Language Arts Class Descriptions

Best Books for Boys is a facilitated book club just for preteen boys. Boys will read high-quality, age-appropriate literature and expand their understanding of what they read through book discussion and hands-on extension activities. Boys will be encouraged to interact with the story and each other through activities such as acting out or illustrating favorite scenes, discussing and writing alternate endings, prequels, origin or spinoff stories, or researching specific aspects of the story. Through guided class discussion, the group will be exposed to beginning literary analysis in a fun, interactive setting by discussing plot, theme, characters, setting, genre, writing style, and artistry using specific examples from the story. They will learn to analyze characters, their actions and motives, respond to hypothetical questions, make predictions, and answer prompts using examples from the book.

Each quarter, the class will read one book that is teacher's choice and a second book that the students select as a group from a short list curated by the instructor and student nominations on the relevant them. Students must read assigned chapters from their books at home, either as individual silent reading, read-aloud with parents' support, or listening to an audiobook edition. Readers will be encouraged to take notes on key passages or questions. All books are selected from among Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal books, and proven classics of children's fiction.

Topics in this Series and teacher's choice books include: Ingenuity- Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (Quarter 1); Kindness- Restart by Gordon Korman (Quarter 2); Tolerance- The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (Quarter 3); and Curiosity- Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students for the first book. (See Supply Fee below). Parents will be responsible for buying or checking-out a copy of the second book, once selected.
Supply Fee: A class fee of $9.50 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Book 1.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Level: This class is for 5th-6th graders. 4th grade students may enroll, but they should be reading above grade level.

Best Books for Boys is a facilitated book club just for preteen boys. Boys will read high-quality, age-appropriate literature and expand their understanding of what they read through book discussion and hands-on extension activities. Boys will be encouraged to interact with the story and each other through activities such as acting out or illustrating favorite scenes, discussing and writing alternate endings, prequels, origin or spinoff stories, or researching specific aspects of the story. Through guided class discussion, the group will be exposed to beginning literary analysis in a fun, interactive setting by discussing plot, theme, characters, setting, genre, writing style, and artistry using specific examples from the story. They will learn to analyze characters, their actions and motives, respond to hypothetical questions, make predictions, and answer prompts using examples from the book.

Each quarter, the class will read one book that is teacher's choice and a second book that the students select as a group from a short list curated by the instructor and student nominations on the relevant them. Students must read assigned chapters from their books at home, either as individual silent reading, read-aloud with parents' support, or listening to an audiobook edition. Readers will be encouraged to take notes on key passages or questions. All books are selected from among Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal books, and proven classics of children's fiction.

Topics in this Series and teacher's choice books include: Ingenuity- Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (Quarter 1); Kindness- Restart by Gordon Korman (Quarter 2); Tolerance- The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (Quarter 3); and Curiosity- Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students for the first book. (See Supply Fee below). Parents will be responsible for buying or checking-out a copy of the second book, once selected.

Supply Fee: A class fee of $7.50 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Book 1.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Level: This class is for 5th-6th graders. 4th grade students may enroll, but they should be reading above grade level.

Best Books for Boys is a facilitated book club just for preteen boys. Boys will read high-quality, age-appropriate literature and expand their understanding of what they read through book discussion and hands-on extension activities. Boys will be encouraged to interact with the story and each other through activities such as acting out or illustrating favorite scenes, discussing and writing alternate endings, prequels, origin or spinoff stories, or researching specific aspects of the story. Through guided class discussion, the group will be exposed to beginning literary analysis in a fun, interactive setting by discussing plot, theme, characters, setting, genre, writing style, and artistry using specific examples from the story. They will learn to analyze characters, their actions and motives, respond to hypothetical questions, make predictions, and answer prompts using examples from the book.

Each quarter, the class will read one book that is teacher's choice and a second book that the students select as a group from a short list curated by the instructor and student nominations on the relevant them. Students must read assigned chapters from their books at home, either as individual silent reading, read-aloud with parents' support, or listening to an audiobook edition. Readers will be encouraged to take notes on key passages or questions. All books are selected from among Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal books, and proven classics of children's fiction.

Topics in this Series and teacher's choice books include: Ingenuity- Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater (Quarter 1); Kindness- Restart by Gordon Korman (Quarter 2); Tolerance- The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (Quarter 3); and Curiosity- Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students for the first book. (See Supply Fee below). Parents will be responsible for buying or checking-out a copy of the second book, once selected.

Supply Fee: A class fee of $10.50 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Book 1.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Level: This class is for 5th-6th graders. 4th grade students may enroll, but they should be reading above grade level.

Can your child sit in a circle for story time? Line up for lunch? Take turns talking? This one-day, 3-hour (half-day) program is a "taste" of kindergarten for 5- year-olds. Start your child's week off right with "Monday mornings with Miss M" at Compass Kindergarten. Children will work in a small group with an experienced early elementary educator for this dynamic, play-based program that offers regular interaction and socialization.

This fun, activity-based program will create rhythm and routine in a homeschooled kindergartner's week and give them a sense of community and a peer group. Children will practice routines and transitions as they move through the morning. Each session will include some simple structure such as a daily arrival song/greeting, circle time, story, snack time, activity, lunch, active game, and closing/goodbyes. Through games and activities, they will also practice key childhood social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and entering play with others. Academic basics such as the ABCs, days of the week, colors, shapes, and number sense will be integrated into activities involving fairy tales, nature and art. The teacher will provide ideas for parents to work on at home with their child during the week.

Compass Kindergarten is offered in three weekly sessions: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Registration is stand-alone for each day so parents can register for one, two, or all three. While each kindergarten class will give children the opportunities for learning and playing in a social environment along with classroom routines, each of the three days will focus on a particular area of study and discovery of how each is connected.

On Mondays, the focus will be on Language Arts where students will be exposed to folktales, seasonal stories, and classic favorites while also practicing basic reading and writing skills such as sound blends, digraphs and long vowel sounds.

Parents can choose to drop children off for this program (different than Compass's school-year policies for 55 minute classes.) Children should bring a bagged lunch and water bottle to each session. There is a $40.00 material fee for class consumables due payable to the teacher on the first day of class. Registration for this program is by 16-week semester with priority registration for continuing students. Students must be age five (5) at the start of the program. Parents who are shopping around or applying to alternate kindergarten programs should review the Compass withdrawal policy.

Middle school students will learn how to improve their critical thinking for deeper understanding using strategies in reading comprehension. They will learn how to construct a basic logical syllogism, how to spot classic logical fallacies in arguments, and how to build clear, compelling, and persuasive arguments.

The class will evaluate examples from age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction works where a dilemma is presented or a claim is made. Students will learn to ask, "Is this a good argument? Is it well constructed and convincing?" They will discover how to define terms and break a whole concept into its component parts in order to formulate and defend their own arguments.

Second semester, the class will examine non fiction works such as President John F Kennedy's inaugural address "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country"), Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech, TED Talks, or even comedian James Beitch on his famous rant about spam email.
Middle school students should expect to spend an average of two hours per week on reading and short written responses for this class. Topics in this series include: Short Stories (Semester 1) and Non-Fiction (Semester 2).

In Cover-to-Cover, middle school-aged students will read renowned classics and award-winning young adult literature. This book discussion group will examine a different theme each quarter to introduce students to literary analysis. Students will read, examine, and compare two full-length novels that share similar themes through facilitated discussions and extension activities which encourage students to make personal connections to what is read. The group will evaluate themes, characters, setting, and writing style.

Fourth quarter, students will examine the theme of coming of age with Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations and Helen Keller's The Story of My Life.

Assigned chapters are expected to be read at home, either as read-aloud, individual silent reading, or listening to the unabridged audiobook. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the reading. Classroom discussions will emphasize the use of textual evidence when explaining thoughts and opinions. Students will be assigned creative, short assignments to enhance and demonstrate their understanding of each novel such as quote explications, thematic questions, or imagining a conversation between characters from different books.

Topics in this Series: Courage and Bravery (Quarter 1); Mystery/Detective (Quarter 2); Dystopian Worlds (Quarter 3); and Coming of Age (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $15.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

In Cover-to-Cover, middle school-aged students will read renowned classics and award-winning young adult literature. This book discussion group will examine a different theme each quarter to introduce students to literary analysis. Students will read, examine, and compare two full-length novels that share similar themes through facilitated discussions and extension activities which encourage students to make personal connections to what is read. The group will evaluate themes, characters, setting, and writing style.

Third quarter, students will examine the theme of dystopian worlds through The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry and second text TBD.

Assigned chapters are expected to be read at home, either as read-aloud, individual silent reading, or listening to the unabridged audiobook. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the reading. Classroom discussions will emphasize the use of textual evidence when explaining thoughts and opinions. Students will be assigned creative, short assignments to enhance and demonstrate their understanding of each novel such as quote explications, thematic questions, or imagining a conversation between characters from different books.

Topics in this Series: Courage and Bravery (Quarter 1); Mystery/Detective (Quarter 2); Dystopian Worlds (Quarter 3); and Coming of Age (Quarter 4).

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $19.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

In Cover-to-Cover, middle school-aged students will read renowned classics and award-winning young adult literature. This book discussion group will examine a different theme each quarter to introduce students to literary analysis. Students will read, examine, and compare two full-length novels that share similar themes through facilitated discussions and extension activities which encourage students to make personal connections to what is read. The group will evaluate themes, characters, setting, and writing style.

Second quarter, students will examine elements of mystery and detective novels through The Hound of the Baskervilles (1902) a Sherlock Holmes mystery by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Murder on the Orient Express (1934) by Agatha Christie.

Assigned chapters are expected to be read at home, either as read-aloud, individual silent reading, or listening to the unabridged audiobook. Students should come to class prepared to discuss the reading. Classroom discussions will emphasize the use of textual evidence when explaining thoughts and opinions. Students will be assigned creative, short assignments to enhance and demonstrate their understanding of each novel such as quote explications, thematic questions, or imagining a conversation between characters from different books.

Topics in this Series: Courage and Bravery (Quarter 1); Mystery/Detective (Quarter 2); Dystopian Worlds (Quarter 3); and Coming of Age (Quarter 4). This is a 6-week course that will not meet on 11/7/23.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $20.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Don't write poetry? Think you can't draw? Maybe not, but you may still want a creative way to record your thoughts, feelings, dreams, and ideas! Journaling is an ongoing process of discovery and exploration that allows one to be conscious of and connect
with his/her thoughts, emotions and ideas. It is a form of expression that supports both academic and personal growth.

Creative journaling is not writing daily "Dear Diary" style entries on dated pages. Instead, students will explore various journaling methods, blending self-expression and self-discovery to guide them in learning new ways to problem-solve, achieve goals, and process emotions. Students will work with several writing techniques and a range of art media to develop a personal journal throughout the quarter, and will have the opportunity to expand on it in subsequent quarters. Techniques such as freeform writing, black-out poetry, stream-of-consciousness writing, and creative list making will
be explored, in addition to experimenting with simple mixed media like collage, photography, and acrylic inks and paints. Weekly prompts will cover a range of topics such as choices, ambition, fear, and self-esteem as they relate to the students' personal lives and current events. Conversation around the prompts will complement the students' work in their individual journals.

Topics in this Series: Journal work is done in an open studio environment that allows students to join in any quarter throughout the year.

Prerequisites: No formal writing or art experience is needed. All teens are welcome.

Workload: Work outside of class is encouraged but optional.

Assignments: are given in class.

Assessments: Not provided.

Lab/Supply Fee: A supply fee of $35 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Fee covers art journal for student to use in class and shared class supplies (paints, inks, brushes, markers, collage materials, glue, washi tape, etc.)

What to Wear: Students may wish to have an apron or old shirt to wear when working with paints.

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

Don't write poetry? Think you can't draw? Maybe not, but you may still want a creative way to record your thoughts, feelings, dreams, and ideas! Journaling is an ongoing process of discovery and exploration that allows one to be conscious of and connect
with his/her thoughts, emotions and ideas. It is a form of expression that supports both academic and personal growth.

Creative journaling is not writing daily "Dear Diary" style entries on dated pages. Instead, students will explore various journaling methods, blending self-expression and self-discovery to guide them in learning new ways to problem-solve, achieve goals, and process emotions. Students will work with several writing techniques and a range of art media to develop a personal journal throughout the quarter, and will have the opportunity to expand on it in subsequent quarters. Techniques such as freeform writing, black-out poetry, stream-of-consciousness writing, and creative list making will
be explored, in addition to experimenting with simple mixed media like collage, photography, and acrylic inks and paints. Weekly prompts will cover a range of topics such as choices, ambition, fear, and self-esteem as they relate to the students' personal lives and current events. Conversation around the prompts will complement the students' work in their individual journals.

Topics in this Series: Journal work is done in an open studio environment that allows students to join in any quarter throughout the year.

Prerequisites: No formal writing or art experience is needed. All teens are welcome.

Workload: Work outside of class is encouraged but optional.

Assignments: are given in class.

Assessments: Not provided.

Lab/Supply Fee: A supply fee of $35 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Fee covers art journal for student to use in class and shared class supplies (paints, inks, brushes, markers, collage materials, glue, washi tape, etc.)

What to Wear: Students may wish to have an apron or old shirt to wear when working with paints.

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

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. Second quarter, our storytellers will detail what happens when they drift off into a delightful daydream.

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Emerging writers or readers are welcome and will receive support, if needed, to get their own words written down. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Well to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition. Topics in this Series: A Peculiar Puzzle (Quarter 1); Delightful Daydream (Quarter 2); Magic Kingdom (Quarter 3); and Hero's Journey (Quarter 4).

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. Fourth quarter, our storytellers will tell the tale of a humble hero. Will their story include an original superhero, an ordinary kid, or an old-timey tale? Where are they going, and what must they accomplish?

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Emerging writers or readers are welcome and will receive support, if needed, to get their own words written down. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Well to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition. Topics in this Series: A Peculiar Puzzle (Quarter 1); Delightful Daydream (Quarter 2); Magic Kingdom (Quarter 3); and Hero's Journey (Quarter 4).

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. Third quarter, our storytellers will they will spin the tale of their own, unique Magic Kingdom. Will their journey include wizards or warlocks, castles or caves, spells, dragons.. or something else?

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Emerging writers or readers are welcome and will receive support, if needed, to get their own words written down. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Well to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition. Topics in this Series: A Peculiar Puzzle (Quarter 1); Delightful Daydream (Quarter 2); Magic Kingdom (Quarter 3); and Hero's Journey (Quarter 4).

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. Third quarter, our storytellers will create lords and ladies who live within the twisting towers and turrets of the castle. Will the jester win the joust, or will the noble knight be victorious?

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Emerging writers or readers are welcome and will receive support, if needed, to get their own words written down. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Well to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition. Topics in this Series: A Secret Room (Quarter 1); A Shipwreck (Quarter 2); A Medieval Castle (Quarter 3); and A Winding Path (Quarter 4).

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. Second quarter, our storytellers will discover the mysterious mutiny or misfortune that marooned mariners on an isolated island. Will the stranded sailors survive their secluded situation?

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Emerging writers or readers are welcome and will receive support, if needed, to get their own words written down. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Well to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition. Topics in this Series: A Secret Room (Quarter 1); A Shipwreck (Quarter 2); A Medieval Castle (Quarter 3); and A Winding Path (Quarter 4).

Children are full of stories and bubbling over with big ideas! In this class, students will learn how to capture their creative vision into a simple story that they will write and illustrate. Two roads diverged in a wood, and our storytellers will create their own path. What happens when tricky travelers and cryptic characters meet secretive strangers on a winding woodland path?

Students will learn how to build a Story Arc through guided, weekly activities. They will discover the key elements to composing a story such as crafting characters, posing a problem, advancing the action, constructing the climax, and writing the resolution- through brainstorming questions like, "Who is in your story?", "Where does this take place?", "What does that look like?" and "What happened after ____?"

Emerging writers or readers are welcome and will receive support, if needed, to get their own words written down. Psst- don't tell your child, but this class helps lay the foundation in language arts for more advanced creative writing and composition. Pair this class with Acting: Kids Theater or Writing Well to further encourage communication and storytelling skills. The supply fee is included in the class tuition. Topics in this Series: A Secret Room (Quarter 1); A Shipwreck (Quarter 2); A Medieval Castle (Quarter 3); and A Winding Path (Quarter 4).

This full-credit English course is designed to prepare students for college level academic writing. It will deepen student's critical reading and textual analysis skills by asking students to think critically about the "American Dream" and what it means to be an American by reading texts that engage with these topics from the 18th century to today. In this course, students will read and respond in writing to both fiction and non-fiction texts, and our analytical method will focus on rhetorical context (subject, purpose and audience).

Spring Semester will feature Their Eyes Were Watching God (Zora Neale Hurston), The Things They Carried (Tim O'Brien), and a selection of other short fiction and poetry.
Writing Lab: An essential component of this course will be an in-class Writing Lab. Students in this class should have mastered the basics of academic writing, such as constructing a thesis statement that makes an argument and organizing their thoughts through effective topic sentences and transition statements. This class will deepen students' textual analysis skills with a focus on developing rhetorical analysis, the study of how a text makes meaning. Over the course of the year, students will develop familiarity with a variety of writing styles and forms including rhetorical analysis, literary analysis, critical response, close reading, opinion essay, and personal essay. Students should bring a laptop to class one day per week for in-class writing.

Prerequisites: Students taking this class should have mastered the foundations of Introduction to Genre and British Literature (or similar English courses), are expected to take an active role in discussion and complete all writing assignments.

Topics in this Series: American Literature, Part I (Semester 1) and American Literature, Part II (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $30.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the class pack of books and handouts.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current literature, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a half-credit (one semester) or full credit (both semesters) in English for purposes of a high school transcript.

This full-credit high school English class will focus on developing critical reading and writing skills through the study of a range of canonical and post-colonial genres and texts written in English. Through exposure to a variety of voices across time periods and geographical regions, students will investigate major themes, such as the importance of language as a locus of power, the continuity of human nature, and the role of the imagination.

Spring semester will introduce students to post-colonial texts and genres featuring Vindication of the Rights of Woman (Mary Wollstonecraft), Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen), Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), and Paradise Lost (John Milton).

Writing Lab: An essential component of this course will be an in-class Writing Lab. Students will write two or three critical response papers and a full-scale literary analysis essay each term. Students will continue to hone the components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Students should bring a laptop to class one day per week for in-class writing.

Topics in this Series: British Literature, Part I (Semester 1) and British Literature, Part II (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level and have completed Introduction to Genre or equivalent high school level writing class. Students are expected to take an active role in discussion and complete all writing assignments.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $30.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the class pack of books and handouts.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current literature, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a half-credit (one semester) or full credit (both semesters) in English for purposes of a high school transcript.

In this introductory high school English workshop, students will be introduced to the concepts of literary genres and analytical writing. Each quarter, the class will examine one select work or genre. Students will learn to recognize figurative language, tone, subtext and diction, identify symbolism and imagery, and develop an awareness of narrative perspective and of the social-historical contexts in which these works were created. Second quarter will feature Poetry from an anthology.

Composition: Students will also learn the fundamental components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Some class periods will be dedicated Writing Lab session in which students write in-class in order to get on-the-spot support and feedback from the teacher. Students should bring laptops to these class sessions.

Topics in this Series: The Novel (Quarter 1), Poetry (Quarter 2), The Play (Quarter 3), and The Epic (Quarter 4). Students who continue from one quarter to the next will receive priority registration.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level, and it is recommended that students have had a middle school writing class.

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

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $54.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the select novel.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

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

In this introductory high school English workshop, students will be introduced to the concepts of literary genres and analytical writing. Each quarter, the class will examine one select work or genre. Students will learn to recognize figurative language, tone, subtext and diction, identify symbolism and imagery, and develop an awareness of narrative perspective and of the social-historical contexts in which these works were created.
Fourth quarter will feature a the Epic tale featuring Robert Fagle's translation of Homer's Odyssey.

Composition: Students will also learn the fundamental components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Some class periods will be dedicated Writing Lab session in which students write in-class in order to get on-the-spot support and feedback from the teacher. Students should bring laptops to these class sessions.

Topics in this Series: The Novel (Quarter 1), Poetry (Quarter 2), The Play (Quarter 3), and The Epic (Quarter 4). Students who continue from one quarter to the next will receive priority registration.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level, and it is recommended that students have had a middle school writing class.

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

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $13.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the select novel.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

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

In this introductory high school English workshop, students will be introduced to the concepts of literary genres and analytical writing. Each quarter, the class will examine one select work or genre. Students will learn to recognize figurative language, tone, subtext and diction, identify symbolism and imagery, and develop an awareness of narrative perspective and of the social-historical contexts in which these works were created. Third quarter will feature The Play Romeo and Juliet Folger Edition by Shakespeare.

Composition: Students will also learn the fundamental components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Some class periods will be dedicated Writing Lab session in which students write in-class in order to get on-the-spot support and feedback from the teacher. Students should bring laptops to these class sessions.

Topics in this Series: The Novel (Quarter 1), Poetry (Quarter 2), The Play (Quarter 3), and The Epic (Quarter 4). Students who continue from one quarter to the next will receive priority registration.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level, and it is recommended that students have had a middle school writing class.

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

Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.

Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Supply Fee: A class fee of $8.5 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the select novel.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.

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

Be part of a team! Join the Compass Collaborative newspaper staff. The Compass student newspaper is growing to include a faculty advisor to help coordinate and schedule the efforts of the student editors, writers, and contributors. The staff will be a mixed age team, with students from 6th-12th grade, where younger students will be informally paired with older students for peer review and feedback on their writing.

Students will learn to write with a purpose and create effective factual articles, interviews, and reviews. While taking notes, gathering data, and collecting details may happen outside of class, part of each weekly staff meeting will be dedicated to writing. In weekly meetings, the advisor will discuss examples from a variety of printed media to demonstrate what constitutes 'good' writing and what is less effective. The group will also learn about the formatting, layout, and graphic design elements that go into the newspaper. All staff members will practice editing skills to improve grammar, punctation, and overall clarity and accuracy in their writing.

Each quarter, the group will decide on writing assignments and divvy up responsibilities based on individual interests. Staff members will report on Compass news and events, interview teachers, review classes, cover clubs, and write about community happenings that would interest other homeschoolers. Students may opt to write reviews of books, movies, tv shows, games, restaurants, or field trips. They may compose editorials, short stories, or poetry. Some may wish to create an ongoing column about a particular interest such as pets, sports, or space. Staff members may submit their own artwork, comics, or photographs, but will also work with Compass art teachers to get scans of other students' works each quarter. Staff may also elect to include regular features such as a recipe, a puzzle, riddles, jokes, trivia questions, or student poll result in each issue. Staff members will each contribute at least 2-3 items to the Collaborative edition each quarter.

Student staff will serve not only as writers and contributors, but also as editors of works that are submitted by other students. One or two high school members will have the opportunity to serve as editors of the student paper, roles that demonstrate leadership and are favorable in the college application process. In addition, one or two other students will serve the layout editors and will be expected to learn newspaper layout using Microsoft Publisher. All students register for the same class, and roles and responsibilities will be reviewed and delegated during the first class meeting. Students will be expected to bring a laptop, notebook, and pen/pencil to each class meeting.

Be part of a team! Join the Compass Collaborative newspaper staff. The Compass student newspaper is growing to include a faculty advisor to help coordinate and schedule the efforts of the student editors, writers, and contributors. The staff will be a mixed age team, with students from 6th-12th grade, where younger students will be informally paired with older students for peer review and feedback on their writing.

Students will learn to write with a purpose and create effective factual articles, interviews, and reviews. While taking notes, gathering data, and collecting details may happen outside of class, part of each weekly staff meeting will be dedicated to writing. In weekly meetings, the advisor will discuss examples from a variety of printed media to demonstrate what constitutes 'good' writing and what is less effective. The group will also learn about the formatting, layout, and graphic design elements that go into the newspaper. All staff members will practice editing skills to improve grammar, punctation, and overall clarity and accuracy in their writing.

Each quarter, the group will decide on writing assignments and divvy up responsibilities based on individual interests. Staff members will report on Compass news and events, interview teachers, review classes, cover clubs, and write about community happenings that would interest other homeschoolers. Students may opt to write reviews of books, movies, tv shows, games, restaurants, or field trips. They may compose editorials, short stories, or poetry. Some may wish to create an ongoing column about a particular interest such as pets, sports, or space. Staff members may submit their own artwork, comics, or photographs, but will also work with Compass art teachers to get scans of other students' works each quarter. Staff may also elect to include regular features such as a recipe, a puzzle, riddles, jokes, trivia questions, or student poll result in each issue. Staff members will each contribute at least 2-3 items to the Collaborative edition each quarter.

Student staff will serve not only as writers and contributors, but also as editors of works that are submitted by other students. One or two high school members will have the opportunity to serve as editors of the student paper, roles that demonstrate leadership and are favorable in the college application process. In addition, one or two other students will serve the layout editors and will be expected to learn newspaper layout using Microsoft Publisher. All students register for the same class, and roles and responsibilities will be reviewed and delegated during the first class meeting. Students will be expected to bring a laptop, notebook, and pen/pencil to each class meeting.

Be part of a team! Join the Compass Collaborative newspaper staff. The Compass student newspaper is growing to include a faculty advisor to help coordinate and schedule the efforts of the student editors, writers, and contributors. The staff will be a mixed age team, with students from 6th-12th grade, where younger students will be informally paired with older students for peer review and feedback on their writing.

Students will learn to write with a purpose and create effective factual articles, interviews, and reviews. While taking notes, gathering data, and collecting details may happen outside of class, part of each weekly staff meeting will be dedicated to writing. In weekly meetings, the advisor will discuss examples from a variety of printed media to demonstrate what constitutes 'good' writing and what is less effective. The group will also learn about the formatting, layout, and graphic design elements that go into the newspaper. All staff members will practice editing skills to improve grammar, punctation, and overall clarity and accuracy in their writing.

Each quarter, the group will decide on writing assignments and divvy up responsibilities based on individual interests. Staff members will report on Compass news and events, interview teachers, review classes, cover clubs, and write about community happenings that would interest other homeschoolers. Students may opt to write reviews of books, movies, tv shows, games, restaurants, or field trips. They may compose editorials, short stories, or poetry. Some may wish to create an ongoing column about a particular interest such as pets, sports, or space. Staff members may submit their own artwork, comics, or photographs, but will also work with Compass art teachers to get scans of other students' works each quarter. Staff may also elect to include regular features such as a recipe, a puzzle, riddles, jokes, trivia questions, or student poll result in each issue. Staff members will each contribute at least 2-3 items to the Collaborative edition each quarter.

Student staff will serve not only as writers and contributors, but also as editors of works that are submitted by other students. One or two high school members will have the opportunity to serve as editors of the student paper, roles that demonstrate leadership and are favorable in the college application process. In addition, one or two other students will serve the layout editors and will be expected to learn newspaper layout using Microsoft Publisher. All students register for the same class, and roles and responsibilities will be reviewed and delegated during the first class meeting. Students will be expected to bring a laptop, notebook, and pen/pencil to each class meeting.

Learn about fashion of the 19th century Europe and America as you sew your own 19th century stays with a corset kit. The corset is a classic 19th century hourglass shape and can be used for a great range of silhouettes. Lightly boned, it smooths the line of the body from bust to hip. It is cut in the shorter French style of the period from shaped pieces. Corset kits come in white cotton coutil in our full range of sizes. The corset is finished with grommeted backs and adjustable back lacing. The kit for the class includes everything you need to make your own beautiful, authentic corset: pre-cut corset pieces in natural cotton coutil, instruction guide, steel bones and bone casing, silver grommets, tipped lacing in white, yardage of matching cotton to make bias edging, thread for sewing the corset on your machine.

Students will be guided by instructor Judith Harmon who has a degree in costume design, creates the costumes for many local theaters, and teaches Compass sewing classes. The class is recommended for intermediate to advanced stitchers, including students who have taken her Learn to Sew classes. Students who are unfamiliar with machine sewing should schedule at least 4 hours of private sewing lessons through Compass before the start of class. Introduction to sewing will not be taught in this class.

Students will also need to bring a portable sewing machine to class each week. If you are purchasing a new sewing machine for the class, a Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine, 4400 series, model is recommended. ($160-$180 from Amazon or JoAnn Fabrics). Students who are bringing a pre-owed or loaned sewing machine are expected to have the machine professionally serviced before the start of class. Students must bring bobbins, replacement needles, the foot pedal, power cord, owner's manual, and extension cord to class each week. A student who forgets his/her sewing machine or who must send their machine to the shop may rent one from the instructor for $20.00 per hour. Students should also bring a basic sewing kit.
Required: Two weeks before the class begins in person, students should send the instructor their size, bust, and waist measurements and pay the material fee, so their kits can be prepared prior to the start of class. Students who are unsure of their measurements can watch the following video on how to take your own measurements: https://vimeo.com/169735158

Prerequisites: Recommended for intermediate to advanced stitchers such as those who have taken the Learn to Sew class or have experience using sewing machine. Alternatively, the student must enroll in 4-hours of private sewing instruction before the start of class.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1 hour per week outside of class.

Assignments: Will be made in class and notes/lectures will posted in the Google Classroom platform.
Assessments: Informal feedback will be provided as students work.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $130.00 is due payable to the instructor no less than two weeks before the start of class for the corset kit. Students can also elect to purchase a basic sewing kits from the instructor for $25.00.

What to Bring: Sewing machine (recently serviced, with owner's manual foot pedal, power cord, bobbins, and replacement needles); basic hand-sewing kit; 1.25 yards of decorative cotton fabric (optional).

Optional: Students who wish to personalize their corsets, can furnish 1.25 yds of non-stretch cotton material and matching thread to use as a decorative outer layer to the corset coutil.

Non-Meeting Days: In addition to the scheduled days-off on the published Compass schedule, this class does not meet on 10/20/23.

Topics in this Series: Historical Corsets- 18th Century (Semester 1), Historical Corsets- 19th Century (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

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

Great Books for Girls is a facilitated book club just for preteen girls. Girls will read high-quality, age-appropriate literature and expand their understanding of what they read through book discussion and hands-on extension activities. Girls will be encouraged to interact with the story and each other through activities such as acting out or illustrating favorite scenes, discussing and writing alternate endings, prequels, origin or spinoff stories, or researching specific aspects of the story. Through guided class discussion, the group will be exposed to beginning literary analysis in a fun, interactive setting by discussing plot, theme, characters, setting, genre, writing style, and artistry using specific examples from the story. They will learn to analyze characters, their actions and motives, respond to hypothetical questions, make predictions, and answer prompts using examples from the book.

Each quarter, the class will read one book that is teacher's choice and a second book that the students select as a group from a short list curated by the instructor and student nominations on the relevant them. Students must read assigned chapters from their books at home, either as individual silent reading, read-aloud with parents' support, or listening to an audiobook edition. Readers will be encouraged to take notes on key passages or questions. All books are selected from among Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal books, and proven classics of children's fiction.

Topics in this Series and teacher's choice books include: Perseverance- The Borrowers Aloft by Mary Norton (Quarter 1), Freedom- Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace (Quarter 2), Optimism- The Moffats by Eleanor Estes (Quarter 3), and Talent- Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (Quarter 4)

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students for the first book. (See Supply Fee below). Parents will be responsible for buying or checking-out a copy of the second book, once selected.

Supply Fee: A class fee of $8.25 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Book 1.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Level: This class is for 5th-6th graders. 4th grade students may enroll, but they should be reading above grade level.

Great Books for Girls is a facilitated book club just for preteen girls. Girls will read high-quality, age-appropriate literature and expand their understanding of what they read through book discussion and hands-on extension activities. Girls will be encouraged to interact with the story and each other through activities such as acting out or illustrating favorite scenes, discussing and writing alternate endings, prequels, origin or spinoff stories, or researching specific aspects of the story. Through guided class discussion, the group will be exposed to beginning literary analysis in a fun, interactive setting by discussing plot, theme, characters, setting, genre, writing style, and artistry using specific examples from the story. They will learn to analyze characters, their actions and motives, respond to hypothetical questions, make predictions, and answer prompts using examples from the book.

Each quarter, the class will read one book that is teacher's choice and a second book that the students select as a group from a short list curated by the instructor and student nominations on the relevant them. Students must read assigned chapters from their books at home, either as individual silent reading, read-aloud with parents' support, or listening to an audiobook edition. Readers will be encouraged to take notes on key passages or questions. All books are selected from among Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal books, and proven classics of children's fiction.

Topics in this Series and teacher's choice books include: Perseverance- The Borrowers Aloft by Mary Norton (Quarter 1), Freedom- Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace (Quarter 2), Optimism- The Moffats by Eleanor Estes (Quarter 3), and Talent- Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (Quarter 4)

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students for the first book. (See Supply Fee below). Parents will be responsible for buying or checking-out a copy of the second book, once selected.

Supply Fee: A class fee of $11.75 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Book 1.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Level: This class is for 5th-6th graders. 4th grade students may enroll, but they should be reading above grade level.

Great Books for Girls is a facilitated book club just for preteen girls. Girls will read high-quality, age-appropriate literature and expand their understanding of what they read through book discussion and hands-on extension activities. Girls will be encouraged to interact with the story and each other through activities such as acting out or illustrating favorite scenes, discussing and writing alternate endings, prequels, origin or spinoff stories, or researching specific aspects of the story. Through guided class discussion, the group will be exposed to beginning literary analysis in a fun, interactive setting by discussing plot, theme, characters, setting, genre, writing style, and artistry using specific examples from the story. They will learn to analyze characters, their actions and motives, respond to hypothetical questions, make predictions, and answer prompts using examples from the book.

Each quarter, the class will read one book that is teacher's choice and a second book that the students select as a group from a short list curated by the instructor and student nominations on the relevant them. Students must read assigned chapters from their books at home, either as individual silent reading, read-aloud with parents' support, or listening to an audiobook edition. Readers will be encouraged to take notes on key passages or questions. All books are selected from among Newbery Medalists and Honor Books, Caldecott Medal books, and proven classics of children's fiction.

Topics in this Series and teacher's choice books include: Perseverance- The Borrowers Aloft by Mary Norton (Quarter 1), Freedom- Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace (Quarter 2), Optimism- The Moffats by Eleanor Estes (Quarter 3), and Talent- Dancing Shoes by Noel Streatfeild (Quarter 4)

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students for the first book. (See Supply Fee below). Parents will be responsible for buying or checking-out a copy of the second book, once selected.

Supply Fee: A class fee of $7.75 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for Book 1.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Level: This class is for 5th-6th graders. 4th grade students may enroll, but they should be reading above grade level.

High school research paper. The mere mention strikes dread into the heart of most teens and perhaps even their parents. Yet inquiry-based research writing is a foundational high school skill for any teen who intends to pursue higher education. The good news is that research writing can be broken down into manageable, easy-to-master steps.

In this course, students will learn to write a research paper through guided inquiry. They will explore areas of interest (or a topic from another class) and learn to find answers to their questions and synthesize them in their writing. Students will explore print and electronic resources while refining their ability to determine informational needs. In addition, they will learn how to select the best and most reliable resources for their investigation and not merely the first one that "pops up."

Students will practice crafting effective questions to focus their research. In order to spot and avoid plagiarism, students will learn note-taking skills and discuss how to summarize, paraphrase, and correctly cite sources. The class will discuss the ethical use of information and learn how to create an accurate bibliography through an online bibliography generator. Finally, students will learn how to bring all of the information from different sources together cohesively. In addition to shorter pieces, the goal for each semester will be a 3-5 page research paper with proper source citation.

Each class session will include dedicated investigation or writing time. Some weeks, the instructor will ask students to bring laptops or tablets to class to research online sources. After writing, students may break up into groups of three to four to share their drafts and receive feedback from peers. That feedback will inspire further revision, refinement, and clarification of their writing. Revision is a vital step in the writing process in which writers consider what they have accomplished and what they can do to make their work more effective. Each week the writing coach will provide writing tips and guidance on everything from organizing big ideas and writing mechanics to how to give and receive constructive feedback.

Topics in this Series: Inquiry-Based Research Writing (Semester 1),

Writing Lab (Semester 2). Continuing students from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours outside of class writing, however the time will vary based on the student's stage of research and writing.

Assignments: Students will be assigned shorter works, research assignments, drafts/in-progress pieces, and a 3-5 page paper.

Assessments: The writing coach will provide individual feedback on pieces that a student brings to work on in lab.

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

Literature Roundtable is a Socratic seminar style literary analysis class for high school students. Instead of a broad, general survey of literature, Literature Roundtable students will examine a focused genre or topic in literature through critical evaluation and rich discussion.

Second semester, the class will examine classic mystery and detective novels and evaluate the genre for what makes thrilling, suspenseful stories. Works covered will include: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins (considered to be the first detective novel), Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Novels and Stories Vol.1 (Arthur Conan Doyle), a novel by Agatha Christie (TBD), and Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier.
Students taking this course should be self-motivated and engaged readers who come to class prepared to participate in weekly discussions. The instructor will provide guiding questions for each novel to help students understand how to gather textual evidence to support their insights into the text, a necessary precursor to the type of evidence gathering required to construct the literary analysis essays they will be expected to write in high school and college. Students will also be assigned creative and analytical extension activities in class designed to enhance their understanding of each novel, such as rewriting a scene, imagining a conversation between characters from different books, developing a prequel or sequel scene, or writing a review.

A key skill that will be taught in this class is how to annotate texts. Students will begin by examining samples of the instructor's own annotated novels, then move on to annotating in class as a group, learning the kinds of details to search for, such as recurring themes and motifs, symbolism, character development, diction (word choice), and setting. This incremental process will teach students how to annotate independently and how to ask their own questions, a skill which is the precursor to developing thesis statements.

Topics in this Series: The Gothic Novel (Semester 1) and The Mystery & Detective Novel (Semester 2). Continuing students from the first semester receive priority pre-registration for the second semester.

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read and comprehend at a minimum 9th grade level for this course. Per Compass guidelines, accelerated 8th grade students may register for this course, however, in addition to the 9th+ grade reading level, they must possess the maturity to handle high school level topics and more mature discussion.

Workload: Students should expect to read approximately 100 pages per week with a pen or pencil in hand for annotating. Students may use audio books as a supplement, but they should still be prepared to follow along and annotate the hard copy of the novel.

Assignments: Weekly reading assignments will be posted on Google Classroom. Students will need their own email addresses to access the system, and parents may be set up as additional "observers" to their teen's account.

Assessments: A point scale of 1-3 will be used to evaluate students based on their level of preparation, their participation in discussion, and their completion of extension activities. Parents may use the total points earned to calculate a grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, a "class bundle" of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $44.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class.

What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.

Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in English for purposes of a high school transcript. For a full credit in English, families would need to "bundle" this course with additional coursework in composition.

Explore the world of gargantuan gods, humble heroes, and malevolent monsters! Mythology is the birthplace of some of the most entertaining and incredible cultural stories ever written. Some ancient myths even have plots that rival today's comics and blockbuster movies. Many myths still have millennia-old appeal because of their timeless tales of good versus evil, life and death, creation and the afterlife. This class explores the origins of early mythology, from the Egyptians to the Greeks and Romans, through epics, plays and poetry. Readers will explore the realm of mythology through short stories, class discussion, analyses, extension activities and projects that will boost comprehension and the understanding of myths as the basis for many other forms of modern media. Students will enjoy reading and discussing battles, romance, treachery, larger than life heroes and characters, intricate gods and goddesses, and all sorts of fantastical creatures!

Second quarter, the class will explore Greek and Roman Epics such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey and Virgil's Aeneid. The class will examine the blending of legend and divine entities with historical events and important people. Students meet heroes such like Achilles, Ajax, Odysseus, and others, as they face new and exciting challenges on their adventures. The epics have a rich history of in-depth character development because of their length and a wide ensemble of supporting characters and monsters.

For this class, students need to be on-grade-level for reading. There is a $10.00 supply fee payable to the instructor on the first day for photocopied reading selections and class materials.

Topics in this series include: Ancient Egypt (Quarter 1); Greek and Roman Epics (Quarter 2); Greek and Roman Plays (Quarter 3); Greek and Roman Poetry (Quarter 4)

Explore the world of gargantuan gods, humble heroes, and malevolent monsters! Mythology is the birthplace of some of the most entertaining and incredible cultural stories ever written. Some ancient myths even have plots that rival today's comics and blockbuster movies. Many myths still have millennia-old appeal because of their timeless tales of good versus evil, life and death, creation and the afterlife. This class explores the origins of early mythology, from the Egyptians to the Greeks and Romans, through epics, plays and poetry. Readers will explore the realm of mythology through short stories, class discussion, analyses, extension activities and projects that will boost comprehension and the understanding of myths as the basis for many other forms of modern media. Students will enjoy reading and discussing battles, romance, treachery, larger than life heroes and characters, intricate gods and goddesses, and all sorts of fantastical creatures!

Third quarter, the class will explore Greek and Roman playwrights such as Sophocles and Euripides and meet intriguing characters like the Sphinx. Students will discover the mythological stories told in various genres of plays like tragedies and comedies. The class will learn about the Greek elements of theater, including the chorus, the physical theater, and the devices such as deus ex machina. Students will perform selections from some of the plays in class which will introduce the concept of meter in a fun, informal analyses of Aristotle and Socrates.

For this class, students need to be on-grade-level for reading. There is a $10.00 supply fee payable to the instructor on the first day for photocopied reading selections and class materials.

Topics in this series include: Ancient Egypt (Quarter 1); Greek and Roman Epics (Quarter 2); Greek and Roman Plays (Quarter 3); Greek and Roman Poetry (Quarter 4)

Explore the world of gargantuan gods, humble heroes, and malevolent monsters! Mythology is the birthplace of some of the most entertaining and incredible cultural stories ever written. Some ancient myths even have plots that rival today's comics and blockbuster movies. Many myths still have millennia-old appeal because of their timeless tales of good versus evil, life and death, creation and the afterlife. This class explores the origins of early mythology, from the Egyptians to the Greeks and Romans, through epics, plays and poetry. Readers will explore the realm of mythology through short stories, class discussion, analyses, extension activities and projects that will boost comprehension and the understanding of myths as the basis for many other forms of modern media. Students will enjoy reading and discussing battles, romance, treachery, larger than life heroes and characters, intricate gods and goddesses, and all sorts of fantastical creatures!

Fourth quarter, the class will meet the heroes and villains in Greek and Roman poetry such as the works of Pindar, Sappho, Catullus, and the Library of Pseudo-Apollodorus. We will also discuss meter, poetic syllables and literary devices. Most of the poems are considerably shorter than the epics and the plays, which will allow the class to study a wider variety of poetic styles and individual stories. Some stories might be familiar, such as Aesop's Fables, whereas others may be all-new tales. Students will learn to identify the morals or lessons embedded in the poetry for the audience, and how those were woven into other forms of story-telling.

For this class, students need to be on-grade-level for reading. There is a $10.00 supply fee payable to the instructor on the first day for photocopied reading selections and class materials.

Topics in this series include: Ancient Egypt (Quarter 1); Greek and Roman Epics (Quarter 2); Greek and Roman Plays (Quarter 3); Greek and Roman Poetry (Quarter 4)

Young readers and writers will explore classic tales in a variety of creative, multi-media interpretations. Pulling from classic children's literature including fairy tales, fables, and favorites, such as Newberry Award medalists, the group will explore 3-4 well-known stories each quarter (generally spending 2 weeks per tale). First, the instructor will share a lively read-aloud of the featured story. Next, the class will watch a clip of an animated, televised, or stage version of the same story. Finally, the group will hear a re-telling of the same story from a different angle, such as one adapted to a theme, a different era, or a different culture. Students will discuss what was the same and what was different among the different adaptations. Was a character added or omitted? Was the performed version true to the original? Finally, students will write and illustrate their own, original re-telling of the story by changing characters, setting, or even crafting a surprise, new ending. New Twists on Old Tales introduces some basic literary elements and rudimentary literary analysis skills to encourage children to think more deeply about what they read.

Second quarter will feature Animal Adventures with favorites such as The Tortoise and the Hare; The Lion and the Mouse, and Town Mouse & the Country Mouse.

The PenPoint Literary Magazine Board is a home for students who love to write, who love to read writing, and who love to share writing with others. Students in this course will select writings from their portfolios and prepare them to submit to contests, anthologies and publications beyond our Compass campus. While continuing to draft and explore their own personal writing, students will assume editorial roles in the production of Pen Point, a nation-wide homeschool literary and arts anthology. As editors, students will design and build an anthology, advertise the publication, solicit manuscripts and artwork, develop selection criteria, review/select/edit material, and learn the principles of layout and design. Embedded in this process are real-world experiences, and students will improve their communication and organization skills through goal-setting, time management, meeting deadlines, emailing, confirmations, proofreading, etc.

Note:This is an online class with some meetings in a virtual classroom providing live, synchronous collaboration.

Topics in this Series: Creative Writing (Semester 1) and Publsihing (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Advanced reading, writing, and analytical skills.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class on investigation, writing, or editing for this class. Assignments: Writing and editing assignments will be delegated by the student board. Assessments: In lieu of a teacher-provided assessments, writers will receive peer feedback on their own work, and the finished product will be a printed anthology for their portfolio.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $20.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for publishing expenses

What to Bring: Students should bring laptops to class to work collaboratively and real-time on shared documents and the class portal.

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

Reading affects a student's achievement in all aspects of schoolwork, so strong literacy skills are fundamental to success in homeschooling. This weekly class is a small reading group where students are placed with 2-4 peers who read at a similar level to follow a comprehensive language arts curriculum under the guidance of experienced reading specialist Catherine Vanlandingham. Each Monday meeting will include a short story with select vocabulary words, a graphic organizer, main themes, and embedded learning objectives. Students will continue to practice language arts skills at home with easy-to-implement "page a day" workbook activities assigned by the instructor and implemented by the parents. For most early elementary learners, enrollment in Reading Rally can serve as either a supplement to another at-home reading curriculum or as a complete, self-contained language arts curriculum.
Weekly readings are organized around thematic units. The instructor will teach students how to approach a new story as a fun reading puzzle. For example, before reading in class, students will conduct a "picture walk" to overview and predict elements of the story from the illustrations, review a graphic organizer to assist in writing sentences, define vocabulary words, and preview summary questions. Then, the instructor will read the story aloud, model good reading practices, and encourage students to read. Students will only be asked to read aloud when they feel comfortable and have built trust in their group. All follow-up activities are designed around learning objectives such as decoding, comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbalization.
First time registrations in Reading Rally include the cost of a 30-minute, individual assessment conducted in-person or virtually by Mrs. Vanlandingham. Parents are encouraged to contact Compass to schedule their child's reading assessment before registering. Families register without the assessment for grade-level placement must be prepared to reschedule to a different reading group if indicated by the assessment.
Grade level references in Reading Rally are based on scope, sequence and pacing that correlate to the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) standards of learning. Students who are more than one year behind in GLE may be recommended for a second, weekly class meeting on Fridays or in additional 1-on-1 private reading instruction to make up ground in reading skills. The instructor has experience working with reluctant and fearful readers, those who are late bloomers, neurodivergent, dyslexic, and ESOL students. The instructor may recommend a more complete evaluation by a neuropsychologist if she suspects other learning differences are impacting the student's reading.
Students will work from a spiral bound copy of reading textbook and workbook by Pearson. A class fee of $80.00 is due payable to Compass for class materials.
Students continuing from one semester to the next will receive priority registration to remain with their reading group and do not have to pay for an additional assessment.

Reading affects a student's achievement in all aspects of schoolwork, so strong literacy skills are fundamental to success in homeschooling. This weekly class is a small reading group where students are placed with 2-4 peers who read at a similar level to follow a comprehensive language arts curriculum under the guidance of experienced reading specialist Catherine Vanlandingham. Each Monday meeting will include a short story with select vocabulary words, a graphic organizer, main themes, and embedded learning objectives. Students will continue to practice language arts skills at home with easy-to-implement "page a day" workbook activities assigned by the instructor and implemented by the parents. For most early elementary learners, enrollment in Reading Rally can serve as either a supplement to another at-home reading curriculum or as a complete, self-contained language arts curriculum.
Weekly readings are organized around thematic units. The instructor will teach students how to approach a new story as a fun reading puzzle. For example, before reading in class, students will conduct a "picture walk" to overview and predict elements of the story from the illustrations, review a graphic organizer to assist in writing sentences, define vocabulary words, and preview summary questions. Then, the instructor will read the story aloud, model good reading practices, and encourage students to read. Students will only be asked to read aloud when they feel comfortable and have built trust in their group. All follow-up activities are designed around learning objectives such as decoding, comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbalization.
First time registrations in Reading Rally include the cost of a 30-minute, individual assessment conducted in-person or virtually by Mrs. Vanlandingham. Parents are encouraged to contact Compass to schedule their child's reading assessment before registering. Families register without the assessment for grade-level placement must be prepared to reschedule to a different reading group if indicated by the assessment.
Grade level references in Reading Rally are based on scope, sequence and pacing that correlate to the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) standards of learning. Students who are more than one year behind in GLE may be recommended for a second, weekly class meeting on Fridays or in additional 1-on-1 private reading instruction to make up ground in reading skills. The instructor has experience working with reluctant and fearful readers, those who are late bloomers, neurodivergent, dyslexic, and ESOL students. The instructor may recommend a more complete evaluation by a neuropsychologist if she suspects other learning differences are impacting the student's reading.
Students will work from a spiral bound copy of reading textbook and workbook by Pearson. A class fee of $89.00 is due payable to Compass for class materials.
Students continuing from one semester to the next will receive priority registration to remain with their reading group and do not have to pay for an additional assessment.

Reading affects a student's achievement in all aspects of schoolwork, so strong literacy skills are fundamental to success in homeschooling. This weekly class is a small reading group where students are placed with 2-4 peers who read at a similar level to follow a comprehensive language arts curriculum under the guidance of experienced reading specialist Catherine Vanlandingham. Each Monday meeting will include a short story with select vocabulary words, a graphic organizer, main themes, and embedded learning objectives. Students will continue to practice language arts skills at home with easy-to-implement "page a day" workbook activities assigned by the instructor and implemented by the parents. For most early elementary learners, enrollment in Reading Rally can serve as either a supplement to another at-home reading curriculum or as a complete, self-contained language arts curriculum.
Weekly readings are organized around thematic units. The instructor will teach students how to approach a new story as a fun reading puzzle. For example, before reading in class, students will conduct a "picture walk" to overview and predict elements of the story from the illustrations, review a graphic organizer to assist in writing sentences, define vocabulary words, and preview summary questions. Then, the instructor will read the story aloud, model good reading practices, and encourage students to read. Students will only be asked to read aloud when they feel comfortable and have built trust in their group. All follow-up activities are designed around learning objectives such as decoding, comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbalization.
First time registrations in Reading Rally include the cost of a 30-minute, individual assessment conducted in-person or virtually by Mrs. Vanlandingham. Parents are encouraged to contact Compass to schedule their child's reading assessment before registering. Families register without the assessment for grade-level placement must be prepared to reschedule to a different reading group if indicated by the assessment.
Grade level references in Reading Rally are based on scope, sequence and pacing that correlate to the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) standards of learning. Students who are more than one year behind in GLE may be recommended for a second, weekly class meeting on Fridays or in additional 1-on-1 private reading instruction to make up ground in reading skills. The instructor has experience working with reluctant and fearful readers, those who are late bloomers, neurodivergent, dyslexic, and ESOL students. The instructor may recommend a more complete evaluation by a neuropsychologist if she suspects other learning differences are impacting the student's reading.
Students will work from a spiral bound copy of reading textbook and workbook by Pearson. A class fee of $68.00 is due payable to Compass for class materials.
Students continuing from one semester to the next will receive priority registration to remain with their reading group and do not have to pay for an additional assessment.

Reading affects a student's achievement in all aspects of schoolwork, so strong literacy skills are fundamental to success in homeschooling. This weekly class is a small reading group where students are placed with 2-4 peers who read at a similar level to follow a comprehensive language arts curriculum under the guidance of experienced reading specialist Catherine Vanlandingham. Each Monday meeting will include a short story with select vocabulary words, a graphic organizer, main themes, and embedded learning objectives. Students will continue to practice language arts skills at home with easy-to-implement "page a day" workbook activities assigned by the instructor and implemented by the parents. For most early elementary learners, enrollment in Reading Rally can serve as either a supplement to another at-home reading curriculum or as a complete, self-contained language arts curriculum.
Weekly readings are organized around thematic units. The instructor will teach students how to approach a new story as a fun reading puzzle. For example, before reading in class, students will conduct a "picture walk" to overview and predict elements of the story from the illustrations, review a graphic organizer to assist in writing sentences, define vocabulary words, and preview summary questions. Then, the instructor will read the story aloud, model good reading practices, and encourage students to read. Students will only be asked to read aloud when they feel comfortable and have built trust in their group. All follow-up activities are designed around learning objectives such as decoding, comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbalization.
First time registrations in Reading Rally include the cost of a 30-minute, individual assessment conducted in-person or virtually by Mrs. Vanlandingham. Parents are encouraged to contact Compass to schedule their child's reading assessment before registering. Families register without the assessment for grade-level placement must be prepared to reschedule to a different reading group if indicated by the assessment.
Grade level references in Reading Rally are based on scope, sequence and pacing that correlate to the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) standards of learning. Students who are more than one year behind in GLE may be recommended for a second, weekly class meeting on Fridays or in additional 1-on-1 private reading instruction to make up ground in reading skills. The instructor has experience working with reluctant and fearful readers, those who are late bloomers, neurodivergent, dyslexic, and ESOL students. The instructor may recommend a more complete evaluation by a neuropsychologist if she suspects other learning differences are impacting the student's reading.
Students will work from a spiral bound copy of reading textbook and workbook by Pearson.
Students continuing from one semester to the next will receive priority registration to remain with their reading group and do not have to pay for an additional assessment.

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

This class section is for continuing, first quarter students. 

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

This class section is for continuing, first quarter students. 

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

This is a new class section is for students new to Reading Ready. Returning/continuing students should not enroll in this section, because activities will be repeated from 1st quarter.

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

Reading Rally is a supplemental reading and writing class for 5- and 6- year-olds. The class is whole language inspired with phonics games, partner reading, simple journaling, and self-created spelling lists for home. The group will explore habits of good readers and writers through examples of well-loved children's authors. Students must already be able to recognize each letter and corresponding sound of the alphabet, be familiar with simple blends, know a few beginner sight words (such as I, am, and no), and must be able to write their own name.

Public speaking skills are essential to academia, success in future careers, and to simply making friends or standing up for yourself! Students will develop their public speaking skills and their own "voice" through the art of storytelling in a fun, supportive environment taught by a public speaking coach.

In this class, students will examine the elements of effective storytelling by playing hilarious storytelling games and practicing storytelling assignments. The group will identify the elements of a story and how to structure and write a story that will be told aloud. They will learn about different types of stories, from fiction and fantasy stories to personal narratives, motivational, and persuasive stories. Students will learn how to best perform a story of any kind, conquer any level of nervousness, and become more confident storytellers. They will discover how to use storytelling to enhance anything they do.

Each class includes an icebreaker activity, a daily lesson, practice through a game or assignment, individualized feedback, and wrap-up. Students will practice posture, eye contact, enunciation, gestures, pauses, and timing while receiving tips and techniques from the coach and peers. The class will culminate in an end of the quarter presentation for parents.

Topics in future quarters include: Finding Your Voice (Expository)- 3rd quarter, and Making Your Point (Persuasive)- 4th quarter

Public speaking skills are essential to academia, success in future careers, and to simply making friends or standing up for yourself! Students will develop their public speaking skills and their own "voice" through the art of storytelling in a fun, supportive environment taught by a public speaking coach.

In this class, students will examine the elements of effective storytelling by playing hilarious storytelling games and practicing storytelling assignments. The group will identify the elements of a story and how to structure and write a story that will be told aloud. They will learn about different types of stories, from fiction and fantasy stories to personal narratives, motivational, and persuasive stories. Students will learn how to best perform a story of any kind, conquer any level of nervousness, and become more confident storytellers. They will discover how to use storytelling to enhance anything they do.

Each class includes an icebreaker activity, a daily lesson, practice through a game or assignment, individualized feedback, and wrap-up. Students will practice posture, eye contact, enunciation, gestures, pauses, and timing while receiving tips and techniques from the coach and peers. The class will culminate in an end of the quarter presentation for parents.

Topics in future quarters include: Finding Your Voice (Expository)- 3rd quarter, and Making Your Point (Persuasive)- 4th quarter

Teen writers will take inspiration from other writers in this semester-long creative writing workshop:

This class is designed to inspire teens who are interested in writing short fiction to learn the "tools of the trade", from developing a plot that fits within the scope of a short story arc and developing narrative structure and characterization, to writing convincing dialogue. Each week students will read a short story that demonstrates a particular narrative perspective or technique and then complete a writing exercise designed to emulate that technique. Portions of each class will be dedicated to writing and to peer feedback. The class will culminate in sharing any stories that may develop out of these exercises in a collaborative workshop setting.

Topics in this Series: The Art of Storytelling continues both semesters, with each semester a separate registration. The short stories and writing styles examined will not be repeated, so students can take both semesters to further their writing. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Reading/writing at a high school level (9th grade or higher)

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class.

Assignments: Weekly reading assignments will be posted on Google Classroom. Students will need their own email addresses to access the system, and parents may be set up as additional "observers" to their teen's account.

Assessments: A point scale of 1-3 will be used to evaluate students based on their level of preparation, their participation in discussion, and their completion of extension activities. Parents may use the total points earned to calculate a grade.

Textbook/Materials: Because students will need a clean, inexpensive copies of the short story anthology, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, the selected collection will be pre-purchased for students. (See Supply Fee below).

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of TBD (less than $10.00) is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the Short Story Anthology that will be used in class (to be selected).

What to Bring: Short story collection, notebook or laptop (depending on student's preferred method of writing), and printed copies of student's writing on days he/she is ready to share writing.

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

Students will become immersed in the imaginary worlds they construct in this unique course that encompasses elements of fiction writing, sociology, and anthropology. Worldbuilding is the foundation of speculative fiction, such as sci-fi and fantasy, role-playing games, videos, comics, and other visual media. Countless examples of Worldbuilding exist in the movies and books we consume every day such as Tolkien's Middle Earth, the many elaborate settlements of the Star Wars franchise, and the popular RPG, Dungeons and Dragons.

In this course, students will develop a fictional locale. Will it be a small village in a known place, a new planet, or an original universe? Students will be guided through an interactive, iterative process of "top-down" design of their unique world, determining broad characteristics first then then elaborating with increasing detail. Builders will make coherent and integrated decisions on geography, climate, ecology, flora, fauna, inhabitants, races, history, social customs, language, religion, origin story, powers/magic, legal system, currency, and technology. The class will read excerpts and watch clips of well-known fictional works which will provide strong examples of each of the elements.

Second semester, the class will create Elemental worlds which depict imaginary civilizations that exist underwater like Avatar: The Way of Water, in the sky like Cloud City on the planet Bespin in the Star Wars universe, or in and inferno-filled underworld, for example. Students, along with their instructor, will develop an in-class world as an example. They will use the lessons and exercises reviewed in class to further develop their individual world project.

Students will be expected to keep a notebook of decisions and details as they progress through designing the elements of their world. Students will have the option to purchase a discounted student subscription to World Anvil, a web-based subscription service which allows students to create maps, timelines, and other tools to organize their made-up world. Each student will be expected to make a PowerPoint presentation at the end of the semester which addresses each of the built-world elements.

Topics in this Series: Post Apocalyptic Worlds (Semester 1), Elemental Worlds (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester will receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

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

Assignments: Will be posted in a Google Classroom and consist of weekly responses to prompts

Assessments: The instructor will assign points for a final semester presentation and completed "Creative Sparks" which are written responses to weekly prompts. Parents may use the student's earned points versus total possible points to calculate a grade for the purposes of a homeschool transcript.

Textbook/Materials: Students have the option of purchasing a discounted subscription to World Anvil (worldanvil.com) for approximately $35.00.

Lab/Supply Fee: Included

Non-Meeting Days: None.

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

Write to the Point is a comprehensive, middle school-level writing class that will prepare 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students for high school level composition. The class will practice the fundamentals of composition through weekly writing assignments that encompass a variety of writing formats.

Second Semester, students will learn to "stick to the point" in their writing. They will be challenged to identify their audience, define their purpose, and back-up their topic, thesis, or moral across multiple paragraph compositions. The class will continue to review writing basics such as grammar, agreement, and tense, and will learn tips for effective revision, editing, and feedback. Students will have the flexibility to select prompts and topics relevant to their own interests and will practice a variety of longer writing styles such as essays and short stories.

Part of each in-class session will be dedicated to sharing and review of writing completed at home. Sometimes, students will be paired with classmates for peer review of grammar; other times, the class will collaborate through shared GoogleDocs for review and feedback of others' writing. Students should bring a laptop and charging cord to class each week for accessing in-progress assignments.

Topics in this series include: Paragraphs & Articles (Semester 1) and Essays & Short Stories (Semester 2).

Writers @ Work is a fundamental writing class that will prepare seventh and eighth grade students for high school level composition. The class will progress from getting started on learning how to effectively structure purposeful paragraphs) (first semester) to multiple paragraphs linked into articulate and organized essays (second semester).

Second semester will focus on essay writing by combining several paragraphs to form a paper. Essays will cover persuasive, personal, and formal themes. Students will learn about topic sentences, transitions between paragraphs, clarity, and guiding the reader through their discussion. Writers will learn about organizing their thoughts or evidence and selecting the most important points to craft a multi-paragraph composition. Students have freedom to choose topics for each form. They will be encouraged to first write about something they already know about and then write about a new topic where they will be challenged to define the question they want to investigate, find sources for their research, organize details, and document information used.

Grammar concepts will be introduced throughout the year, and students will be encouraged to incorporate the technique in their next writing or revision. Grammar concepts will include a "toolbox" of writing techniques and rules such as sentence structure, complex and compound sentences, independent and dependent clauses, parts of speech, agreement, tense, use of dialogue and quotation marks, and correct use of punctuation. Students will also be taught techniques for brainstorming and outlining before beginning to write and will be given tips on choosing creative, interesting, and powerful words over mundane, vague, and over-used words.

In both semesters, there will be an emphasis on revision. Writing is seldom just the way the author hopes in the first draft. At times, students will be encouraged to use the same paragraph for several weeks to build-upon their first draft, incorporate feedback, apply writing and grammar techniques, in order for them to see the benefits of revision. They will learn to read their own writing from a reader's perspective and develop strategies for improving it. Students will give and receive feedback from class peers and receive regular feedback from the instructor. Time will be set aside in most classes for dedicated, in-class writing (8-10 minutes.)

Exploring a deserted island, arriving in a magical world, evading pirates, and time travel. Great childhood adventures come from reading and dreaming about some classic works. But have you wondered how the story would transform if you changed key elements and penned a new ending? In this class, students will read and evaluate sample chapters from Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jules Verne, Sir Walter Scott, Lewis Carroll, and Madeleine L'Engle. They will learn how to summarize chapters and identify the elements of the story. With an emphasis on creativity and imagination, the tween writers will first study six picture books by favorites Jane Yolen, Margaret Wise Brown, Eric Carle, E.B White, Roald Dahl, and Kenneth Grahame. They will write new endings to these classical children's stories. Students will also select a classic work from a list provided by the instructor. They will read the text and write a new ending to the classic tale. Students can even adapt a classic to a graphic novel-style ending. To develop a sense of audience, students will work on ending ideas, review drafts and in-progress writing with their peers and incorporate peer feedback as they develop their original endings. An anthology of new endings to classics will be published at the end of the quarter.

The Writers Workshop gives middle school students in grades 6-7 the skills they need for writing, reading, listening, and speaking that come from practicing by putting pen to paper. In class, students will share drafts and in-progress works to receive peer feedback and promote revising and editing skills. Each quarter, students will review samples of literature and write about popular themes using the story elements of that theme.

Imagination and creativity come easily to most young writers, but acquiring technical skills is also important. Each quarter, students will focus on specific skills in addition to specific genres as part of their "Writer's Tool Kit." These skills include: grammar basis such as parts and kinds of sentences, plurals, possessives, punctuation; learning how to use a dictionary and a thesaurus; and advanced middle/high school skills like summarizing, outlining, note taking, writing a book report, or citing sources.

Homework: Students are expected to write in a journal for a minimum of four minutes per day and respond to prompts that are sent home on an assignment bookmark. They will also be asked to read short assignments such as a chapter or excerpt in preparation for class discussions.

Topics in this Series: Creating Children's Books (Quarter 1); Time Travel- Fantasy & Science Fiction (Quarter 2); Time Travel- Historical Fiction (Quarter 3); and Reading Classics, Writing New Endings (Quarter 4).

Are you a fan of the Middle Ages? Do you like reading all about someone famous or an event in World War II? Perhaps there's a monarch or an event in history that you are curious about. The use of historical elements to generate a good tale in another time is a popular genre of writing. Students will use their imaginations to create characters and place them in a true setting and events. The class will read about a few historical events, learn how to plan basic research, select references, locate primary sources, organize research notes, and ultimately select the most compelling details to integrate in their historical fictional writing. To develop a sense of audience, students will work on story ideas, review drafts and in-progress writing with their peers and incorporate peer feedback as they develop their stories. An anthology of stories will be published at the end of the quarter.

The Writers Workshop gives middle school students in grades 6-7 the skills they need for writing, reading, listening, and speaking that come from practicing by putting pen to paper. In class, students will share drafts and in-progress works to receive peer feedback and promote revising and editing skills. Each quarter, students will review samples of literature and write about popular themes using the story elements of that theme.

Imagination and creativity come easily to most young writers, but acquiring technical skills is also important. Each quarter, students will focus on specific skills in addition to specific genres as part of their "Writer's Tool Kit." These skills include: grammar basis such as parts and kinds of sentences, plurals, possessives, punctuation; learning how to use a dictionary and a thesaurus; and advanced middle/high school skills like summarizing, outlining, note taking, writing a book report, or citing sources.

Homework: Students are expected to write in a journal for a minimum of four minutes per day and respond to prompts that are sent home on an assignment bookmark. They will also be asked to read short assignments such as a chapter or excerpt in preparation for class discussions.

Topics in this Series: Creating Children's Books (Quarter 1); Time Travel- Fantasy & Science Fiction (Quarter 2); Time Travel- Historical Fiction (Quarter 3); and Reading Classics, Writing New Endings (Quarter 4).

What do Star Wars planet Jakku and Alice's Wonderland have in common? What gives fantasy its unique characteristics? What makes a story science fiction, and why do both genres often include time travel? An understanding of fantasy writing includes a look at science fiction. By seeing the similarities and differences in the works of Jules Verne, Kenneth Grahame, Lewis Carroll, E.B. White, and Madeline L Engle, students will create their own fantasy or sci-fi themed time travel stories. To develop a sense of audience, students will work on story ideas, review drafts and in-progress writing with their peers and incorporate peer feedback as they develop their stories. An anthology of stories will be published at the end of the quarter.

The Writers Workshop gives middle school students in grades 6-7 the skills they need for writing, reading, listening, and speaking that come from practicing by putting pen to paper. In class, students will share drafts and in-progress works to receive peer feedback and promote revising and editing skills. Each quarter, students will review samples of literature and write about popular themes using the story elements of that theme.

Imagination and creativity come easily to most young writers, but acquiring technical skills is also important. Each quarter, students will focus on specific skills in addition to specific genres as part of their "Writer's Tool Kit." These skills include: grammar basis such as parts and kinds of sentences, plurals, possessives, punctuation; learning how to use a dictionary and a thesaurus; and advanced middle/high school skills like summarizing, outlining, note taking, writing a book report, or citing sources.

Homework: Students are expected to write in a journal for a minimum of four minutes per day and respond to prompts that are sent home on an assignment bookmark. They will also be asked to read short assignments such as a chapter or excerpt in preparation for class discussions.

Topics in this Series: Creating Children's Books (Quarter 1); Time Travel- Fantasy & Science Fiction (Quarter 2); Time Travel- Historical Fiction (Quarter 3); and Reading Classics, Writing New Endings (Quarter 4).

Writing is one of the most essential communication skills, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, upper elementary-aged students will learn the FUN-damentals of Writing Well! Kids will learn the foundations of good writing, step-by-step, in manageable, weekly pieces. Students will start the year with learning to formulate strong sentences and eventually move to organized, cohesive paragraphs in this class series. Classes will consist of lessons on writing basics, reading great examples (and weak ones) from literature and publications, and in-class writing practice. The emphasis will be on varying sentence structures, word choice, and correct structure- all with fun, creative topics that will keep kids interested in writing!

During quarter 3, the class will exercise their paragraph-writing skills in writing about fictional scenarios and brief stories. Students will take the skills of writing topic sentences, supporting sentences, and the clincher and weave in elements of story writing such as characters, setting, and situation. Fiction writing builds confidence as it is sun for students to fill in supporting details such as creative names, colorful adjectives, captivating adjectives, and concise verbs in order to tell their story. The class will learn to define what they want to convey in a paragraph and how to guide the reader through the points of their paragraph. By the end of quarter two, students will be able to write clear, cohesive and well-organized body paragraphs.

The goal for this course is for students to increase their writing fluency, gain confidence, and strengthen their abilities to write clear, cohesive, and grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. The group will learn the stages of writing--prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing--and various approaches to each stage. Throughout the quarter, mini-lessons on vocabulary and grammar will be presented on topics such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, synonyms, etc. Each week, students will have brief homework assignments based on what was covered in class using creative and non-fiction free response prompts to practice techniques at home. Regular writing practice improves fluency and comfort level. Students should expect 45-60 minutes of writing at home throughout the week (3-4 days at 15 minutes per sitting.)

Topics in this series include Sentences that Speak (Quarter 1), Planning Paragraphs (Quarter 2), Fascinating Fiction Paragraphs (Quarter 3), and Fun Factual Paragraphs (Quarter 4).

Writing is one of the most essential communication skills, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, upper elementary-aged students will learn the FUN-damentals of Writing Well! Kids will learn the foundations of good writing, step-by-step, in manageable, weekly pieces. Students will start the year with learning to formulate strong sentences and eventually move to organized, cohesive paragraphs in this class series. Classes will consist of lessons on writing basics, reading great examples (and weak ones) from literature and publications, and in-class writing practice. The emphasis will be on varying sentence structures, word choice, and correct structure- all with fun, creative topics that will keep kids interested in writing!

During quarter 4, the class will exercise their paragraph-writing skills in writing about factual topics and brief reports. Students will take the skills of writing topic sentences, supporting details, and the conclusion and learn to answer key inquiries such as who, what, where, when, why...and how? Students will learn how to separate fact from fiction and opinion while supporting their writing with an appropriate level of detail/ Factual writing is a key skill for students to be able to show what they know or what they learned. Example factual paragraphs that this class may tackle include book reports, restaurant reviews, or the results of an interview they conducted. By the end of quarter four, students will be able to write clear, cohesive and well-organized factual paragraphs.

The goal for this course is for students to increase their writing fluency, gain confidence, and strengthen their abilities to write clear, cohesive, and grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. The group will learn the stages of writing--prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing--and various approaches to each stage. Throughout the quarter, mini-lessons on vocabulary and grammar will be presented on topics such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, synonyms, etc. Each week, students will have brief homework assignments based on what was covered in class using creative and non-fiction free response prompts to practice techniques at home. Regular writing practice improves fluency and comfort level. Students should expect 45-60 minutes of writing at home throughout the week (3-4 days at 15 minutes per sitting.)

Topics in this series include Sentences that Speak (Quarter 1), Planning Paragraphs (Quarter 2), Fascinating Fiction Paragraphs (Quarter 3), and Fun Factual Paragraphs (Quarter 4).

Writing is one of the most essential communication skills, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, upper elementary-aged students will learn the FUN-damentals of Writing Well! Kids will learn the foundations of good writing, step-by-step, in manageable, weekly pieces. Students will start the year with learning to formulate strong sentences and eventually move to organized, cohesive paragraphs in this class series. Classes will consist of lessons on writing basics, reading great examples (and weak ones) from literature and publications, and in-class writing practice. The emphasis will be on varying sentence structures, word choice, and correct structure- all with fun, creative topics that will keep kids interested in writing!

Quarter two will begin with learning to formulate paragraphs from sentences! The class will learn about and practice writing topic sentences, supporting sentences, and the concluding paragraph sentence. Students will write paragraphs in response to a variety of prompts (informational, persuasive, cause and effect, etc). The class will learn to define what they want to convey in a paragraph and how to guide the reader through the points of their paragraph. By the end of quarter two, students will be able to write clear, cohesive and well-organized body paragraphs.

The goal for this course is for students to increase their writing fluency, gain confidence, and strengthen their abilities to write clear, cohesive, and grammatically correct sentences and paragraphs. The group will learn the stages of writing--prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing--and various approaches to each stage. Throughout the quarter, mini-lessons on vocabulary and grammar will be presented on topics such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, synonyms, etc. Each week, students will have brief homework assignments based on what was covered in class using creative and non-fiction free response prompts to practice techniques at home. Regular writing practice improves fluency and comfort level. Students should expect 45-60 minutes of writing at home throughout the week (3-4 days at 15 minutes per sitting.)

Topics in this series include Sentences that Speak (Quarter 1), Planning Paragraphs (Quarter 2), Fascinating Fiction Paragraphs (Quarter 3), and Fun Factual Paragraphs (Quarter 4).

Writing is a fundamental skill for school and for life, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, third and fourth graders will explore writing in many different ways. They will learn the basics of good writing and the art of revision. Classes will consist of simple lessons on writing plus in-class writing practice. Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them, but they will also always be given fun, creative writing prompts so no one feels the panic of figuring out "what to write."

Fourth quarter, students will be introduced to writing informative paragraphs and basic research skills.

The goal for this course is for young students to gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into everyday work and play. Each week, the instructor will share brief lessons on grammar such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, use of adjectives/adverbs, etc. They will also learn the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing, and strategies for each state. Student must be minimum age 8 to take this class and should be on grade level for reading and handwriting.

Topics in this Series: My Memories (Quarter 1); Transforming Tales (Quarter 2), Fun with Fiction (Quarter 3), and Fact Finder (Quarter 4).

Writing is a fundamental skill for school and for life, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, third and fourth graders will explore writing in many different ways. They will learn the basics of good writing and the art of revision. Classes will consist of simple lessons on writing plus in-class writing practice. Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them, but they will also always be given fun, creative writing prompts so no one feels the panic of figuring out "what to write."

Third quarter, students will write fictional stories from a variety of genres. Will their writing include a fairy or a phoenix; witches or wizards; magicians or monsters; distant space or deep sea adventures?

The goal for this course is for young students to gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into everyday work and play. Each week, the instructor will share brief lessons on grammar such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, use of adjectives/adverbs, etc. They will also learn the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing, and strategies for each state. Student must be minimum age 8 to take this class and should be on grade level for reading and handwriting.

Topics in this Series: My Memories (Quarter 1); Transforming Tales (Quarter 2), Fun with Fiction (Quarter 3), and Fact Finder (Quarter 4).

Writing is a fundamental skill for school and for life, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, third and fourth graders will explore writing in many different ways. They will learn the basics of good writing and the art of revision. Classes will consist of simple lessons on writing plus in-class writing practice. Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them, but they will also always be given fun, creative writing prompts so no one feels the panic of figuring out "what to write."

Second quarter, students will have a blast rewriting and retelling well-known tales, such as Cinderella or the legend of Paul Revere. This playful technique guides them through the elements of a complete story with a time-tested plot and characters. Watch what happens when names are changed, locations swapped, and time travel invoked. Re-writes of familiar stories will lay the groundwork for original fiction writing third quarter.

The goal for this course is for young students to gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into everyday work and play. Each week, the instructor will share brief lessons on grammar such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, use of adjectives/adverbs, etc. They will also learn the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing, and strategies for each state. Student must be minimum age 8 to take this class and should be on grade level for reading and handwriting.

Topics in this Series: My Memories (Quarter 1); Transforming Tales (Quarter 2), Fun with Fiction (Quarter 3), and Fact Finder (Quarter 4).

Writing is a fundamental skill for school and for life, and it gives kids a voice! In this class, third and fourth graders will explore writing in many different ways. They will learn the basics of good writing and the art of revision. Classes will consist of simple lessons on writing plus in-class writing practice. Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them, but they will also always be given fun, creative writing prompts so no one feels the panic of figuring out "what to write."

Second quarter, students will have a blast rewriting and retelling well-known tales, such as Cinderella or the legend of Paul Revere. This playful technique guides them through the elements of a complete story with a time-tested plot and characters. Watch what happens when names are changed, locations swapped, and time travel invoked. Re-writes of familiar stories will lay the groundwork for original fiction writing third quarter.

The goal for this course is for young students to gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into everyday work and play. Each week, the instructor will share brief lessons on grammar such as correct capitalization, agreement, tenses, parts of speech, use of adjectives/adverbs, etc. They will also learn the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing, and strategies for each state. Student must be minimum age 8 to take this class and should be on grade level for reading and handwriting.

Topics in this Series: My Memories (Quarter 1); Transforming Tales (Quarter 2), Fun with Fiction (Quarter 3), and Fact Finder (Quarter 4).