21-22 Archived Posts

VIRTUAL KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATION AND 5-GRADE CULMINATION

We invite you to join us for some fun as we recognize and celebrate our scholar award recipients of the 2021-22 school year! Registration for these events is open through next Friday, June 3. For more information, please visit the links below:

Virtual Awards Ceremony: Online Elementary (Tuesday, June 7 at 10 am)
Virtual Awards Ceremony: Online Middle School and High School (Tuesday, June 7 at 10:45 am)
Virtual Awards Ceremony: Options Elementary (Thursday, June 9 at 10 am)
Virtual Awards Ceremony: Options Middle School and High School (Thursday, June 9 at 10:45 am)

SEL ACTIVITIES

SEL Monthly Resources

SUMMER SESSION

This summer, Compass will offer a summer session for all currently enrolled scholars who will be in grades K-12 for the upcoming 2022-23 school year. Summer session will run from Tuesday, July 5 through Friday, July 29.

Parents of K-8-grade scholars who would like to enroll in this summer session should complete our Summer Session Registration Form by Friday, May 27.

Parents of 9-12-grade scholars who would like to enroll in this summer session will need to reach out directly to their counselor, who will enroll them in their high school course for the session.

Please contact your supervising teacher or Janae Smith, Director of Online Learning for additional information.

COUNSELING SERVICES

Firebird Fun Grades 4 & 5

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday from 12-12:30p Zoom Room Link; Password: 611782

Firebird Morning Starter Small Groups Middle School

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday from 9-9:30a Zoom Room Link

Firebird Ready to Launch Small Groups High School

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday from 9-9:30a Zoom Room Link

PHYSICAL FITNESS TEST RESUMES

PFT begins this month and continues through Tuesday, May 31. California Physical Fitness Tests (PFT) resume this school year for 5, 7, and 9-grades. Please watch for informational emails from your supervising teacher about PFT.

CHARTER SCHOOL/INDUSTRY NEWS

The California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) celebrates ‘30 years of California Charter Schools!’ They invite scholars, parents, staff, and the community to ‘Tell Your Story’ on their website. We encourage you to share your Compass Experience as you consider sharing your charter story with CCSA and the greater community!

The California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project

Check out a series of free, evidence-based video and print resources that caregivers and educators can use to teach their scholars critical mental health and coping skills through the California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project. The project was born of an innovative partnership between California and the Child Mind Institute.

COUNSELING SERVICES

May is Mental Health Month. This is the perfect time to start having Check-In Chats with the people you care about. A Check-In Chat is a way to ask if someone needs some support. By asking how they are doing and showing you really care about the answer, you can make a big difference in someone’s life. Visit this link for some tips on having a Check-In Chat. Also, here is a great resource, Teen Guide to Mental Health and Wellness (English PDF | Spanish PDF).

Middle School Counseling Learning Lab: CCS Cafe - Time’s Not Out! - this Thursday, May 26, at noon. Please encourage your scholars to join Ms. Olson in the Counseling Learning Lab for our last College Career Success (CCS) Cafe of the year! We will share tips to help plan out the remainder of the semester. Planning and organization are vital skills in preparing for high school and beyond!

MAY IS ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH AND JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

This is the official website for this heritage month

The County of Los Angeles Public Library has resources and events

PBS has plenty of resources, including information, articles, and videos

The Smithsonian has lessons and teaching resources for this heritage month

The Law Library of Congress has additional information on this topic

Palos Verdes has resources, book recommendations, and activities on their site

The Army Reserve has information and resources available

The Department of Education has 12 idas for enriching students’ appreciation for Asian Pacific American culture

Diversity Inc provides historical timelines and images

Education World has lesson ideas for this heritage month

Teacher Vision also has lesson and activity ideas

Scholastic has book recommendations and lessons available

The NEA also has lessons and tools for teaching about this topic

Kid World Citizen has more ideas for how to appreciate this heritage month

The Anti-Defamation League has excellent resources about the culture and tolerance

Read Write Think has lesson ideas and lesson plans

Resources for English Learners wanting to learn more about this heritage month can be found on this website

Here are more lesson plans on this heritage month

Asian Nation also provides plenty of lesson ideas and resources

Asian American Biographies can be found on Biography.com

Learn more about Native Hawaiian culture with this mask activity, plus explore the website

Lessons on Wayfinding and Polynesian Voyaging can be found here

Here are more resources for lessons on Polynesian Voyaging

This site has information from the National Park Service on the only palace in the U.S.A.

Hawaii’s PBS developed this game

The Smithsonian also has lessons specific to Native Hawaiians

This is the official government site for resources for Jewish American Heritage Month

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has many resources

More resources on Jewish American History Month, as well as local events, can be found at this dedicated website

More activities related to Jewish American History Month can be found here

This site is specifically about Jewish American Women and their contributions

Access to the American Jewish Archives can be found here.

My Jewish Learning has information for those who want to learn more about the religion and traditions

The Law Library of Congress has information about this heritage month

For a list of historical sites linked to Jewish Americans, check out this site

Here is a concise dictionary of American Jewish Biographies

Biography.com can be searched for information on famous Jewish Americans

LA DODGERS FUNDRAISER

Compass has teamed up with the LA Dodgers for a special fundraiser! For every ticket purchased through Sunday, May 22, through our unique LA Dodgers ticket link, Compass will receive a portion of the proceeds which will support our two scholarships for graduating scholars! There is also an opportunity for scholars to receive individual prizes - check out the LA Dodgers School Fundraising Instructions Flyer to learn how!

WELLNESS FOR EDUCATORS SCHOLAR ANXIETY WORKSHOP SERIES

In partnership with Wellness for Educators, Compass is offering our final workshop series of the year on trauma and prolonged stress! Learn more and RSVP for the sessions below:

Wednesday, May 20: Healing Trauma and Prolonged Stress

Talent Show Auditions

This Thursday, May 12, during lunch - OCLC scholars are encouraged to participate in the talent show audition in preparation for our Talent Show on Tuesday, May 24. All acts need to be ready to show and under two minutes. We are really looking forward to seeing all the OCLC talent!

NATIONAL CHARTER SCHOOLS WEEK

This week is National Charter Schools Week; join us all week long as we celebrate the incredible work that Compass Charter Schools is doing!

Stay tuned for more events this month! Classified School Employees Week is around the corner!

Samaritan Award: Community Service Log Submission Deadline

The Compass Samaritan Award is awarded to scholars who complete a minimum of 50 hours of community service within each school year. If your scholar has completed community service hours, please submit the hours by this Friday, May 13, to our College & Career Readiness Counselor, Ms. Olson.

SAVE THE DATE!

Compass will participate in a virtual community fundraiser with Panda Express next Wednesday, May 11! This is a great opportunity to celebrate National Charter Schools Week and California Day of the Teacher, all while helping Compass raise funds to support its scholarship opportunities for our scholars!

HIGH SCHOOL SCHOLARS!

CAL STATE UNIVERSITIES ARE NOW TEST-FREE! ~ The CSU Board of Trustees unanimously approved the Committee on Educational Policy’s resolution to amend Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations to remove SAT and ACT standardized tests from undergraduate admissions. The board’s action eliminates standardized tests in the university’s undergraduate admissions processes.

SCHOLARSHIP ALERT! As a reminder, thanks to the generosity of individuals Giving to Compass, we have two scholarship opportunities for our graduating scholars! Our Loud and Proud Scholarship and Rising Firebird Scholarship are open to all graduating scholars at Compass, with completed applications due by Friday, May 6. Learn more about each scholarship and encourage your graduating scholars to apply today!

SCHOLARSHIP ALERT!

As a reminder, thanks to the generosity of individuals Giving to Compass, we have two scholarship opportunities for our graduating scholars! Our Loud and Proud Scholarship and Rising Firebird Scholarship are open to all graduating scholars at Compass, with completed applications due by this Friday, May 6. Learn more about each scholarship and encourage your graduating scholars to apply today!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

May is a month of celebration! Click on each link to learn more about these important celebrations: National Teacher Appreciation Week, California Day of the Teacher, National Charter Schools Week, and National Classified School Employees Week! Watch for it; in next Monday’s MMU, we will open our Scholars’ Choice Employee of the Year nominations! Based on feedback from scholars and learning coaches, we are seeking your nominations starting next week to celebrate your teacher, counselor, and/or administrator!

To express appreciation for your supervising teacher and Compass staff, we invite learning coaches and scholars to complete this 2022 Teacher Appreciation Form by this Friday, April 29. During the week of May 2 (National Teacher Appreciation Week), teachers and staff will receive a special document with your words of appreciation.

COUNSELING SERVICES

Elementary - Counseling VLOG - Hopeful Ninja - Please enjoy this VLOG hosted by Mrs. Schwartzberg with Hopeful Ninja! Passcode for Viewing: I+04MCHA

Middle School - Middle School Counseling Learning Lab: Child Abuse Prevention & Education - this Thursday, April 21, at noon. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. In this lesson, scholars will learn about identifying different types of abuse and how it may develop. Scholars will discuss privacy and safety strategies, identify who is in their safety network, practice scenarios, and create a “pinwheel” to show support for child abuse prevention. Please encourage your scholar to join Ms. Page and Ms. Bateman for this session from noon to 1 pm.

CALLING ALL 3RD-8TH + 11TH GRADE SCHOLARS! Weekly CAASPP Prep Workshop

Our final CAASPP Prep Workshop, which featured a guest from the IT Department, was last Friday. You still have time to prepare your scholars! Additional resources can be found on our 2021-22 Mission to Success, and the previous week’s recordings can be found on our CAASPP Test Prep Workshop playlist.

The CAASPP window begins next Monday, March 28. CAASPP and ELPAC will be administered remotely this year. Your supervising teacher will be contacting you with scheduling information soon if they have not done so already.

Please view the following video for more information:
1. How to Take a Remote Test—English (Video; 07:57)
2. Cómo tomar una prueba remota (Vídeo; 10:19)

CLIMATE VIDEO CHALLENGE

To create the world we want to live in, we must first imagine a future where people and ecosystems can survive and thrive. California middle and high school scholars are invited to present a video response to the question: What is your vision for a thriving future? Submission deadline is midnight on Thursday, March 31. Prizes may be offered to the top three submissions. Scholars may enter as an individual or a group of up to five.

Today, Monday, March 14, is Pi Day! Here are some fun ideas you can spend Pi Day with your scholars: What is Pi and how to explain it and Teaching Pi ideas. Elementary scholars can also join in on the fun with Pi Day with NASA and/or these resources from We Are Teachers.

SPRING SCHOLAR TALENT SHOW

There is still time to register for our Spring Talent Show! All scholars in grades TK-12 are invited to share their talent by submitting an audition video for our Spring Talent Show, which is scheduled for Friday, March 11! We will host two talent shows: one for TK-5 scholars and one for 6-12 scholars. Scholars have the option to perform during the talent show as a recorded performer or live performer. So whether you’re a dancer, musician, LEGO expert, or any talent in between – we want to see your talent! Registration has been extended through this Friday, March 4. For more information, please click here (for grades TK-5) and click here (for grades 6-12).

DR. SUESS DAY - READ ACROSS AMERICA

In celebration of Dr. Suess’s birthday, please encourage your scholars to join this week’s Live Synch, where our scholars will join students from around the world on Read Across America Day (Wednesday, March 2). You can also celebrate at home using these resources. Happy reading!

MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

There are resources on the official government site for Women’s History Month.

The National Women’s History Museum has a vast number of resources to teach about this topic.

Common Sense Media has a suggested movie list with strong female characters (parental discretion suggested).

The History Channel offers videos to show students for Women’s History Month.

The NEA has lesson ideas and resources for grades K-12.

PBS has a brief video explaining what Women’s History Month is.

Read Write Think provides lesson ideas for grades 3 - 12.

The American Library Association has links to additional resources.

Scholastic offers lessons for grades PreK-12.

Teachervision provides activities for grades K-12.

The National Women’s History Project has multiple resources and information on celebrating this month.

Click provides a timeline and information on modern feminism.

The Teacher’s Guide has links to a multitude of lesson plans, units, and activities.

Education.com has free printables and worksheets.

More worksheets are available here.

Teacher Planet also has many resources and links for lessons/activities.

K12 Reader has elementary and middle school resources.

Biography has information on women’s rights activists.

Biography also has information on famous female scientists.

That site has information on female inventors.

Women-inventors.com is a site dedicated to providing information about female inventors.

Biography has resources regarding famous female athletes, leaders, etc.

History.com provides in depth information on the women’s suffrage movement.

That site also has famous firsts in women’s history.

This site has photographs and information on female journalists, photographers, and broadcasters during World War II.

The National First Ladies’ Library has free curricula and lessons for teachers.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame has its own website.

One library has a page dedicated to the oral history of the suffragists.

There is a site dedicated to information on women Air Force service pilots.

Harvard University has a page dedicated to information on working women of the 1800’s.

This site has a timeline and biographical information on female mathematicians over many centuries.

The biography of Indira Gandhi, India’s first and only female leader, is available here.

For a detailed biography of Golda Meir, the world’s third ever female prime minister, click here.

Reading Rockets has a page that lists book recommendations for children up to the age of 9.

Mighty Girl offers a list of picture books for Women’s History Month.

The same site also has lists of more books to celebrate and learn.

BECOMING ME SCHOLAR ESSAY CONTEST (Los Angeles Scholars)

Becoming Jane tells the story of Dr. Jane Goodall’s personal evolution - from a young nature lover to a scientist, activist, and advocate for creating a better world for all life on Earth. Tell us about becoming you! Describe a story or an experience when you felt that you discovered your own voice or role. How did this impact the world around you - your community, your school, or your family? Read all the submission details here. Deadline is Monday, February 28th

Banned Books

Interested to see what books made it onto this list? Check it out and see which books you have already read and share your favorites!

February is Black History Month!

Illustration by Loveis Wise

The following list includes vetted websites for lessons, activities, reading, and videos for Black History Month:

The National Education Association (NEA) also has resources for K-12.
The Smithsonian has a wide variety of resources for Black History Month.
This page has links to multiple resources for integrating Math with Black History Month, including lesson plans linked to the movie Hidden Figures.
Scholastic has lesson plans for grades 1 - 8.
Education World has lesson ideas for Black History Month.
KQED offers links to several resources.
The Center for Civic Education has a page dedicated to resources.
The American Chemical Society has resources on African American science pioneers.
Biography has information about African American scientists.
Biography also has a similar page for African American inventors.
For younger students, National Geographic for Kids has short biographies on African American scientists.
History.com offer Black History Month videos.
Common Sense Media recommends several movies to spark conversations around Black History Month (parental discretion advised).
Teachervision offers links to resources for elementary students.
Education.com has activity, crafts, and recipe suggestions for young students.
Education.com also has elementary level printables for coloring and crosswords.
The American Library Association recommends books that have won the Coretta Scott King Book award. (These awards are presented each year to notable African American authors and illustrators of children’s books and young adult books that show an appreciation of African American culture.)
The government site for African American History Month has plenty of resources.
WEB Guides has digital materials on a variety of related topics.
Information on Brown Vs. Board of Education can be seen here.
This collection of poems celebrates Black History Month.

SSDA Mighty Future Leaders

The SSDA Mighty Future Leaders, is a new, state-wide, and scholar-led organization trying to impact communities through youth voices. Are there any scholars who would like to participate in an art exhibit at the SSDA 2022 Annual State Conference in Sacramento on March 6-8? There will be scholarships awarded to three participating artists!

They are raising awareness about scholar mental health. Here is the prompt to base your art on: How does school make you feel? (emotionally, physically, etc.)

Art instructions:

Max size of art is 16” x 20”
Art will be displayed on a wall. Please create the art with minimal weight in mind. Framing and matting optional.
Art does not need to be on a canvas. Other light materials are allowed, such as paper, poster board, etc.
Mixed media allowed. Digitally created then printed allowed.
Scholars can work in pairs.\

Instructions for mailing the art:

Mail to: Attn: Taylor Smith SSDA, Hilton Sacramento - Arden West

2200 Harvard St., Sacramento, CA 95815

Include the scholar’s name, grade, school, and return address on a piece of paper or on the art itself
Delivery deadline: March 1, 2022
Email Taylor Smith, taylor@ssda.org, if you plan to mail art

Send us a digital copy as well to Kimberly Aguilar, Community Relations Coordinator.

SCHOLAR SUCCESS ~ Scholar Art Exhibit Invite

SSDA'S Mighty Future Leaders, a new, student-led foundation impacting communities through youth voices, are reaching out to see if we have any scholars who would like to participate in their art exhibit. The exhibit is meant to raise awareness for mental health within education. The prompt: How does school make you feel emotionally, physically, etc.?

Instructions for the art:

Max size for art should be 12" x 20".
Mail to: PO Box 276045, Sacramento, CA 95827.
Include the scholar's name, grade, and school.
Deadline: Friday, February 18

Please also send a picture of your art to Kimberly Aguilar, Community Relations Coordinator. Thank you and happy drawing!

NACAC Virtual College Fair

Sunday, January 30 from 10 am to 3 pm - Connect with hundreds of colleges and universities in one place! Click here to view the participating schools and register for this virtual event.

SCHOLAR SUCCESS ~ California Association of Educational Office Professionals Poster Contest - Theme: What I Love About School

The Executive Board invites all K–6 scholars attending Los Angeles County schools to participate in its annual poster contest. The winners will be announced at CAEOP’s Annual Conference, on March 12, in Fountain Valley, California. Posters selected for final judging will be reviewed by the CAEOP Board of Judges consisting of qualified individuals in the field of education and art. Winners at the state level will receive cash prizes in their respective categories. The deadline for receipt of entries is Monday, January 31. Please email your poster to Kimberly Aguilar, Community Relations Coordinator.

January 27th is Holocaust Remembrance Day

Lessons from PBS

Information from the National Archives

Activities from Facing History and Ourselves

Additional resources

Image credit: "Exposure" by Samuel Bak, Pucker Gallery

COUNSELING SERVICES ~ Middle School Counseling Learning Lab: Great Kindness Challenge

Thursday, January 20 at noon in the Middle School Counseling Learning Lab. In this lesson, scholars will learn about the Great Kindness Challenge: a global, proactive, bullying-prevention initiative for scholars, parents, and schools alike! In addition, we will discuss this initiative's impact and provide resources for participation.

We are looking forward to seeing you there!

WASHINGTON D.C. AND NEW YORK TRIP - EF EXPLORE AMERICA INFORMATION SESSION

Have you and your scholars always wanted to explore the United States? We want to give scholars the opportunity to visit our Nation’s Capital, Washington D.C., and the amazing New York City! We invite scholars in grades 6-12 and their families to join our Engagement Coordinator, Danielle DelNegro, along with EF Explore America for an informational session to learn more about this trip offering including what to expect, sample itinerary, pricing, and more. Registration for this information session is open through Friday, January 7. For more information, please click here.

SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICT’S ASSOCIATION’S (SSDA) 2021 HOLIDAY CARD STUDENT ART CONTEST

SSDA is looking for a beautiful design for its 2021 holiday card, and we want to feature art from an SSDA member scholar on it! The deadline for submissions is next Tuesday, December 7, by 5 pm. Please submit your entry to Kimberly Aguilar, Community Relations Coordinator. The winning artwork will be featured on SSDA’s 2021 Holiday Card, and the artist will receive a $100 Amazon gift card! Artwork should reflect the theme “Winter Holiday Spirit” without focusing on any specific holiday or religion. All submissions should be submitted as a high-quality image (JPG, PNG, or PDF) of the original art.

READ TO ACHIEVE CONTEST

The Read to Achieve program by the LA Clippers was designed to reinforce the importance of education and literacy to youth in our community. Compass is participating in the Minutes Challenge and has chosen to have scholars log their minutes through an online program. For the next six weeks (October 25 – December 3), scholars will track the minutes they spend reading and record them on the Clippers Read to Achieve Minutes Challenge website. Scholars earn badges when they hit reading milestones and will be eligible for prizes when they read at least 1,000 minutes for elementary school scholars and 1,500 minutes for middle school scholars during the program. Happy reading! UPDATE! Scholars who read and log at least 100 minutes will receive (2) upper-level tickets to a Clippers home game in December or January! Happy reading!

November is Native American Heritage Month

Please share resources. Here are a few:

From the National Congress of American Indians

From the National Park Service

From PBS

Books by indigenous authors

OC FAMILIES: NOMINATE YOUR SCHOOL HERO

Does your child have a favorite teacher? Do you know an Orange County education leader or school employee who gets an A+ in every area? School Administrators, parents, and scholars, we want to hear from you. Nominate here! All nominations will be posted on www.ParentingOC.com. Deadline is November 28!

KINDNESS UNITES PAPER CHAIN CHALLENGE

Kids for Peace is working on setting a new Guinness World Record by creating a 110+ mile inspirational paper chain, and they need our help! Scholars can be a part of this amazing accomplishment by sending in links of their very own. To learn more about this project and how to participate, please click here. Decorated links need to be mailed to our Central Office no later than next Friday, November 5.

OCOTBER CONTEST

Red Ribbon Week is approaching, and it’s time to create your “Drug-Free Looks Like Me” Drug Prevention Posters! During our Spirit Week kick-off on Friday, October 22, we will start working on our “Drug-Free Looks Like Me” Poster Contest. Scholars will create a poster showing off what drug prevention looks like to them! Submissions for this contest will be accepted from Friday, October 22, through Friday, October 29. To participate in this contest, please register for our Spirit Week Kick-Off.

RED RIBBON ORGANIZATIONS’ PHOTO CONTEST ~ In addition to our Compass Spirit Week contests, families can also participate in the Red Ribbon Organization’s photo contest! If you participate, you have a chance to win an iPad from Red Ribbon and the potential for $1,000 to be donated to Compass by Red Ribbon! Click here to learn more today! If you participate in this national competition, please email your photos to Katie Dickens, supervising teacher, for a chance to be featured on Compass’ Instagram page!

ADHD Awareness Month!

You can read more about this and find some great resources through the Attention Deficit Disorder Association.

SUSAN STEELMAN BRAGATO SCHOLARSHIPS

In honor of 30 years of public charter schools, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) will award $30,000 in scholarships to high school graduates of CCSA member schools. The scholarship is named in honor of Susan Steelman Bragato, the co-founder of the first charter school in California and the founder of the California Network of Educational Charters (renamed later to California Charter Schools Association). The purpose of this scholarship is to celebrate the diversity of charter school communities and the achievements of graduating charter school scholars by supporting their continuing educational journeys. Learn more and encourage your scholar to apply by Sunday, October 24.

BANNED BOOKS WEEK

This week is Banned Books Week!

Check the ALA website for more information about Banned Books Week, as well as resources.
Penguin Books has information on Banned Books.
Elementary Librarian lists free activities teachers can do.
Read Write Think has classroom activities, too.
Scholastic has some classroom activity ideas, too.
Here is more from Scholastic on banned books.
YouTube has a playlist about the freedom to read and banned books
This lesson about censorship and banned books is appropriate for high school.
A lesson on the history of banning books can be used is recommended for grades 7 to 12.
Teaching Tolerance suggests this lesson on using Banned Books Week to generate discussion on discrimination.
The Los Angeles Public Library has suggested reading for the week.
Check out these Banned Books Mad Libs that point out how censorship impacts books.
The ACLU of Oregon has information on Banned Books Week.
Bend, Oregon is hosting a Read “Allowed” in 2018.
Of course, you can always just read aloud from the Captain Underpants series or a Harry Potter book, all of which are commonly banned or challenged
Prefer the classics? To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and other classics make the banned books list regularly.

NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

(September 15 - October 15)

This is the official government site for National Hispanic Heritage Month

The National Archives website has information about this heritage month

The National Endowment for the Humanities offers plenty of background information and additional resources

The Smithsonian lists events and information

The Los Angeles County Library is hosting a variety of events and has book recommendations

PBS has video clips and other resources

The ADL offers suggestions for teaching about this heritage month

Scholastic has some heritage month ideas

Here are more ideas from Scholastic

Teachers First has curated resources for National Hispanic Heritage Month

Teach for America also has curated resources

Teacher Vision has lots of videos and activities

The National Writing Project has activities and professional development ideas

Education World has lesson ideas

Colorin Colorado has more resources

Sonoma County Library has an event calendar

The California Office of Historic Preservation has links to resources

The Young Adult Library Services Association has some great recommendations

Programming Librarian has additional resources

A list of award-winning title from Latino/Latina writers can be found on the ALA website

You can also look up the events calendar for your local public library

SCHOLAR CLUBS SIGN UPS

We are currently taking sign-ups for scholars to join our scholar clubs! We have a variety of scholar clubs open for our scholars to join! View the list of scholar clubs and sign your scholar(s) up today! Registration closes this Friday, September 17!

UCLA FOOTBALL ‘LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT DAY'

All Los Angeles area high school scholars are invited to attend the biggest UCLA Football game of the season for FREE! The Bruins host the LSU Tigers this Saturday, September 4, at 5:30 pm at the Rose Bowl. Any local high school scholar can get a free ticket to the game and cheer on the UCLA Football team from the UCLA student section known as ‘The Den.’ Guest tickets will be available for purchase at only $30 each. To sign up for a free ticket, CLICK HERE.

SCHOLAR CLUBS SIGN UPS

We are looking forward to a wonderful year of making memories in our scholar clubs program! Our Engagement Department Open House will be this Thursday, September 2, at noon, and we will be highlighting how to start signing up for scholar clubs! Additional ways to get signed up for scholar clubs will include events such as our Scholar Club Open House next Friday, September 10, and our Scholar Clubs Social on Monday, September 13!

CONTEST SPOTLIGHT

It's time to kick off the first contest of the year! Your scholar’s challenge is to create a back-to-school video! Include fun information like their first name, grade level, their favorite activity from summer, and what they're looking forward to most this year! Click here for more information on how to get involved.

Welcome Back!

I hope you all had a wonderful summer break! I hope it was relaxing and helped you rejuvenate after a very hectic 20-21 school year. I'm looking forward to this year and having you all back on my roster again! In case you didn't check emails before today, you can start placing orders already. If you want to talk about new curriculum, let me know so we can schedule a meeting to chat about that!

Please go through the entirety of this website and complete/submit the Google Form Checklist below. I have changed the way my website looks and have condensed tabs under "Parent Portal" and "Scholar Portal." Everything you will need find to complete the checklist is nestled under "Parent Portal." Please complete this checklist by September 3rd!

Go to the Calendar page and click the "+" to add my Domino Roster calendar to your personal Google calendar
- - Download the August/September calendar, print it out, and place it where you can reference it every day (coming really soon!!)
Go to the Samples page and scan the new Seesaw QR code and set up your scholar's account
- - Review ALL of the rules for samples
Go to the Attendance page and review the steps for completing your scholar's Learning and PE Logs.
Go to the Connection Meetings page and review the day/time that you picked last year for our monthly meetings. Leave as is or choose a new day/time that work better for you this year.
- - Don't forget to review the Connection Meeting Guidelines as well
Go to the Ordering page and review the 21-22 CCS Learning Coach Education Support Funds Guidelines Sheet
- - Review "How to Place an Order in OPS" if you feel it's necessary
Go to the Curriculum page and check out the available Subscriptions for this school year and fill out the Google form for any subscriptions that you would like to have

Please fill out the form below when you have completed the above checklist.

Any other page, that was not mentioned above, is optional to go through. Please feel free to peruse the rest of the website at your own pace.

ARTIC Values

Think your scholar(s) should be nominated for an ARTIC award? Click on the form below to nominate your scholar(s) for this monthly award. Please note, that you can only submit your scholar's name for ONE of these awards, so please look through the core values and choose the one your scholar exhibits best.

Remember to get your nominations in by the first Friday of every month!

20-21 Archived Posts

For Summer Break...

Don't forget that you have access to all of the subscriptions you signed up for at the beginning of the school year through July. Some may give you access through August, but I'm not entirely sure which ones those are - just keep an eye out for those "Subscription Expiring" emails.

Istation is also available through July and Edgenuity is available through August. Feel free to have your scholar(s) login and work on the assignments.

You can also check out the "Learning Resources" tab and go through the Padlets available to you for book recommendations. If you want more to do with your scholar(s) this summer, a great resource is Teachers Pay Teachers. There's a ton of great FREE resources on there. Just make sure you check the box for "free" when searching for resources.

Summer of SEL.pdf

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR NOMINATION(S)

Scholars and learning coaches - we need your help to nominate, recognize, and celebrate our staff through our Scholars’ Choice Employee of the Year Program! Honor your teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week by nominating them as your Scholars’ Choice Employee of the Year!

NATIONAL TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

Join us this week (May 3rd-May7th) as we celebrate National Teacher Appreciation Week! Let’s celebrate our teachers all week! Send them thank you letters, certificates of appreciation, and more!

MAY SUMMERTIME RECIPE CONTEST

Summer is right around the corner, which means it's the perfect time to get in the kitchen and create! For our Summertime Recipe Contest, we want scholars and their families to work together to create a delicious, summer-themed recipe! This can be something you make a lot or a brand new creation. Once you've created your recipe, share it with us! By the end of May, we will have a full cookbook of summer-inspired scholar recipes to share! For more information about this contest, click here.

LA CLIPPERS STEAM ACTIVITY CHALLENGE

Congratulations to Alice P., Kaleookekai D., and Lana C. from CCS of Los Angeles, who won prize packs from the LA Clippers for their participation in the LA Clippers STEAM Activity Challenge! Click here to see all that was included in (1) of the prize packs! Scholars can register at any time throughout the program to participate until it closes on Friday, May 21. Click here to learn more and register to compete today!

SAVE THE DATE!

Compass will be participating in a virtual community fundraiser with Panda Express next Wednesday, May 12! This is a great opportunity to celebrate National Charter Schools Week and California Day of the Teacher, all while helping Compass raise funds to support its scholarship opportunities for our scholars!

APRIL INSTAGRAM CAMPAIGN

This month, send in pictures of your scholars getting ready for state testing (CAASPP - grades 3-8, 11). Is your scholar taking the time to be active so that he or she can stay focused while testing? Is your scholar drinking a lot of water or eating healthy to have a clear mind during testing? Is your scholar reviewing state testing outlines? Whatever he or she is doing, we want to see the motivating pictures!

Also, this month we are focusing on math skills. Does your scholar love math? Numbers, number lines, hands-on activities, etc. We want to see the pictures of your scholars working hard with their amazing math skills.

Send in all pictures to our supervising teacher, Katie Dickens, to be featured on our Instagram page @CompassCS. We love to showcase and celebrate our amazing Compass scholars!

SEL Activities and More!

SEL activities focus on different traits we should practice or helps us to learn about how we can make ourselves better. Below you will find a Google Sheet that will be updated monthly that includes activities for you to do with your scholar as well as some workshops that they can attend. Be sure to keep your eye out for the Learning Labs for our Middle and High School scholars that will be conducted by our Counseling team. These Learning Labs will be posted in the MMU and in the sheet below.

SEL Monthly Activities

Here are the influential women in my life...

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH CONTEST

Calling all scholars! We would love to see you share about influential women in our history and spotlight your work at our upcoming Women’s History Month Assembly on Friday, March 19! To participate, fill out this form letting us know you’d like to submit (1) slide about a woman in history (selected from a list that we will send you). Slides that are submitted and approved will be included as scholar presentations at our upcoming assembly. Those who participate in this contest will have the opportunity to win CCS Spirit Gear!

30 in 30 Reading Contest

We’re calling all book lovers! If you haven’t done so already, it's time to join our 30 in 30 March Reading Challenge! During March, we challenge you to read 30 minutes a day for 30 days between March 1 and March 31. It doesn't matter what, when, or where you read - the goal is just 30 minutes a day! Scholars who successfully complete our reading log will be entered into a prize drawing. For more details on this contest and submission information, click here. Didn't start on March 1? No problem! Just sneak in the missed minutes on other days, and you'll be all set!

Instagram Campaign

Have a discussion with your scholars about some of the most powerful women leaders, authors, speakers, teachers, and activists that are alive or have left a legacy behind. After your scholar learns about this woman in history, have him, or her hold up a picture of that woman and take a photo! Please share with us so that we can flood our Instagram with powerful women all month long!

In addition, the most amazing women in your scholars' lives might be right in his or her household! Have your scholar also take a picture with the moms, aunts, grandmas in the house so that we can celebrate YOU!

Send all pictures to Katie - kdickens@compasscharters.org, supervising teacher, so that she can share these amazing pictures on our Instagram page, @CompassCS.

Stay in School Scholarship

The LA Clippers are pleased to offer an opportunity to assist college-bound scholars. Six $4,000 Stay In School Scholarships will be offered to seniors planning on attending a four-year college beginning in the Fall of 2021. Scholarships will be made available to scholars residing in the Greater Los Angeles area. Click here to learn more and apply by Thursday, April 15!

Women's History Month

March is National Women's History Month! Here are some resources:

There are resources on the official government site for Women’s History Month.

The National Women’s History Museum has a vast number of resources to teach about this topic.

Common Sense Media has a suggested movie list with strong female characters (parental discretion suggested).

The History Channel offers videos to show students for Women’s History Month.

The NEA has lesson ideas and resources for grades K-12.

PBS has a brief video explaining what Women’s History Month is.

Read Write Think provides lesson ideas for grades 3 - 12.

The American Library Association has links to additional resources.

Scholastic offers lessons for grades PreK-12.

Teachervision provides activities for grades K-12.

The National Women’s History Project has multiple resources and information on celebrating this month.

Click provides a timeline and information on modern feminism.

The Teacher’s Guide has links to a multitude of lesson plans, units, and activities.

Education.com has free printables and worksheets.

Teacher Planet also has many resources and links for lessons/activities.

K12 Reader has elementary and middle school resources.

Biography has information on women’s rights activists.

Biography also has information on famous female scientists.

That site has information on female inventors.

Women-inventors.com is a site dedicated to providing information about female inventors.

Biography has resources regarding famous female athletes.

History.com provides in depth information on the women’s suffrage movement.

That site also has famous firsts in women’s history.

Biography provides information on notable female leaders.

This site has photographs and information on female journalists, photographers, and broadcasters during World War II.

The Library of Congress has a page with links for information about female pioneers of the American West.

The National First Ladies’ Library has free curricula and lessons for teachers.

The National Women’s Hall of Fame has its own website.

National Park Services provides a guide to historical places associated with famous women.

One library has a page dedicated to the oral history of the suffragists.

There is a site dedicated to information on women airforce service pilots.

Harvard University has a page dedicated to information on working women of the 1800’s.

This site has a timeline and biographical information on female mathematicians over many centuries.

Distinguished Women of the Past and Present provides information on women who have made major contributions to society.

The detailed biography of the first female modern world leader, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, can be viewed here.

The biography of Indira Gandhi, India’s first female leader, is available here.

For a detailed biography of Golda Meir, the world’s third ever female prime minister, click here.

Reading Rockets has a page that lists book recommendations for children.

Mighty Girl offers a list of picture books for Women’s History Month.

The same site also has lists of more books to celebrate and learn.

PBS also has book recommendations for children for Women’s History Month.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

February is Black History Month. Below you will find some great resources for you to utilize in your lessons with your scholars to teach them more about Black history.

The National Education Association (NEA) also has resources for K-12.
The Smithsonian has a wide variety of resources for Black History Month.
This page has links to multiple resources for integrating Math with Black History Month, including lesson plans linked to the movie Hidden Figures.
Scholastic has lesson plans for grades 1 - 8.
Education World has lesson ideas for Black History Month.
KQED offers links to several resources.
The Center for Civic Education has a page dedicated to resources.
The American Chemical Society has resources on African American science pioneers.
Biography has information about African American scientists.
Biography also has a similar page for African American inventors.
For younger students, National Geographic for Kids has short biographies on African American scientists.
Scholastic also has information for younger students about African American inventors.
Additionally, Scholastic has an interactive page for younger students about Black History Month.
Here is an interactive website that is a virtual tour of The National Museum of African American History and Culture.
History.com offer Black History Month videos.
Common Sense Media recommends several movies to spark conversations around Black History Month (parental discretion advised).
Teachervision offers links to resources for elementary students.
Education.com has activity, crafts, and recipe suggestions for young students.
Education.com also has elementary level printables for coloring and crosswords.
The American Library Association recommends books that have won the Coretta Scott King Book award. (These awards are presented each year to notable African American authors and illustrators of children’s books and young adult books that show an appreciation of African American culture.)
The government site for African American History Month has plenty of resources.
WEB Guides has digital materials on a variety of related topics.
Information on Brown Vs. Board of Education can be seen here.
This collection of poems celebrates Black History Month.

INSTAGRAM CAMPAIGN

February - We have two themes/options for what pictures to send in this month.

1) How to prepare for testing? Does your scholar clean his or her desk, drink water, go on a walk, do yoga, etc. Send in pictures of your scholars preparing for Istation and Edgenuity testing this month.

2) Valentines Day - It is the month of love. Send in pictures of your family or loved ones celebrating being together this Valentine's Day season.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH POETRY CONTEST

In 2021, we’re celebrating heritage! During various months of 2021, we will highlight nationally-recognized heritage months, starting with Black History Month during the month of February! We’re asking scholars to write a poem inspired by Black History! Scholars can choose whatever topic they would like, so long as it relates to the theme of Black History. Top scholar submissions will be selected to present their poems at our February Black History Assembly on Friday, February 26, at 3 pm. For more details on this contest and submission information, click here. Submissions are due by next Friday, February 19. We can’t wait to read your work!

JANUARY "CONTEST"

What a perfect time to pause, reflect, and come up with a new GOAL for 2021. For the month of January, send in pictures of your scholars new goals to our supervising teacher, Katie (kdickens@compasscharters.org) to be featured on our Instagram page @CompassCS. Pictures can include your scholar completing the goal, writing out the goal, or drawing out the goal. Also, the goals can be academic (completing a certain amount of books, mastering the times table etc.) OR personal (drinking a certain amount of water a day, making his or her bed every day etc.). We cannot wait to see our amazing scholars goals for the year!

SCHOLAR VIRTUAL EVENT

Scholars in TK-5 grade are invited to join us on Wednesday, January 20, at our “I Have a Dream” virtual scholar workshop! In this virtual scholar workshop, scholars will learn about Martin Luther King Jr., the most visible spokesperson and leader in the civil rights movement. Together, participants will explore the role he played in the civil rights movement while completing a craft. Registration is open and closes on Friday, January 15. Click here to learn more and register!

DECEMBER CONTEST

Scholars, it's time to show off your holiday spirit! Here at Compass, we know everyone celebrates a little differently! For our December contest, please pick your favorite holiday-themed song and create your very own dance to it! Your dance can be planned or freestyled; show us your moves! For more information, click here!

AVID December Focus

For the month of January in AVID, we are focusing on the WICOR strategy of Collaboration. Read more about it here and how you can incorporate AVID strategies into your lessons.

Also, don't forget to check out the AVID page I put together on our site so you can learn more about the AVID program and learn new teaching strategies and utilize the activities that I have linked for you. You can find the AVID page here.

Read to Achieve Challenge

Calling all K-8 scholars - you're invited to join the LA Clippers in their Read to Achieve challenge during November! This program was designed to reinforce the importance of education and literacy to youth in our community. This program is available for elementary and middle school scholars and utilizes online tracking, new incentives for top schools, and prizes for even more top readers! There are great incentives for scholars, so get on board today to be eligible for some exciting rewards! This contest begins as of today, November 2, and tracking ends on Friday, December 11. Be sure to register as soon as possible, so you don’t miss out on any of the fun! For more information and registration, visit their website here.

November Contest!

November is a month of thanks! For our November contest, we encourage scholars to think of someone they want to thank! It could be a parent, teacher, friend, or even your mailman! Scholars will find materials around their house (materials can be bought if you'd like, but it is not required) and create a homemade "thank you" gift or poster. Once your gift is complete, we encourage you to deliver it (if the person is within your household) or send a photo of it to the person you chose! For more information on this contest, click here!

AVID November Focus

For the month of November in AVID, we are focusing on the WICOR strategy of Organization. Read more about it here and how you can incorporate AVID strategies into your lessons.

AVID October Focus

For the month of October in AVID, we are focusing on the WICOR strategies of Writing and Organization. Read more about it here and how you can incorporate AVID strategies into your lessons.

October is National Bully Prevention Month

Since we are an online homeschool program, most of our scholars are online a lot. One of the biggest forms of bullying children are going through now is cyber-bullying. Read this post to learn more on how to spot if your scholar is being cyber-bullied.

Suicide Prevention

With the increase in bullying as well as the way this year has been, suicide attempts in children of all ages has increased exponentially. The PDF below outlines what our plan is if we do see any of the warning signs in our scholars. This PDF is also for you to read through so you know the signs in case you come across them with your own children or with children you know.

Suicide Prevention Teacher Action Plan.pdf

National Hispanic Heritage Month

(September 15 - October 15)

This is the official government site for National Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanicheritagemonth.org has plenty of teaching resources

The National Archives website has information about this heritage month

The National Endowment for the Humanities offers plenty of background information and additional resources

The National Parks Service as information on places to visit and lessons for teachers

The Smithsonian lists events and information

The National Education Association website lists teaching and learning resources

The Los Angeles County Library is hosting a variety of events and has book recommendations

PBS has video clips and other resources

The ADL offers suggestions for teaching about this heritage month

Scholastic has some heritage month ideas

Here are more ideas from Scholastic

Teachers First has curated resources for National Hispanic Heritage Month

Teach for America also has curated resources

Teacher Vision has lots of videos and activities

The National Writing Project has activities and professional development ideas

Education World has lesson ideas

Colorin Colorado has more resources

Sonoma County Library has an event calendar

The Young Adult Library Services Association has book recommendations

Programming Librarian has additional resources

A list of award-winning title from Latino/Latina writers can be found on the ALA website

You can also look up the events calendar for your local public library

How Was Your Summer Break??

Summer was mostly uneventful for the Domino house. Mr. Domino continues to work from home as the COVID-19 restrictions are still in place for his workplace. Most of you know Loki, my Australian Shepherd, as he likes to be included in all video connection meetings. Since we do not have a pool, as we live in an apartment, I decided to buy a child's splash pad and see if he would like that to help keep him cool this summer.

Do you think he likes it?? (Let me know here!)

Loki is what I call a "situational water dog," which basically means that he loves the water - his splash pad and the beach - but he absolutely despises anything that even remotely resembles a bath (HA!). Loki hates baths and puts up a huge fight when we have to give him one, but he loves the water *shrugs*

In addition to playing with the splash pad most of the summer, I have been on a reading binge. I have read 17 books this past summer! Crazy I know, but summer is when I get to really relax and partake in one of my favorite hobbies - reading! My favorite genre of books to read is mystery/crime novels - I love the suspense and trying to figure out "who done it?" I also read books from other genres as well.

Any other book lovers out there?? Click here to submit books that you love and want to recommend to others!

Since COVID-19 hit us back in March, the world has slowly been phasing reopening different things, such as the beach, malls, and restaurants. While Mr. Domino and I really don't go out much yet, we have ordered food for take-out from some of our favorite restaurants. Netflix and Disney+ has helped keep us entertained at night. Over the Fourth of July weekend, Hamilton came to Disney+ and we really enjoyed it! However, if you have younger scholars, I wouldn't recommend it as the content will most likely go over their heads a little bit. Are there any TV shows or movies you absolutely love watching? Share them here!

Here in SoCal, the beaches have been PACKED! Loki and I attempted to go to the beach at the beginning of summer and couldn't find a parking spot anywhere, so we had to turn around and go home. At least we got out of the house for a bit! I know we all live in different parts of California, but how has this summer been for you? Anything fun happen? Go on any trips? Let me know by clicking on the picture below. I'll make a fun summer slideshow to share with everyone! Pictures are optional, but much more fun! :-)

Get To Know You Activity

As a fun "Get to Know You" activity, I have created digital name tents for everyone to fill out. In a brick and mortar, teachers would have scholars do this on paper, but since we are online homeschoolers, I thought it would be fun to do this activity digitally, so we can all get to know each other a little bit better. Follow the link above to go to the Google Slide deck and follow the instructions. If you are unsure how to complete this activity, I did link a video job aide for you to follow, but I will include the link here as well. If everyone can have it completed by Friday, September 4th, I can add it to our homepage along with any fun summer activities you all participated in, that would be great! Looking forward to getting to know you all more this year!

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