Compass Chronicle

Our Compass family is diverse. We serve scholars from TK-12th grade in eighteen counties across the state. One growing segment of our population is our Emergent Multilingual Scholars. These scholars and their families speak more than one language, bringing a rich cultural and lingual component to our school. I first heard the term Emergent Multilingual Scholar in a meeting with one of our education partners, Mr. Babatunde Ilori, the CEO of Parsec Education. Mr. Ilori oversaw a research project that focused on scholars in a large school district who speak more than one language. Through his research, he determined that the term multilingual recognizes that many of our scholars speak more than two languages and honors all of the languages they speak equally. At Compass, we strive to create an environment that is inclusive and promotes the value of a multilingual community.

The language development support provided by schools is an integral part of their education, whether they speak one language or more than one. Our Academic Support department provides targeted support for scholars who will benefit from more learning options. In a personalized environment, it is critical that we have staff, services, and materials that meet each scholar’s learning needs.

As part of the California State Assessment program, our Emergent Multilingual Scholars take the English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) to measure their English language proficiency. In 2023, scholars enrolled in our San Diego school received the highest rating on the California Dashboard based on their scores.

I have had the opportunity to observe several class sessions in which scholars participated in multiple languages. Our unique virtual setting allows scholars to connect over large geographic regions with other scholars who share their interests and abilities. It is inspiring to see how scholars can learn from each other and feel safe to express themselves in the way in which they are most comfortable while completing rigorous assignments that lead to high levels of academic achievement.

I hope that you enjoy all of the examples of how scholars learn at Compass in our newsletter. Your continued support of our school allows us to thrive and is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Elizabeth Brenner

Superintendent and CEO

This month, we celebrate National School Board Recognition Month! We celebrate our incredible board of directors; thank you for always putting our scholars first and being instrumental in Compass' growth and success!

We celebrate School Choice and Compass as a unique school, focusing on individual scholar success in virtual and personalized learning. We provide the Gold Standard in education, with our wide variety of scholar sucess services, tutoring, counseling, engagement, special education, english learner support, homeless support, military support, gifted programs, and more!

The change of weather didn’t stop the AVID Scholars from digging deep into their studies and putting in the work. All AVID elective scholars were hard at work exploring STEM Career Fields through a program called EverFi. As they worked through each module the scholars explored possible STEM careers connected to their interests and aptitudes, while practicie STEM concepts that are key for career readiness. As they completed each gamified lesson, they also completed a a reflection of learning.

In preparation for our Semester Final, where scholars will create their own podcasts, we listened to our fabulous Firepod Podcast hosted by our Compass Counseling Team, Mr. Samples and Mrs. Swartzberg, and reflected on our favorite episodes and completed virtual reflections through Flipgrid. Our scholars also created One-Pagers to share with the counseling team, highlighting their favorite episodes and takeaways. Stay tuned for our scholars Podcast creations to be featured in our next newsletter.

- Andrea Lomeli, AVID Coordinator/Elective Teacher

Our classes also held a virtual roundtable discussion where AVID Scholars were asked a series of questions on their views of College & Career Readiness as included below:

1. When thinking about being career-ready, which of the four types of skills above should be developed first? Is one category more important than another? Explain your answer.

2. At what age do you think you should start to consider and focus on college and career readiness? Why?

3. BONUS: Identify a career you might be interested in - explore jobs (job websites, company websites) and find a skill required for that career within each category, why are these important skills to have for the career you identified?

The scholars' responses indicate a consensus that academic skills should be developed first as they form a foundation for other skills. However, they also highlight the importance of all four categories: academic, life, employability, and technical skills, in becoming career-ready. There's no exact age to start focusing on career readiness but most scholars suggest starting in high school, considering it as a period for exploration and planning for the future. Some scholars also emphasized the significance of personal interests, passion, and attitude towards learning. Specific examples of various careers, such as robotic engineering, fashion designing, singing, real estate agent, software development, and project management were given to illustrate how each skill category is applied in real-world scenarios. These varied career examples also underscored the idea that different careers require different balances of these skill categories.

AVID Scholars brainstorm on current interests and what they are interested in learning more about below.

What is your job title and job responsibilities at Compass? How long have you worked for this organization?

I am in my sixth year as the College Career Readiness Counselor at Compass Charter Schools. In this role, I support scholars in college and career planning, obtaining work permits, and concurrent enrollment.

Tell us your “why” for doing what you do here at Compass.

I love the aspects of college and career, and how it is always evolving. It is especially rewarding to help scholars plan for what is next after high school. There are so many possibilities and it is amazing to see each scholar’s unique passions and interests.

As an educator, is there a piece of advice you’d like to share with learning coaches or scholars?

It is never too early to start thinking about college and career! There are many great opportunities available to middle and high school scholars. The earlier you start planning, the more aware and prepared you will be.

What do you and your family like to do during your free time?

I love spending free time with my dog and cat, outdoor activities, yoga and painting.

How is #AvidInAction present with your scholars/in your class?

I love seeing scholars collaborate in my morning group ‘Ready to Launch’ as they share perspectives on planning for life after high school!

National School Counseling Week 2024 (#NSCW24), February 5-9, 2024, focuses public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within US school systems. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping scholars achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. The 2024 theme is "School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused."

The Counseling team continues to release new podcast episodes monthly! Our latest release is January’s episode: Heartfelt Connections - Exploring Compassion, Empathy, and the Beauty of Diversity. Check out our incredible podcasts!

Additionally, if you did not know already, we currently have a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Club, where scholars in grades 9-12 can meet to discuss mental health topics once a month. The next NAMI Club meeting will be on January 22 at 1pm, and with the semester coming to a close in a few weeks, we will be discussing self-care strategies, as this can be a very stressful time for scholars. If you would like to find out a little bit more about our NAMI Club, or if you would like to sign up, please refer to the attached links, or feel free to reach out to Mr. Duarte directly as well.

Hello! My name is Stephen Duarte and I am in my second year as a school counselor here at Compass. Some of my job responsibilities include assisting scholars in applying academic strategies, managing emotions, as well as academic/postsecondary planning.

As a school counselor, my goal is to support scholars not only in reaching their academic and professional aspirations, but also fostering the growth of their social-emotional and interpersonal skills, which will serve as a foundation for success in every aspect of their lives. To that end, this year I am also serving as an advisor for our NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Club, which is a mental health awareness club for scholars in grades 9-12, and I am very excited about continuing to provide a space for our scholars to engage and discuss mental health topics.

If I could give one piece of advice to scholars and learning coaches, I would say to establish communication with all of your supports here at Compass if you have not already done so. We have such a knowledgeable and diverse staff of teachers, counselors, tutors, and additional support who are all here to help you reach your academic goals, and strive towards your future success!

Our Compass AVID scholars shared how they connected with the most recent episodes of Firebird Chat: A Compass Podcast hosted by counselors, Mr. Samples and Mrs. Schwartzberg!

Scholars have visited Discovery Cube Orange County, De Young Museum, Logan’s Candies, Discovery Cube Los Angeles, iFly San Diego, Lil’ Chef School, California Academy of Science, iFly Ontario and Safari West! Scholars also got to view performances of the Nutcracker in San Diego and Rancho Cucamonga. Be sure to check out the Monday Morning Update (MMU) each week to view our latest field trip offerings!

The fun continues with our virtual scholar workshops and heritage month assemblies! We’ve celebrated Veterans Day, First Nations Heritage Month, hosted a Fall Talent Show, Spy School 101, and Zentangles virtual scholar workshops. Scholars also had the opportunity to participate in community service virtually and asynchronously. Be sure to check out the Monday Morning Update (MMU) each week to view our latest virtual scholar workshop releases!

From exploring the artistic realms of abstract art and Moroccan tile mosaics to traveling virtually to the streets of Paris and Istanbul, our scholars have been on an incredible journey of discovery and creativity in our scholar clubs program! In the Cooking Club, the aroma of homemade mac and cheese and pumpkin muffins filled the air, while the Music Club resonated with festive holiday tunes. Our Lego and Minecraft enthusiasts built masterpieces, and our book lovers dove into captivating discussions about their latest reads.

But that's not all that we can celebrate with scholar clubs – our scholars have been doing an excellent job leading the way in our scholar clubs program! They've been presenting election speeches, sharing personal service projects, and guiding club meetings. The engagement and leadership skills on display have been truly inspiring!

We're thrilled to announce our Spring Scholar Club Rush is around the corner and coming up on February 23rd from 1-2 pm! This is a chance for scholars to learn of all the opportunities available to dive into new interests, connect with their peers, and be a part of something amazing within our scholar clubs program. More information will be released for this event in the MMU!

We’re looking forward to seeing the momentum in our scholar clubs program to continue moving forward! Whether scholars are crafting, cooking, building, or leading, there's a place for everyone in our scholar clubs program. We can't wait to see what scholars achieve together this spring! 🌟

We've had a fantastic journey at our Learning Coach Academy (LCA) as we have recently explored individualizing home learning, winter activities, and effective use of Renaissance Tools. Our discussions on winter break strategies, fun in learning, quick meals/snacks, and SMART Goals have been enlightening for all who have participated.

Looking forward, we're excited about our upcoming sessions that will include celebrating accomplishments, spring activities, time management, and positivity. We'll also cover testing strategies, transitioning grade levels, IT tips for year-end, and planning for summer. These sessions are tailored to learning coach needs and responsive to requested topics.

Now is a great time for learning coaches to join LCA! LCA participants gain valuable insights to enhance their coaching skills and support their scholars more effectively. Learning coaches are invited to join for an experience filled with learning, growth, and community building. We look forward to welcoming new members to our enriching and supportive Academy!

Please write an intro to greet scholars/families and introduce yourself and share a little bit about yourself.

Hello Compass Community! I'm Christina Vert, the Orientation Coordinator here at Compass. It's a joy to be part of your educational journey! A little about me – I'm passionate about education and believe in creating a welcoming and supportive environment for every learner. Outside of work, I enjoy exploring the outdoors, reading, and spending time with my family.

What is your job title and job responsibilities at Compass? How long have you worked for this organization?

As the Orientation Coordinator at Compass, I play a multifaceted role in supporting both our scholars and learning coaches. I am your go-to person at Compass for anything related to Scholar Clubs, Learning Coach Academy, Orientation, Weeks of Welcome, Mini-Weeks of Welcome, and Scholar Recognition. Having been with Compass for 4 years, I've had the amazing opportunity to work in various areas that directly impact both our scholars and learning coaches. My role as the Orientation Coordinator involves not just welcoming new families but also creating programs and activities that keep our learning community engaged and thriving. I'm grateful for the chance to contribute to our engagement team and am excited about what we have planned for the future!

Tell us your “why” for doing what you do here at Compass.

Why do I love my job at Compass? It's all about the vibrant mix of roles I get to play with the Orientation Coordinator position. Whether I'm planning engaging activities for our Scholar Clubs, guiding learning coaches through the Learning Coach Academy, welcoming new Compass families in our Orientation, or guiding participants in our Weeks of Welcome, every day is a new adventure. What really drives me is the chance to create a welcoming and supportive space for our scholars and their families. Seeing the excitement in a scholar's eyes during club activities, the gratitude from a learning coach who feels more prepared, or the sense of community during our recognition events – these moments make it all worthwhile. I'm here to help everyone find their spark and watch them shine, and there's nothing more fulfilling than that.

Is there a piece of advice you’d like to share with learning coaches or scholars?

Dive right in! With all the clubs, orientation activities, and special events like Weeks of Welcome that we have here at Compass, there's so much for scholars and learning coaches to dive into. My time coordinating these programs has shown me just how much can be gained by being active and involved. It doesn't matter if it's joining a new club that sparks interest, asking questions during orientation, or celebrating marked moments during recognition events – it all adds up to a richer, more exciting school experience. So go ahead, grab every opportunity you see, and really make the most of your time with us. Trust me, you'll look back and be glad you did!

Share one thing about you that very few people know.

One thing about me that very few people know is that I practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It's a passion that not only challenges me physically but also teaches me about discipline, focus, and resilience. Stepping onto the mat is a world away from my day-to-day role at Compass, and it's having that balance which helps me bring my best self to everything I do.

What do you and your family like to do during your free time?

When it comes to free time, my family is all about mixing it up! We're a bit of a Jiu-Jitsu family – it's something we all do together and absolutely love. But that's not where it ends. We're big on traveling and always up for exploring new places. Whether it's soaking up new experiences on our travels, enjoying the fresh air outdoors, or challenging each other over a board game at home, we're always having fun and making memories. It's these moments of adventure and togetherness that really mean the world to us.

Greetings! I am Christina Tonkin. I am a case manager/education specialist for the moderate/severe population. I have been working at Compass since August 2023. Coming to Compass has provided me with the ability to better reach scholars and their academic needs. I enjoy getting to know the learning coaches and the scholars as well as watching them both grow.

A tip for scholars and learning coaches: Know you are enough and give yourself grace in your learning. You are ENOUGH.

I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. All my pets have Harry Potter names and my office is filled with my collection. My family and I love going to Universal Studios.

Why did your family choose to learn from home instead of a traditional school building?

To be honest, homeschooling was never something that I even gave a thought to. If you had talked to me or my husband when our kids were little, we always thought they would be in public school. Our friends started planting the seed when our oldest was about four years old. There were a lot of things that were going on in the public school that my husband and I disagreed with. We also didn't feel like kids should be in school for so long and come home with so much homework. But the biggest thing we LOVED and heard so many people talk about is that you can customize your child's learning. What a great concept it is to have your child learn at their own pace.

And on top of that, I get to spend a little extra time with them a day, teaching them and watching them develop in ways I never thought I would. So many people say, "The days are long, but the years are short." So why not be there for them as much as I can?

Does learning from home help your scholar achieve their goals? If yes, please explain how.

Learning from home definitely helps our kids achieve their goals, especially for our oldest, Judea. He is in the 2nd grade. Towards the end of Kindergarten, he was diagnosed with ADHD, and we figured out that he had some learning disabilities. He has also been in private speech since he was three years old. We got him an Individualized Education Program (IEP) through Compass, which started the following year when he started first grade. Specialized Academic Instruction (SAI) is for 60 mins a week, Occupational Therapy (OT) is for 30 mins a week, and Speech Therapy (ST) is for 40 mins a week. When he started SAI, he struggled with counting by 2's, 5's and 10s. This was one of his goals to meet by the end of the year. Fast forward to today; not only did he meet that goal, but he is now doing double and even triple-digit addition problems and learning multiplication! Because we are able to work at home and give him that one-on-one attention, he is thriving in this environment.

We know that when learning at home, each day is different, but what is a typical school day like for your scholar?

Our kids are early risers. They wake up between 6:30 and 7 am. Once they are up, they eat breakfast, and I allow them to play for a little while. Because we are morning people, I try my best to do school work in the mornings starting around 8:30 am, and we keep school Monday through Thursday. This year, the boys began a hybrid program with Summit Enrichment that does a core curriculum on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 am to 2 pm, so I teach them on Mondays and Thursdays. Judea has three IEP lessons throughout the week and one private speech class. We start off with a daily devotion. Once we do that, we typically move on to math, language arts, reading, and writing. This year, I have incorporated gameschooling, so after each subject, I let the kids pick an educational game, and we play one or two for each subject. Our typical school day takes about two and a half to three hours, depending on the breaks and disruptions I get from our 21-month-old daughter.

What has been your greatest joy in schooling your scholar at home?

Our greatest joy in watching Judea homeschool is seeing him want to work hard and improve.

Share a challenge that you have experienced as a learning coach and how you have worked to overcome the challenge.

In Kindergarten, Judea wasn't able to focus a lot of the time. I was constantly re-directing him, and while talking to him and trying to help him with his work, I would notice he would give me a blank stare. It was like things were going straight over his head. There was a lot of frustration for me and I couldn't comprehend why he wasn't understanding. I also thought I was not cut out for this and that I was failing him. He was also getting frustrated with not being able to do the work. Anyone who knows Judea knows how much he wants to do something right and wants to show people how hard he works. This was my first time homeschooling, and he was our firstborn, so I thought this was normal. But after some time, I felt like he was struggling too much. We do private speech sessions with him, and every six months, they do a test to see where he is at. He scored low in the language portion, in his receptive and expressive language. Then, shortly after that, he got his ADHD diagnosis and it all made sense. I wasn't failing as a teacher! He needed help understanding the material, but now we know how to help him. Moving forward, we have been able to help him with his speech, and he has been given help with SAI and OT.

Why did you decide to school from home with Compass Charter Schools?

We decided to go with Compass because of our teacher, Brianna Attalla. I heard of her through the homeschooling community. She was a mutual friend of some people I know. They spoke highly of her and always talked about her passion for homeschooling. I decided to reach out to her to speak about charter schooling. There are so many schools out there, and I didn't know where to begin. I will never regret this decision, and I now know why people spoke so highly about her. Ms. Attalla truly lives up to her reputation, and Compass is lucky to have her. She had no idea who I was and took so much time out of her day to answer any of my questions. I would randomly text her for months, and she always responded right away. You can tell she loves what she does. She spoke highly of Compass, and after talking with her, I had no doubt in my mind that Compass was the school for us.

How does Compass support your scholar?

The most significant way that Compass supports Judea is with his IEP, and Judea feels confident about where he is.

What do you enjoy most about being part of the Compass family?

I love being a part of the Compass family because it feels like a family, from our teacher to the special education staff. They are passionate about their work, and I am glad this team is in our corner.

Share a piece of advice you'd give to a parent thinking about taking their child out of school to school at home.

I would give someone the advice about taking their kid out of school and homeschooling: JUST DO IT! You won't regret it. You will have good and bad days, and if you think you are not capable of doing it, just know that you are. Don't doubt yourself. You are stronger than you know.

What do you, your scholar, and the family enjoy doing together during your free time?

We love spending time together and with our families. Our families are very involved in our lives. We love going to Lake Havasu. We go out there between four to five times a year, and it's like our second home. Being on the lake and riding in the desert in the Canam is like nothing else.

Mikey graduated from Universal Technical Institute this past year. He completed their welding program and attended his ceremony. We are so proud of him. Miss you, Jan Marquez, his Supervising Teacher, and think of our time together whenever someone talks about homeschooling. You saved me! I am so thankful for our time together and LOVE that you have stayed connected.

Sincerely,

Kim, Mikey's Mom

Compass Charter Schools is a non-profit charter school. Your donation helps enhance and expand the Compass Experience for our scholars, learning coaches, and staff.

The easiest way to give is online at https://www.compasscharters.org/giving/.

If you can make a gift, the Compass family will benefit greatly.

Do not forget to check if your company will match your donation to Compass. It is an excellent way to SUPER-SIZE your donation! Thank you!

Are you enjoying the educational experience at Compass? Tell us! We want to hear from you. Why did you decide to join the Compass family? Or, what do you love most about being part of our community? Share you comments and all of your wonderful experiences at Compass with us! Click here to share.

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Email: info@compasscharters.org
Location: 850 Hampshire Road, Suite R, Thousand Oaks, CA, United States
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