1. 2nd Quarter Fall Registration: Registration for 2nd quarter classes is open and ongoing. Classes begin the week of October 27. The Early Registration Discount continues through this Friday on October 10 at 11:59 pm. Spaces remain in many classes. Pick up a paper copy of the schedule at the front desk and invite other homeschool friends. New families are welcome!
2. Calendar/Holidays: Compass classes will be held on Columbus Day, Election Day, and Veterans Day. Compass does not meet Thanksgiving Week (Nov. 24-28). See the complete Compass calendar online.
3. Spirit Wear: Compass logo t-shirts, long sleeve tees, and hoodies are on sale only through October 15. Children’s, women’s and men’s styles are available in vibrant colors and trendy designs! Sales are handled by Reston Shirt through a secure online portal. Items will be delivered to Compass at the end of October. (Compass receives no portion of the sales.)
4. Fall Food Truck Week: Skip packing lunch and enjoy a variety of food trucks at Compass this week from 11:00 am-2:00 pm each day. All vendors will have kids’ meal options:
- Monday, Oct 6- California Taco Truck (tacos, burritos, bowls and quesadillas) See menu online.
- Tuesday, Oct 7- Kebobmix (chicken, lamb, beef, veggie kabobs, salad, samosas) See menu online.
- Wednesday, Oct 8- Leo’s Food Truck (street tacos, nachos, carne asada) See menu online.
- Thursday, Oct 9- Four Guys Food Truck (burgers, cheesesteaks, chicken sandwiches, cheese fries, corndogs) See menu online.
- Friday, Oct 10- Birria Beat (slow-cooked birria beef, steak, or chicken tacos, quesadillas, burritos) See menu online.
5. Homeschool Fall Book Fair: The annual book sale will be held on October 14-16, from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm at Compass. The event is hosted by PaperPie, an exclusive distributor of Kane Miller books, SmartLab STEM toys/kits, and Usborne books. Hundreds of books and educational materials will be on display to flip through and examine. A book specialist will be on hand to make recommendations. There are special in-person sale discounts, and the sale is open to the homeschool public.
6. IAC History Bee, Science Bee, and Geography Bee: Compass is the site for these academic bees from the International Academic Competition on Saturday, October 18! Students in 3rd-12th grade can participate in the bee(s) of their choice. Bees are questions for individuals (rather than teams) who “buzz” in and only answer what they know. Medals given to the top 3 students and novices (first timers) in each grade and each subject. Students must qualify for a bee by taking a simple online exam. After taking the qualifying exam(s), register for the bee online. Use quizbowl2@gmail.com as your teacher’s email, and you will be connected to the Compass coach. This Bee event is hosted by QB4ALL, a quiz bowl/bee charity run by Compass Junior and longtime bowl/bee winner Haughton Neppl.
7. School Pictures: Compass photographer Angela Goodhart will be at Compass all week October 20-24 to take fall pictures. There is no session/sitting fee. Angela offers reasonable rates and flexible photo packages. Sign up for time slots here:
8. Special Effects Make-Up Clinics: In time for Halloween- learn ghoulish special effects make-up tricks from a professional make-up artist like sunken eyes, cuts and gashes, scars and scabs, bruises, burns, warts, and peeling or ripping skin. For students in grades 6-12. Two sessions- Monday, October 27 at 10:00 am or 1:00 pm. Sign up online on the Special Events Registration page.
9. Red Cross Halloween Blood Drive: “We Want Your Blood!” Alpha Rho is sponsoring a special Halloween Blood Drive on Thursday, October 30 from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm. Parents, teachers, neighbors, colleagues, and older teen students are asked to donate! Appointments encouraged, walk-ins welcome. Call 1-800-RED CROSS or visit Red Cross online to sign up. Enter: COMPASS (or Drive ID: 413344) to schedule an appointment. Help Alpha Rho reach 51 donated units to earn a $1,000 scholarship for a Compass senior.
10. The Haunted Harvest: A High School Costume Party will take place on Saturday, November 1 from 7:00 pm- 10:00 pm for Compass students and their guests, ages 14+. See event flier for more details and buy tickets online on the Special Event Registration page.
11. The Ghoul’s Gala: A Middle School Costume Party will take place on Sunday, November 2 from 5:00 pm- 7:00 pm for Compass students ages 11-13. See more details and buy tickets online on the Special Event Registration page.
12. Tutoring: Compass has a range of tutors who are available to work with students before, between, and after classes in math, science, reading, writing, sewing, cooking, and foreign language (French, Spanish, ASL, Latin, Arabic, German, Mandarin, and Russian). Contact Compass for more information.
13. Music Lessons: Compass music teachers have weekday openings for music lessons in piano, voice, guitar, drums, ukulele, violin, cello, clarinet, flute, trumpet, horn, trombone, song writing, music theory, and more. Contact Compass for more information.
14. Workout Passes for Parents: Compass PE Coach, Iman Castaneda, is offering drop-in passes and packages for parents who wish to work out during the day while they are at Compass. 10 Drop-Ins ($230), 15 Drop-Ins ($335), 20 Drop-Ins ($440), or 25 Drop-Ins ($525). Drop-in workouts will be supervised and monitored for safety, but do not include individualized coaching. Parents can schedule personalized coaching with programming with her for $65.00 per hour for one person; $80.00 per hour for two people, etc. She also offers a discount for Compass parents enrolling in her evening classes.
15. Educational Consultant: Compass partners with Todd Lanier, Ed.S. who performs educational assessments such as complete psychoeducational testing, screenings, IQ batteries, and provides individualized academic coaching and counseling. He works with students who have a range of learning differences including ADHD, 2e, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, ASD, processing disorders, anxiety, and executive functioning challenges. Mr. Lanier can meet homeschool families at Compass. Contact him directly through his practice, Lanier Education Group, or stop by the Compass front desk or office for his information.
16. Co-Working Offices: Parents may rent quiet Co-Working Offices in Suite H while their children are in class. Offices are available for $20.00 per hour with discounts for multiple hours. Parents who wish to rent an office must contact Compass to be added as a parent user and then set up user name, password, to reserve through our online system, AllBooked.
17. Math Kangaroo: Compass will host the annual international Math Kangaroo competition on Thursday, March 19. MK is a 75-minute math quiz with fun challenge problems. Compass offers two test sessions: 10:00 am and 1:00 pm. Sign up online through Math Kangaroo.
18. The Power of Midlife- Thriving Through Menopause and Beyond: This workshop is being held at Compass by a community partner on Thursday, October 23 at 7:00 pm. See event flier for more information and to register.
19. TGIF Teen Game Night Change: Starting this week on Friday, October 10, the TGIF Teen Game Night will be held from 3:00 pm- 5:00 pm. Teens are invited to hang out, socialize, and play board games and card games each Friday. The earlier start was requested by teens whose classes end at 3:00 pm.
20. Geography Bee & Spelling Bees: Registration is open for the annual Compass Geography Bee (2/4/26), Junior Spelling Bee (2/25/26), and Senior Spelling Bee (3/4/26). Sign up online on the Special Events Registration page.
21. November Look-Ahead: Save the dates for our annual Paint-Your-Own-Pottery Party on November 11-13, and mark your calendar for 3rd Quarter Winter Registration on November 18.
22. Inkjet/Laser Cartridge Collection: Compass’s Alpha Rho chapter of the National Homeschool Honor Society is collecting new or used inkjet and laser toner cartridges as fundraising effort. Funds are used to support community service projects, and cartridges are kept out of landfills. Please drop yours in the collection bin in the 520-D vestibule.
