Clubs, Contests & Cool Things at Compass 2018-19

Academic clubs, extracurricular activities, seminars, events, and contests at Compass are a great way to enhance your child’s homeschooling experience! These activities allow your child to meet peers with similar interests and introduce new avenues to explore topics of interest. Most of the following opportunities are open to area homeschoolers, regardless of current enrollment status with Compass.

CLUBS/EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Homeschool String Orchestra

  • Grades 5-10
  • Wednesdays, 11:00 am- 11:55 am
  • Starting September 12

Ensemble experience for beginning and intermediate violin, viola, cello, and bass players under the direction of an experienced conductor. Musicians participate as part of a paid, 13-week semester program. Register online to participate.

The Super Spellers’ Club

  • Grades 1-6
  • Wednesdays, 9:00 am – 9:50 am
  • Starting September 19

Spelling games and activities, word roots, and origins, tips and tricks for spelling, and practice spelling bees for kids who love spelling and words. There is no cost to current, registered Compass students. There is a $5.00 facility fee for Non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

NOVATAG Junior Math Club

  • Grades approx. 4-7 (students doing elementary math through Algebra)
  • Wednesdays, 9:00 am – 9:50 am
  • Starting September 19

Games, manipulatives, and recreational problems to explore areas outside the traditional mathematics curriculum. There is no cost to current, registered Compass students. There is a $5.00 facility fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

NOVATAG Senior Math Club

  • Grades approx. 6-9 (students doing Algebra and higher level mathematics)
  • Wednesdays, 9:00 am – 9:50 am
  • Starting September 19

Focused on practice and preparation for math competitions. Challenge problems, creative strategies, and problem solving to prep for Math Olympiads, the AMC 8, Math Kangaroo, and local math competitions. There is no cost to current, registered Compass students. There is a $5.00 facility fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Compass Collaborative Student Newspaper

  • Grades K-12
  • 2 Wednesdays per quarter, 4:00 pm- 5:00 pm plus online collaboration
  • Starting September 12

Staff members produce a quarterly student newspaper. Contributing artists/writers needed for reports, fiction, editorials, reviews, comics, art, photographs, etc. There is no cost to current, registered Compass students. There is a $5.00 facility fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Compass Literarians, Creative Writing Board and Literary Magazine

  • Grades 9-12 (staff)
  • Grades 6-12 (contributing authors, artists)
  • Friday, 2:00 pm- 2:55 pm
  • Started September 7

Interested contributing authors, poets, artists, and photographers should watch for ‘call for submission’ announcements. Writing board members participate as part of a paid, 14-week semester program. Register online to participate.

Alpha Rho Chapter, Eta Sigma Alpha, the Homeschool National Honor Society

  • Grades 7-12 (with application and qualifying credentials)
  • 2nd Friday each month; 3:00 pm- 4:15 pm
  • Starting September 14

Student-led organization promoting scholarship, leadership, networking, and community service through monthly meetings with speakers, social activities, fundraising, and community service projects. See chapter web page for additional details.

High School Mock Trial Team

  • Grades 9-12, with audition, qualifications
  • 1st, 3rd, and 4th Fridays, each month; 3:00 pm- 4:15 pm
  • Starting September 21

Teens with experience in public speaking, debate, and possessing strong logic, teamwork, and presentation skills participate in a project-based courtroom experience through regional and state competitions. Students must be current, registered Compass students to participate. Contact team manager for more information.

Odyssey of the Mind Teams

  • Grades 3-5 (Division 1 Team)
  • Grades 6-8 (Division 2 Team)
  • Wednesdays, 3:00 pm- 3:55 pm
  • Starting September 12

Kids participate on a team to tackle creative, collaborative problem-solving and a year-long group project that they present at local and regional competitions. Students join as part of a paid, 22-week 3-quarter program. Register online to participate.

AWARDS

President’s Volunteer Service Awards

  • Grades K-12
  • Award Year September 1 – August 31
  • annually

Annual awards program to recognize a student’s individual volunteer service work with Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals. Students must be current, registered Compass students to participate. See program details online.

EVENTS/CONTESTS

Science Fair

  • Grades 4-9
  • Tuesday, November 6, 2018
  • 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm

Judged science fair competition with invention and investigative categories following the scientific method. Science Fair is held as part of Homeschool Family Science Night. There is a $10.00 registration fee for Compass students, and a $14.00 registration fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Show-What-You Know Expo

  • Grades K-6
  • Tuesday, November 6, 2018
  • 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm

Informal showcase of student exhibits on favorite STEM topic, invention, or hobby held in conjunction with Homeschool Family Science Night. There is a $10.00 registration fee for Compass students, and a $14.00 registration fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Greater Fairfax Homeschool Geographic Bee

  • Grades 4–8
  • Wednesday, January 23, 2019
  • 4:30 – 7:00 pm

Oral quiz-format contest with preliminary, final, and championship rounds. Contest winner takes on-line exam to qualify for State Geographic Bee. Open to northern Virginia-area homeschoolers only (sorry, no MD or DC). There is a $10.00 registration fee for Compass students, and a $15.00 registration fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Junior Spelling Bee

  • Grades K–4th (under age 9)
  • Wednesday, February 6, 2019
  • 4:30 pm- 5:30 pm

Casual, low pressure beginners’ bee to celebrate the fun of spelling. The two finalists from the Junior Bee will be invited to participate in the Senior Spelling Bee. There is a $10.00 registration fee for Compass students, and a $15.00 registration fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Senior Spelling Bee

  • Grades 4–8 (ages 9 – 15)
  • Wednesday, March 5, 2019
  • 4:30 pm- 7:30 pm

This is school-level bee that follows the rules of the Scripps Spelling Bee program. The bee winner will advance to the Fairfax County spelling bee. There is a $10.00 registration fee for Compass students, and a $15.00 registration fee for non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

Compass Annual Quads Chess Tournament

  • Grades 1-10 (ages 6-16)
  • Thursday, May 30, 2019
  • 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

Groups of 4-players, matched by playing ability, each play 3 rounds of chess. Great beginner or intermediate tournament. There is a $12.00 per player registration fee, for Compass or non-Compass homeschooled students. Register online to participate.

SEMINARS/SERIES

“It’s the Law: Introduction to the US Legal System” presented by William & Mary Law School

  • Grades 9-12 (mature, motivated 8th graders welcome)
  • 3 Mondays: October 22, October 29, and November 12, 2018 (3 sessions)
  • 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Collaborative, interactive 3-part seminar in which teens with create a fictitious system of laws, test their new legal system, learn to read and analyze real court cases, write a legal brief, understand what the law is, how courts work, and more. Facilitated by the Chancellor Professor of William & Mary Law School. Can be used for part credit in American Government/Civics for high school. Register online to participate.

Bio-Chem Learning Labs in conjunction with Towson University

  • Grades 8-10 (mature 7th graders, interested 11th-12th graders welcome)
  • 5 Tuesdays: October 2, December 4, February 12, March 12, April 9
  • 11:30 am – 2:30 pm

    • Series of 5 labs where students conduct biology, chemistry, and environmental science experiments in a university laboratory setting! Held off-site at Towson University’s Center for STEM Excellence in downtown Baltimore. Students will use advanced lab equipment, follow college-level lab protocols, and receive instruction from university lab staff. Register online to participate.

    All clubs and bees listed above are held at Compass in Oakton. If a Compass family has interest in starting another academic club or preparing for a contest, such as Model UN, Science Olympiad, National History Bee, and is willing to volunteer to lead the effort, please contact Compass to discuss!