Compass Update: No School for Friday, September 15

Good afternoon,

The good news is the plumbing issue is fixed, yet tomorrow (Friday, September 15) we are going to be closed in an abundance of caution. 

The next step needs to be sanitizing and deep cleaning of the physical space. I have a phone call into some cleaning services, yet if anyone knows of someone that can help us out at a moment’s notice, please give them my cell phone: 802-238-5760.

For now, monitor email and the school's website for updates.  We are planning to re-open Monday, September 18.

 

Thanks for being flexible.  Hope you all have a nice long weekend.

Kendra

--

Kendra Rickerby, Ph.D.

Head of School

www.compass-school.org

(802) 238-5760 (mobile)

Absences, Attendance, and Staying Healthy

Just a quick note to remind all that if you are not feeling well (have the sniffles and /or sore throat), if you have COVID, or have been in close contact with someone who is contagious with this virus, please stay home.  There is a reported uptick in COVID cases in the area, so best to play it safe and stay home when necessary.  

If you are going to be absent today or this week, please email me at kendra.rickerby@compass-school.org.   This is a temporary method of communicating absences.  At the moment, I am not able to access the office email addresses that were established prior to my hiring so best to just reply here.  

Stay tuned for a new approach -- which I will have in place by next week.  Thanks all for your patience with the transition between Heads of School.  

Be well,

Kendra

Opening Week (Sept. 4-8) Announcements

I hope everyone is enjoying this three day weekend.  We (the faculty and myself) are excited to see your children this Tuesday, September 5th.  Click here to view the Orientation Week Schedule for this week only. 

Details re: classes and personalized projects will be communicated once we've had a chance to meet with each student and get to know them.  A new permanent weekly schedule will be released in tandem with the personalized details of a student's learning path (the outcome of those meetings). 

Advisors are assigned to grades and those adults help facilitate various learning activities, such as the cell phone policy mentioned below.  Students may choose to work one-to-one with adults who aren't their grade's advisory leader, so please note team-building and community-based projects are grade based.

These are the facilitators for each grade: 

  • 7th graders: Nicole and Ron

  • 8th graders: Kellie and Gabe

  • 9th graders: Ryan

  • 10th graders: Ann and Sandra

  • 11th graders: Louise and Rob

  • 12th graders: Alexandrin (with help from Kendra from time to time)

Opening Week

8:25 AM is the start of the school day. Every day this week, starting at 7:45 AM, I will be at the front entrance greeting each student. My goal is, and will always be to, engender an exchange of mutual respect with every student and their family, when they enter Compass School each day  I recognize this will look different for each unique individual.  More information for parents and students will be shared over email.

Stay tuned ... be well. Be in touch anytime.

Kendra

--

Kendra Rickerby, Ph.D.

Head of School

www.compass-school.org

(802) 238-5760 (mobile)

School Orientation on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

With start of school around the corner on Tuesday, September 5, the Compass School is holding an Orientation in the evening of this Wednesday, August 30 for new and returning students.

The purpose of the orientation is to complete enrollment paperwork for the school year, and answer any questions.  Your students are welcome, but not necessary. The Orientation takes place from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM -- respectful of work schedules, for those who need more time, know that our doors are open until 6:30 PM that night. 

This summer the administrative team and the teachers have been working diligently to update systems and adjust to meet the changing needs of the Compass community. When it comes to enrollment, we recognize that the Blackbaud system and procedure isn't as simple to use and likely has created some confusion.  Your patience and understanding as we transition into a new chapter at the Compass School is very appreciated, and this Orientation is a great opportunity to meet in-person to alleviate any confusion.

Even if you know you've completed all the paperwork, please feel free to join us on August 30th to meet staff and other families. There will be some updates re: new policies and expectations conveyed on the 30th as well.  Expect an email to be sent closer to the date with that content, so that those who aren't able to attend are kept in the loop re: 2023-2024 updates and changes.

If you are not able to attend on August 30th, please email ingrid.witherell@compass-school.org.  Ingrid will reply with the relevant documents attached to that email. No need to rely on Blackbaud going forward, as it is our aim to simplify this process and make sure all families feel welcome and supported this coming year. 

Thank you,

Kendra

Message from the Board

Greetings Families and Friends of the Compass School,

It has been my great privilege and pleasure to serve as Board President of the Compass School over the last year. As Compass prepares to enter its new era under the tutelage of our new Head of School, Kendra Rickerby, there is also the opportunity to bring new voices and faces to the Board.

On Saturday, August 5 from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, the Board of Directors invite you to come the School for an informational meeting to learn more about the role of the Board and the opportunities available for those interested in joining as an officer or member for the next year. I will be present alongside Kendra, and too will be my fellow officers Christine Armiger (Vice-President) and Betsy Thurston (Secretary) to answer any questions.

Now is the time to open the doors to the Compass community to consider bringing your time and talent to the Board of Directors for the upcoming academic year. With a scheduled start this fall, you will be a part of the transformation of our School as well as its inaugural year under new leadership. This is an exciting and invigorating time to be part of the Compass story, and this is your chance to contribute and be celebrated for your gifts to our present and future students.

The Board is a committed group of time and talent parents, community members, and educators that connect with the Mission of Compass. We welcome any graduate, parent, and friend that’s committed to the progressive innovation of education to consider becoming part of the Board at the Compass School. This call for interest is your opportunity to join us in working for the positive and continuous improvement of the Compass experience for our students.

If you are unable to attend the August 5 open house but would like to nominate yourself or another to be a candidate to the Board, please submit to our Board Interest Form. If you would like to know more about the Board at the Compass School, please contact the Board at compass-board@compass-school.org with any questions.

 

Thank you,

Jason Black, President

Board of Directors

The Compass School at Westminster

Update from Kendra

Compass Families,

I am excited to officially be in my new role at Compass School, and so I wish to send this quick note to say I hope all are safe and sound.

The magnitude of the recent storm was unexpected for many.  If you were impacted and need assistance, please let us know.  The Compass Community is here to support you. 

Thank you to all who have reached out knowing that I live in Ludlow; I am fine, as is my home. However, due to the damage around the village of Ludlow, it is not clear when I will be able to commute out to Compass.  That said, please know I am available by email and phone.

As for admissions and enrollment, please expect to hear from Ingrid, if you haven't already, and follow the steps to commit for the coming school year. This information is valuable for me and your teachers to effectively plan and resource Compass for the next school year.

For those that have questions, please contact me by email, and I welcome meeting one-to-one with families to get to know you and to hear about your children's needs and aspirations for the 2023-24 school year. In early August, I will be looking to schedule those personalized sessions. 

Until then, please feel welcome to reach out.  

Be well,

Kendra

--

Kendra Rickerby, Ph.D.

Head of School

www.compass-school.org

(802) 463-2525

Re-enrolling for next year at Compass

Have you received your re-enrollment email from Ingrid?

E-mails to parents and guardians are being sent-off this week for re-enrolling your student at Compass for the next academic year. Look for the email today!

23/24 Re-Enrollment Instructions

1. To access your contract, you'll need to log into your account in Blackbaud by going to the following link:

 Start at: https://compass-school.myschoolapp.com/

There is an option to reset your password if you forgot it.

2. Once you're in, you should see a notification that says, "You have 1 Contract (s) to Review". Click on that.

3. You should be on a page called "Files & Forms". Your student's contract will be in there under their name with a 'Review' button on the right.

Click on 'Review'.

4. The system may ask you to verify that you have a Tuition Management (formerly Smart Tuition) account. If it does, select the checkbox and click 'Yes' (because you do). Enter your credentials when you're prompted to do so. If you don't remember them, please let us know. 

At this point, you'll see a series of tabs: Contract, Tuition and Fee Schedule, Review, Deposit, and Confirmation:

5. CONTRACT tab: Read over the contract. You can print it out at the end of the process if you'd like a paper copy.

6. TUITION AND FEE SCHEDULE tab: This section needs some explanation. See below, and please read carefully. TIP: Printing out this email to have while you do it can be helpful.

a. You may see an option in blue at the top to establish joint or split accounts in Tuition Management (where you’ll do most of your bill paying). Even if you intend eventually to do this, you should select NO here if there’s the option. This will be worked out with Ingrid or Kendra later.

b. You will see the Tuition, Student Activity Fee, and (if appropriate) Student Service Fee and Chromebook Lease Fee. You will also see any credits and financial aid that have been applied. Read these over and note the “Total Due”. That’s the amount IN ADDITION TO Enrollment Fees that you’ll be paying. Enrollment Fees are paid now, the “Total Due” will be paid later.

NOTE: Enrollment Fees will appear in the DEPOSIT tab and are not reflected in the Tuition and Fee breakdown. If you have questions about any part of tuition or fees, we will happily answer them.

c. In the “Manage Billing Information” section, you’ll be asked to verify your billing information for Tuition Management, and to select a payment method.

Follow these guidelines:

  • PAYMENT PLAN OPTIONS: Select the payment plan that works best for you from the three options. If you need something different from one of these, feel free to contact the office.

We can change this later.

  • PAYMENT METHOD: If you wish to set up automatic payments for the “Total Due” money, you can do that here. If you’d rather not set up auto payments at this time, select “E-mail me an invoice for each payment I have due”.

  • PAYMENT DUE DATE: Choose either the 1st of the month, or the 15th of the month, according to your preference. The invoices you’ll receive will go out about 20 days before your due date.

  • REVIEW TERMS & CONDITIONS: Review the terms and conditions. When you’re ready, sign the contract digitally at the bottom.

7. REVIEW tab: This is a review of the contract and the money together – but NOT Enrollment Fees. You’ll deal with the Enrollment Fees in the next tab.

Click 'Accept' all the way at the bottom on the left.

8. DEPOSIT tab: This is where you'll see the Enrollment Fees broken out. These are required to confirm your students place for the upcoming fall. You'll also see payment options.

Follow the prompts and then click 'Pay and Submit'.

9. CONFIRMATION tab: Your student is enrolled for 2023-24. Congratulations!

 

There will be a checklist to follow that includes post-enrollment paperwork. I'll email you separately about that, with separate instructions.

Here’s to another wonderful year at Compass!

We look forward to getting to know you and your amazing children. Should you have any questions or concerns about any part of the re-enrollment process, please do not hesitate to email or call.

We are here to help!

All our best,

Ingrid Witherell and Kendra Rickerby

Planning to re-enroll for the 2023-2024 academic year at Compass? Let us know.

Re-enrollment details for the 2023-2024 academic year are coming to the mailboxes of Compass students planning to return this fall for another transformative year at the Compass School. These will be coming shortly within the next week or two, but for now, please click on the Google Form link to confirm your child's intend to enroll the next school year. 

Have questions on the general enrollment process? Start at Step One or contact Ingrid Witherell, Office Manager, at ingrid.witherell@compass-school.org.

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