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A Note from the Leadership Team
We are inspired by the momentum created by the fundraising campaign Compass School launched this month. During this month of January 2025, there have also been lots of headlines and Presidential executive orders that elicit mixed emotions here closer to home, across the country and the world.
In light of these changing times, the Leadership Team (Kendra, Gabe, Louise, Sandra and Lyssa) alongside the Board of Trustees, want to take this opportunity to articulate where we as a community stand on these issues. From its inception, Compass School was founded on the belief that students and their families are welcome and valued individuals who are each the threads that weave together this learning community. We will continue to honor, respect, and celebrate all of your identities. We recognize the qualities that make us the unique individuals that each of us are. All belong here. Each student and their family are important.
This is not a political stance, this is our belief as humans and it will not change. Compass School is proud to be leading a human-centered culture of learning. We are dedicated to making sure everyone in our community feels safe, supported, and empowered to be their authentic selves.
Thank you for being a member of this community and for embracing these core beliefs.
Respectfully,
The Leadership Team & the Board of Trustees
Parent & Community Meeting in Review
It was amazing to see so many faces in the building on Monday night. It nearly felt like a pre-Covid Compass gathering!
Compass families, board members, staff and community members came together to share a delicious meal and brainstorm fundraising ideas to help sustain the school for the 2025/26 school year.
Throughout the evening people went to ‘support stations’ to share testimonials. Some went old-school, writing what they loved about Compass. Stop and read the collection on the entranceway wall next time you are in the building!
Others went new-school, filming a short (minute or less) video testimonial.
For those of you who were unable to join us, we invite you to share your story by either:
emailing your written testimonial HERE
or
filming a short video testimonial on your phone or computer HERE
At one point in the evening Christine, our board chair, said, “Collectively we are all stronger than we are individually”, and it’s true. It will take ALL our voices, stories, families, friends, and community connections to spark this fundraising effort.
➡Couldn’t make the in-person meeting? No problem! Join us on Zoom, Monday February 3rd at 5pm to have a conversation with Compass board members about fundraising efforts and plans for the 2025/26 school year.
From the Students of the Compass News Team
This week we’re sharing our Compass School testimonials with you. This school means so much to all the students!
L-R: Dechen, Taber, Carter, Benny (Not Pictured: Carter)
“There are many things I love about Compass School that have made me want to stay until graduation. I love how there’s a big focus on art; in most of the main classes, like humanities, students do a variety of different artistic projects that showcase both knowledge and creativity. The community is very welcoming to people of all sorts of backgrounds, identities, and interests. The community is also rather small, which gives more opportunities for meeting and getting to know students of other ages, which is a really good thing.”
Dechen D. Bloom (Compass student of six years - graduating in May)
“As a Compass student I love how Compass’ small tight-knit community allows teachers to be more invested in individual student’s needs. Teachers can assist students on a more person-to-person scale with their academic and personal needs, which is a welcome change from larger schools where it might not be possible for teachers to be as involved. Compass also provides a wonderful variety of food every single week. It’s always a treat to eat breakfast and lunch at the Compass School.
I plan to help Compass by volunteering to assist our teachers during the Winterm projects. It requires a lot of setup to do these kinds of service projects, and I would love to help!”
Taber M. Fagan (Compass student of four years - graduating in May)
“I appreciate compass for what I am able to do. I love being able to do what I love, if I was not going to compass I would not be able to take all the classes that I want to do. This helps me feel more excited to go to school, which a lot of kids are not feeling so much anymore. I think the small and friendly atmosphere helps kids be able to be themselves and thrive. It lets me be able to set myself up for the future and helps me as a learner stay focused. That's why I think compass is the best fit for me. Just being able to have the freedom to learn what I am interested in fits me the best!
I plan to help compass by making a donation to them and telling my family and friends about how amazing of a school this is and I have looked for grants/foundations that might be able to help out the school.”
Carter W. DeCoste (Compass student of five years)
“I love just about everything about this place—the community, the open-mindedness, the food, I could go on and on. But one of the things I love most about this amazing place is how everyone actually cares about you, not just your grades—though those are also still important. I honestly think I learned better and MORE in my first two years here than I did in six years of public elementary school. As of writing this, I’m about halfway through my fourth year here and I don’t think I’ve ever been happier! I doubt I’d be anything like the person I am today if I had stayed in the public school system, and, I’ll be honest, a part of me doubts I’d still be in so much as decent mental or physical health. This place has changed my life for the better, and I hope you’re willing to contribute however you can—whether it be through donation, spreading word, or something else—so that I and so many more like us can come here and thrive in a way that public schooling could never allow.”
Benny E Holder (Student of four years)
”I choose to come back to Compass every year because I have a genuine connection with my teachers. Their unwavering support creates an environment where I feel safe to express my thoughts and challenges. I can approach a teacher without worrying about being judged or misunderstood if I struggle with something. This open communication fosters trust and encourages me to seek help when needed, allowing me to thrive academically, personally, and socially.”
Jacksyn A. McCallister (Student of 4 years)
Compass Tours
Do you know a family looking for a unique middle and high school experience?
On the Calendar - Winter 2024
Thursdays: Winter Sports - Dress warm and check the newsletter for ski & ride updates. If you’re going to the mountain, please pack your own food!