Humanities/Social Sciences Class Descriptions

In this class, students will model the complex and interconnected economies of post-Industrial Revolution in the early twentieth century. The class will use a custom role-playing game (RPG) to simulate multiple, interconnected industrial economies and global supply chains. Each student will begin the semester as the Head-of-State of a world power. They will make decisions within the framework of their historically accurate government type, such as the absolute monarchy of Tsarist Russia or a republic like France, but in true role-playing fashion, they will create characters and build their "backstories" for these heads of state. Students will practice managing labor forces and forging commercial and military alliances with classmates to secure resources and economic prosperity for their nations. They will learn to balance the role of government in directing resources during war and peace to keep their populations safe, fed, and happy using the game resources available to them.

Using the lessons taught in class, students will navigate their interconnected business world, learning to either cooperate with or destroy their rivals. Using their carefully documented ledgers, the class will learn to manage key business elements, from keeping their labor force happy enough not to strike, forging deals and making partnerships, and of course, influencing government policy to their benefit.

The end of the semester should make clear how each business is interdependent on another, the benefits of cooperation or forceful acquisition. What role does a good (or bad) government play in encouraging and safeguarding investment and for whose benefit? Above all, it should stress the importance of keeping orderly records, making safe vs highly rewarding investments, and how to successfully manage working relationships. By recreating the circumstances of the early 20th century growth in factories and consumerism, and navigating them in the role playing game, students should understand the how and why of the history they have played.

Topics in this Series: Tycoons, Titans & Tyrants- Late 19th century (Semester 1), Corporations, Capitalists & Consumers- Early 20th century (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Course documents including period plans, photographs and recreations will be made available through a class Google Drive link emailed to parents (and students who provide their email address), as well as a class reading list of articles/excerpts and YouTube playlist for any videos watched in class or assigned as homework.

Assessments: Informal assessments will be given at the instructor's discretion, but assignments will not be scored or graded. Each student's financial success in the game will be an indicator of their learning and participation for purposes of assigning a grade. Parents will also be given shared access to their student's business plan with instructor and ledger, with instructor comments at the conclusion of class.

Textbook/Materials: None

What to Bring: Paper or notebook, pen or pencil

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History, Economics, or Business for purposes of a high school transcript.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.

During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.

Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.

Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.

A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.

Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Students will learn to think like inventors and designers when creating 3D! 3D design is used not only for modeling and fabricating objects but is also at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR, video game design, interactive exhibits, and more. 3D printing is used in nearly all industries and design fields today from art to animation, manufacturing to medicine, and engineering to entertainment.
In this class, students will first learn to use Tinkercard, a 3D modeling software that works in solid forms (like LEGO bricks). Then, students will transition to MeshMixer, a software that creates smooth, curved, organic shapes (like clay). They will learn to think about their design from all angles and how to subtract forms to create holes, voids, and concave features, and add forms to create projections, contours, appendages, and convex details. They will discover the limitations of 3D printing and how to handle overhanging elements or delicate details.

Students will practice the artistic design process with simple sketches before diving into the software. They will be encouraged to use reference material, whether photos, a model, or even by modifying existing, public domain 3D files. Students will use an iterative printing process in which they print their project, check it for design intent, functionality, or fit, make modifications, and print again. The class will learn how to save and convert between 3D solid object files (.stl) and object files (.obj) and work with metadata fields to protect the intellectual property of their designs.

To demonstrate the range and capability of 3D-printed designs, favorite student projects include D & D miniatures, cosplay props, Minecraft-designed creations, and beloved characters such as anime, baby Yoda, and Pokemon creatures.

Second semester, continuing students will progress to more complex assemblies including multiple parts and parts with hinges. Second semester, some students may wish to work with alternative filaments such as TPU (rubber), metal, or magnetized filament. Because of the studio format, new students can enroll second semester.

The class instructor is a design engineer with 3D Herndon and expert in 3D technologies and other areas of design and invention. A typical class will be structured with 5-10 minutes of lecture or demonstration of a new design skill, followed by 40 minutes of design "studio" time where students can receive trouble-shooting support and design tips from the instructor and have dedicated work time, and 5-10 minutes of sharing time at the end of class. As a studio class, students will work on individual projects at their own pace.
Topics in this Series: As an open studio for individual projects, students may continue from one semester to the next or enroll mid-year. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

What to Bring: Students will need to bring a laptop to class for design work.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1+ hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Project criteria will be explained in class to students.

Assessments: Informal, qualitative feedback will be given in class throughout the semester as the student works.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $25.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for 3D printing and filament. This provides the student with 800 g of printed product per semester. Students who are prolific designers and print often will be asked to pay an additional $5.00 per 100 g or fraction thereof.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Visual Arts, Technology, or Career Exploration for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students will learn to think like inventors and designers when creating 3D! 3D design is used not only for modeling and fabricating objects but is also at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR, video game design, interactive exhibits, and more. 3D printing is used in nearly all industries and design fields today from art to animation, manufacturing to medicine, and engineering to entertainment.
In this class, students will first learn to use Tinkercard, a 3D modeling software that works in solid forms (like LEGO bricks). Then, students will transition to MeshMixer, a software that creates smooth, curved, organic shapes (like clay). They will learn to think about their design from all angles and how to subtract forms to create holes, voids, and concave features, and add forms to create projections, contours, appendages, and convex details. They will discover the limitations of 3D printing and how to handle overhanging elements or delicate details.

Students will practice the artistic design process with simple sketches before diving into the software. They will be encouraged to use reference material, whether photos, a model, or even by modifying existing, public domain 3D files. Students will use an iterative printing process in which they print their project, check it for design intent, functionality, or fit, make modifications, and print again. The class will learn how to save and convert between 3D solid object files (.stl) and object files (.obj) and work with metadata fields to protect the intellectual property of their designs.

To demonstrate the range and capability of 3D-printed designs, favorite student projects include D & D miniatures, cosplay props, Minecraft-designed creations, and beloved characters such as anime, baby Yoda, and Pokemon creatures.

Second semester, continuing students will progress to more complex assemblies including multiple parts and parts with hinges. Second semester, some students may wish to work with alternative filaments such as TPU (rubber), metal, or magnetized filament. Because of the studio format, new students can enroll second semester.

The class instructor is a design engineer with 3D Herndon and expert in 3D technologies and other areas of design and invention. A typical class will be structured with 5-10 minutes of lecture or demonstration of a new design skill, followed by 40 minutes of design "studio" time where students can receive trouble-shooting support and design tips from the instructor and have dedicated work time, and 5-10 minutes of sharing time at the end of class. As a studio class, students will work on individual projects at their own pace.
Topics in this Series: As an open studio for individual projects, students may continue from one semester to the next or enroll mid-year. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

What to Bring: Students will need to bring a laptop to class for design work.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1+ hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Project criteria will be explained in class to students.

Assessments: Informal, qualitative feedback will be given in class throughout the semester as the student works.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $25.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for 3D printing and filament. This provides the student with 800 g of printed product per semester. Students who are prolific designers and print often will be asked to pay an additional $5.00 per 100 g or fraction thereof.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Visual Arts, Technology, or Career Exploration for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students will learn to think like inventors and designers when creating 3D! 3D design is used not only for modeling and fabricating objects but is also at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR, video game design, interactive exhibits, and more. 3D printing is used in nearly all industries and design fields today from art to animation, manufacturing to medicine, and engineering to entertainment.
In this class, students will first learn to use Tinkercard, a 3D modeling software that works in solid forms (like LEGO bricks). Then, students will transition to MeshMixer, a software that creates smooth, curved, organic shapes (like clay). They will learn to think about their design from all angles and how to subtract forms to create holes, voids, and concave features, and add forms to create projections, contours, appendages, and convex details. They will discover the limitations of 3D printing and how to handle overhanging elements or delicate details.

Students will practice the artistic design process with simple sketches before diving into the software. They will be encouraged to use reference material, whether photos, a model, or even by modifying existing, public domain 3D files. Students will use an iterative printing process in which they print their project, check it for design intent, functionality, or fit, make modifications, and print again. The class will learn how to save and convert between 3D solid object files (.stl) and object files (.obj) and work with metadata fields to protect the intellectual property of their designs.

To demonstrate the range and capability of 3D-printed designs, favorite student projects include D & D miniatures, cosplay props, Minecraft-designed creations, and beloved characters such as anime, baby Yoda, and Pokemon creatures.

Second semester, continuing students will progress to more complex assemblies including multiple parts and parts with hinges. Second semester, some students may wish to work with alternative filaments such as TPU (rubber), metal, or magnetized filament. Because of the studio format, new students can enroll second semester.

The class instructor is a design engineer with 3D Herndon and expert in 3D technologies and other areas of design and invention. A typical class will be structured with 5-10 minutes of lecture or demonstration of a new design skill, followed by 40 minutes of design "studio" time where students can receive trouble-shooting support and design tips from the instructor and have dedicated work time, and 5-10 minutes of sharing time at the end of class. As a studio class, students will work on individual projects at their own pace.

Topics in this Series: As an open studio for individual projects, students may continue from one semester to the next or enroll mid-year. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $25.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for 3D printing and filament. This provides the student with 800 g of printed product per semester. Students who are prolific designers and print often will be asked to pay an additional $5.00 per 100 g or fraction thereof.

Students will learn to think like inventors and designers when creating 3D! 3D design is used not only for modeling and fabricating objects but is also at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR, video game design, interactive exhibits, and more. 3D printing is used in nearly all industries and design fields today from art to animation, manufacturing to medicine, and engineering to entertainment.
In this class, students will first learn to use Tinkercard, a 3D modeling software that works in solid forms (like LEGO bricks). Then, students will transition to MeshMixer, a software that creates smooth, curved, organic shapes (like clay). They will learn to think about their design from all angles and how to subtract forms to create holes, voids, and concave features, and add forms to create projections, contours, appendages, and convex details. They will discover the limitations of 3D printing and how to handle overhanging elements or delicate details.

Students will practice the artistic design process with simple sketches before diving into the software. They will be encouraged to use reference material, whether photos, a model, or even by modifying existing, public domain 3D files. Students will use an iterative printing process in which they print their project, check it for design intent, functionality, or fit, make modifications, and print again. The class will learn how to save and convert between 3D solid object files (.stl) and object files (.obj) and work with metadata fields to protect the intellectual property of their designs.

To demonstrate the range and capability of 3D-printed designs, favorite student projects include D & D miniatures, cosplay props, Minecraft-designed creations, and beloved characters such as anime, baby Yoda, and Pokemon creatures.

Second semester, continuing students will progress to more complex assemblies including multiple parts and parts with hinges. Second semester, some students may wish to work with alternative filaments such as TPU (rubber), metal, or magnetized filament. Because of the studio format, new students can enroll second semester.

The class instructor is a design engineer with 3D Herndon and expert in 3D technologies and other areas of design and invention. A typical class will be structured with 5-10 minutes of lecture or demonstration of a new design skill, followed by 40 minutes of design "studio" time where students can receive trouble-shooting support and design tips from the instructor and have dedicated work time, and 5-10 minutes of sharing time at the end of class. As a studio class, students will work on individual projects at their own pace.

Topics in this Series: As an open studio for individual projects, students may continue from one semester to the next or enroll mid-year. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $25.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for 3D printing and filament. This provides the student with 800 g of printed product per semester. Students who are prolific designers and print often will be asked to pay an additional $5.00 per 100 g or fraction thereof.

Why read about key military battles on maps or in books when you can learn about them hands-on, in three dimensions, using historical miniature gaming? In 3D History, pivotal engagements come alive for new and experienced students, as they navigate a table-top terrain, deploy hundreds of miniature soldiers, ships, and tanks... all while playing a military strategy game. Each student will have the opportunity to fight a battle from both sides, allowing them to test various strategies, try multiple scenarios, predict different outcomes, and rewrite history- an effective way to gain a deeper understanding of what actually happened and why!

After years of "appeasement" of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime, in 1939, after the invasion of Poland, France and Britain had no choice but to declare war. This was the official start of the Second World War. The problem then became clear, neither country was properly prepared to meet the German menace head on. Economic troubles meant dwindling military budgets left both forces either undersized, like the British Expeditionary Force, or woefully under trained and ill-equipped, like the French army. This presented several problems, France being so obviously unwilling to come to her allies' aid, meant countries like Belgium refused to plan cooperative defenses, for fear of provoking the very invasion they sought to defend against. And so, in 1940, after a year of so-called "phony-war" during which Poland was conquered by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, the inevitable invasion found the Allies totally unprepared for the modern and ferocious "lighting war." After rushing into Belgium, the best of the Allied troops were encircled by the Germans, cut off, and forced to flee at Dunkirk. In just six weeks, France would fall leaving Britain to stand against Hitler alone. This class will attempt to follow the major battles of the Fall of France week by week. We will recreate the armored invasions by land, hunt German raiders above and below the surface of the Atlantic, and take to the skies for the Battle of Britain.

Note: This is a 1 hour, 55 minute class with a 10-minute break part way through.

Topics in this Series: WWII- The Early War, Fall of France- Blitzkrieg 1940 (Semester 1) and WWII- The Early War, Rise of Japan (Semester 2).

Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Period maps, photographs, and re-creations will be posted on a class Google Drive, and video links from YouTube will be e-mailed to parents and students for homework or supplemental investigation.

Assessments: Will not be given.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History for purposes of a high school transcript.

Why read about key military battles on maps or in books when you can learn about them hands-on, in three dimensions, using historical miniature gaming? In 3D History, pivotal engagements come to life for new and experienced students, as they navigate a table-top terrain, deploy hundreds of miniature soldiers, ships, and tanks... all while playing a military strategy game. Each student will have the opportunity to fight a battle from both sides, allowing them to test various strategies, try multiple scenarios, predict different outcomes, and rewrite history- an effective way to gain a deeper understanding of what actually happened and why!

When America entered the war in 1941, the Allied leaders agreed they had one priority: the destruction of Nazi Germany's ability to wage war and Hitler's nightmare regime. However, an army is not built overnight, and it took time to learn how to fight in the modern era. It was not enough to simply have the most tank or planes. An army had to be able to leverage them on the battlefield with proper coordination and up-to-date tactics. Learned in the bloody North Africa campaign, the US Army joined its allies to sweep across the Mediterranean into Italy. Their hope was to knock the birthplace of facism out of the war quickly and enter Germany to end the war in a fast, blitzkrieg style. This was not to be, as the Allies still had some lessons to learn, necessitating the most famous invasion in history, Operation Overlord, and the liberation of France by punching through the vaunted Atlantic Wall into Fortress Europe. This began the road to V-day in Europe for the Allied powers who reached the Soviet Union's Eastern Front in just under a year. In that year, the entire population of Germany was in the path of destruction as the Allies fought non-stop an increasingly desperate German army that was losing its dream of a thousand-year empire.

Students will fight the last battles of the European theater on land, sea, and air using a wide range of miniature soldiers, vehicles, and ships. From the largest amphibious invasions in history to tank battles across France, Italy, and Germany, students will study the technical and strategic elements that led to the outcomes of the battle. They will attempt to recreate the Axis or Allied successes (or failures) in a miniature strategy game. Upon completing the semester, every student will understand the consequences of the war, the objectives of both sides, and how successful or realistic these objectives were. This will be supported with primary sources, newsreels from the time, propaganda material, and modern analysis.

Note: This is a 1 hour, 55 minute class with a 10-minute break part way through.

Topics in this Series: WWII- The Invasion of Fortress Europe 1943-45
(Semester 1) and WWII- Operation Downfall 1944-45 (Semester 2).

Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Period maps, photographs, and re-creations will be posted on a class Google Drive, and video links from YouTube will be e-mailed to parents and students for homework or supplemental investigation.

Assessments: Will not be given.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History for purposes of a high school transcript.

4th grade math is a full-year, complete math curriculum for students who have covered the 3rd grade equivalent math skills (see prerequisites). This course uses the Grade 4 Math Mammoth curriculum which homeschool guru Cathy Duffy (cathyduffyreviews.com) calls "an amazingly well-developed program." She praises the program saying, "Math Mammoth has created a very high-quality product... the content is also top-notch. Some people have compared Math Mammoth with Singapore Math since both programs teach for mastery and understanding." Read more about Math Mammoth here: https://www.mathmammoth.com/complete-curriculum

This class meets twice a week and is designed to be a complete program in which students receive instruction in person at Compass and complete homework on off-days at home. Parents do not have to select a curriculum or deliver the instruction, but rather are expected to ensure that assignments are being completed on time and assisting the student in checking attempted homework.

Topics covered in Grade 4 Math Mammoth include:

Chapter 1: Addition, Subtraction, Patterns, and Graphs
Chapter 2: Large Numbers and Place Value
Chapter 3: Multi-Digit Multiplication
Chapter 4: Time and Measuring
Chapter 5: Division
Chapter 6: Geometry
Chapter 7: Fractions
Chapter 8: Decimals

4th Grade Math is being offered at Compass as a full year class with 59 in-person class meetings. Attendance is very important. In the event of a missed class due to illness or travel, students may cover the missed lesson through online recorded lectures by the author available on YouTube.

Prerequisites: Grade 3 Math or equivalent, with experience/familiarity in following:

-Multiplication tables and basic division facts
-Mental addition and subtraction
-Regrouping in addition and subtraction (carrying and borrowing)
-Basic word problems
-Multiplication and related concepts
-Clock to the minute and elapsed time calculations
-Basic money calculations (finding totals and change)
-Place value and rounding with four-digit numbers
-Quadrilaterals, perimeter, and area
-Division and related concepts (remainder, word problems)
-Measuring lines in inches and centimeters
-Basic usage of measuring units
-The concept of a fraction and mixed number, equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions

For guidance if a child is ready for Grade 4 math, parents can administer the Math Mammoth end-of-3rd-grade placement test. A score of 80% is recommended to place into Grade 4.

Assignments: Assignments will be made in class as a range of pages to complete on the topics that were taught in class. The instructor will follow up with an email repeating the assigned pages.

Assessments: Each class, the instructor will check that students have completed the assigned homework. Homework will be recorded as attempted or not attempted. Parents will be provided with an answer key for homework. Students will have take-home unit tests that will be graded by the instructor. Parents may track unit test scores in order to assign their own grades and complete homeschool record-keeping.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $50.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Grade 4, color edition worktext book. Students will be issued the 4A book first semester, and the 4B book second semester.

What to Bring: Students should bring a spiral notebook, pencil, and their worktext to class each week.

This is the 2nd semester continuation of 4th Grade Math Mammoth:

4th grade math is a full-year, complete math curriculum for students who have covered the 3rd grade equivalent math skills (see prerequisites). This course uses the Grade 4 Math Mammoth curriculum which homeschool guru Cathy Duffy (cathyduffyreviews.com) calls "an amazingly well-developed program." She praises the program saying, "Math Mammoth has created a very high-quality product... the content is also top-notch. Some people have compared Math Mammoth with Singapore Math since both programs teach for mastery and understanding." Read more about Math Mammoth here: https://www.mathmammoth.com/complete-curriculum

This class meets twice a week and is designed to be a complete program in which students receive instruction in person at Compass and complete homework on off-days at home. Parents do not have to select a curriculum or deliver the instruction, but rather are expected to ensure that assignments are being completed on time and assisting the student in checking attempted homework.

Topics covered in Grade 4 Math Mammoth include:

Chapter 1: Addition, Subtraction, Patterns, and Graphs
Chapter 2: Large Numbers and Place Value
Chapter 3: Multi-Digit Multiplication
Chapter 4: Time and Measuring
Chapter 5: Division
Chapter 6: Geometry
Chapter 7: Fractions
Chapter 8: Decimals

4th Grade Math is being offered at Compass as a full year class with 59 in-person class meetings. Attendance is very important. In the event of a missed class due to illness or travel, students may cover the missed lesson through online recorded lectures by the author available on YouTube.

Prerequisites: Grade 3 Math or equivalent, with experience/familiarity in following:

-Multiplication tables and basic division facts
-Mental addition and subtraction
-Regrouping in addition and subtraction (carrying and borrowing)
-Basic word problems
-Multiplication and related concepts
-Clock to the minute and elapsed time calculations
-Basic money calculations (finding totals and change)
-Place value and rounding with four-digit numbers
-Quadrilaterals, perimeter, and area
-Division and related concepts (remainder, word problems)
-Measuring lines in inches and centimeters
-Basic usage of measuring units
-The concept of a fraction and mixed number, equivalent fractions, and comparing fractions

For guidance if a child is ready for Grade 4 math, parents can administer the Math Mammoth end-of-3rd-grade placement test. A score of 80% is recommended to place into Grade 4.

Assignments: Assignments will be made in class as a range of pages to complete on the topics that were taught in class. The instructor will follow up with an email repeating the assigned pages.

Assessments: Each class, the instructor will check that students have completed the assigned homework. Homework will be recorded as attempted or not attempted. Parents will be provided with an answer key for homework. Students will have take-home unit tests that will be graded by the instructor. Parents may track unit test scores in order to assign their own grades and complete homeschool record-keeping.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $50.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Grade 4, color edition worktext book. Students will be issued the 4A book first semester, and the 4B book second semester.

What to Bring: Students should bring a spiral notebook, pencil, and their worktext to class each week.

5th grade math is a full-year, complete math curriculum for students who have covered the 4th grade equivalent math skills (see prerequisites). This course uses the Grade 5 Math Mammoth curriculum which homeschool guru Cathy Duffy (cathyduffyreviews.com) calls "an amazingly well-developed program." She praises the program saying, "Math Mammoth has created a very high-quality product... the content is also top-notch. Some people have compared Math Mammoth with Singapore Math since both programs teach for mastery and understanding." Read more about Math Mammoth here: https://www.mathmammoth.com/complete-curriculum

This class meets twice a week and is designed to be a complete program in which students receive instruction in person at Compass and complete homework on off-days at home. Parents do not have to select a curriculum or deliver the instruction, but rather are expected to ensure that assignments are being completed on time and assisting the student in checking attempted homework.

Topics covered in Grade 5 Math Mammoth include:

Chapter 1: The Four Operations
Chapter 2: Large Numbers and the Calculator
Chapter 3: Problem Solving
Chapter 4: Decimals, Part 1
Chapter 5: Graphing
Chapter 6: Decimals, Part 2
Chapter 7: Fractions: Add and Subtract
Chapter 8: Fractions: Multiply and Divide
Chapter 9: Geometry

4th Grade Math is being offered at Compass as a full year class with 59 in-person class meetings. Attendance is very important. In the event of a missed class due to illness or travel, students may cover the missed lesson through online recorded lectures by the author available on YouTube.

Prerequisites: Grade 4 Math or equivalent, with experience/familiarity in following:

-Addition and subtraction
-Early algebraic thinking
-The order of operations
-Graphs
-Large numbers and place value
-Rounding and estimating
-Multi-digit multiplication
-Word problems
-Some basic conversions between measuring units
-Measuring length
-Time calculations
-Long division
-The concept of remainder
-Factors
-Area and perimeter
-Measuring and drawing angles
-Classifying triangles according to their angles
-Adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers (like fractional parts)
-Equivalent fractions
-Comparing fractions
-Multiplying fractions by whole numbers
-The concept of a decimal (tenths/hundredths)
-Comparing decimals

For guidance if a child is ready for Grade 5 math, parents can administer the Math Mammoth end-of-4th-grade placement test. A score of 80% is recommended to place into Grade 5.

Assignments: Assignments will be made in class as a range of pages to complete on the topics that were taught in class. The instructor will follow up with an email repeating the assigned pages.

Assessments: Each class, the instructor will check that students have completed the assigned homework. Homework will be recorded as attempted or not attempted. Parents will be provided with an answer key for homework. Students will have take-home unit tests that will be graded by the instructor. Parents may track unit test scores in order to assign their own grades and complete homeschool record-keeping.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $52.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Grade 5, color edition worktext books. Students will be issued the 5A book first semester, and the 5B book second semester.

What to Bring: Students should bring a spiral notebook, pencil, and their worktext to class each week.

This is the 2nd semester continuation of 5th Grade Math Mammoth:

5th grade math is a full-year, complete math curriculum for students who have covered the 4th grade equivalent math skills (see prerequisites). This course uses the Grade 5 Math Mammoth curriculum which homeschool guru Cathy Duffy (cathyduffyreviews.com) calls "an amazingly well-developed program." She praises the program saying, "Math Mammoth has created a very high-quality product... the content is also top-notch. Some people have compared Math Mammoth with Singapore Math since both programs teach for mastery and understanding." Read more about Math Mammoth here: https://www.mathmammoth.com/complete-curriculum

This class meets twice a week and is designed to be a complete program in which students receive instruction in person at Compass and complete homework on off-days at home. Parents do not have to select a curriculum or deliver the instruction, but rather are expected to ensure that assignments are being completed on time and assisting the student in checking attempted homework.

Topics covered in Grade 5 Math Mammoth include:

Chapter 1: The Four Operations
Chapter 2: Large Numbers and the Calculator
Chapter 3: Problem Solving
Chapter 4: Decimals, Part 1
Chapter 5: Graphing
Chapter 6: Decimals, Part 2
Chapter 7: Fractions: Add and Subtract
Chapter 8: Fractions: Multiply and Divide
Chapter 9: Geometry

4th Grade Math is being offered at Compass as a full year class with 59 in-person class meetings. Attendance is very important. In the event of a missed class due to illness or travel, students may cover the missed lesson through online recorded lectures by the author available on YouTube.

Prerequisites: Grade 4 Math or equivalent, with experience/familiarity in following:

-Addition and subtraction
-Early algebraic thinking
-The order of operations
-Graphs
-Large numbers and place value
-Rounding and estimating
-Multi-digit multiplication
-Word problems
-Some basic conversions between measuring units
-Measuring length
-Time calculations
-Long division
-The concept of remainder
-Factors
-Area and perimeter
-Measuring and drawing angles
-Classifying triangles according to their angles
-Adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers (like fractional parts)
-Equivalent fractions
-Comparing fractions
-Multiplying fractions by whole numbers
-The concept of a decimal (tenths/hundredths)
-Comparing decimals

For guidance if a child is ready for Grade 5 math, parents can administer the Math Mammoth end-of-4th-grade placement test. A score of 80% is recommended to place into Grade 5.

Assignments: Assignments will be made in class as a range of pages to complete on the topics that were taught in class. The instructor will follow up with an email repeating the assigned pages.

Assessments: Each class, the instructor will check that students have completed the assigned homework. Homework will be recorded as attempted or not attempted. Parents will be provided with an answer key for homework. Students will have take-home unit tests that will be graded by the instructor. Parents may track unit test scores in order to assign their own grades and complete homeschool record-keeping.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $52.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Grade 5, color edition worktext books. Students will be issued the 5A book first semester, and the 5B book second semester.

What to Bring: Students should bring a spiral notebook, pencil, and their worktext to class each week.

Students will be introduced to painting with acrylics in a relaxed, informal studio setting under the guidance of a professional art instructor. Students will work on canvas boards and will learn elements of art, principles of design, and color theory in addition to methods in painting. Each week, the instructor will demonstrate a different technique in acrylic painting rather than a different subject. Techniques will include mixing and blending paints, wet and dry brush techniques, sponge techniques, glazing, washing, gradient relief, sgraffito, impasto, smudging, dot techniques, stippling, pouring, splattering, dabbing, underpainting, and detailing. The emphasis will be on methods and effects so that each student has a "toolbox" of techniques for working in acrylics. Students will have the freedom to mix and match the techniques that they have learned to create original pieces. In the open studio concepts, each student will have a different goal and unique project in-progress such as still life, floral, landscape, portrait, fantasy, abstract, or pop art. Student will complete two or three boards each quarter, depending on the level of detailing.

This class is suitable for beginners who have never painted before, and for experienced art students who have worked in other mediums and are interested in exploring acrylic painting. Compass parents are welcome to register for this class to work alongside their teens, or to work on their own, while their teen is in another Compass class. Painting can provide a relaxing, needed break from rigorous academic classes and over-scheduled lives in a fun, supportive environment.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Work outside of class is optional, however students who want to continue to practice their painting techniques might want to purchase a tabletop easel (approx. $10.00) and set of basic acrylic paints ($30.00+) for home use.

Assessments: Individual feedback is given in class. Formal assessments will not be given.

Lab/Supply Fee: A supply fee of $25.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for up to 6 canvas boards and shared class supplies (paints, brushes, paper products, etc.). Students who paint more quickly need more than 6 boards can purchase additional ones from the instructor for $4.00/each.

What to Wear: Students may wish to wear an apron, smock, or paint shirt when working with acrylic paints.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students will be introduced to painting with acrylics in a relaxed, informal studio setting under the guidance of a professional art instructor. Students will work on canvas boards and will learn elements of art, principles of design, and color theory in addition to methods in painting. Each week, the instructor will demonstrate a different technique in acrylic painting rather than a different subject. Techniques will include mixing and blending paints, wet and dry brush techniques, sponge techniques, glazing, washing, gradient relief, sgraffito, impasto, smudging, dot techniques, stippling, pouring, splattering, dabbing, underpainting, and detailing. The emphasis will be on methods and effects so that each student has a "toolbox" of techniques for working in acrylics. Students will have the freedom to mix and match the techniques that they have learned to create original pieces. In the open studio concepts, each student will have a different goal and unique project in-progress such as still life, floral, landscape, portrait, fantasy, abstract, or pop art. Student will complete two or three boards each quarter, depending on the level of detailing.

This class is suitable for beginners who have never painted before, and for experienced art students who have worked in other mediums and are interested in exploring acrylic painting. Compass parents are welcome to register for this class to work alongside their teens, or to work on their own, while their teen is in another Compass class. Painting can provide a relaxing, needed break from rigorous academic classes and over-scheduled lives in a fun, supportive environment.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Work outside of class is optional, however students who want to continue to practice their painting techniques might want to purchase a tabletop easel (approx. $10.00) and set of basic acrylic paints ($30.00+) for home use.

Assessments: Individual feedback is given in class. Formal assessments will not be given.

Lab/Supply Fee: A supply fee of $25.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for up to 6 canvas boards and shared class supplies (paints, brushes, paper products, etc.). Students who paint more quickly need more than 6 boards can purchase additional ones from the instructor for $4.00/each.

What to Wear: Students may wish to wear an apron, smock, or paint shirt when working with acrylic paints.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students will be introduced to painting with acrylics in a relaxed, informal studio setting under the guidance of a professional art instructor. Students will work on canvas boards and will learn elements of art, principles of design, and color theory in addition to methods in painting. Each week, the instructor will demonstrate a different technique in acrylic painting rather than a different subject. Techniques will include mixing and blending paints, wet and dry brush techniques, sponge techniques, glazing, washing, gradient relief, sgraffito, impasto, smudging, dot techniques, stippling, pouring, splattering, dabbing, underpainting, and detailing. The emphasis will be on methods and effects so that each student has a "toolbox" of techniques for working in acrylics. Students will have the freedom to mix and match the techniques that they have learned to create original pieces. In the open studio concepts, each student will have a different goal and unique project in-progress such as still life, floral, landscape, portrait, fantasy, abstract, or pop art. Student will complete two or three boards each quarter, depending on the level of detailing.

This class is suitable for beginners who have never painted before, and for experienced art students who have worked in other mediums and are interested in exploring acrylic painting. Compass parents are welcome to register for this class to work alongside their teens, or to work on their own, while their teen is in another Compass class. Painting can provide a relaxing, needed break from rigorous academic classes and over-scheduled lives in a fun, supportive environment.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Work outside of class is optional, however students who want to continue to practice their painting techniques might want to purchase a tabletop easel (approx. $10.00) and set of basic acrylic paints ($30.00+) for home use.

Assessments: Individual feedback is given in class. Formal assessments will not be given.

Lab/Supply Fee: A supply fee of $25.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for up to 6 canvas boards and shared class supplies (paints, brushes, paper products, etc.). Students who paint more quickly need more than 6 boards can purchase additional ones from the instructor for $4.00/each.

What to Wear: Students may wish to wear an apron, smock, or paint shirt when working with acrylic paints.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students will be introduced to painting with acrylics in a relaxed, informal studio setting under the guidance of a professional art instructor. Students will work on canvas boards and will learn elements of art, principles of design, and color theory in addition to methods in painting. Each week, the instructor will demonstrate a different technique in acrylic painting rather than a different subject. Techniques will include mixing and blending paints, wet and dry brush techniques, sponge techniques, glazing, washing, gradient relief, sgraffito, impasto, smudging, dot techniques, stippling, pouring, splattering, dabbing, underpainting, and detailing. The emphasis will be on methods and effects so that each student has a "toolbox" of techniques for working in acrylics. Students will have the freedom to mix and match the techniques that they have learned to create original pieces. In the open studio concepts, each student will have a different goal and unique project in-progress such as still life, floral, landscape, portrait, fantasy, abstract, or pop art. Student will complete two or three boards each quarter, depending on the level of detailing.

This class is suitable for beginners who have never painted before, and for experienced art students who have worked in other mediums and are interested in exploring acrylic painting. Compass parents are welcome to register for this class to work alongside their teens, or to work on their own, while their teen is in another Compass class. Painting can provide a relaxing, needed break from rigorous academic classes and over-scheduled lives in a fun, supportive environment.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Work outside of class is optional, however students who want to continue to practice their painting techniques might want to purchase a tabletop easel (approx. $10.00) and set of basic acrylic paints ($30.00+) for home use.

Assessments: Individual feedback is given in class. Formal assessments will not be given.

Lab/Supply Fee: A supply fee of $25.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for up to 6 canvas boards and shared class supplies (paints, brushes, paper products, etc.). Students who paint more quickly need more than 6 boards can purchase additional ones from the instructor for $4.00/each.

What to Wear: Students may wish to wear an apron, smock, or paint shirt when working with acrylic paints.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. What happens when our cast travels "back" to the future? What futuristic changes and inventions will they find? What mix-up awaits kids from 2023 dropping in on the future, and will they meet grown-up versions of themselves?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other, then read through the two, prepared scripts together. Through group activities and guided discussion, they will create new characters, brainstorm variations, craft plot changes, add lines, and cast their parts. The instructor will then update and customize the class script with the students' input.

The class will learn the practical aspects of acting, as they work on script read-through, blocking, costume/prop design, and planning the show. Students will develop their own "actor's toolkit" of voice, body, and imagination in this creative process! Actors will grow in confidence and communication skills in preparation for a final sharing with parents on the final day of the quarter.

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. Note: Students who are emerging readers (not able to read at a 3rd/4th grade level) would be better suited to the Young Actor's Playhouse class, rather than this level.

Topics in this Series: Back to the Future (Quarter 1), Secrets & Spies (Quarter 2),Times Travel Tale (Quarter 3), Freaky Friday (Quarter 4).

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. From dawn to dusk, what happened to make an ordinary weekday turn into a fabulously funny, frivolous, freaky Friday?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other, then read through the two, prepared scripts together. Through group activities and guided discussion, they will create new characters, brainstorm variations, craft plot changes, add lines, and cast their parts. The instructor will then update and customize the class script with the students' input.

The class will learn the practical aspects of acting, as they work on script read-through, blocking, costume/prop design, and planning the show. Students will develop their own "actor's toolkit" of voice, body, and imagination in this creative process! Actors will grow in confidence and communication skills in preparation for a final sharing with parents on the final day of the quarter.

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. Note: Students who are emerging readers (not able to read at a 3rd/4th grade level) would be better suited to the Young Actor's Playhouse class, rather than this level.

Topics in this Series: Back to the Future (Quarter 1), Secrets & Spies (Quarter 2),Times Travel Tale (Quarter 3), Freaky Friday (Quarter 4).

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Will they practice sneaky surveillance with sly spies and astute agents in their own undercover adventure?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other, then read through the two, prepared scripts together. Through group activities and guided discussion, they will create new characters, brainstorm variations, craft plot changes, add lines, and cast their parts. The instructor will then update and customize the class script with the students' input.

The class will learn the practical aspects of acting, as they work on script read-through, blocking, costume/prop design, and planning the show. Students will develop their own "actor's toolkit" of voice, body, and imagination in this creative process! Actors will grow in confidence and communication skills in preparation for a final sharing with parents on the final day of the quarter.

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. Note: Students who are emerging readers (not able to read at a 3rd/4th grade level) would be better suited to the Young Actor's Playhouse class, rather than this level.

Topics in this Series: Back to the Future (Quarter 1), Secrets & Spies (Quarter 2),Times Travel Tale (Quarter 3), Freaky Friday (Quarter 4).

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. When the sun goes down and the Sandman comes, dreams transform our characters and carry them away on an adventure in The Land of Nod! What weird and wacky escapades will take place in the dreamland that our young actors will create and perform?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other, then read through the two, prepared scripts together. Through group activities and guided discussion, they will create new characters, brainstorm variations, craft plot changes, add lines, and cast their parts. The instructor will then update and customize the class script with the students' input.

The class will learn the practical aspects of acting, as they work on script read-through, blocking, costume/prop design, and planning the show. Students will develop their own "actor's toolkit" of voice, body, and imagination in this creative process! Actors will grow in confidence and communication skills in preparation for a final sharing with parents on the final day of the quarter.

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. Note: Students who are emerging readers (not able to read at a 3rd/4th grade level) would be better suited to the Young Actor's Playhouse class, rather than this level.

Topics in this Series: The Craziest Dream Ever (Quarter 1), Mix Up on Mars (Quarter 2), Super DUper New Superheroes (Quarter 3), Twisted Treasure Tale (Quarter 4).

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Will kids meet historical heroes, ancient animals, or explore the far-flung future in their time travel tale?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other, then read through the two, prepared scripts together. Through group activities and guided discussion, they will create new characters, brainstorm variations, craft plot changes, add lines, and cast their parts. The instructor will then update and customize the class script with the students' input.

The class will learn the practical aspects of acting, as they work on script read-through, blocking, costume/prop design, and planning the show. Students will develop their own "actor's toolkit" of voice, body, and imagination in this creative process! Actors will grow in confidence and communication skills in preparation for a final sharing with parents on the final day of the quarter.

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. Note: Students who are emerging readers (not able to read at a 3rd/4th grade level) would be better suited to the Young Actor's Playhouse class, rather than this level.

Topics in this Series: Back to the Future (Quarter 1), Secrets & Spies (Quarter 2),Times Travel Tale (Quarter 3), Freaky Friday (Quarter 4).

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Watch as our ambitious actors spin a tall tale about a yet-to-be-discovered treasure. Where will it be found? A deserted island, spooky basement, or far away land?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other, then read through the two, prepared scripts together. Through group activities and guided discussion, they will create new characters, brainstorm variations, craft plot changes, add lines, and cast their parts. The instructor will then update and customize the class script with the students' input.

The class will learn the practical aspects of acting, as they work on script read-through, blocking, costume/prop design, and planning the show. Students will develop their own "actor's toolkit" of voice, body, and imagination in this creative process! Actors will grow in confidence and communication skills in preparation for a final sharing with parents on the final day of the quarter.

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. Note: Students who are emerging readers (not able to read at a 3rd/4th grade level) would be better suited to the Young Actor's Playhouse class, rather than this level.

Topics in this Series: The Craziest Dream Ever (Quarter 1), Mix Up on Mars (Quarter 2), Super DUper New Superheroes (Quarter 3), Twisted Treasure Tale (Quarter 4).

Acting is an adventure! Young actors work together to create and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Grab your sword and summon the squires. Will we have a mix-up or a masterpiece when we meddle with monarchs, mischief-makers, merry men, and maidens?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other and to begin to brainstorm about their original play. Through group activities and guided discussion, the young actors will decide on characters, conflict, and conclusion, and the story they want to tell. The script will be developed and customized for this class with input from the students.

Young actors will explore skills such as sensory awareness, listening, stage movement, character development, emotional expression, and observation/concentration while learning to portray their original character. Young actors will learn aspects of acting by script read-through, blocking, costume/prop discussion, and planning the show. Through individual and group activities, young actors build confidence in preparation for a final sharing for parents.

Students will work from a simple, written script, but emerging readers can be accommodated. Parents will be emailed the script after the 3rd or 4th class and will be expected to help their children memorize their lines and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. All actors must be at least age 6 to sign up for this class.

Topics in this Series: Medieval Mix-Up (Quarter 1), Magical Monsters (Quarter 2), Outrageous Outer Space (Quarter 3), Under Sea Secrets (Quarter 4).

Fact: Everyone will eventually be abducted by an alien! Join Conspiracy Dan on an out-of-this world adventure where you will consider the gravity of the situation of aliens living among us. Or ponder the out-of-this-world possibility of blasting off to live among aliens. Would you really be able to tell a difference? Is your fate written in the stars? It's not rocket science, but the astro-nomical humor of this spoof will leave you laughing to the moon and back as you can't tell who is who. Tweens will appreciate the quirky, off-beat humor of this scripted comedy. They will enjoy the creativity and camaraderie of working together to bring this humorous piece to stage.

Students, along with their acting instructor, will cast, rehearse, and coordinate a class performance of this comedy. Students will be encouraged to design and assemble simple costumes, props, and backdrops from items at home. Student actors will be expected to learn their lines and participate fully. This class is best suited for students who are active listeners, are flexible and easily adapt, have a sense of humor, and can work in a collaborative group. Students need to be able to stay in sync with the flow of the class. This is not an "anything goes" or free-for-all class. The students will perform for family and friends at the end of the semester.

Topics in this Series: Everyone Gets Abducted by Aiens (Semester 1) and Superheroes- with Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibilities (Semester 2).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $40.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for a copy of the licensed script, performance royalty, and project materials.

For superheroes, saving the world is tough, but working at home is tougher. The audience will enjoy a behind-the-scenes look as Wonder Women wipes windowsills and Wolverine washes workout wear. Without victims to vindicate, you might see Spider Man sweeping cobwebs and Black Panther feeding his cat while The Flash fixes light bulbs, and Aquaman assembles a faucet. When crime curtails, you might have The Hulk hanging a hammock or Thor thatching thistles, while all the heroes hope for more action. This funny, fast-paced series of vignettes explores how the caped crusaders deal with life in street clothes.

Students, along with their acting instructor, will cast, rehearse, and coordinate a class performance of this comedy. Students will be encouraged to design and assemble simple costumes, props, and backdrops from items at home. Student actors will be expected to learn their lines and participate fully. This class is best suited for students who are active listeners, are flexible and easily adapt, have a sense of humor, and can work in a collaborative group. Students need to be able to stay in sync with the flow of the class. This is not an "anything goes" or free-for-all class. The students will perform for family and friends at the end of the semester.

Topics in this Series: Everyone Gets Abducted by Aiens (Semester 1) and Superheroes- with Great Powers Comes Ordinary Responsibilities (Semester 2).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $40.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for a copy of the licensed script, performance royalty, and project materials.

Acting is an adventure! Young actors work together to create and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Will they meet daring dragons, jolly giants, wacky witches, and other mythical monsters in their supernatural spectacle?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other and to begin to brainstorm about their original play. Through group activities and guided discussion, the young actors will decide on characters, conflict, and conclusion, and the story they want to tell. The script will be developed and customized for this class with input from the students.

Young actors will explore skills such as sensory awareness, listening, stage movement, character development, emotional expression, and observation/concentration while learning to portray their original character. Young actors will learn aspects of acting by script read-through, blocking, costume/prop discussion, and planning the show. Through individual and group activities, young actors build confidence in preparation for a final sharing for parents.

Students will work from a simple, written script, but emerging readers can be accommodated. Parents will be emailed the script after the 3rd or 4th class and will be expected to help their children memorize their lines and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. All actors must be at least age 6 to sign up for this class.

Topics in this Series: Medieval Mix-Up (Quarter 1), Magical Monsters (Quarter 2), Outrageous Outer Space (Quarter 3), Under Sea Secrets (Quarter 4).

Acting is an adventure! Young actors work together to create and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Will they travel to populated planets, strange solar systems, or gargantuan galaxies in their extraterrestrial adventures?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other and to begin to brainstorm about their original play. Through group activities and guided discussion, the young actors will decide on characters, conflict, and conclusion, and the story they want to tell. The script will be developed and customized for this class with input from the students.

Young actors will explore skills such as sensory awareness, listening, stage movement, character development, emotional expression, and observation/concentration while learning to portray their original character. Young actors will learn aspects of acting by script read-through, blocking, costume/prop discussion, and planning the show. Through individual and group activities, young actors build confidence in preparation for a final sharing for parents.

Students will work from a simple, written script, but emerging readers can be accommodated. Parents will be emailed the script after the 3rd or 4th class and will be expected to help their children memorize their lines and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. All actors must be at least age 6 to sign up for this class.

Topics in this Series: Medieval Mix-Up (Quarter 1), Magical Monsters (Quarter 2), Outrageous Outer Space (Quarter 3), Under Sea Secrets (Quarter 4).

Acting is an adventure! Young actors work together to create and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. What will happen if whales and walruses meet flashy fish and mystical mermaids in a unique underwater undertaking?

Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other and to begin to brainstorm about their original play. Through group activities and guided discussion, the young actors will decide on characters, conflict, and conclusion, and the story they want to tell. The script will be developed and customized for this class with input from the students.

Young actors will explore skills such as sensory awareness, listening, stage movement, character development, emotional expression, and observation/concentration while learning to portray their original character. Young actors will learn aspects of acting by script read-through, blocking, costume/prop discussion, and planning the show. Through individual and group activities, young actors build confidence in preparation for a final sharing for parents.

Students will work from a simple, written script, but emerging readers can be accommodated. Parents will be emailed the script after the 3rd or 4th class and will be expected to help their children memorize their lines and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. All actors must be at least age 6 to sign up for this class.

Topics in this Series: Medieval Mix-Up (Quarter 1), Magical Monsters (Quarter 2), Outrageous Outer Space (Quarter 3), Under Sea Secrets (Quarter 4).

Social dancing does not have to be slow or stuffy! There is energy in the ballroom with Action Dance! Students will learn three new, dynamic, rhythmic dances: Rumba (Cuban), Samba (Brazilian), and American Tango (non-romantic) . The class may revisit spring 2023 Swing Dancing for review and to learn new variations. New students are welcome.

Emphasis in the class will be on having fun and learning techniques to help dancers be comfortable and relaxed. Social dances encourage confidence, social presence, posture, and poise in teens. Social dancing is partner-based dance; consider signing up with a friend! Please note that in order to demonstrate some steps and forms, students may occasionally be invited to partner with their instructor.

Topics in this Series: Action Dance: Social Scene (Semester 1), Action Dance: Street Party (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

Assessments: Informal feedback will be given in class. Formal assessments or grades will not be given.

What to Wear: Students should wear loose, comfortable clothing.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in fine arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Social dancing does not have to be slow or stuffy! There is energy at the party with Action Dance! Students will learn Bachata (Dominican Republic), Line Dancing, and other traditional party dances. The class may also revisit fall 2022 Caribbean dances such as the Salsa (Mexican-Cuban), Merengue (Dominican Republic), and Cha-Cha (triple step Cuban) for review and to learn how to add "shine", meaning styling and flair. New students are welcome.

Emphasis in the class will be on having fun and learning techniques to help dancers be comfortable and relaxed. Social dances encourage confidence, social presence, posture, and poise in teens. Social dancing is partner-based dance; consider signing up with a friend! Please note that in order to demonstrate some steps and forms, students may occasionally be invited to partner with their instructor.

Topics in this Series: Action Dance: Social Scene (Semester 1), Action Dance: Street Party (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

Assessments: Informal feedback will be given in class. Formal assessments or grades will not be given.

What to Wear: Students should wear loose, comfortable clothing.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in fine arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

This is a complete course in high school Algebra I which will cover fundamental concepts in algebra and provide a solid foundation of mathematical literacy, problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the exploration of more advanced and rigorous topics in mathematics. This course is designed to emphasize the study of algebraic problem-solving with the incorporation of real-world applications. Topics in Algebra I include number systems, linear systems, rational numbers, complex numbers, exponents, roots, radicals, quadratic equations, polynomials, factoring, absolute values, ratios, and proportions. In addition, the course will cover solving and graphing systems of functions, linear equations, and inequalities. Students will explore these topics through class discussions, practice problems, and open-ended problem-solving.

Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation in pre-algebra topics in order to take this class. In addition, students should be capable of copying the sample problems and solutions worked in class on the white board to his/her own notes as examples for completing homework.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-1.5 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 7-day cycle, with assignments posted on Thursdays and due the following Thursday. Students are advised to start homework once it is assigned (i.e., not wait until the night before it is due). Weekly homework assignments will be of a length that a student should be able to complete them in two or three at-home work sessions. Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of their work.

Assignments: The Canvas online class management system will be used to post assignments and scores. Students should have their own e-mail address in order to be set up as users of the Canvas system. Parents can also be set up as Canvas guests/observers for purposes of tracking the student's progress and workload.

Assessments: Student progress will be assessed by: (1) The instructor checking that weekly homework sets are attempted and complete and (2) detailed grading of periodic take-home tests. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade. See the instructor's webpage for detailed homework and test policy, including late work and re-work.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: "Elementary Algebra" by Harold R. Jacobs. Revised Edition (paperback): ISBN-13: 978-1683442554 OR First Edition (hardcover): ISBN-13: 978-0716710479 A calculator is not needed for this course.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a complete credit in Algebra I for purposes of a high school transcript.

This is a complete course in high school Algebra I which will cover fundamental concepts in algebra and provide a solid foundation of mathematical literacy, problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the exploration of more advanced and rigorous topics in mathematics. This course is designed to emphasize the study of algebraic problem-solving with the incorporation of real-world applications. Topics in Algebra I include number systems, linear systems, rational numbers, complex numbers, exponents, roots, radicals, quadratic equations, polynomials, factoring, absolute values, ratios, and proportions. In addition, the course will cover solving and graphing systems of functions, linear equations, and inequalities. Students will explore these topics through class discussions, practice problems, and open-ended problem-solving.

Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation in pre-algebra topics in order to take this class. In addition, students should be capable of copying the sample problems and solutions worked in class on the white board to his/her own notes as examples for completing homework.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-1.5 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 7-day cycle, with assignments posted on Thursdays and due the following Thursday. Students are advised to start homework once it is assigned (i.e., not wait until the night before it is due). Weekly homework assignments will be of a length that a student should be able to complete them in two or three at-home work sessions. Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of their work.

Assignments: The Canvas online class management system will be used to post assignments and scores. Students should have their own e-mail address in order to be set up as users of the Canvas system. Parents can also be set up as Canvas guests/observers for purposes of tracking the student's progress and workload.

Assessments: Student progress will be assessed by: (1) The instructor checking that weekly homework sets are attempted and complete and (2) detailed grading of periodic take-home tests. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade. See the instructor's webpage for detailed homework and test policy, including late work and re-work.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: "Elementary Algebra" by Harold R. Jacobs. Revised Edition (paperback): ISBN-13: 978-1683442554 OR First Edition (hardcover): ISBN-13: 978-0716710479 A calculator is not needed for this course.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a complete credit in Algebra I for purposes of a high school transcript.

This is a complete course in high school Algebra II which will cover fundamental concepts and provide a solid foundation of mathematical literacy, problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the exploration of more advanced and rigorous topics in mathematics. Topics in Algebra II include linear functions, systems of equations and inequalities, quadratic functions and complex numbers, exponential and logarithmic functions, rational and irrational algebraic functions, and quadratic relations and systems. In addition, this course will cover higher degree functions with complex numbers, sequences and series, probability, data analysis, and trigonometric and circular functions. Students will explore these topics through class discussions, practice problems, and open-ended problem solving.

Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation Algebra I in order to take this class.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-1.5 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 7-day cycle, with assignments posted on Thursdays and due the following Thursday. Students are advised to start homework once it is assigned (i.e., not wait until the night before it is due). Weekly homework assignments will be of a length that a student should be able to complete them in two or three at-home work sessions. Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of their work.

Assignments: The Canvas online class management system will be used to post assignments and scores. Students should have their own e-mail address in order to be set up as users of the Canvas system. Parents can also be set up as Canvas guests/observers for purposes of tracking the student's progress and workload.

Assessments: Student progress will be assessed by: (1) The instructor checking that weekly homework sets are attempted and complete and (2) detailed grading of periodic take-home tests. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade. See the instructor's webpage for detailed homework and test policy, including late work and re-work.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Algebra and Trigonometry: Functions and Applications- Prentice Hall Classics (ISBN-10 0131657100, ISBN-13 978-0131657106). A scientific calculator similar to the Casio fx-115ES PLUS is required for this class.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a complete credit in Algebra II for purposes of a high school transcript.

Every single week there are gripping headlines heralding new developments and discoveries in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and space exploration:" NASA's Artemis II announced its crew. Space X Starship self-destructed. Europe's JUICE will go to Jupiter. James Webb Space Telescope finds oldest proto-galaxies. China, Russia, India, and South Korea are in a new space race to reach the moon. A total solar eclipse will be viewed in 2026." These are exciting fields to follow, and this is a thrilling time to learn about space science in Compass's "All About Astronomy" series.

First quarter, students will learn about classical and modern land-based star-gazing. What could the ancients detect with their sundials? What did the Egyptians and Greeks observe with their astrolabes, and how did Galileo Galilei's use of the telescope change our understanding of astronomy? Fast-forward to today's land-based observatories. What will the new, Giant Magellan Telescope tell us from a mountaintop facility in Chile when it is completed in 2025? In this class, students will look at the oldest and newest technologies for ground-based observation of the skies. They will discover what limitations exist with even the most modern equipment and how astronomers compensate for those. Students will enhance their understanding of astronomical observation with in-class projects such as building a telescope, a sundial, and an astrolabe.

Topics in this series include: Classical & Current Star-Gazing (Quarter 1); Mission to the Moon (Quarter 2); Modern & Space-Based Searches (Quarter 3); and Mission to Mars (Quarter 4)

Every single week there are gripping headlines heralding new developments and discoveries in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and space exploration: "NASA's Artemis II announced its crew. Space X Starship self-destructed. Europe's JUICE will go to Jupiter. James Webb Space Telescope finds oldest proto-galaxies. China, Russia, India, and South Korea are in a new space race to reach the moon. A total solar eclipse will be viewed in 2026." These are exciting fields to follow, and this is a thrilling time to learn about space science in Compass's "All About Astronomy" series.

Fourth quarter, students will mimic NASA in planning a mission to and habitat on Mars. The class will begin by looking at past Mars explorations. They will evaluate what is known about the red planet from fly-bys, orbiters, landers, and rovers. They will review what are the known challenges of a journey to Mars and anticipated conditions on the surface. The class will divide up and work in teams to design a mission to Mars and temporary Martian base camp. Students will brainstorm about what is needed to sustain and shelter the astronauts, power their space craft, what key scientific studies should be made, and how to return the crew and their findings to Earth. They will look at the technologies available to select their rocket (or design an all-new one), crew cabin, scientific equipment, lander, Mars vehicle, shelter, and spacesuits. Teams will be given constraints such as budget, payload, fuel, power consumption, and scientific value of their planned Martian activities. They will have to consider all of the challenges of returning to Earth. What will they be able to bring back from Mars?

Topics in this series include: Classical & Current Star-Gazing (Quarter 1); Mission to the Moon (Quarter 2); Modern & Space-Based Searches (Quarter 3); and Mission to Mars (Quarter 4)

Every single week there are gripping headlines heralding new developments and discoveries in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and space exploration: "NASA's Artemis II announced its crew. Space X Starship self-destructed. Europe's JUICE will go to Jupiter. James Webb Space Telescope finds oldest proto-galaxies. China, Russia, India, and South Korea are in a new space race to reach the moon. A total solar eclipse will be viewed in 2026." These are exciting fields to follow, and this is a thrilling time to learn about space science in Compass's "All About Astronomy" series.

Second quarter, students will mimic NASA in planning a mission to the moon. The class will begin by looking at past moon explorations. They will evaluate the mid-century Apollo moon landings to understand how long the journey took, how long crews went for, what supplies and provisions were sent, and what the rockets, crew cabins, and space suits were capable of. Then, the class will divide up and work in teams to design a new mission to the moon. They will look at the technologies available to select their rocket (or design an all-new one), crew cabin, scientific equipment, lander, lunar vehicle, and spacesuits. Teams will be given constraints such as budget, payload, fuel, power consumption, and scientific value of their planned lunar activities. They will have to consider all of the challenges of returning to Earth. Will they be able to bring loads of moon rocks back?

Topics in this series include: Classical & Current Star-Gazing (Quarter 1); Mission to the Moon (Quarter 2); Modern & Space-Based Searches (Quarter 3); and Mission to Mars (Quarter 4)

Every single week there are gripping headlines heralding new developments and discoveries in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and space exploration: "NASA's Artemis II announced its crew. Space X Starship self-destructed. Europe's JUICE will go to Jupiter. James Webb Space Telescope finds oldest proto-galaxies. China, Russia, India, and South Korea are in a new space race to reach the moon. A total solar eclipse will be viewed in 2026." These are exciting fields to follow, and this is a thrilling time to learn about space science in Compass's "All About Astronomy" series.

Third quarter, students will learn about modern space exploration and space-based observations. They will discover the differences among satellites, telescopes, probes, orbiters, landers, rovers, fly-bys, and crewed spacecraft and what each can tell us about space. The class will look at some missions that are underway such as: Mars Perseverance Rover (operational), Mars Ingenuity Helicopter (operational), Lucy asteroid fly-by (en route- 2023); Parker Solar Probe (en route- 2025); Mercury Planetary Orbiter (en route- 2025); ESA Solar Orbiter (en route- 2026); Dragonfly fly-by to Venus and Titan (planned for 2027); JUICE Jupiter Fly-by (en route- 2028) and the more than 40-year-old Voyager 1, 2, and New Horizons which have left solar system and are still transmitting. Students will examine images sent back to Earth from a variety of research craft to understand the value and limitations of each type. The class will learn about modern types of telescopes: reflecting, refracting, multi-mirrored and radio, and how spectroscopy is used to measure astronomical phenomena. Students will enhance their understanding of modern observations with in-class projects such as building a spectroscope and evaluating space images for a citizen-scientist initiative.

Topics in this series include: Classical & Current Star-Gazing (Quarter 1); Mission to the Moon (Quarter 2); Modern & Space-Based Searches (Quarter 3); and Mission to Mars (Quarter 4)

In this class, students will engage with American History from a unique, thoughtful perspective, facilitated by college professor, Dr. Albert Thompson who is a "researcher, problem solver, and educator." Dr. Thompson is considered a historian of the state, culture, and conflict. He was homeschooled through high school and will guide high school students to use "historical data to advance solutions to contemporary problems."

Second semester will cover American History from 1812 through the Civil War and concluding with the Spanish-American War in 1898. The class will examine 19th-century America's transformation from a New World backwater to Global Power. Using speeches, pamphlets, legislation, court rulings, and treaties, the students will develop critical reading skills to identify and evaluate the social, economic, and political forces that contributed to the rise of the United States of America from approximately 1812-1898. The course will highlight the following key events and figures: Andrew Jackson, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Ida B Wells, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allen Poe, Frederick Douglass, John D. Rockefeller; Westward Expansion, the Indian Wars, The Civil Wars, and Abolitionism, the Second Great Awakening, Industrialization, The New Immigrants, Reconstruction, Social Darwinism, New Imperialism and the Spanish American War.

The class will uncover history that is often overlooked or downplayed. Professor Thompson encourages students to think deeply about history by introducing individuals and groups in a way that lets students put themselves in others' places. He covers the worldviews that were dominant at the time as a way to explain what motivated historical figures and decisions of the day. Conflicts will be closely examined since throughout history, war is a catalyst that causes economic and social conditions to change dramatically in the shortest period of time.

Topics in this Series: First Settlement to First Crisis, 1607-1812 (Semester 1), Civil War to Spanish-American War 1812-1898 (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Reading at grade level.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on readings. Readings should be treated as pre-readings which students complete before class in order to engage in in-class discussion.

Assignments: Reading assignments will be communicated weekly to students. This class will not have written assignments or projects.

Assessments: The instructor will not give quizzes or provide assessments. Parents may elect to administer online quizzes that are available through the e-textbook website for purposes of assessing their own student's understanding of major themes.

Textbook/Materials: The class will use The American Yawp, an open-source online textbook from Stanford University Press (www.americanyawp.com). Students may read chapters online or download a pdf.

What to Bring: Paper or notebook; pen or pencil; assigned chapter.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in American history for purposes of a high school transcript.

In this class, students will engage with American History from a unique, thoughtful perspective, facilitated by college professor Dr. Albert Thompson who is a "researcher, problem solver, and educator." Dr. Thompson is considered a historian of the state, culture, and conflict. He was homeschooled through high school and will guide high school students to use "historical data to advance solutions to contemporary problems."

First semester will cover American History I from 1607 through the start of the War of 1812. The class will uncover history that is often overlooked or downplayed, such as the Inter-Colonial Wars as a precursor to the American Revolution. Professor Thompson encourages students to think deeply about history by introducing individuals and groups in a way that lets students put themselves in others' places. He covers the worldviews that were dominant at the time as a way to explain what motivated historical figures and decisions of the day. Conflicts will be closely examined since throughout history, war is always a catalyst that causes economic and social conditions to change dramatically in the shortest period of time. Major themes that will be covered this semester include Indigenous America, Colliding Cultures, British North America, Colonial Society, the American Revolution, a New Nation, and the Early Republic.

Topics in this Series: First Settlement to First Crisis, 1607-1812 (Semester 1), Civil War to Reconstruction, 1812-1890 (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on readings. Readings should be treated as pre-readings which students complete before class in order to engage in in-class discussion.

Assignments: Reading assignments will be communicated weekly to students. This class will not have written assignments or projects.

Assessments: The instructor will not give quizzes or provide assessments. Parents may elect to administer online quizzes that are available through the e-textbook website for purposes of assessing their own student's understanding of major themes.

Textbook/Materials: The class will use The American Yawp, an open-source online textbook from Stanford University Press (www.americanyawp.com). Students may read chapters online or download a pdf.

What to Bring: Paper or notebook; pen or pencil; assigned chapter.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in American history for purposes of a high school transcript.

Are you interested in learning a new language that is used right here in America? Are you intrigued by a modern language that has no written form? Do you want to find out why American Sign Language is much more closely linked to French Sign Language than British Sign Language? If so, American Sign Language (ASL) is a great language for you! In this class, students will learn the basic skills in production and comprehension of ASL while covering thematic units such as personal and family life, school, social life, and community. Each unit will include presentations and readings on Deaf culture and Deaf history. Students will learn fingerspelling and numbers, developing conversational ability, culturally appropriate behaviors, and fundamental ASL grammar. Class time will be dedicated to interactive ASL activities and face-to-face signing practice with the instructor and partners.

ASL students will have a Deaf instructor. She regularly teaches all-hearing classes and is an excellent role model for students to meet and interact with a native speaker of ASL and to lean natural facial expressions, gestures, and body language used in Deaf communications. ASL students will have more confidence when they encounter Deaf instructors in college or greet speakers of ASL in social settings. Because the instructor is Deaf, students are not permitted to speak aloud in class. This approach improves visual attention and encourages immersion in the language. Students will be able to ask questions of the instructor by writing on individual white boards, but they will be encouraged to sign in order to communicate with the instructor. Lessons are facilitated with Power Point presentations, and a professional ASL interpreter will assist the class on the first day of class. Enrolled students are not expected to know any sign language prior to beginning ASL I.

Hundreds of colleges and universities, including all public institutions of higher learning in Virginia, accept ASL as a distinct foreign language. This allows hearing and Deaf students to fulfill foreign language requirements for admission to college. Teens who have difficulty writing, spelling, or have challenging pronunciation in English, can be successful with ASL as a second or foreign language choice. Penn State University research demonstrated that the visual and kinesthetic elements of ASL helped to enhance the vocabulary, spelling, and reading skills in hearing students.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours each week outside of class on required vocabulary exercises, readings, and signing practice.

Assignments: Homework assignments will be posted online in the Canvas digital classroom platform. There may be some brief written assignments, but for most homework assignments, students will be asked to post short videos of themselves signing. Students will need either a camera phone or webcam to complete these assignments.

Assessments: The instructor will assign points using a class rubric for the parent's use in assigning a course grade. Course rubrics will evaluate students on their sign production, fingerspelling, ASL grammar, facial expressions including "above the nose" grammar (brows and body movement), and "below the nose" modifiers (lip expressions).

Textbook/Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $30.00 payable to the online publisher for the digital access code for the interactive e-textbook, TRUE+WAY AS for 2 units. There could be an additional $15 due if the class progresses to a third unit in late Q3/early Q4. With their subscription, students may also accces a free searchable, bilingual ASL & English dictionary, called What's the Sign?

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in World Languages for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students of ASL will continue to improve their fluency in this 2nd year course. As students become more advanced signers, emphasis will be on focusing on the meaning of a conversation (whole) rather than individual signs (parts). In conversation, students will learn to confirm information by asking questions in context. Second year students will continue to build their vocabulary, apply ASL grammar, and will learn to make requests, ask for advice, give opinions, make comparisons and use superlatives, and narrate stories. Other skills covered in ASL II include expressing year, phone numbers, time, and currency in numbers, appearance, clothing, giving directions, locations, etc. Each unit will include presentations and readings on Deaf culture and Deaf history. Class time will be dedicated to interactive ASL activities and signing practice.

ASL students will have a Deaf instructor. She regularly teaches all-hearing classes and is an excellent role model for students to meet and interact with a native speaker of ASL and to lean natural facial expressions, gestures, and body language used in Deaf communications. ASL students will have more confidence when they encounter Deaf instructors in college or greet speakers of ASL in social settings. Because the instructor is Deaf, students are not permitted to speak aloud in class. This approach improves visual attention and encourages immersion in the language. Students will be able to ask questions of the instructor by writing on individual white boards, but they will be encouraged to sign in order to communicate with the instructor. Lessons are facilitated with Power Point presentations, and a professional ASL interpreter will assist the class on the first day of class.

Hundreds of colleges and universities, including all public institutions of higher learning in Virginia, accept ASL as a distinct foreign language. This allows hearing and Deaf students to fulfill foreign language requirements for admission to college. Teens who have difficulty writing, spelling, or have challenging pronunciation in English, can be successful with ASL as a second or foreign language choice. Penn State University research demonstrated that the visual and kinesthetic elements of ASL helped to enhance the vocabulary, spelling, and reading skills in hearing students.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours each week outside of class on required vocabulary exercises, readings, and signing practice.

Assignments: Homework assignments will be posted online in the Canvas digital classroom platform. Through Canvas, students will be asked to post short videos of themselves signing as homework. Enrolled students will be asked to review ASL 1 vocabulary, grammar, and facial expressions.

Assessments: The instructor will assign points using a class rubric for the parent's use in assigning a course grade. Course rubrics will evaluate students on their sign production, fingerspelling, ASL grammar, facial expressions including "above the nose" grammar (brows and body movement), and "below the nose" modifiers (lip expressions).

Textbook/Supply Fee: There is a $30.00 subscription payable to the online publisher. With their subscription, students may also accces a free searchable, bilingual ASL & English dictionary, called What's the Sign?

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in World Languages for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students of ASL will continue to improve their fluency in this 3rd year course. As students become more advanced signers, emphasis will be on focusing on the meaning of a conversation (whole) and storytelling rather than individual signs (parts) or phrases. In conversation, students will learn to confirm information by asking questions in context. Third year students will continue to build their vocabulary, apply ASL grammar, and will learn to describe places, giving directions, giving opinions about others, discussing plans and goals, ask for advice, give opinions, make comparisons and use superlatives, and narrate stories. Other skills covered in ASL III include expressing year, phone numbers, time, and currency in numbers, giving directions, locations, etc. Each unit will include presentations and readings on Deaf culture and Deaf history. Class time will be dedicated to interactive ASL activities and signing practice.

ASL students will have a Deaf instructor. She regularly teaches all-hearing classes and is an excellent role model for students to meet and interact with a native speaker of ASL and to lean natural facial expressions, gestures, and body language used in Deaf communications. ASL students will have more confidence when they encounter Deaf instructors in college or greet speakers of ASL in social settings. Because the instructor is Deaf, students are not permitted to speak aloud in class. This approach improves visual attention and encourages immersion in the language. Students will be able to ask questions of the instructor by writing on individual white boards, but they will be encouraged to sign in order to communicate with the instructor. Lessons are facilitated with Power Point presentations, and a professional ASL interpreter will assist the class on the first day of class.

Hundreds of colleges and universities, including all public institutions of higher learning in Virginia, accept ASL as a distinct foreign language. This allows hearing and Deaf students to fulfill foreign language requirements for admission to college. Teens who have difficulty writing, spelling, or have challenging pronunciation in English, can be successful with ASL as a second or foreign language choice. Penn State University research demonstrated that the visual and kinesthetic elements of ASL helped to enhance the vocabulary, spelling, and reading skills in hearing students.

Prerequisite: ASL II students who wish to enroll in ASL III must pass a proficiency exam and receive instructor approval.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours each week outside of class on required vocabulary exercises, readings, and signing practice.

Assignments: Homework assignments will be posted online in the Canvas digital classroom platform. Through Canvas, students will be asked to post short videos of themselves signing as homework. Enrolled students will be asked to review ASL 1 and 2 vocabulary, grammar, and facial expressions.

Assessments: The instructor will assign points using a class rubric for the parent's use in assigning a course grade. Course rubrics will evaluate students on their sign production, fingerspelling, ASL grammar, facial expressions including "above the nose" grammar (brows and body movement), and "below the nose" modifiers (lip expressions).

Textbook/Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $30.00 payable to the online publisher for the digital access code for the interactive e-textbook, TRUE+WAY AS for 2 units. There could be an additional $15 due if the class progresses to a third unit in late Q3/early Q4. With their subscription, students may also accces a free searchable, bilingual ASL & English dictionary, called What's the Sign?

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in World Languages for purposes of a high school transcript.

A band of brainy bottlenose dolphins sport sponges on their snouts to scour the sharp seabed. A captive cougar is conditioned to cry and claw his cage for a carcass. An enormous Newfoundland is nervous from noise and needs narcotics. Humans are fascinated by some of our closest cousins, cuddly companions, and other curious creatures who behave in some bizzare and baffling ways.

Take an exciting dive into the interplay of genetics and environment as we consider origins and causes of animal behaviors as adaptations, and real-life applications in animal welfare and husbandry. Learn about the genetics of dog breeds and dog behaviors; discoveries in dog, bird, and primate communication and problem-solving; how operant and classical conditioning work; how stress affects learning and performance in humans and other species; recent advances in "cooperative care"; and more. Together, we will read and evaluate a scientific study on dog behavior, practicing critical thinking and aspects of peer review. A vet tech speaker (accompanied by a special guest) will offer a glimpse into animal behavior from the clinical perspective.

Prerequisites: Students should have a very strong, high school level reading fluency. Note on Levels: Mature students in Grades 7-8 are welcome to enroll. Upon request, instructor can suggest optional readings for older, advanced students who plan college studies in biology, psychology, neuroscience, or anthropology.

Workload: The student should expect to spend 2-3 hours/week outside class.

Assignments: Homework is essential to the course and not optional. Students will be expected to prepare for Friday
discussions with readings, videos, homework, and brief quizzes posted on Canvas.

Semester Project: Choose one of four project options: (1) hands-on behavioral investigation or experiment with your own pet, (2) wild or captive animal observation, (3) volunteer work or "shadowing" with an animal organization or veterinary professional, or (4) a brief research paper or digital media project.

Assessments: Instructor feedback and grades will be entered in Canvas, where a letter grade is based on percentage of
points earned.

Communication: As students and parent observers need separate Canvas accounts, please provide a student email address at least three weeks prior to the start of class. Instructor checks Canvas Inbox messages several times per week.

Materials: Instructor provides readings, but students may need supplies for individual projects (e.g., props, illustrated trick-
training guide, grooming tools, treats).

Supply Fee: A supply fee of $10.00 is due to instructor on or before the first day of class.

Credit: Families may wish to count this course as a half-credit in science for purposes of a high school transcript. This academic elective complements (but does not replace) a core high school lab biology course and includes several topics often covered in high school psychology.

Earn college credit and artistic "cred"-ibility in this studio art class! Over the course of the school year, student artists will experiment with artistic techniques, create original works in a variety of mediums and styles, and build a portfolio for submission. Students will be guided by a Compass art instructor, Pete Van Riper, who is also an adjunct art professor at Northern Virginia Community College and a reviewer for AP art portfolios.

The three goals of AP 2D Art and Design are to (1) investigate a variety of artistic materials, methods, and ideas; (2) produce 2-dimensional art and designs; and (3) be able to describe and present art and design to others. AP Art and Design students "develop and apply skills of inquiry and investigation, practice, experimentation, revision, communication, and reflection."

Student artists will create a portfolio with works that feature the elements of art and principles of design such as "point, line, shape, plane, layer, form, space, texture, color, value, opacity, transparency, time; unity, variety, rhythm, movement, proportion, scale, balance, emphasis, contrast, repetition, figure/ground relationship, connection, juxtaposition, hierarchy." Students will be asked to document their medium choices and keep a sketch book and art journal describing their inspiration and artistic process.

In class, works will be done in charcoal, pencil, conte crayon, watercolor crayons, watercolor paints, acrylic paint, and collage. Like other college level classes, outside work will be expected, and art completed outside of the weekly class meetings can include graphic design, digital imaging, photography, collage, fabric design, weaving, fashion design, fashion illustration, painting, and printmaking, and other 2D formats. Students should consider how to express their ideas with selected materials and processes on a flat surface.

The College Board has no preferred or unacceptable content or style, but all work must be entirely the student's original creation. Submissions may incorporate pre-existing photographs or others' images provided proper attribution and citations are given and the use reflects an extension of the student's vision and not just duplication or copy work. AI generated designs are strictly prohibited from portfolio submissions, but original, digitally created art is welcome.

Students' portfolio submissions for the AP program must include two sections (1) "Sustained Investigation" which includes 15 images of the purposeful evolution of a work or works through concept sketches, practice, experimentation, and revisions, and (2) "Selected Works" which includes images of 5 completed pieces. All portfolio works will be submitted as digital images (scans or photographs) of the student's original pieces, and all images must be accompanied by a written discussion of the materials and processes used.

Earn college credit and artistic "cred"-ibility in this studio art class! Over the course of the school year, student artists will experiment with artistic techniques, create original works in a variety of mediums and styles, and build a portfolio for submission. Students will be guided by a Compass art instructor, Pete Van Riper, who is also an adjunct art professor at Northern Virginia Community College and a reviewer for AP art portfolios.

The three goals of AP 2D Art and Design are to (1) investigate a variety of artistic materials, methods, and ideas; (2) produce 2-dimensional art and designs; and (3) be able to describe and present art and design to others. AP Art and Design students "develop and apply skills of inquiry and investigation, practice, experimentation, revision, communication, and reflection."

Student artists will create a portfolio with works that feature the elements of art and principles of design such as "point, line, shape, plane, layer, form, space, texture, color, value, opacity, transparency, time; unity, variety, rhythm, movement, proportion, scale, balance, emphasis, contrast, repetition, figure/ground relationship, connection, juxtaposition, hierarchy." Students will be asked to document their medium choices and keep a sketch book and art journal describing their inspiration and artistic process.

In class, works will be done in charcoal, pencil, conte crayon, watercolor crayons, watercolor paints, acrylic paint, and collage. Like other college level classes, outside work will be expected, and art completed outside of the weekly class meetings can include graphic design, digital imaging, photography, collage, fabric design, weaving, fashion design, fashion illustration, painting, and printmaking, and other 2D formats. Students should consider how to express their ideas with selected materials and processes on a flat surface.

The College Board has no preferred or unacceptable content or style, but all work must be entirely the student's original creation. Submissions may incorporate pre-existing photographs or others' images provided proper attribution and citations are given and the use reflects an extension of the student's vision and not just duplication or copy work. AI generated designs are strictly prohibited from portfolio submissions, but original, digitally created art is welcome.

Students' portfolio submissions for the AP program must include two sections (1) "Sustained Investigation" which includes 15 images of the purposeful evolution of a work or works through concept sketches, practice, experimentation, and revisions, and (2) "Selected Works" which includes images of 5 completed pieces. All portfolio works will be submitted as digital images (scans or photographs) of the student's original pieces, and all images must be accompanied by a written discussion of the materials and processes used.

The class will examine images of others' art, and students will be asked to visit at least two art museums or art exhibits. They will practice giving and receiving construction formal and informal critiques through the observation, analysis, discussion, and evaluation of their own work and that of other artists to hone the AP-required skill of communication about 2D art.

Levels This course is only offered at the AP level, but enrollment does not obligate a student to submit a portfolio for AP review.

Workload: Student artists should plan 2-4 hours per week outside of class on their pieces, concept drawings, practice sketches, etc.

Assignments: All assignments will be communicated to students via email.

Assessments: Qualitative feedback will be given weekly in class. The principal assessment in this course is the AP score earned.

Textbooks: The instructor will furnish art and design books for students to browse in class and borrow.

Supply Fee: A supply fee of $60.00 is due payable to the instructor for shared, in-class basics consisting of: pencils, charcoal, conte a Paris, acrylic paints, brushes, sketch journal, and canvas boards. The instructor will furnish a list of recommended supplies for alternative or premium materials that students may want to incorporate use such as watercolor or colored markers.

About AP: "AP" is a trademark of the College Board, which owns and designs the course outline and "audits" (i.e. approves) high school instructors who employ their expertise and creativity to deliver the college freshman-level content. The College Board's summary of the AP 2D Art & Design program can be read HERE, and the instructor AP Course Audit Approval form can be viewed HERE.

AP Fees: The fee for the College Board's AP 2D Art & Design portfolio in May 2025 is not included. Each family is responsible for scheduling and paying for their student's AP registration.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Third quarter, the class will meet American artists Robert Lobe, Andy Warhol, Grandma Moses, Keith Haring, Eric Carle, Martin Puryear, Faith Ringgold, and Frank Lloyd Wright. The class will overview the life and times of each artist and look at a sampling of their works to understand preferred subjects, style, techniques, and mediums. Then, the students will create a weekly project to represent the featured artist, such as Grandma Moses-inspired simple subject art; pop art like Keith Haring and Andy Warhol; and Frank Lloyd Wright's amazing stained glass designs.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Third quarter, the class will meet American artists Robert Lobe, Andy Warhol, Grandma Moses, Keith Haring, Eric Carle, Martin Puryear, Faith Ringgold, and Frank Lloyd Wright. The class will overview the life and times of each artist and look at a sampling of their works to understand preferred subjects, style, techniques, and mediums. Then, the students will create a weekly project to represent the featured artist, such as Grandma Moses-inspired simple subject art; pop art like Keith Haring and Andy Warhol; and Frank Lloyd Wright's amazing stained glass designs.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Fourth quarter, students will be introduced to a surprise countries or culture each week where they will learn briefly about the locale's unique tradition of art. The class will use a variety of materials and techniques to represent the projects inspired by the secret destination.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Fourth quarter, students will be introduced to a surprise countries or culture each week where they will learn briefly about the locale's unique tradition of art. The class will use a variety of materials and techniques to represent the projects inspired by the secret destination.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Second quarter, students will consider art inspired by the five, largely unexplored oceans that cover more than 70% of the planet. The class will use a variety of materials and techniques to represent scenes of the ocean, waves, beaches, islands, and the unique, colorful plant and animal life found only in those watery ocean worlds.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Second quarter, students will consider art inspired by the five, largely unexplored oceans that cover more than 70% of the planet. The class will use a variety of materials and techniques to represent scenes of the ocean, waves, beaches, islands, and the unique, colorful plant and animal life found only in those watery ocean worlds.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

First quarter, students will meet one best-known artists of all times. Picasso's art career spanned 79 years and included painting, sculpting, ceramics, poetry, stage design, and writing. The class will use a variety of materials and techniques to represent works from Picasso's Blue Period, Rose Period, African Period, Cubism, Neoclassicism and Surrealism.

Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Through the use of mixed media, including paint, markers, shells, sand, watercolor and various texture papers students will create their own ocean themed artwork.

Tween artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Second quarter, students will explore a different country and art style each week. There will be a focus on the Artists from that country while working on related projects. Students will travel the world through art and learn about different cultures, historical context and artistic techniques in countries such as Japan, Italy, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Germany and Ireland. Example art projects include the art of Brazil's rainforest, Australia's aboriginal art, Africa's textiles and patterns, and Italy's mosaics. We will make Kente-Style art with colorful fabric and/or paper, create an aboriginal painting, and make an Italian mosaic.

We will use different mediums, to include various art papers, charcoal, watercolor, oil pastels markers, canvases. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxSome of the multimedia supplies used this quarter include specialty papers, paints, markers, and art pencils.

Topics in this Series: Stories in Strokes (Quarter 1), Around the World Art Adventure (Quarter 2), Artistry of Nature (Quarter 3) , Waves of Creativty (Q4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Tween artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

First quarter, students will learn how artists use visual storytelling (art) to express their identity and experiences. They will explore the concept of identity in art and begin to understand how each artist expressed their personal or cultural identity through their work. Fetured artists include Faith Ringold, Jacob Lawrence, Gloria Fuentes, Frida Kahlo, Kandinsky, Yayoi Kusama, Carmen Lomas Garza and Sonia Delaunay. Example projects include abstract painting with color theory, making a story quilt, and creating polk-a-dot realism artwork to name a few projects.

Supplies will be tempera paint, fabric, various papers, canvases, tissue paper, markers watercolors, colored pencils, oil, pastels, and charcoal.

Topics in this Series: Stories in Strokes (Quarter 1), Around the World Art Adventure (Quarter 2), Artistry of Nature (Quarter 3) , Waves of Creativty (Q4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Tween artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Third quarter, the class will find a fun and engaging way to explore nature and the natural world as artists. They will explore nature's textures, symmetry in nature, nature scenes and colors, animals and their tracks and natural materials. Project supplies will include
leaves, seeds, branches, stones, watercolor, clay and cardboard to create a Mandela, animal tracks, and rock sculpture, as examples.

Some of the multimedia supplies used this quarter will include specialty papers, paints, markers, art pencils, charcoal, oil pastels, Cray pas, tissue paper

Topics in this Series: Stories in Strokes (Quarter 1), Around the World Art Adventure (Quarter 2), Artistry of Nature (Quarter 3) , Waves of Creativty (Q4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Tween artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.

Fourth quarter, students will dive into the world of oceans to understand the importance of this a vital ecosystem while exploring their artistic abilities. This course encourages creativity while fostering a deeper appreciation for the ocean and the role it plays sustaining life on earth. Themes include learning about marine life, ocean habitats, and the interconnectedness of the living things in the sea. Example projects include a shell collage, a colorful watercolor and fabric coral reef, a sculpture, designing a wave, and our own sea creatures inspired by ocean mythology. Through the use of mixed media, including paint, markers, shells, sand, watercolor and various texture papers students will create their own ocean themed artwork.

Topics in this Series: Stories in Strokes (Quarter 1), Around the World Art Adventure (Quarter 2), Artistry of Nature (Quarter 3) , Waves of Creativty (Q4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $25.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine.

Fourth quarter, beginning dancers will learn the story of The Carnival of the Animals, composed by Camille Saint-Saens and performed as a ballet since 2004. In class, they work to identify, apply, demonstrate, and integrate the following techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st-6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu, along with pas de chat, pas de bourree, arabesque, arabesque saute, and soutenu. Students will develop their physical conditioning by core leg and arm strength.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine.

Third quarter, beginning dancers will learn the story of Fairy Doll, composed by Bayer, Tchaikovsky, Rubenstein, Drigo, and Lyadov and performed as a ballet since 1903. In class, they work to identify, apply, demonstrate, and integrate the following techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st-6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu, along with pas de chat, pas de bourree, arabesque, arabesque saute, and soutenu. Students will develop their physical conditioning by core leg and arm strength.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine.

First quarter, beginning dancers will learn the story of Peter and the Wolf, composed by Sergei Prokofiev and performed as a ballet since 1995.In class, they work to identify, apply, demonstrate, and integrate the following techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st-6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu, along with pas de chat, pas de bourree, arabesque, arabesque saute, and soutenu. Students will develop their physical conditioning by core leg and arm strength.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine.

Second quarter, beginning dancers will learn the story of The Nutcracker, composed by Tchaikovsky, and performed as a ballet since 1892. In class, they work to identify, apply, demonstrate, and integrate the following techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st-6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu, along with pas de chat, pas de bourree, arabesque, arabesque saute, and soutenu. Students will develop their physical conditioning by core leg and arm strength.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Young dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine. The music, story, and characters will serve as an inspiration for creative movement.

Fourth quarter, young dancers will learn the story of The Carnival of the Animals, composed by Camille Saint-Saens and performed as a ballet since 2004. In class, dancers will learn to recognize, understand, and apply techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st - 6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu. Students will also develop their physical conditioning and learn teamwork. Dancers in this level must be minimum age 4 by the start of class.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather.

Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Young dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine. The music, story, and characters will serve as an inspiration for creative movement.

Third quarter, young dancers will learn the story of Fairy Doll, composed by Bayer, Tchaikovsky, Rubenstein, Drigo, and Lyadov and performed as a ballet since 1903. In class, dancers will learn to recognize, understand, and apply techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st - 6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu. Students will also develop their physical conditioning and learn teamwork. Dancers in this level must be minimum age 4 by the start of class.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather.

Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Young dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine. The music, story, and characters will serve as an inspiration for creative movement.

First quarter, young dancers will learn the story of Peter and the Wolf, composed by Sergei Prokofiev and performed as a ballet since 1995. In class, dancers will learn to recognize, understand, and apply techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st - 6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu. Students will also develop their physical conditioning and learn teamwork. Dancers in this level must be minimum age 4 by the start of class.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather.

Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

Young dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine. The music, story, and characters will serve as an inspiration for creative movement.

Second quarter, young dancers will learn the story of The Nutcracker, composed by Tchaikovsky, and performed as a ballet since 1892. In class, dancers will learn to recognize, understand, and apply techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st - 6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu. Students will also develop their physical conditioning and learn teamwork. Dancers in this level must be minimum age 4 by the start of class.

A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).

Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather.

Topics in this series include:Peter and the Wolf (Quarter 1), The Nutcracker (Quarter 2), Fairy Doll (Quarter 3), and Carnival of the Animals (Quarter 4)

From Stalingrad to Berlin, the downfall of Nazi Germany. This quarter will cover the climactic urban battles of the Eastern Front in Europe, or as the Russians call it, The Great Patriotic War. The Eastern front is often sidelined in Western history, but it was quite possibly the most brutal theater of war in human history. The Germans invaded Eastern Europe to wage a war of extermination, and instead found themselves hunted like rats in the cities they destroyed. This is not the Blitzkrieg, where a modern German army used fancy new tactics to destroy larger armies. This is the rat warfare, brutal attrition more akin to the 1st World War, with the trenches swapped for bitter street fighting, where each side was literally fighting in their own homes, for everything they had.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 16" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, buildings, rivers, bridges, vegetation, fences, etc) to represent a scene of a famous historical engagement. Students will each receive 1:72 scale miniature soldiers to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

From Stalingrad to Berlin, the downfall of Nazi Germany. This quarter will cover the climactic urban battles of the Eastern Front in Europe, or as the Russians call it, The Great Patriotic War. The Eastern front is often sidelined in Western history, but it was quite possibly the most brutal theater of war in human history. The Germans invaded Eastern Europe to wage a war of extermination, and instead found themselves hunted like rats in the cities they destroyed. This is not the Blitzkrieg, where a modern German army used fancy new tactics to destroy larger armies. This is the rat warfare, brutal attrition more akin to the 1st World War, with the trenches swapped for bitter street fighting, where each side was literally fighting in their own homes, for everything they had.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 16" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, buildings, rivers, bridges, vegetation, fences, etc) to represent a scene of a famous historical engagement. Students will each receive 1:72 scale miniature soldiers to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical war gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Dragged into World War II relatively unprepared, the American army ballooned in size while having to learn how to fight a modern war with tanks and airplanes all while overseas. To split the German army's attention from the beleaguered Soviets, the Allies needed to open a second front of the war. Not yet ready to attack Fortress Europe, the Americans started off small by aiding the British against the combined Italian and German armies in North Africa. The campaign was difficult but served as the proving ground which produced as battle-hardened American soldiers, ready to take the war to Europe.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, trenches, rivers, ridges, vegetation, barbed wire, etc.) to represent a scene of a famous historical engagement. Students will each receive 1:72 scale miniature soldiers to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical wargaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Dragged into World War II relatively unprepared, the American army ballooned in size while having to learn how to fight a modern war with tanks and airplanes all while overseas. To split the German army's attention from the beleaguered Soviets, the Allies needed to open a second front of the war. Not yet ready to attack Fortress Europe, the Americans started off small by aiding the British against the combined Italian and German armies in North Africa. The campaign was difficult but served as the proving ground which produced as battle-hardened American soldiers, ready to take the war to Europe.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, trenches, rivers, ridges, vegetation, barbed wire, etc.) to represent a scene of a famous historical engagement. Students will each receive 1:72 scale miniature soldiers to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury historical wargaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

The US capture of the Mariana Islands in 1944 allowed American bombers to reach Japan's home islands. The US sought a halfway point, both to allow damaged bombers a life raft and to allow the shorter-range escort fighter planes a base to launch from. The island of Iwo Jima was an obvious choice as it was already serving as an air base for the Japanese military. Allied intelligence estimated that the island's defenses were weak enough to fall in as little as one week. In reality, it took five weeks of some of the most hellish fighting in WWII for "victory" to be declared, with thousands of Japanese soldiers holding out all the way until 1949! Iwo Jima has the dubious distinction of being one of the few battles in WWII where US forces suffered more casualties than the Japanese. 20,000 men of the Japanese 109th division and a handful of tanks, artillery, and Kamikaze suicide planes put up a difficult defense against Allied forces which consisted of an armada of 500+ ships and nearly 100,000 men.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, vegetation, shoreline, etc) to represent the major battle sites of the Iwo Jima Campaign in dioramas of the beaches, the airfield, or to the site of the famous flag-raising on Mt. Surabachi. Once the dioramas are completed, students will stage 1/72 scale Japanese troops, US Marines, and equipment to refight the battles in miniature. This will allow the class to examine the tactics of the later Pacific battles of WWII and see the challenges of this type of warfare. The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

The US capture of the Mariana Islands in 1944 allowed American bombers to reach Japan's home islands. The US sought a halfway point, both to allow damaged bombers a life raft and to allow the shorter-range escort fighter planes a base to launch from. The island of Iwo Jima was an obvious choice as it was already serving as an air base for the Japanese military. Allied intelligence estimated that the island's defenses were weak enough to fall in as little as one week. In reality, it took five weeks of some of the most hellish fighting in WWII for "victory" to be declared, with thousands of Japanese soldiers holding out all the way until 1949! Iwo Jima has the dubious distinction of being one of the few battles in WWII where US forces suffered more casualties than the Japanese. 20,000 men of the Japanese 109th division and a handful of tanks, artillery, and Kamikaze suicide planes put up a difficult defense against Allied forces which consisted of an armada of 500+ ships and nearly 100,000 men.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (hills, vegetation, shoreline, etc) to represent the major battle sites of the Iwo Jima Campaign in dioramas of the beaches, the airfield, or to the site of the famous flag-raising on Mt. Surabachi. Once the dioramas are completed, students will stage 1/72 scale Japanese troops, US Marines, and equipment to refight the battles in miniature. This will allow the class to examine the tactics of the later Pacific battles of WWII and see the challenges of this type of warfare. The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

For America, WWII started and ended in the Pacific, but there was a long and difficult journey from the disaster at Pearl Harbor in 1941 to V-Day in Tokyo in 1945. Using an "Island Hopping" strategy, the US sought to isolate many Japanese strongholds leading to their home islands. The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a bold plan to stall the advance of the American battle fleet using their formerly unstoppable carrier force as bait. They attempted to trap American invasion transports between deadly battleships to buy more bargaining leverage at eventual peace talks.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (islands, reefs, harbors, airfields, etc) to represent a battle from around the Philippine Sea in 1944. Students will each receive scale miniature naval ships to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Axis and Allies War at Sea gaming rule system for moving ships and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

For America, WWII started and ended in the Pacific, but there was a long and difficult journey from the disaster at Pearl Harbor in 1941 to V-Day in Tokyo in 1945. Using an "Island Hopping" strategy, the US sought to isolate many Japanese strongholds leading to their home islands. The Imperial Japanese Navy launched a bold plan to stall the advance of the American battle fleet using their formerly unstoppable carrier force as bait. They attempted to trap American invasion transports between deadly battleships to buy more bargaining leverage at eventual peace talks.

Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama with landscape elements (islands, reefs, harbors, airfields, etc) to represent a battle from around the Philippine Sea in 1944. Students will each receive scale miniature naval ships to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate the larger battlefield terrain. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Axis and Allies War at Sea gaming rule system for moving ships and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different outcome scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices.

The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents.

Topics in this series include: Operation Torch/North Africa (Quarter 1), Battle of Stalingrad (Quarter 2), Iwo Jima (Quarter 3), and Philppine Sea (Quarter 4).

There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

First quarter, students will construct Animated Animals such as a hopping bunny, lumbering elephant, creeping frog, leaf-munching giraffe, trotting horse, mommy and baby bird, flapping owl, and a prowling, growling tiger.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

First quarter, students will construct Animated Animals such as a hopping bunny, lumbering elephant, creeping frog, leaf-munching giraffe, trotting horse, mommy and baby bird, flapping owl, and a prowling, growling tiger.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

Fourth quarter, students will model and motorize creepy crawly creatures such as a crab, praying mantis, scorpion, snail, ant, spider, tadpole, and more.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

Fourth quarter, students will model and motorize creepy crawly creatures such as a crab, praying mantis, scorpion, snail, ant, spider, tadpole, and more.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

Second quarter, modern robotics will bring extinct Jurassic world to life with projects such a Brachiosaur, T-Rex, Megalodon Shark, Pterodactyl and their current cousins- the Komodo Dragon and Crocodile.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

Second quarter, modern robotics will bring extinct Jurassic world to life with projects such a Brachiosaur, T-Rex, Megalodon Shark, Pterodactyl and their current cousins- the Komodo Dragon and Crocodile.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

Third quarter, rush hour comes to Compass as students build and program automated vehicles like a dune buggy, Formula 1 race car, tow truck, tractor trailer, bus, and more.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Discover the world of robotics using kids' favorite, interlocking building bricks! Students will build and program a different whimsical, mechanized project each week using the WeDo 2.0 robotics system by LEGO Education.

Third quarter, rush hour comes to Compass as students build and program automated vehicles like a dune buggy, Formula 1 race car, tow truck, tractor trailer, bus, and more.

Their robots will be built using special-shaped LEGO components from the WeDo Educational set, motors, motion sensors, tilt sensors and a programmable, Bluetooth control unit ("brain"). Student will use classroom tablets to program the control units using an intuitive drag-and-drop coding modules.

Prior experience with LEGO or coding is not required. All equipment is furnished.

Topics in this Series: Animated Animals (Quarter 1), Jurassic Giants (Quarter 2); Rush Hour! (Quarter 3), and Creepy Crawlies (Quarter 4).

Why does too much caffeine give you insomnia? Does Gatorade after exercise really help? How does ibuprofen make pain go away? Answers to these questions and thousands more can be found in the field of biochemistry. Biochemistry is the 20th century branch of medicine that uses chemistry to study biological processes in living organisms at the cellular and molecular level. Biochemistry has connections to the fields of genetics, microbiology, forensics, immunology, and medicine.

In this class, students will overview atomic structure and electron orbitals to understand how and why chemical bonds form. They will learn about the bipolar properties of the water molecule and several common chemical groups in order to understand and predict the behavior of larger molecules. Students will become familiar with the major classes of macromolecules present in living organisms (carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, lipids and fats) and use classic chemistry experiments to identify unknown macromolecules. The role of each type of macromolecule in your body's cells will be discussed.

Students will investigate environmental conditions that can affect the structure of proteins and will design their own experiment to explore the ability of a protein to maintain its function after exposure to factors that will disrupt its native structure. In the DNA extraction lab, students will learn how each reagent they use is functioning on a biochemical level to enable the release of cellular DNA. Students will be invited to choose what source they would like to extract DNA from. The class's final investigation will be to understand how protein enzymes and nucleic acids work together in the processes of transcription and translation to produce new proteins.

Topics in this Series: BioChemistry Basics (Semester 1), Decoding DNA and Genetics (semester 2). Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $25.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

This class will be taught in a Hybrid format with an online lecture on Mondays (10:00 am - 10:55 am) over a live, online platform and in-person lab and activities on Fridays (9:30 am - 10:55 am). Registration for the Lab section will automatically enroll the student in the Lecture section.

This full-year lab science course introduces classic biology topics updated for the 21st century. Biology studies living things and their relationships from microscopic to massive, ancient to modern, arctic to tropic. Our survey includes: (1) cellular and molecular biology, (2) ecology, (3) genetics, (4) biology of organisms (with selected human health and anatomy topics), and (5) evolution and diversity.

You will observe microscopic organisms and give monarch butterflies a health exam before tagging them for their 2,800 mile migration to Mexico. You will extract DNA, model its processes, and learn how scientists manipulate this magnificent molecule to make mice glow. You will observe animal behavior, test your heart rate, and practice identifying and debunking pseudo-science.

By the end of the course, students will be able to explain the nature of science as a system of knowing; cite evidence for foundational theories of modern biology; explain basic biological processes and functions; describe structures and relationships in living systems; outline systems of information, energy, and resources; demonstrate valid experimental design; discern ethical standards; relate their values and scientific ideas to decision-making; and apply biology knowledge to their own health.

Students are responsible for pre-reading and reviewing new material such as readings from the textbook and additional popular and scholarly sources, videos, and animations PRIOR to class meetings. In-person sessions focus on active discussion, clarification, exploration of content, review, modeling, and hands-on activities.

Labs address not only technical skills and sequential operations, but also forming testable predictions, collecting data, applying math, drawing conclusions, and presenting findings. Hands-on dissection, always optional, is taught with preserved crayfish and fetal pigs.

Sensitive issues: human reproduction is not taught separately, but mentioned as students learn about other, related topics such as sperm, eggs, stem cells, genetic disease, hormones, fetal development, breast-feeding, adolescence, and HIV. While there may be some debate-style discussion of topics such as GMO, abortion will not be debated. Birth control and sex education are not covered, but distinctions between gender and biological sex are discussed in detail in the genetics unit. Evolution is embedded in every topic, from molecular to ecological, inseparably from other content. It is addressed in a scientific context, not from a faith standpoint.

Levels: The course provides a substantive, full-credit experience on either an Honors or On-Level track. All class members share core material and participate in the same labs. Honors has longer or additional readings, more analytical work, and more thorough and difficult assessments. Brief, required summer assignments are due in August for those who elect to take Honors. Students register online for the same course, but must indicate which level they wish to study via e-mail by August 15. Students may move down a level (from Honors to On-Level) at any time.

Prerequisites: Students should be very strong, independent readers and able to understand graphs, tables, percentages, decimals, ratios, and averages.

Workload: All students should expect to spend 4-6 hours outside of class reading and preparing homework. Homework includes term cards, brief written responses, weekly online quizzes, unit tests, occasional lab reports, and some creative assignments including sketching. Students will sometimes prepare short, in-class presentations, participate in group projects, run simulations, or conduct simple experiments at home.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted on password-protected Canvas classroom management site. There, students access assignments; upload homework, take automated quizzes and tests; track grades; message instructor and classmates; and attend virtual conferences.

Assessments: Completed homework, projects, quizzes, and tests receive points and narrative feedback. Parents can calculate a letter grade using the student's points earned divided by points available, in weighted categories that include assignments, reading quizzes, tests, and participation and presentations. Parents may view all scoring and comments at any time through the Canvas site.

Textbook/Materials: Students must purchase or rent the textbook Biology Now: Third High School Edition (2022) published by WW Norton. A 360-day digital license directly from the publisher costs $53.00 HERE (ISBN: 978-0-393-54247-9) or $130 when bundled with a hardcover text (ISBN 978-0-393-54010-9). Used books may be available from 2022-23 students. Core textbook readings are supplemented by the instructor with updated information drawn from sources such as peer-reviewed science journals, popular science publications, and podcasts.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $130 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Supplies/Equipment: Students will need access to a computer/internet, compound microscope with 400X magnification and cool lighting, splash goggles, water-resistant/acid-resistant lab apron, kitchen or postal scale, 3-ring binder, approximately 400- 3"x5" index cards; and plain, lined, and graph paper. Some of these supplies are used at home. Weekly "Read Me First" web pages and class announcements on Canvas tell students what items to bring to class.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in Lab Science for purposes of a high school transcript.

This is a place-holder for the Biology lecture. Students should register for the Biology Lab, which will automatically enroll them in both class sections. A physical meeting room will be designated for on-campus students who have classes immediately before or after this virtual session.

Children love to imagine and construct with everyone's favorite modular block building toys! Modeled after LEGO components, students will use proprietary sets of modular bricks to complete simple engineering projects! In this 75-minute class, students will explore concepts and vocabulary in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and architecture while playing with their creations.

Second quarter, students will experiment with goofy gadgets and imaginative machines as they discover how engineered creations work and help around the house. Projects will include the laundry machine, a conveyer belt, a mixer, and more.

Each class begins with a short discussion and demonstration of the day's project and concepts. Students build individually. Instructors will provide individual assistance, facilitate challenges, and suggest performance testing, competitions, and modifications to projects.

Notes: (1) Students must be minimum age 5 and able to separate from their parents for this class. (2) Projects are built from shared, instructor-owned components, so students will not bring completed projects home. Parents, can step into class 10 minutes before the end of each session to photograph their child's construction.

Topics in this Series: Wacky Wheels (Quarter 1); Crazy Cool Creations (Quarter 2); Whirl & Wheel Wonders (Quarter 3); Playful Projects (Quarter 4)

Children love to imagine and construct with everyone's favorite modular block building toys! Modeled after LEGO components, students will use proprietary sets of modular bricks to complete simple engineering projects! In this 75-minute class, students will explore concepts and vocabulary in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and architecture while playing with their creations.

Fourth quarter, students will create contraptions representing sports and hobbies with projects like a bowling, soccer, and a catapult.

Each class begins with a short discussion and demonstration of the day's project and concepts. Students build individually. Instructors will provide individual assistance, facilitate challenges, and suggest performance testing, competitions, and modifications to projects.

Notes: (1) Students must be minimum age 5 and able to separate from their parents for this class. (2) Projects are built from shared, instructor-owned components, so students will not bring completed projects home. Parents, can step into class 10 minutes before the end of each session to photograph their child's construction.

Topics in this Series: Wacky Wheels (Quarter 1); Crazy Cool Creations (Quarter 2); Whirl & Wheel Wonders (Quarter 3); Playful Projects (Quarter 4)

Children love to imagine and construct with everyone's favorite modular block building toys! Modeled after LEGO components, students will use proprietary sets of modular bricks to complete simple engineering projects! In this 75-minute class, students will explore concepts and vocabulary in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and architecture while playing with their creations.

First quarter, students will experiment with kooky carts, quirky cars, and other wacky wheeled creations. Projects will include the Bunny Express, an elastic car, a flywheel car, and more

Each class begins with a short discussion and demonstration of the day's project and concepts. Students build individually. Instructors will provide individual assistance, facilitate challenges, and suggest performance testing, competitions, and modifications to projects.

Notes: (1) Students must be minimum age 5 and able to separate from their parents for this class. (2) Projects are built from shared, instructor-owned components, so students will not bring completed projects home. Parents, can step into class 10 minutes before the end of each session to photograph their child's construction.

Topics in this Series: Wacky Wheels (Quarter 1); Crazy Cool Creations (Quarter 2); Whirl & Wheel Wonders (Quarter 3); Playful Projects (Quarter 4)

Children love to imagine and construct with everyone's favorite modular block building toys! Modeled after LEGO components, students will use proprietary sets of modular bricks to complete simple engineering projects! In this 75-minute class, students will explore concepts and vocabulary in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, and architecture while playing with their creations.

Third quarter, students will imagine the wild wacky rides of a creative carnival with projects like a carousel, a catch cable car and a sky skipper.

Each class begins with a short discussion and demonstration of the day's project and concepts. Students build individually. Instructors will provide individual assistance, facilitate challenges, and suggest performance testing, competitions, and modifications to projects.

Notes: (1) Students must be minimum age 5 and able to separate from their parents for this class. (2) Projects are built from shared, instructor-owned components, so students will not bring completed projects home. Parents, can step into class 10 minutes before the end of each session to photograph their child's construction.

Topics in this Series: Wacky Wheels (Quarter 1); Crazy Cool Creations (Quarter 2); Whirl & Wheel Wonders (Quarter 3); Playful Projects (Quarter 4)

LEGO Mindstorms components and motors are not just for building robots! These interconnecting pieces can be constructed into an infinite number of unique, mechanized machines- much like an erector set!

Second quarter, students will discover what happens when simple machines are combined to work together. They will be challenged to develop a unique, individual segment of a maze that moves a ball from point A to point B, and each segment will link to a classmate's invention to keep the ball moving! They will use complex machines (compounded simple machines) with additional motors and more components to move the ball through a series of lifts, automated carts, moving gates, escalators, and more! Will each contraption transfer the ball to its neighbor without hitting the floor? Can they pass the ball to their neighbor without hitting the floor? This project is inspired by the LEGO Great Ball Contraption competition, which is similar to Rube Goldberg inventions. See http://greatballcontraption.com/ or You Tube videos for impressive examples of the Great Ball Contraption. Second quarter students will be challenged to build bigger, better, more complex contraptions with compound machines and more mechanization!

Topics in this Series: Gadgets & Gizmos (Quarter 1); Widgets and Whatsits (Quarter 2): Marble Mazes (Quarter 3); and Crazy Contraptions (Quarter 4).

LEGO Mindstorms components and motors are not just for building robots! These interconnecting pieces can be constructed into an infinite number of unique, mechanized machines- much like an erector set!

Each week, students will build a new gadget or gizmo like a mechanized inchworm, a ball shooter, a claw, an insect-like crawler, and more. Students will incorporate simple machines, complex machines, and small motors into their projects. They will work with new parts, more gears, and specialty pieces that they have not used even in prior 'Build It Better' classes.

Topics in this Series: Gadgets & Gizmos (Quarter 1); Widgets and Whatsits (Quarter 2): Marble Mazes (Quarter 3); and Crazy Contraptions (Quarter 4).

LEGO Mindstorms components and motors are not just for building robots! These interconnecting pieces can be constructed into an infinite number of unique, mechanized machines- much like an erector set!

First quarter, students will be challenged to develop a unique, individual segment of a maze that moves a ball from point A to point B, and each segment will link to a classmate's invention to keep the ball moving! They will be challenged to incorporate as many simple machines as possible into their maze. They will learn about levers, inclined planes, wheel and axle, wedges, screws, and pulleys while inventing. Can they move a ball through a maze with a ramp (inclined plane), a flipper (lever), or lowered bucket (pulley) without using their hands? Can they pass the ball to their neighbor without hitting the floor? This project is inspired by the LEGO Great Ball Contraption competition, which is similar to Rube Goldberg inventions. See http://greatballcontraption.com/ or You Tube videos for impressive examples of the Great Ball Contraption. Second quarter students will be challenged to build bigger, better, more complex contraptions with compound machines and more mechanization!

Topics in this Series: Gadgets & Gizmos (Quarter 1); Widgets and Whatsits (Quarter 2): Marble Mazes (Quarter 3); and Crazy Contraptions (Quarter 4).

LEGO Mindstorms components and motors are not just for building robots! These interconnecting pieces can be constructed into an infinite number of unique, mechanized machines- much like an erector set!

Each week, students will build a new widget or "whatsit" creation like a functioning scissor lift, a creeping spider, or a gripper. Engineer a mechanized doodler, a spirograph machine, and more. Students will incorporate simple machines, complex machines, and small motors into their projects. They will work with new parts, more gears, and specialty pieces that they have not used even in prior 'Build It Better' classes.

Topics in this Series: Gadgets & Gizmos (Quarter 1); Widgets and Whatsits (Quarter 2): Marble Mazes (Quarter 3); and Crazy Contraptions (Quarter 4).

This is a complete course in high school Calculus which will cover fundamental concepts and provide a solid foundation of mathematical literacy, problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the exploration of more advanced and rigorous topics in mathematics. Topics in Calculus include limits of functions (one-sided and two-sided limits, limits at infinity and infinite limits, limits of sequences, and continuity of functions), derivatives (various definitions of derivatives, estimating derivatives from tables and graphs, rules of differentiation, properties of derivatives, separable differential equations, and the Mean Value Theorem), applications of derivatives (related rates, optimization, and exponential growth and decay models), integrals (basic techniques of integration including basic antiderivatives and substitution), applications of integrals (in finding areas and volumes, describing motion, and as accumulation functions), and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Students will explore these topics through class discussions, practice problems, and open-ended problem-solving.

Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation in PreCalculus in order to take this class.

Level: This course is offered at two levels, Honors and Advanced Placement (AP). The scope and sequence are identical, however AP students may have additional practice problems. Students who wish to take the AP exam must register and pay for their own exam through the College Board in fall 2024 for the May 2025 exam.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-1.5 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 7-day cycle, with assignments posted on Thursdays and due the following Thursday. Students are advised to start homework once it is assigned (i.e., not wait until the night before it is due). Weekly homework assignments will be of a length that a student should be able to complete them in two or three at-home work sessions. Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of their work.

Assignments: The Canvas online class management system will be used to post assignments and scores. Students should have their own e-mail address in order to be set up as users of the Canvas system. Parents can also be set up as Canvas guests/observers for purposes of tracking the student's progress and workload.

Assessments: Student progress will be assessed by: (1) The instructor checking that weekly homework sets are attempted and complete and (2) detailed grading of periodic take-home tests. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade. See the instructor's webpage for detailed homework and test policy, including late work and re-work.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Calculus: Single Variable/Early Transcendentals, 8th edition by James Stewart (ISBN-13 9781305270336). A scientific calculator similar to the Casio fx-115ES PLUS is required for this class, and it is highly recommended that students preparing for the AP exam have a graphing calculator similar to the TI-83. Students without a graphing calculator must have access to desmos.com and/or wolframalpha.com for graphing assignments.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a complete credit in Calculus for purposes of a high school transcript.

Teens will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. This is a multi-level class open to Beginners, Advanced Beginners, or Intermediate Players. Instruction will be differentiated based on the make-up of the class, and teens will be placed in pairs or groups depending on experience. Each session will be with some time dedicated to a lesson and some time reserved for in-class matches that are monitored and supported by the coach. Beginners may play as a group against the instructor which is a low-pressure way to learn the game. Teens who are engrossed in their games may continue their play into Friday Teen Game Night.

Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation).

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in logic/reasoning or and elective for purposes of a high school transcript.

Teens will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. This is a multi-level class open to Beginners, Advanced Beginners, or Intermediate Players. Instruction will be differentiated based on the make-up of the class, and teens will be placed in pairs or groups depending on experience. Each session will be with some time dedicated to a lesson and some time reserved for in-class matches that are monitored and supported by the coach. Beginners may play as a group against the instructor which is a low-pressure way to learn the game. Teens who are engrossed in their games may continue their play into Friday Teen Game Night.

Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation).

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in logic/reasoning or and elective for purposes of a high school transcript.

Teens will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. This is a multi-level class open to Beginners, Advanced Beginners, or Intermediate Players. Instruction will be differentiated based on the make-up of the class, and teens will be placed in pairs or groups depending on experience. Each session will be with some time dedicated to a lesson and some time reserved for in-class matches that are monitored and supported by the coach. Beginners may play as a group against the instructor which is a low-pressure way to learn the game. Teens who are engrossed in their games may continue their play into Friday Teen Game Night.

Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation).

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in logic/reasoning or and elective for purposes of a high school transcript.

Teens will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. This is a multi-level class open to Beginners, Advanced Beginners, or Intermediate Players. Instruction will be differentiated based on the make-up of the class, and teens will be placed in pairs or groups depending on experience. Each session will be with some time dedicated to a lesson and some time reserved for in-class matches that are monitored and supported by the coach. Beginners may play as a group against the instructor which is a low-pressure way to learn the game. Teens who are engrossed in their games may continue their play into Friday Teen Game Night.

Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation).

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in logic/reasoning or and elective for purposes of a high school transcript.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 1, the focus is on history, basic strategy, and endgame fundamentals. The class will explore deeper historical facts and the evolution of the game of chess including chess cultures (India, Persia, Arab world, and Europe) along with the featured players Steinitz and Lasker. Students will learn about the three phases of the game- opening, middle game, and endgame along with endgame scenarios of King v. King + Knight (draw), King vs. King + Bishop (draw), King + Queen vs. King (basic checkmate), and King + Rook vs. King.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 1, the focus is on history, basic strategy, and endgame fundamentals. The class will explore deeper historical facts and the evolution of the game of chess including chess cultures (India, Persia, Arab world, and Europe) along with the featured players Steinitz and Lasker. Students will learn about the three phases of the game- opening, middle game, and endgame along with endgame scenarios of King v. King + Knight (draw), King vs. King + Bishop (draw), King + Queen vs. King (basic checkmate), and King + Rook vs. King.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 2, the focus will be on opening principles, positional play, and advanced endgames. The class will learn how to start the chess game considering basic piece development, control of the center, castling early and king safety. Students will continue to learn endgame scenarios such as King + Pawn vs. King and promotion techniques, the Passed Pawn, the Rule of the Square, and vertical opposition. Finally, the class will be introduced to mini games with quick mates and traps such as Scholar's Mate, Fool's Mate, and F7 attacks.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 2, the focus will be on opening principles, positional play, and advanced endgames. The class will learn how to start the chess game considering basic piece development, control of the center, castling early and king safety. Students will continue to learn endgame scenarios such as King + Pawn vs. King and promotion techniques, the Passed Pawn, the Rule of the Square, and vertical opposition. Finally, the class will be introduced to mini games with quick mates and traps such as Scholar's Mate, Fool's Mate, and F7 attacks.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 3, the focus will be on classic tactics, calculation, and pattern recognition. The class will be introduced to tactical themes and escapes including fork, pin, double attack with king, queen, and pawn, double check, and double checkmate. Students will learn classic mating patterns like Legall's Mate, Two Rooks on the 7th Rank, and Queen and Bishop Mate. Finally, students will practice tactical puzzles like Mate in 1, and Fork/Pin/Double Checkmate. The group will be introduced to computer play with limited pieces to boost creativity and problem solving strategies.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 3, the focus will be on classic tactics, calculation, and pattern recognition. The class will be introduced to tactical themes and escapes including fork, pin, double attack with king, queen, and pawn, double check, and double checkmate. Students will learn classic mating patterns like Legall's Mate, Two Rooks on the 7th Rank, and Queen and Bishop Mate. Finally, students will practice tactical puzzles like Mate in 1, and Fork/Pin/Double Checkmate. The group will be introduced to computer play with limited pieces to boost creativity and problem solving strategies.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 4, the focus will be on discipline, draw rules, and thinking skills. The class will review possible outcomes of the game including different draw types (Stalemate, Threefold Repetition, Perpetual Check) and understanding when and why games end in a draw. Students will review etiquette of the game including posture, behavior, the touch-move rule, and handling disputes. Finally, the group review the requirements for promotion to intermediate level.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Advanced Beginning Chess, students will use the Explorers Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 4, the focus will be on discipline, draw rules, and thinking skills. The class will review possible outcomes of the game including different draw types (Stalemate, Threefold Repetition, Perpetual Check) and understanding when and why games end in a draw. Students will review etiquette of the game including posture, behavior, the touch-move rule, and handling disputes. Finally, the group review the requirements for promotion to intermediate level.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 1, the goal is to build curiosity and understand basic orientation and historical context. The class will touch on the history of chess including origins in the ancient east, its spread through Europe, and a case study of chess player Paul Morphy. Students will learn chess board basics such as set-up, files, ranks, corners, white vs. black camp, the demarcation line, and king side versus queen side. Highlighted pieces will include the King and its importance and movement and the Pawns' structure, movement, and basic promotion.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 1, the goal is to build curiosity and understand basic orientation and historical context. The class will touch on the history of chess including origins in the ancient east, its spread through Europe, and a case study of chess player Paul Morphy. Students will learn chess board basics such as set-up, files, ranks, corners, white vs. black camp, the demarcation line, and king side versus queen side. Highlighted pieces will include the King and its importance and movement and the Pawns' structure, movement, and basic promotion.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 2, the goal is to increase understanding of how all chess pieces move and learn the core structure of gameplay. Students will meet the knights, bishops, rooks and the queen, learning the movements and rules for each. The class will also learn some special moves such as castling, pawn promotion, and en passant. Their in-class mini games will practice king vs. king and pawn strategies; knight-capture games, and 4X4 and 6X6 training exercises.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 2, the goal is to increase understanding of how all chess pieces move and learn the core structure of gameplay. Students will meet the knights, bishops, rooks and the queen, learning the movements and rules for each. The class will also learn some special moves such as castling, pawn promotion, and en passant. Their in-class mini games will practice king vs. king and pawn strategies; knight-capture games, and 4X4 and 6X6 training exercises.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 3, the goal is to begin to understand checks, tactics, and board etiquette. Students will learn about check and three ways to escape- block, capture, and move. The class will learn the definitions, differences, and examples of checkmate and stalemate, and practice drills. They will also learn chess etiquette, game results (wins, draws), and chess notation.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 3, the goal is to begin to understand checks, tactics, and board etiquette. Students will learn about check and three ways to escape- block, capture, and move. The class will learn the definitions, differences, and examples of checkmate and stalemate, and practice drills. They will also learn chess etiquette, game results (wins, draws), and chess notation.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 4, the goal is to learn to assess material value and build confidence in play. Students will evaluate piece value and trade logic and trade scenarios and decisions. They will learn how to judge advantage positions such as King vs King (Draw); King vs King + Knight/Bishop (Draw); King vs King + Rook/Queen (Win); and King vs King + Pawn (potential promotion). The class will practice games and participate in end-of-quarter mini tournament.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Beginning Chess, students will use the Foundation Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 4, the goal is to learn to assess material value and build confidence in play. Students will evaluate piece value and trade logic and trade scenarios and decisions. They will learn how to judge advantage positions such as King vs King (Draw); King vs King + Knight/Bishop (Draw); King vs King + Rook/Queen (Win); and King vs King + Pawn (potential promotion). The class will practice games and participate in end-of-quarter mini tournament.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Intermediate Chess, students will use the Strategists Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 1, the focus will be on history, classical champions, and endgame strategy. The group will examine the history of chess since the 20th century , styles from classical to hypermodern, and chess as a global, intellectual sport. The will examine the approaches of three champions: Jose Raul Capablanca, Alexander Alekhine, and Vera Menchik. The class will learn about endgame strategies including a checkmate with two bishops, vertical, horizontal, and diagonal opposition, and king + pawn vs. king, king on 6th rank, and winning and drawing zones. Students will practice drills with increasing complexity.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Intermediate Chess, students will use the Strategists Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 2, the focus will be on pawn dynamics, practical endgames, and board control. The group will continue an examination of endgame strategies including: double pawns, triple pawns, passed pawns, and protected-pass pawns. The class will evaluate mating patterns such as Weak Dark Squares, Lolli's Mate, Pawn on 7th, and Queen-Bishop set-up. They will cover basic opening principles like control of the center, piece development, and king safety, and opening names like Italian, Scotch, and brief introduction to Four Knights. Students will work visual examples, play practice positions, learn to identify and evaluate value and weakness through visual examples, and puzzle practice.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Intermediate Chess, students will use the Strategists Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 3, the focus will be on pattern recognition, short games, and positional awareness. The group will learn about tactical combinations such as discovered check & mate, a discovered attack, a Mate in Two, and winning a piece in a tactical gain. Students will learn 30 short games including, strong openings, early middle game attacks, defenses and blunders, and special tactics on f7 and diagonal h5-e8.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class

Two armies. One battlefield. Infinite possibilities.

Across a checkered board, two mighty monarchies prepare for battle. In this legendary clash of kings and queens, which side will triumph in a test of wit, patience, perseverance, and strategy? Students will explore the logic and thrill of the timeless game of chess under the expert guidance of Grandmaster Rashad Babaev. Whether you're a budding tactician or a curious beginner, prepare to sharpen your mind and rise to the challenge.

In Intermediate Chess, students will use the Strategists Level curriculum developed by Grandmaster Babaev for his GMChessPrep program. During Quarter 4, the focus will be on chess culture, mental preparation, and promotions. The class will review important tournament rules including game results, draw rules, specifically stalemate, 50-move rule, forfeit, BYEs, and use of a chess clock. The group will review chess etiquette and psychology including game preparation and habits, basic fours techniques, and the use of the clock. Finally, students' practice will include Mate in One and Mate in Two drills, Combination review from lower levels, material advantage studies, and mock tournament practice.

Learning and playing chess promote problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self-esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent part on instruction and part on playing time in practice matches with classmates while the instructor gives tips and reminders.

Compass chess students will be given access to GMChessPrep's online portal for virtual chess practice opportunities between classes. Also, students who are absent can request a make-up session during a regularly scheduled GMC online evening group class.

Children will enjoy the camaraderie and cooperation of making music together with others in a beginning school band! They will be introduced to brass and woodwind instruments using child-sized plastic instruments from Nuvo. These instruments offer the same fingering, hand positions, embouchure (mouth position and blowing technique) and reeds as their full-sized metal and wood counterparts in a range of fun, lively colors. The Nuvo instruments are considered a "step up" from a traditional plastic recorder with silicone keys, accurate mouthpieces, and a 1.5 octave range in the 'C' key. Students will learn to read music and play as a group. The Children's Beginner Band will get students ready to join the Compass Homeschool Concert Band as 4th graders. Student may join the Children's Band at any quarter and may continue from one quarter to the next as the instructor continues to introduce new songs and skills.

Compass owns a set of the Nuovo instruments. Students may "check out" the instruments for use during the quarter. Parents are asked to pay a refundable deposit to ensure the safe, undamaged return of the instruments at the end of the term. Deposits are: $30.00 for flute or clarinet; $110.00 for saxophone; or $130.00 for horn.

Children will enjoy the camaraderie and cooperation of making music together with others in a beginning school band! They will be introduced to brass and woodwind instruments using child-sized plastic instruments from Nuvo. These instruments offer the same fingering, hand positions, embouchure (mouth position and blowing technique) and reeds as their full-sized metal and wood counterparts in a range of fun, lively colors. The Nuvo instruments are considered a "step up" from a traditional plastic recorder with silicone keys, accurate mouthpieces, and a 1.5 octave range in the 'C' key. Students will learn to read music and play as a group. The Children's Beginner Band will get students ready to join the Compass Homeschool Concert Band as 4th graders. Student may join the Children's Band at any quarter and may continue from one quarter to the next as the instructor continues to introduce new songs and skills.

Compass owns a set of the Nuovo instruments. Students may "check out" the instruments for use during the quarter. Parents are asked to pay a refundable deposit to ensure the safe, undamaged return of the instruments at the end of the term. Deposits are: $30.00 for flute or clarinet; $110.00 for saxophone; or $130.00 for horn.

Children will enjoy the camaraderie and cooperation of making music together with others in a beginning school band! They will be introduced to brass and woodwind instruments using child-sized plastic instruments from Nuvo. These instruments offer the same fingering, hand positions, embouchure (mouth position and blowing technique) and reeds as their full-sized metal and wood counterparts in a range of fun, lively colors. The Nuvo instruments are considered a "step up" from a traditional plastic recorder with silicone keys, accurate mouthpieces, and a 1.5 octave range in the 'C' key. Students will learn to read music and play as a group. The Children's Beginner Band will get students ready to join the Compass Homeschool Concert Band as 4th graders. Student may join the Children's Band at any quarter and may continue from one quarter to the next as the instructor continues to introduce new songs and skills.

Compass owns a set of the Nuovo instruments. Students may "check out" the instruments for use during the quarter. Parents are asked to pay a refundable deposit to ensure the safe, undamaged return of the instruments at the end of the term. Deposits are: $30.00 for flute or clarinet; $110.00 for saxophone; or $130.00 for horn.

Children will enjoy the camaraderie and cooperation of making music together with others in a beginning school band! They will be introduced to brass and woodwind instruments using child-sized plastic instruments from Nuvo. These instruments offer the same fingering, hand positions, embouchure (mouth position and blowing technique) and reeds as their full-sized metal and wood counterparts in a range of fun, lively colors. The Nuvo instruments are considered a "step up" from a traditional plastic recorder with silicone keys, accurate mouthpieces, and a 1.5 octave range in the 'C' key. Students will learn to read music and play as a group. The Children's Beginner Band will get students ready to join the Compass Homeschool Concert Band as 4th graders. Student may join the Children's Band at any quarter and may continue from one quarter to the next as the instructor continues to introduce new songs and skills.

Compass owns a set of the Nuovo instruments. Students may "check out" the instruments for use during the quarter. Parents are asked to pay a refundable deposit to ensure the safe, undamaged return of the instruments at the end of the term. Deposits are: $30.00 for flute or clarinet; $110.00 for saxophone; or $130.00 for horn.

Imagine a phone app that could quickly reunite lost pets, connect the poor with resources that they need, or report a problem in the community! Code for a Cause is the Compass-based Technovation hub where middle school and high school girls will participate in the "world's largest technology entrepreneurship program for girls." Each year, Technovation teams solve real world problems through technology that they develop!
Through Technovation, girls work with women mentors, identify a problem in their community, develop a mobile app, and launch a startup. Since 2010, 140,000 girls around the world have developed mobile apps and small businesses to solve problems ranging from food waste and nutrition to women's safety, education, and much more. In this year-long program, girls will work in teams and learn the skills they need to change the world through technology.

First semester, the class will participate in team building activities and will be introduced to coding. Students will use Ozaria from Code Combat, a Python-based platform that applies stories and a gamified approach to teach the logic of coding and terminology. Once students understand these fundamentals, they will apply what they've learned in the PyCharm application outside of Code Combat's environment.

Second semester, students will form teams of 2-3 girls who will brainstorm and identify a community problem. They will propose a mobile app or AI solution to the issue and conduct market research to see if their idea is unique and feasible. Next, the team will begin developing an app following the Technovation curriculum using Python for the logic and Kivy for the Graphical User Interface. In class, girls will be coached step-by-step on the process of creating an interactive application. Finally, girls will learn how to brand their app, create a business plan, look at what it would take to bring the app to market and plan and record a pitch video for their app.

The weekly Technovation work sessions will be facilitated by an experienced Technovation coach and cybersecurity engineering student at GMU. In addition, there will be guest speakers spread throughout the semester talking on topics such as APIs, AI ethics, Marketing, Pitching to Investors, and more. Guest speakers in the past have had job titles such as CEO, Senior Cybersecurity Executive, Manager of Marketing and Communications, and Software Developer.

Participation in Technovation gives girls the confidence to pursue more computer science courses (70%) and the foundation to eventually major in computer science (26%). Technovation teams are in 100 countries, and the program is sponsored by Oracle, Google, 3M, Adobe Foundation, and others.

Level: All students will meet together, but student teams will compete in either Junior or Senior division depending the ages of the team members as of August 1, 2026: Junior Division is for girls ages 13-15, and Senior Division is for girls ages 16-18. In addition to the app and competition document, the Junior division has an additional submission of a User Adoption Plan. The Senior division has an additional submission of a Business Plan.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Will be posted on Teams classroom for students, and key reminders will be emailed to parents.

Assessments: Students will receive informal feedback throughout the project.

Lab/Supply Fee: A software fee of $50.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for access to Code Combat.

What to Bring: For this class, students should bring their laptop and charger. Chromebooks or Tablets cannot be used.

Non-Meeting Days: In addition to the scheduled days-off on the published Compass schedule, this class will not meet on 12/12/25, 1/16/26 or 5/15/26, plus one other date in both fall and spring to be announced.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in Technology or Career Exploration for purposes of a high school transcript.

**Returning students meet for 1 hour (2:00 pm- 2:55 pm) first semester and for 2 hours (1:00 pm- 2:55 pm) second semester so they do not have to repeat instruction in Python coding.**

Imagine a phone app that could quickly reunite lost pets, connect the poor with resources that they need, or report a problem in the community! Code for a Cause is the Compass-based Technovation hub where middle school and high school girls will participate in the "world's largest technology entrepreneurship program for girls." Each year, Technovation teams solve real world problems through technology that they develop!
Through Technovation, girls work with women mentors, identify a problem in their community, develop a mobile app, and launch a startup. Since 2010, 140,000 girls around the world have developed mobile apps and small businesses to solve problems ranging from food waste and nutrition to women's safety, education, and much more. In this year-long program, girls will work in teams and learn the skills they need to change the world through technology.

First semester, the class will participate in team building activities and will be introduced to coding. Students will use Ozaria from Code Combat, a Python-based platform that applies stories and a gamified approach to teach the logic of coding and terminology. Once students understand these fundamentals, they will apply what they've learned in the PyCharm application outside of Code Combat's environment.

Second semester, students will form teams of 2-3 girls who will brainstorm and identify a community problem. They will propose a mobile app or AI solution to the issue and conduct market research to see if their idea is unique and feasible. Next, the team will begin developing an app following the Technovation curriculum using Python for the logic and Kivy for the Graphical User Interface. In class, girls will be coached step-by-step on the process of creating an interactive application. Finally, girls will learn how to brand their app, create a business plan, look at what it would take to bring the app to market and plan and record a pitch video for their app.

The weekly Technovation work sessions will be facilitated by an experienced Technovation coach and cybersecurity engineering student at GMU. In addition, there will be guest speakers spread throughout the semester talking on topics such as APIs, AI ethics, Marketing, Pitching to Investors, and more. Guest speakers in the past have had job titles such as CEO, Senior Cybersecurity Executive, Manager of Marketing and Communications, and Software Developer.

Participation in Technovation gives girls the confidence to pursue more computer science courses (70%) and the foundation to eventually major in computer science (26%). Technovation teams are in 100 countries, and the program is sponsored by Oracle, Google, 3M, Adobe Foundation, and others.

Level: All students will meet together, but student teams will compete in either Junior or Senior division depending the ages of the team members as of August 1, 2026: Junior Division is for girls ages 13-15, and Senior Division is for girls ages 16-18. In addition to the app and competition document, the Junior division has an additional submission of a User Adoption Plan. The Senior division has an additional submission of a Business Plan.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Will be posted on Teams classroom for students, and key reminders will be emailed to parents.

Assessments: Students will receive informal feedback throughout the project.

Lab/Supply Fee: A software fee of $50.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for access to Code Combat.

What to Bring: For this class, students should bring their laptop and charger. Chromebooks or Tablets cannot be used.

Non-Meeting Days: In addition to the scheduled days-off on the published Compass schedule, this class will not meet on 12/12/25, 1/16/26 or 5/15/26, plus one other date in both fall and spring to be announced.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in Technology or Career Exploration for purposes of a high school transcript.

Kids will be introduced to acrylic painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Little kids will be introduced to acrylic painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Tweens will be introduced to acrylic painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Kids will be introduced to painting with multimedia and special effects in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will incorporate other complementary materials into their paintings, such as collage, and will learn techniques to create special finishes and textures. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. Topics in this series include: here is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4). T

Little kids will be introduced to painting with multimedia and special effects in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will incorporate other complementary materials into their paintings, such as collage, and will learn techniques to create special finishes and textures. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. Topics in this series include: here is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4). T

Tweens will be introduced to painting with multimedia and special effects in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will incorporate other complementary materials into their paintings, such as collage, and will learn techniques to create special finishes and textures. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. Topics in this series include: here is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4). T

Kids will be introduced to tempera painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Little kids will be introduced to tempera painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Tweens will be introduced to tempera painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Kids will be introduced to watercolor painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Little kids will be introduced to watercolor painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Tweens will be introduced to watercolor painting in a small group class under the guidance of a professional painter and art teacher. The class will learn the theory of color mixing and the techniques of blending, building up color, creating gradients, and applying light washes. The class will learn how to select the right brush and how to use water to create different effects. Our new painters will practice using paint and brush strokes to create effects like light and shadow, dimension, and texture, and how to develop backgrounds, foregrounds, and detail work. Students will try techniques such as applying and removing paint, layering, stippling, and dabbing, along with wet and dry brush techniques. Students will complete several paintings on canvas boards. A variety of subjects, such as still life, animals, florals, landscapes, seascapes, fantasy, abstracts, or "mimic the masters" will be introduced to illustrate different painting techniques through in-class projects. There is an $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Watercolor Painting (Quarter 1), Tempera Painting (Quarter 2), Acrylic Painting (Quarter 3), and MultiMedia Painting (Quarter 4).

Welcome to the Compass Crochet Club- where creativity loops us together! Kids, tweens, and teens enjoy crochet because it's relaxing, hands-on, and lets them turn yarn into something uniquely their own. Whether they're stitching up scrunchies or crafting colorful creatures, it's even more fun when shared with friends in relaxing afternoon club.

For new beginners, Crochet Club is run as a facilitated, quarter long workshop that teaches the fundamentals needed to get crafting. First quarter, new beginners will learn four basic stitches: Chain, Single Crochet, Half Doublet Crochet, and Double Crochet. When ready, beginners will make a wall hanging.

New students are welcome to join the club any quarter and will start at the first stitches and projects. Intermediate and advanced crocheters are invited to our weekly gathering. Beginners appreciate having role models and and extra set of hands. Intermediate and advanced crocheters can earn service hours by assisting the newer crafters. They may bring their own in-progress projects or may work on crochet projects for community service such as NICU infant hats, caps for the homeless, or blankets for Project Linus.

For beginners, a $30.00 supply fee is due payable to the instructor on/before the first week of the club. Intermediate and advanced crocheters may enroll in the club for a nominal facility fee of $10.00 per quarter (see Activity Fees page).