Senior graduation this Sunday, June 4

We are excited to be hosting our senior graduation this Sunday, June 4 at 1 pm!   

This Sunday we will recognize the Class of 2023 on their day of graduation along with their families and our entire Compass community.

This senior class through journey at Compass have overcome obstacles, embraced new experiences, and are now ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. We formally invite our community to join us in celebration starting at 1 p.m. (seniors and teachers should arrive early by 12:00 p.m.).

Post-graduation all our of seniors are enthusiastic to continue their learning and personal growth. Notable too, members of the class are heading next to Amherst College, Bennington College, Champlain College, Community College of Vermont, Hampshire College, and Keene State. No matter the next step, each senior in their portfolios have expressed the continuous desire to keep learning and pursuing their passions, and we cannot wait to welcome them back as future alumni to Compass.

Key Details for Sunday

The ceremony will be outdoors under tents. The weather forecast is partly cloudy with a high of 67 degrees, please dress accordingly. Bathrooms are available inside the School.

The ceremony will be followed by light (and fantastic!) refreshments.

Parking Information

Attendees are asked to park at the lot at BDR Trucking and walk through the pathway to our campus. Spaces will be available in the Compass lot for those requiring assistance or special access.

If you are taking photos for social media please use the tag #2023CompassVT

If there are questions about this Sunday, please contact office@compass-school.org or call (802) 463-2525

Have a message for the Class of 2023? Click the article headline and post in the Comments section below.

What’s ahead at Compass May 30 through June 6

Compass Newsletter

Upcoming School Schedule and Events

  • May 30--June 5th  Project Week -- students work on individual or group projects-- can be at school or at home/off-campus with parent permission and logistics plan.  More information below. School days end at 2:15pm.

  • Wed. May 31-- 5pm-7pm -- welcome reception for our new Head of School Kendra, and so long to Eric

  • Sunday June 4th-- 1pm -- Senior Graduation

  • Tuesday June 6th -- special schedule, 4pm-6:45pm--  project week exhibitions and year-end closing ceremony with families.

  • June 7-- Last Day of School!  8:15am-2:15pm school day

Project Week-- May 30-June 5

Students have handed in their project proposals and have been assigned coaches for their project week activities, and they have met with their coaches to check in about the upcoming week.

Note: If students are working from home or offsite (as approved in their contract), they should email their coach each day to check in.

For students working at school, note that the school day runs 8:15am-2:15pm.

The last day of project week time is Monday 6/5. **On that Monday, all students should be at school, even those who were working off-site previously. Students will set up project exhibitions on that Monday.

**Tuesday 6/6 there is no school during the day, and then we ask students (and families invited) to arrive 4:00-4:30...   We will have project week exhibitions to view throughout the school from 4:30-5:40.  At 5:45 we will have a celebration assembly, finished by 6:45.

We will have drinks and some simple snacks available, but will let people head home for dinner after the assembly.

There will be some staff at school that day starting at 12 noon -- let us know if any students need to arrive before 4:00, and we will have supervision during the afternoon.

Wednesday June 6 will be our last day of school, 8:15am-2:15pm.  We will do a school clean-up, have a final community circle, and have some fun recreation time.

A Head of School Welcome and a Farewell scheduled for May 31

The past, present, and future Compass Community is invited to the School on Wednesday, May 31 for a special Welcome to our incoming Head of School, Kendra Rickerby, and a recognition to Eric Rhomberg for his years of service to the School as both Director and Teacher.

This will be a SOCIAL affair with light refreshments, Vermont festive party attire is suggested. Light refreshments will be served.

When:
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
5 - 7 pm

Where:
Compass School Vermont, 7892 US-5, Westminster, VT 05158 

Friends of Compass, Alumni, current families are all invited, please spread the word! Students attending will need to head home at the end of the day and return later for the event.

We look forward to seeing many faces old and new.

Warm regards,

Cher

The Campus Store is Open until June 14

look awesome while Supporting Compass!

Profits from purchases from this store support student activities at The Compass School.

Please read the important information below before placing your order. 

DEADLINE: June14, 2023

  • NO LATE ORDERS ACCEPTED

  • ESTIMATED COMPLETION: 7/6/23-7/13/23

  • PLEASE PROVIDE AN EMAIL ADDRESS THAT IS CHECKED OFTEN. THIS IS OUR PRIMARY LINE OF COMMUNICATION, AND FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN EMAIL IN A TIMELY MANNER MAY RESULT IN A DELAY OF YOUR ORDER.

  • PLEASE DO NOT REACH OUT REGARDING ORDER STATUS BEFORE THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE. 

  • IN CASE OF A BACK ORDER YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL AND GIVEN 24 HRS. TO PICK A REPLACEMENT OR A REFUND WILL BE GIVEN FOR THE ITEM. 

  • ALL SALES ARE FINAL. THERE ARE NO RETURNS, EXCHANGES OR REFUNDS/CREDITS.

This Week at Compass (5/23 through 5/26) 

Portfolio Week

 (2:15pm dismissal all week).   

Students at each grade level have some form of final reflection presentation, and we invite parents to join these. Please contact your child's advisor, or call the office to sign up for a time slot. See details below for each grade level.

  • Grade 7 -- Presentations of Learning (15 minute slots) are being scheduled throughout the school day on Thursday 5/25. Parents are invited, in-person or remote.

  • Grade 8 -- Roundtables (1 hour slots) are scheduled Thursday 5/25 and Friday 5/26. Parents strongly encouraged to attend in person.

  • Grade 9 -- "YEAR" meetings (30 minute slots) are scheduled Wednesday 5/24 through the school day. Parents are invited, in-person or remote.

  • Grade 10 -- Roundtables (1 hour slots) are scheduled Thursday 5/25 and Friday 5/26. Parents strongly encouraged to attend in person.

  • Grade 11 -- "YEAR" meetings (30 minute slots) are scheduled Wednesday 5/24 through the school day. Parents are invited, in-person or remote.

  • Grade 12 -- Roundtables (1.5 hour slots) are scheduled all week at 3pm and 5pm slots. Parents strongly encouraged to attend in person.

This time of reflection, celebration, and goal setting is a valuable part of our learning and growth.

What’s ahead?

May 30-June 5 -- Project Week

 As is our tradition, we end the school year with Project Week, where students engage in individually designed projects, with a few group projects also offered.  Project week is a chance for students to do something fun and meaningful for their own learning. Students need to complete a project proposal form (copy attached). With parental permission and signature, students may engage in a project at home or at a site in the community-- for that, they need to put those details in their proposal.

The group projects offered this year were:

--Trail Maintenance with Ron

--Court Sports Development with Ann

--American Sign Language  (Whistle facilitates)

--Painting Wall Hangings with Cynthia Parker-Houghton

But students were also encouraged to create their own individual project.

Ideas for projects have included things such as: Arts: Create a mural, movie, dance, poems, short stories; Immersion: Try being an artist, or a poet, or a scientist; Learn a skill: Fix a car, build a cabinet, cook Chinese food; Academic Discovery: Research an animal species, read about WWII, conduct a science experiment; Community Service: Do yard work for an elderly neighbor, volunteer at a farm, connect with an activist organization, do a job shadow, assist your parent’s business. 

For those students working at school, dismissal is 2:15 during project week.

A Big 1980s THANK YOU from the 9th & 10th Grades

The 9th and 10th grades want to send a huge THANK YOU to everyone who played a part in making last week's first-ever 1980s living museum a smashing success!

Special thanks go to:

-- All who attended and helped bring our museum to life

-- Families and staff who generously loaned us artifacts from the 1980s.

-- Faculty who helped the humanities team along the way and who were willing to have their classrooms completely transformed for the event

-- The 9/10 students for working hard these past few weeks and families for supporting the process Congratulations on a truly tubular museum!!

- Gabriel Allen-Fahlander,, Humanities Teacher & Middle School Coordinator

Compass Newsletter (for the week starting May 15)

Spring Trips!

We have a normal class schedule for Monday and Tuesday this week, and then Spring Trips.  More details have been sent to families by grade level.

7th/8th Graders: Trip to Burlington! Staying overnight  at Rock Point School in Burlington. Leaving Compass at 8:30am on Wednesday May 17.  Returning around 4pm on Thursday May 18. (No school for 7th/8th graders on Friday May 19)

9th/10th Graders: Trip to Cape Cod! Staying at Camp Farley in Mashpee, MA  Leaving Compass at 8:30am on Wednesday May 17.  Returning Friday May 19 around 4pm. Lots of details have been sent home.

11th Graders: Wed. 5/17 meet at Compass by 9am or at CCV in Brattleboro at 9:30am. Tour CCV. Other Brattleboro activities.    Thur. 5/18-- Meet at Compass at 8:15am. Tour Chroma Technologies. Other activities. School day over at 2:15pm   (No school Friday May 19.)

12th Graders: Wed. 5/17, Thur. 5/18, and Fri. 5/19 -- come to Compass all three days to work on Roundtables.  School day over at 2:15pm each day.

Education Bill Update--Good News!

H.483 remained held in the Senate Education Committee as the Vermont legislature adjourned for 2023. The advocacy to oppose this bill that we and others expressed to our legislators has been credited as a significant factor in the committee’s decision to not move the bill forward. Well done, Compass community!

Re-enrollment for 2023-24

We've received our information from the State, and are now ready to move forward with re-enrollment for the upcoming year. For those new to it, there are two parts to this process:

1. COMPLETING FINANCIAL AID (IF APPLICABLE): If you have applied for aid in the past, you'll receive an email from Ingrid in the next few days.

2. SIGNING YOUR CONTRACT:  We will begin sending emails to families with instructions on how to access contracts and enrollment forms for the coming fall.  Keep an eye out for those and, as soon as you can, log into your account and get things signed.  We're expecting a busy upcoming year!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out: office@compass-school.org

School Store is Open!-- Compass clothing available

You can follow this link to purchase Compass School clothing:

https://compassschoolvt.itemorder.com/

Senior Project Exhibitions--  Tuesday May 16 at 12:30-2:30pm

The seniors will be sharing their senior project exhibitions at school on Tuesday May 16th at 12:30pm-2:30pm in the Big Room. Families are welcome to come check them out!

Junior Comp Project Exhibitions-- well done!

Thanks to the juniors for sharing their comp projects at school on Friday. It was great to hear about their work!

Congrats to the 9th/10th graders for their 1980s living museum!

…And it was wonderful to see so many parents, family, and guests! Well done!



Spring Trips!

We are approaching Spring Trips May 17-19.  More details have been and will continue to be sent to families by grade level.

7th/8th Graders: Trip to Burlington! Staying overnight  at Rock Point School in Burlington. Leaving Compass at 8:30am on Wednesday May 17.  Returning around 4pm on Thursday May 18. (No school for 7th/8th graders on Friday May 19)

9th/10th Graders: Trip to Cape Cod! Staying at Camp Farley in Mashpee, MA  Leaving Compass at 8:30am on Wednesday May 17.  Returning Friday May 19 around 4pm. Lots of details have been sent home.

11th Graders: Wed. 5/17 meet at Compass by 9am or at CCV in Brattleboro at 9:30am. Tour CCV. Other Brattleboro activities.    Thur. 5/18-- Meet at Compass at 8:15am. Tour Chroma Technologies. Other activities. School day over at 2:15pm   (No school Friday May 19.)

12th Graders: Wed. 5/17, Thur. 5/18, and Fri. 5/19 -- come to Compass all three days to work on Roundtables.  School day over at 2:15pm each day.

Head of School Search Update (5/10)

Our Next Head of School! 

The Search Committee along with the Board of Directors are excited to announce that we have our new head of school on board for next year!

While we are unable today to announce their name as other parties have yet to be informed, we are permitted to tell you, our Compass school community, this news and share this update. The formal announcement will come shortly over email and later posted to the website.

Our new head of school has a wonderful set of experiences, skills, and credentials that fit beautifully with Compass School, along with enormous excitement for promoting progressive education in our region.  All of us are so thrilled and excited to have such an enthusiastic and qualified new leader joining our school family!

Note from Eric: I am so pleased to be welcoming our new head of school, and equally excited about our wonderful and dedicated veteran faculty members who will be here to carry on and evolve our program. We are excited for our work ahead to keep making Compass a uniquely positive and responsive educational community. We are also grateful for our students and families for all you do to contribute to this community of learners.  I am here at Compass through June and excited to do everything I can to help finish a great school year and to work on the transition ahead. 

Compass presents the 1980s Living Museum on Thursday, May 11

The 9th and 10th grade humanities classes are excited to remind you that we are just one week away from our First-ever 1980s Living Museum!

The event is scheduled for Thursday, May 11 from 5:30-7pm. 

We hope you can all join us and explore our exhibits as America in the 1980s comes back to life. Costumes for visitors are optional but highly encouraged. Please mark your calendars! 

Families of 9/10th grade students: Please note that students are asked to stay at school between 4-5:30 to complete final preparations for the event, and to stay for a quick cleanup from 7-7:30. We plan to order pizza for an early dinner before doors open. 

Please contact Gabe or Ann with any conflicts or questions.

A rigorous, relevant, and respectful learning community for grades 7 -12 in Westminster, Vermont.