form that is linked above. 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.

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