Class Registration

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

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Assessments: Will not be given.

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

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

Textbook: Students should purchase the 2024 paperback reprint of: "Algebra I" by Paul A Foerster as sold by Veritas Press (https://store.veritaspress.com/foerster-algebra-i-student-text.html)

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

Prerequisites: Pre-Algebra

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

Enter the BuildZone and step into a world of endless possibilities, where over 10,000 building components are at your fingertips! From Keva Planks to K'Nex, Magnatiles to Marble Runs, Tubelox, Chaos Tower, and Pipe Builders-this is the ultimate mash-up of all things construction. Here, you're the architect, the engineer, the mastermind. Stack it, snap it, connect it-then remix it! What happens when you combine pieces from totally different sets? You get taller towers, stronger structures, and mind-blowing mega builds! Build solo masterpieces or team up for cool collaborations. Every session is a chance to dream big, build bigger, and let your imagination break all the rules.

This is a hands-on afternoon lab intended to provide opportunities for kids to socialize and tap into their creative energy in a relaxed club setting. This is a supervised session, but no formal curriculum or lessons are provided. All participants are expected to help pick up and to follow all Compass rules on indoor behavior including respecting materials, supplies, and furnishings.

This is a 7 week class that begins on Wednesday 11/5 and has its last meeting on Wednesday 1/7.

Prerequisites: None

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 "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, or 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 some foundational language arts skills. The stories read in class will be used as inspiration to connect aspects of literacy such as comprehension, comparing similar/different, recalling sequences, and predicting outcomes. The Alphabet Book will be used as as "spine" to spark discussions on capital and lower case letter forms, initial letter sounds, blends, vowel sounds, rhyming words, and other pre-phonics skills. The language arts-themed kindergarten session is intended to enhance and clarify literacy skills being introduced at home, but is not a comprehensive reading curriculum.

Readiness: Students must be age five (5) by the start of the program or have the teacher's approval for younger. To be successful in this program, entering kindergartners must be able to do the following preschool-level skills: (1) be able to separate from parents with little discomfort; (2) be able to sit and listen to a story or stay on a task for 10 minutes; (3) be able to follow simple, age-appropriate directions from the teacher or another adult; (4) be able to write and recognize his/her first name; (5) be able to hold and use crayons and scissors correctly; (6) be completely self sufficient in a public restroom (wiping, flushing, washing hands, etc.)

Other Notes: Children should bring a bagged lunch and water bottle to each session. There is a $50.00 material fee for class consumables due payable to the teacher on the first day of class. Please note: This instructor only accepts cash payments.

Parents can choose to drop children off for this program (different than Compass's school-year policies for 55 minute classes.)

Registration for this program is by 14-week semester with priority registration for continuing students.

Parents who are shopping around or applying to alternate kindergarten programs should review the Compass withdrawal policy.

Prerequisites: None

Children will enjoy making delicious recipes and family favorites that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Recipes are selected to be nutritious, fun, and simple to make. Each class will focus on a portion of a meal including appetizer, salad, soup, side dish, main dish, and dessert. The Compass chefs' culinary adventures will include:

-Walnut and Roasted Pepper Spread
-Curry Vegetable Chowder
-Orzo Chickpea Salad
-Mediterranean Cauliflower and Rice
-Korean Beef BBQ
-Teriyaki Rice Casserole
-Portuguese Sawdust Pudding
-Chewy Lemon Cookies

Students will be eating what they make each week and bringing home the recipes and leftovers. These engaging cooking classes will get students excited about helping in the kitchen, experimenting, and trying new foods. Students will be exposed to healthy ingredients they may not regularly eat. They will learn important kitchen skills such as safety, sanitation, measuring, knife skills, and other tricks of the trade. Culinary vocabulary and terms are introduced each week, with no-pressure verbal review of those words the following week.

Notes: (1) Students with allergies to food ingredients or dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated in this class. Recipes may contain nuts, dairy, wheat, gluten, and eggs. All food supplies will be conventional, mass market ingredients. Specialty food preparations/certifications such as halal, kosher, and organic will not be used due to cost and sourcing logistics. (2) Children must be minimum age 6 for this class and be able to listen to and follow instructions.

Topics in this Series: Fall Fare with Flair (Quarter 1), Festive Fall Flavors (Quarter 2), Winter Warm-Ups (Quarter 3), Savory Spring Specialties (Quarter 4).

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $45.00 is due payable to the instructor on or before the first day of class.

What to Wear: Students should wear clean clothes and have long hair tied back, braided, or secured under a bandana (male and female).

Cooking Class Requirements:For more information and FAQs, see the Compass Cooking Classes webpage.

Prerequisites: None

Tweens will enjoy making delicious recipes and family favorites that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Recipes are selected to be nutritious, fun, and simple to make. Each class will focus on a portion of a meal including appetizer, salad, soup, side dish, main dish, and dessert. The Compass chefs' culinary adventures will include:

-Walnut and Roasted Pepper Spread
-Curry Vegetable Chowder
-Orzo Chickpea Salad
-Mediterranean Cauliflower and Rice
-Korean Beef BBQ
-Teriyaki Rice Casserole
-Portuguese Sawdust Pudding
-Chewy Lemon Cookies

Students will be eating what they make each week and bringing home the recipes and leftovers. These engaging cooking classes will get students excited about helping in the kitchen, experimenting, and trying new foods. Students will be exposed to healthy ingredients they may not regularly eat. They will learn important kitchen skills such as safety, sanitation, measuring, knife skills, and other tricks of the trade. Culinary vocabulary and terms are introduced each week, with no-pressure verbal review of those words the following week.

Notes: (1) Students with allergies to food ingredients or dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated in this class. Recipes may contain nuts, dairy, wheat, gluten, and eggs. All food supplies will be conventional, mass market ingredients. Specialty food preparations/certifications such as halal, kosher, and organic will not be used due to cost and sourcing logistics.

Topics in this Series: Fall Fare with Flair (Quarter 1), Festive Fall Flavors (Quarter 2), Winter Warm-Ups (Quarter 3), Savory Spring Specialties (Quarter 4).

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $45.00 is due payable to the instructor on or before the first day of class.

What to Wear: Students should wear clean clothes and have long hair tied back, braided, or secured under a bandana (male and female).

Cooking Class Requirements:For more information and FAQs, see the Compass Cooking Classes webpage.

Prerequisites: None

The tantalizing aroma of cookies in the oven. A mouth-watering burst of mint. The silky feel of melted chocolate. The sticky sweet of fresh-made caramel. A subtle hint of lemon. Student bakers will enjoy these delicious sensations- and more- as they explore the world of baking homemade desserts.

Sweet Shop treats are scrumptious, fun, and simple to make. Each week they will prepare a fresh, handmade dessert or sweet such as: pies, cakes, cookies, tarts, trifles, mousses, puddings, candies, fudge, brittle, or chocolate. The class will include some icing, decorating, and garnishing techniques for completed desserts. This quarter, the Compass bakers' culinary adventures will include:

-Chocolate Banana Cake
-Chocolate Cobbler
-White Chocolate Lemon Bars
-Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie Cake
-Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake
-Melted Chocolate Pudding Cake
-Mississippi Mud Pie

Students will be eating what they make each week and bringing home the recipes and leftovers. This engaging sweets class will get students excited about helping in the kitchen and entertaining. They will learn important baking skills such as safety, sanitation, measuring, knife skills, and other tricks of the trade. Culinary vocabulary is introduced each week.

Notes: Students with allergies to food ingredients or dietary restrictions cannot be accommodated in this class. Recipes may contain nuts, dairy, wheat, gluten, and eggs. All food supplies will be conventional, mass market ingredients. Specialty food preparations/certifications such as halal, kosher, and organic will not be used due to cost and sourcing logistics.

Topics in this Series: Piece of Cake (Quarter 1); Easy as Pie (Quarter 2), Choco Loco (Quarter 3), and Tea Time Treats (Quarter 4).

Assessments: Qualitative Feedback will be given in class. Formal grades/assessment will not be given.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $45.00 is due payable to the instructor on or before the first day of class.

What to Bring: None- Disposable aprons and take-home containers provided.

What to Wear: Students should wear clean clothes and have long hair tied back, braided, or secured under a bandana (male and female).

Cooking Class Requirements: For more information and FAQs, see the Compass Cooking Classes webpage.

Prerequisites: None

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.

Topics in this Series: Once Upon a...Secret Room (Quarter 1), Shipwreck (Quarter 2), Magic Kingdom (Quarter 3), Winding Path (Quarter 4)

Prerequisites: None

Student artists will enjoy working hands-on, in 3-dimensions with a variety of sculpting and crafting materials to create original Decorative Arts. Assembling decorative items is multi-sensory, and students enjoy the tactile experience of shaping, stacking, forming, flattening, and layering a selection of materials to create unique, personal projects. Decorative art engages a different artistic skillset than coloring, drawing, and writing, and encourages creativity to represent objects in three dimensions. In this studio environment, students will create original hand-made pieces using a range of artistic techniques and a myriad of materials to choose from.

Third quarter, students will work with a variety of fibers and textiles to create unique, 3-dimensional projects. From fuzzy chenille to fluffy cotton and scratchy jute to scrumptious viscose, students will enjoy the tactile experience of looping, lashing, layering, weaving or knotting assorted textures in fabrics and fibers. Students may also work with burlap, felt, leather, muslin, wool, yarn, or string. Example past projects include a string sculpture, a knotted flannel scarf, a wall hanging, and wool felting projects. Students may sew embellishments such as buttons on their finished projects, but this is not a sewing class. A supply fee of $30.00 per student is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Topics in this Series: Sculpture Skills (Quarter 1), Marvelous Mosaics (Quarter 2), Fiber Arts Fun (Quarter 3), and Upcycled Sculpture (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

Dive into the fundamentals of music theory in a fun and interactive way! This course is your gateway to understanding how music works- from reading notes on a staff to playing rhythms, scales, and chords with confidence. Whether you're just starting out or brushing up on the basics, you'll explore essential topics like staves, clefs, pitch and rhythmic values, time signatures, and more.

Designed to match Grades 1 - 3 of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music theory exams, this course provides a solid foundation for musicians at all levels. The instructor will demonstrate hands-on activities to reinforce each concept and may use simple quizzes to help you track your progress.

The class will begin by unpacking the elements of Western music notation- learning how to read notes, understanding rhythm, and recognizing basic chord structures like triads. The class will also become familiar with common performance directions you'll see in written music.

Using your instrument, you'll bring theory to life by practicing scales, arpeggios, and rhythmic patterns. Even if you think you know the basics, this course offers a structured way to revisit and strengthen your understanding. This class is essential for beginning, intermediate, and advanced students of any instrument including those in the Homeschool Concert Band, Homeschool String Ensemble, taking private lessons, self-taught, or interested in songwriting, composing, or music production. This is a 7-week class that begins on November 5 and will meet during the make-up week on January 7.

Prerequisites: None

Do you want to learn the world's fastest growing programming language that is used by Google, NASA, YouTube and the CIA? Python is a versatile, easy-to-learn beginner-level programming language and gateway to foundational concepts in computer science.

Students will learn how to code apps and games as they practice the computer science design cycle of writing code, executing the code, interpreting the results, revising the code syntax based on the output. The class will cover the fundamental building blocks of programming including: variables, mathematical operators, logical operators, and boolean arithmetic. They will also learn about data types, built-in functions, conditional statements, for- loops, defining functions, function stacks, interpreting error messages, exception handling, and add-on libraries. At each step, the class will create basic programs and fun, interactive content.

Topics in this Series: Python Programming (Semester 1), JavaScript Programming (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Algebra I, recommended

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

Assignments: Will be given in class.

Assessments: Will not be given.

Lab/Supply Fee: The class tuition includes a student technology fee that covers the rental of classroom laptops and all software and licenses installed on the laptops.

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

Prerequisites: None

The best way to understand a biome is to build (a model) one! A biome is a large zone on Earth characterized by its climate, soil, vegetation, and organisms with special adaptations for the unique environment. In modeling biomes, students will learn how they are different than similar ecological concepts like habitats and ecosystems. Students will discover how human activities, such as deforestation and habitat destruction, are transforming biomes.
In this science-themed diorama class, students will be exposed to concepts such as trophic levels, the water cycle, biological competition, geographic isolation, convergent evolution, species diversification, natural vs unnatural climate change, food webs, habitat loss, and ecological niches, while they are working on their models.

Arid Biomes, or deserts, are found across the globe and are characterized by their scant precipitation (less than 20 inches per year) and dry conditions. Vegetation and wildlife in these areas have special adaptations for surviving with little water and few nutrients. Deserts cover about 20% of the Earth's surface and can be very hot or very cold. Students will concentrate on the hot, arid biomes found in sub-tropical areas.

Each student will create an individual diorama. Students will craft and hand-shape their scene on a 10 x 14 inch foam board using artistic, model-making techniques. They will customize their dioramas with landforms, dunes, plant life, and paint. Once individual projects are constructed, students will populate them with miniature figures and combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to create a larger terrain. Students will then compete in a zoology-based survival strategy game. Each student will create one board and receive a set of miniatures to take home with them. Course documents such as maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Topics in this series include: Tropics (The Rainforest)- Quarter 1; Tundra (The Arctic)- Quarter 2; Arid (The Desert)- Quarter 3; and Grasslands (The Savanna)- Quarter 4.

Prerequisites: None

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 $44.00 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.

Prerequisites: British Literature

In this class, middle school students will learn to work as independent investigators using the scientific method. Students will observe the systems under investigation, choose a pattern or trend that interests them, and then develop a testable hypothesis. Students will learn how to: design a scientific experiment for either a laboratory or field setting, choose appropriate controls, minimize investigator bias, correctly perform measurements and to record and analyze data.

Third quarter, students will investigate an aspect of environmental science such as water quality, air pollution, contaminants affecting native species, or man-made materials affecting the indoor environment. Depending on thier area of focus, students may use microscopes, spectrometers, or other equipment and learn to keep science journals/notebooks.

Students will learn how to locate peer-reviewed scientific literature to research their subject. By the end of the quarter, students will have completed their independent investigations, summarized the results in a poster, and will present their data to the class. Each quarter will focus on a different aspect of science.

A lab fee of $20.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Topics in this Series: Animal Behavior (Quarter 1), Chemistry (Quarter 2), Environmental Science (Quarter 3), and Microbiology & Human Behavior (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

Bonjour and welcome to the second year of high school French. This is a conversation-focused program in which students will build their vocabulary quickly and learn essential grammar skills in French. Students will cover the broad themes and vocabular for: my family and my friends, celebrations, shopping, high school, a typical day, and the good old days. The class will begin with a review of adjective-noun agreement, negations, and regular -er, ir-, and -re verbs. They will review and continue to expand their list of irregular verbs such as avoir (to have) and etre (to be). Students will be introduced to the passe compose and Imparfait (imperfect) tenses, and they will learn how to use negations, direct and indirect pronouns, and reflexive verbs with present, past, and imperfect tenses. They will practice comparative and superlative statements, and will continue to have brief cultural lessons integrated in their units.

Class will be conducted primarily in French and will focus on listening and speaking skills, asking and answering questions, and correct use of grammar. At home, students will be responsible for memorizing vocabulary and grammar, completing homework assignments, and watching both grammar instruction and language immersion videos.

Prerequisite: French I

Workload: Students should expect to spend 30-45 minutes per day, 4 days per week on homework outside of class.

Assignments: Are sent by e-mail to parents and students. Students must have access to a computer and internet service for computer-based videos and practice tools that are assigned as homework and are essential to success in the class.

Assessments: Quizzes, tests, and individual performance reviews will be given to all students at regular intervals to provide parents with sufficient feedback to assign a grade.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Bien Dit! Level II: Student Edition Level 1 2018 edition (ISBN-13 978-0544861343)

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

Prerequisites: French I

FUNctional Fitness is a dynamic PE program for that incorporates well-rounded exercises to get tweens up and moving mid-day! No two workouts are the same, but each day's activities incorporate exercises that target 10 areas: cardio-vascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. FUNctional Fitness focuses on functional movements that are fundamental to all aspects of play and exercise- pulling, pushing, running, throwing, climbing, lifting, and jumping. Work-outs are scalable and adaptable to different individual's own level, and the emphasis is on fun, safety, and personal accomplishment rather than competition among classmates. When the weather permits, some exercises may be taken outdoors. The physical challenges of FUNctional Fitness will foster self-confidence, focus, and help instill a foundation for a lifetime of fitness.

The color name in the class title refers to the collectable token students will earn each quarter they take the class. Collect all 8! Students may enroll in FUNctional Fitness at any time, regardless of the color name No one color is a prerequisite for any other color, and tokens can be earned in any order.

All equipment is furnished. Students are asked to wear loose, comfortable clothing, such as running pants or sweatpants, and comfortable, supportive athletic shoes. FUNctional Fitness continues each quarter, and students may repeat the class to continue to improve fitness. No two workouts are the same!

Prerequisites: None

FUNctional Fitness is a dynamic PE program for that incorporates well-rounded exercises to get tweens up and moving mid-day! No two workouts are the same, but each day's activities incorporate exercises that target 10 areas: cardio-vascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. FUNctional Fitness focuses on functional movements that are fundamental to all aspects of play and exercise- pulling, pushing, running, throwing, climbing, lifting, and jumping. Work-outs are scalable and adaptable to different individual's own level, and the emphasis is on fun, safety, and personal accomplishment rather than competition among classmates. When the weather permits, some exercises may be taken outdoors. The physical challenges of FUNctional Fitness will foster self-confidence, focus, and help instill a foundation for a lifetime of fitness.

The color name in the class title refers to the collectable token students will earn each quarter they take the class. Collect all 8! Students may enroll in FUNctional Fitness at any time, regardless of the color name No one color is a prerequisite for any other color, and tokens can be earned in any order.

All equipment is furnished. Students are asked to wear loose, comfortable clothing, such as running pants or sweatpants, and comfortable, supportive athletic shoes. FUNctional Fitness continues each quarter, and students may repeat the class to continue to improve fitness. No two workouts are the same!

Prerequisites: None

This year-long, hands-on science course is a survey of key concepts in the fields of Life Science, Physical Science, and Earth Science which will give 7th and 8th grade students the fundamentals they need to tackle high school-level Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or Environmental Science. Topics covered in this course will not only provide a foundation for higher level science, but will also boost the student's confidence and fluency in discussing scientific issues, applying scientific terminology, and using scientific equipment. Content covered in this course will also enable a teen to become a more educated reader and consumer of scientific news and information.

General life science themes include life cycles, food webs, scientific classification, cell structure, and human body systems. Topics in chemistry include states of matter, atomic structure, elements and the Periodic Table, and chemical reactions and solutions. Themes in physics include motion, position, speed and acceleration, weight (mass), gravity, friction, buoyancy and density, and electricity and magnetism. The earth science unit will cover the rock cycle, minerals, rocks, fossils, weathering and erosion.

In this class, students will learn about the principles of scientific investigations and engineering practices, the Scientific Method, and preparation of formal lab reports. They will practice taking measurements, recording data, converting units of measure, and related mathematical concepts such as significant figures, International System of Units, scientific notation, graphs, and data analysis. Students will learn how to provide evidence to support explanations and solutions for their investigations.

This class is appropriate for a tween or teen who has had limited middle school level science and who wants to prepare for high school science.

In general, a topic will be discussed one week and then the corresponding lab or activity will be performed in class the following week. Microscope work will be used in some life science labs. For a more robust introduction to life and lab sciences, students may want to concurrently register for the Dissection Lab class and/or the Bio Chem Learning Labs program.

Meeting Dates: This is a 29-week course witht the week off to be announced.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class on reading and homework assignments.

Assignments: All class announcements and assignments will be communicated via a Google Classroom.

Assessments: Informal, qualitative and constructive feedback will be given on submitted assignments. A quantitative score/grade will not be provided.

Textbook: Students should purchase Everything You Need to Ace Science in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide by Workman Publishing (ISBN # 978-0761160953)

Materials: Students should bring the following supplies to each class: colored pencils, glue stick, pens or pencils to write with, and a ruler. In addition, a laptop computer will be needed some weeks in class for data collection and some weeks at home for online quizlets.

Lab/Supply Fee: A lab fee of $100.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Credit: This course is not recommended as a high school credit.

Prerequisites: None

**This class will be taught in a Hybrid format with an online lecture on Mondays (10:00 am - 10:55 am) over a live, online platform and in-person lab and activities on Wednesdays (11:00 am - 11:55 am). Registration for the Lab section will automatically enroll the student in the Lecture section.**

Why do Mentos candies in Coke make a fizzy mess? How do skateboarders survive spins on a half-pipe? What causes some lithium-ion batteries to burst into flames? Answers to these questions can be found in the study of high school science!

Interdisciplinary Science is a year-long, introductory high school science course which examines the living and non-living worlds. This survey course introduces key concepts from Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, which will lay the foundation for students to pursue more rigorous, year-long high school science courses in each discipline. This course also serves as a science survey, or overview, for students who will not be pursuing a STEM field or advanced education.

Students will learn about the principles of scientific investigations and engineering practices, the Scientific Method, and the basic format of a lab report. They will practice taking measurements, recording data, converting units of measure, and related mathematical concepts such as International System of Units, scientific notation, graphs, and data analysis. Students will learn how to provide evidence to support explanations and solutions for their investigations.

Topics in biology will include molecular, cellular, classification, organisms, populations, and ecosystems. Students will explore the relationships between living things and their environments. The chemistry units will cover the composition of matter, atomic structure and periodic table, and chemical bonds and reactions, while the survey of physics will include forces and motions; conservation of energy, thermal energy, electricity and magnetism; and wave phenomena, characteristics, behavior, including electromagnetic and sound waves.

Meeting Dates: This is a 29-week course with the week off to be announced.

Format: This is a hybrid course with the lecture taught synchronously online on Mondays and hands-on experiments done in a lab on Wednesdays.

Prerequisites: Students should have completed 8th grade math or a course in Pre-Algebra prior to taking Interdisciplinary Science. They should be familiar with ratios, rates, proportions, decimals, percents, exponents, and solving one-variable equations.

Class Expectations: For both in-person and virtual class meetings, students are expected to come prepared, have class materials, and be ready to participate in class discussions and activities. During virtual lectures (Mondays), students are expected to be seated at a desk or table and have their cameras on.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class on reading and homework assignments.

Assignments: All class announcements and assignments will be communicated via Google Classroom.

Assessments: Informal, qualitative and constructive feedback will be given on submitted assignments. A quantitative score/grade will not be provided.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent Physical Science - Interactive Science by Pearson / Savvas Publishing (ISBN # 978-0133209266) and Biology For Dummies (ISBN # 978-1119345374 )

Materials: Students should bring the following supplies to each class: Five Star spiral graph ruled notebook, scientific calculator, colored pencils, glue stick, pens or pencils to write with, and a ruler. Students will be asked to bring a laptop to class on some days.

Lab/Supply Fee: A lab fee of $100.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

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

Prerequisites: Pre-Algebra

Students will use LEGO to design and build simple engineering projects out of everyone's favorite building toy! In this 90-minute class, students will explore concepts and vocabulary in physics, mechanical engineering, structural engineering, aerospace engineering, and architecture while playing with their creations.

Third quarter, junior engineers will tackle Monster Machines, building conveyor belts, elevators, catapults, tunnel-boring diggers, and a ferris wheel.

Each class begins with 10-minutes of free build from tubs of LEGO components followed by a short discussion and demonstration of the day's project and concepts. Students build individually or in groups. Instructors will provide individual assistance, facilitate challenges, performance testing, competitions, and modifications to projects. Some projects may have been introduced in prior year's sessions, but each new build is unique, and student's building skills and understanding will have grown.

Students must be minimum age 5 and able to separate from their parents for this class.

Topics in this Series: Super Structures (Quarter 1); Awesome Automobiles (Quarter 2); Monster Machines (Quarter 3); Colossal Construction (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline.Will their superheroes have super speed or stupendous strength? What happens when these characters collide with vicious villains?

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

Can your little one settle for story time? Share, smile, and socialize during play? Follow fun, familiar directions? This one-morning, 2-hour program is a "taste" of preschool for homeschooled youngsters. Young children will learn and play in a small group with an experienced child developmental specialist/preschool educator for this dynamic program that offers regular interaction and socialization.

Your little one will enjoy being with same-aged peers, building independence, and tackling new skills for a few hours each week. Little Learners Lab will introduce foundational concepts needed for future learning such as pre-reading skills (such as letter recognition); pre-writing skills (such as tracing or highlighting); and pre-math skills (such as colors, patterns). This play-based and language-based program will feature circle time, seasonal themes, songs, and stories. Games and free play time will allow young children to practice key childhood social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and entering play with others. Activities that incorporate multi-modalities and strengthen fine motor skills will be introduced. A mid-morning break consisting of a small snack (such as goldfish crackers, teddy grahams, animal crackers) and water will be furnished at each session. The teacher will also provide ideas for parents to work on at home with their child during the week.

Little Learners Lab Preschool is offered in two weekly sessions: Tuesday and Thursday. Registration is stand-alone for each day so parents can register for one or both sessions. As a learning lab, Compass may invite 1-3 high school students, ages 13+, to serve as classroom aides and learn about early childhood education/development.

Readiness Students must be age 3-1/2 (42 months) by the start of the session (no exceptions). To be successful in this program, entering preschoolers must be able to do the following: (1) separate from parents with little discomfort; (2) be able to sit and listen to a story or stay on a task for 10 minutes; (3) be able to follow simple, age-appropriate directions from the teacher or another adult; (4) be able to voice needs or requests; and (5) be completely potty trained and able to use a public restroom (wiping, flushing, washing hands, etc.) with minimal oversight of a classroom aide.

Other Notes:
-There is a $40.00 material fee for class consumables due payable to the teacher on the first day of class.
-Parents must remain at Compass while their children are in preschool.
-Registration for this program is by 14- or 16-week semester with priority registration for continuing students.
-Parents who are shopping around or applying to alternate preschool programs should review the Compass withdrawal policy.

Prerequisites: None

Earth is an ocean planet! Life began in the oceans, and they are the linchpin of the biological, chemical, and physical processes that allow our planet to support life. This class will give students a basic understanding of the chemistry, physics and biology of earth's oceans. We'll also learn how oceans are informing our search for life on other planets. The focus will be on hands-on, dynamic learning with demonstrations or experiments in each class session.

During the third quarter, students will continue to examine the amazing variety of marine habitats around the world. We'll explore marine habitats that are found in the open ocean (or limnetic zones) including near surface and deep water biomes, abyssal plains, deep trenches, hydrothermal vents, and polar waters. The geographic distribution, food webs, important primary producers and consumers, representative species, and notable species interactions for each biome will be discussed and compared to other marine and terrestrial biomes. Over the course of the quarter, students will assemble a "ship's log" of our virtual expedition which will include a map of the ocean biomes of the earth, with detailed sections on each biome we investigate.

A lab fee of $20.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Topics in this Series: Oceanography (Quarter 1); Coastal Biomes (Quarter 2); Open Water Habitats (Quarter 3); and Marine Animal Close-Up (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

Mindful Mosaics is run as a studio art class where students create unique compositions and work at their own pace under the guidance of an experienced mosaic artist. Each quarter, students are taught new design, cutting, layout, and finishing techniques and are introduced to new mosaic materials which they can incorporate into inspired, original pieces. The instructor can suggest possible themes for projects based on the featured materials, but most students work on individual projects that reflect their own interests, hobbies, or decor.

Students who are new to mosaics will complete a quick checkerboard project (complete with wooden checkers) to teach pattern, layout, and lines before starting an individual projects. For each project, students will choose from a variety of substrates- rectangular, square, shaped, or circular backboards (typically first-year students), or special forms or 3D objects (experienced students). Each project will expand a student's understanding of color, pattern, rhythm, texture, and spacing as they complete rich, dimensioned compositions. Students will be able to incorporate other glass, ceramic, and porcelain tiles into their projects and may select feature elements such as beautiful glass gems, millefiori, sliced stone, metallic ornaments, mirrored bits, or shells, to serve as focal points in their mosaic piece. The mosaic can be monochromatic, complimentary, or contrasting colors. A broad pallet of colors is always available, and new colors are added each quarter to reflect the season.

Students will develop a skillset for mosaic artistry over multiple quarters or years. As each student demonstrates mastery of basic skills, safety, and artistic expression, that student will be taught advanced techniques, materials, tools, composition, and color theory. A typical progression in mosaics is: (1) Whole tiles in symmetric design on a flat, rectangular substrate with emphasis on proper spacing and adhesion; (2) Tile cut with nippers in themed design and individual color choices on a flat wood substrate; (3) Sheet glass cut with pistol grip, breaking, and/or running pliers with emphasis on composition, color, and design on a flat or curved substrate; (4) Progress to 3D substrate and advanced adhesives; (5) Learn porcelain and ceramic cutting, special adhesives, and advanced design.

Note:There is no prerequisite for this class. The number of projects completed each quarter depends on the student's work speed and attendance in class. Compass parents are welcome to register for the class to work alongside their teens, or to work on their own, while their teen is in another Compass class.

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

Assessments: will not be given.

Materials Fees: All material fees are due payable to the instructor on or before the first day of class by cash, check or electronic payment. Materials used vary depending on a student's experience with mosaic.
Beginner Material Fee: $50.00 for a selection of Beginner Materials, including: vitreous glass, ceramic, mini, eco recycled glass, beach glass, glitter glass, glass gems, ceramic pebble, shells, metallic crystal, subway glass
Adhesive: weld bond
Grout: bone or charcoal color
Cutters: wheeled tile nippers
Substrate: 2D/Flat 12" x 12",10" x 10", 8" X 8", 4" X 4", framed mirrors, ornament shapes

Advanced Material Fee: $60.00 for a selection of Advanced Materials including: All Beginner Materials plus, iridized glass, cathedral sheet glass, opaque sheet glass, color fusion, millefiori, Van Gogh glass, natural stone and minerals, special effects glass, water glass, colored mirror, illumination glass, china plates, rhinestone, ball chain
Adhesives: weld bond, thin-set mortar, silicone
Grout: Custom colors (purple, rose, green, blue, earth, orange)
Cutters: wheeled tile nippers, porcelain hand tool, hand file, pistol grip, beetle bits cutting system
Substrates: All flat shapes plus, 3D forms (egg, sphere, cone, pyramid, etc.), cut out sentiments, trays, glass bottle, mini sleds, flower pot, picture frame, sun catcher.

Additional Fee: There may be additional fees for premium materials such as tesserae (by request and consultation with instructor), mother of pearl, 24 kt gold tiles (market rate), or specially cut substrates.

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

Prerequisites: None

Step outdoors and into nature’s living laboratory! This outdoor science class immerses students in real-world field study where the woods, streams, and wetlands become the classroom. Each week, explorers will practice the methods of natural scientists as they investigate ecology, geology, zoology (local wildlife), botany (plants), ornithology (birds), mycology (fungi), and entomology (insects), in our own suburban ecosystem.

Students will observe natural systems in action as they examine life cycles, the water cycle, and the local watershed; explore suburban wetlands; and uncover the balance between producers, consumers, and decomposers, as well as predator–prey relationships and food webs. Seasonal cycles will guide discoveries as young naturalists watch habitats transform and learn how plants and animals adapt throughout the year.

Each week, students will explore the southern section of Sugarland Stream Valley Park in Herndon with a senior naturalist and outdoor educator. This program offers a refreshing break from sit-down, indoor, and screen-based learning—encouraging movement, fresh air, curiosity, and hands-on discovery. Students will learn to stop, look, listen, smell, touch, turn things over, and peek beneath the surface to uncover nature’s hidden wonders. A portion of every session will focus on developing confidence and comfort in the outdoors. Emphasis will be placed on safe, respectful, and responsible exploration, environmental stewardship, and appreciating what we find in nature. Students will also enjoy nature-based games that reinforce teamwork and exploration skills.

Prerequisites: None

Step outdoors and into nature’s living laboratory! This outdoor science class immerses students in real-world field study where the woods, streams, and wetlands become the classroom. Each week, explorers will practice the methods of natural scientists as they investigate ecology, geology, zoology (local wildlife), botany (plants), ornithology (birds), mycology (fungi), and entomology (insects), in our own suburban ecosystem.

Students will observe natural systems in action as they examine life cycles, the water cycle, and the local watershed; explore suburban wetlands; and uncover the balance between producers, consumers, and decomposers, as well as predator–prey relationships and food webs. Seasonal cycles will guide discoveries as young naturalists watch habitats transform and learn how plants and animals adapt throughout the year.

Each week, students will explore the southern section of Sugarland Stream Valley Park in Herndon with a senior naturalist and outdoor educator. This program offers a refreshing break from sit-down, indoor, and screen-based learning—encouraging movement, fresh air, curiosity, and hands-on discovery. Students will learn to stop, look, listen, smell, touch, turn things over, and peek beneath the surface to uncover nature’s hidden wonders. A portion of every session will focus on developing confidence and comfort in the outdoors. Emphasis will be placed on safe, respectful, and responsible exploration, environmental stewardship, and appreciating what we find in nature. Students will also enjoy nature-based games that reinforce teamwork and exploration skills.

Prerequisites: None

This is a complete course in Pre-Algebra that will provide an introduction to basic algebra concepts and a review of arithmetic algorithms with an emphasis on problem solving. The major topics covered in this course are Numbers and Operations, Expressions and Properties, Equations and Inequalities, Functional Relationships and Ratios, Percent and Proportions. Students will learn to use formulas to solve a variety of math problems encompassing geometry, measurement probability, and statistics. Students will also be applying their learning to real life scenarios to solve problems.

Prerequisites: Students must be fluent in the four basic operations- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. They will need to show proficiency and have a thorough command of basic computation. In addition, a basic, introductory understanding and ability to work with fractions and decimals is required to solve equations and simplify expressions. If you are unsure about your child's readiness for this class, the instructor will recommend one or more practice platforms and/or assessments to confirm placement.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 3-4 hours per week outside of class to complete practice problems, homework, and assessments.

Assignments: All assignments will be posted on password-protected Canvas classroom management site. There, students access assignments, upload homework, link to quizzes and tests, track grades, and message the instructor and classmates.

Assessments: All chapter tests will be taken outside of class with parental oversight to maximize in-class instructional time. Points will be assigned for completed homework, quizzes, and tests. A letter grade will not be assigned, but parents can use total points earned versus total points offered to assign a grade for purposes of a homeschool transcript. Parents can view total points earned at any time through the Canvas site. See the instructor's webpage for detailed homework and test policy, including late work and re-work.

Textbook: The selected textbook is available free online, and a link will be posted on Canvas. Students who prefer a hard copy textbook may purchase or rent McDougall Littell's Pre-Algebra (ISBN #978-0618250035). As an alternative, for any student who struggles with reading, the textbook can be purchased as an audio CD (ISBN #978-0618478828).

What to Bring: TI-34 calculator

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

Prerequisites: None

The odds of winning the Powerball jackpot are 1 in 292 million. 77% of teens ages 12-17 have cell phones. One out of every two youth voters cast a ballot in 2020. From election polls to stock market data and weather reports to medical test results, statistics and probability are all around us. They are quoted in the podcasts we listen to, the news we watch, and the textbooks and articles we read. Statistics and probability are used in almost every field of study and career for forecasting, decision making, and tracking progress. In 2021-22, the government will release a tsunami of 2020 census statistics about our country's population. (Coincidentally, the odds of a tsunami hitting the east coast- less than the Powerball win.) But statistics and probability are also often misused, misquoted or incorrectly applied, so having a solid understanding of what these numbers represent will help make teens informed consumers and decision-makers.

This course will explore the collection and analysis of data, inferences and conclusions, and the use of this information. Themes include relationships between variables, gathering data, interpreting categorical versus quantitative data. The class will also cover sample surveys, experiments, and observational studies and evaluate randomness and probability. Finally, students will learn about making inferences, justifying conclusions, and using probability to make decisions.

Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation in Algebra I and Geometry in order to take this class. It is an ideal class for a student who needs an additional credit in high school math, but who may not wish to pursue more advanced mathematics courses such as Algebra II and Pre-Calculus.

Levels: The course provides a substantive, full-credit experience on either an Honors or On-Level track. All class members share core material and participate in the same class lectures. Honors students will receive additional, more challenging problems. Students register online for the same course but must indicate which level they wish to follow by the first day of class. Students may move down a level (from Honors to On-Level) at any time.

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

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

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

Textbook: The required textbook for this class is "Stats In Your World" 1st edition by David E. Bock (ISBN-13: 978-0131384897).

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

Prerequisites: Algebra I

Step into a world of imagination, strategy, and storytelling! In this club, teens will work together to create characters, explore fantasy worlds, and go on epic adventures using the popular tabletop roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons. Through creative problem-solving, teamwork, and storytelling, members will learn the basics of the game while building friendships and having fun. No experience is needed-just a sense of adventure! All games and scenarios will be moderated and facilitated by an experienced Compass instructor and Dungeon Master.

Prerequisites: None

Buenos dias! Spanish Amigos (Friends) is a fun, play-based, Spanish immersion class for young students. Much like learning their native language, students will be exposed to the sounds, vocabulary, and phrases in Spanish through songs, games, stories, interactive and hands-on activities. Limited cues in English will be used to prompt students in the first few weeks. The teacher will bring toys and objects each week to give kids tangible, hands-on examples of the vocabulary being introduced.

Each quarter introduces new themes and new vocabulary in Spanish, so children can continue to build their language basics. However, themes and units are non-sequential, so students may enroll in this level in any quarter. The goal of this introductory course is to lay foundations in sounds, vocabulary, and simple phrases while having fun and building confidence in a foreign language. Instruction will be predominantly verbal, but key vocabulary words may be written down for students to begin a sense of spelling. A limited amount of writing, spelling, and reading will be expected to emphasize new vocabulary and complete workbook/handout exercises, but note-taking from the board will not be required. Fluency should not be expected at this level.

Recommendations/Workload: Students should be at grade level for reading in English. Some homework will be assigned.

Textbook: Students will be working from Viva el Espanol- System A (ISBN #978-0076029525) from McGraw-Hill. Compass will pre-purchased copies of this book to ensure everyone has a copy for $41.00 Students will only need to purchase this book the first quarter they are enrolled.

Prerequisites: None

Hola! Spanish Para Pequenos (Spanish for Little Ones) is a fun, play-based, Spanish immersion class for young children. Following the native language-learning process, children will be exposed to the sounds, letters, and high-frequency words in Spanish through songs, games, stories, puppets, and other interactive activities. The teacher will provide all necessary toys and objects to give young children tangible, and hands-on ways to apply new concepts in practical real-life situations. The instructor uses some Montessori-style activities that create a high-energy, playful environment, engaging tactile and kinesthetic learners alike while appealing to children's natural curiosities. The vocabulary and language structures presented in each session follow a new letter of the alphabet each week that will include greetings, simple phrases, foods, colors, numbers, animals, common action verbs, calendar phrases, articles of clothing and seasonal topics. Vocabulary will be repeated and reviewed often to aid in the retention of the language, and will primarily develop listening and speaking skills. The goal of this introductory course is to lay foundations in phonics and essential vocabulary words while having fun and building confidence in a foreign language. Who knows, your child might just come home singing their new favorite Spanish nursery rhyme!

Prerequisites: None

Tweens take over as they collectively brainstorm and collaboratively write own play. Find out what happens when tweens "act out" the unique characters and an original storyline they created. Mysterious murders and curious crimes. Did the wily witness spot the suspect, and will the diligent detective crack the case?

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

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

Once the script is fully developed with everyone's parts, about half-way through the quarter, it will be emailed to parents. Parents will be expected to help their children memorize their script/lines/cues and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity.

Topics in this Series: Can't Believe it Came to Life (Quarter 1), Technology Takeover (Quarter 2), Whodunnit? (Quarter 3) and Vanished in a Video Game (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

Wee Writers is a simple journaling class for emergent kindergarten writers ages 5 and 6. Beginning writers will use basic sight words and phonetics while writing about feelings and experiences. Students will learn basic sentence structure with noun-verb construction, initial capital letter, and ending punctuation. Beginning sentences such as, "I lik cak." or "I drnk wtr." would be typical of emergent writers. Students will illustrate their journal entries and have opportunities to share and discuss their writing with peers. Children may repeat this class each quarter as new writing activities will be introduced each session.

Note: This class is designed for students to enjoy a fun, new dimension of writing with peers and a teacher, but this will not take the place of a comprehensive language arts curriculum and regular writing practice.

Writing Readiness Enrolling students must be able to (1) recognize and write his/her first name; (2) recognize and write each letter of the alphabet and know the corresponding sounds; and (3) hold and use crayons and scissors correctly.

Social Readiness: Students must be age five (5) by the start of the class. To be successful in this program, kindergartners must be able to do the following preschool-level skills: (1) be able to separate from parents with little discomfort; (2) be able to sit and stay on a task for 10 minutes; (3) be able to follow simple, age-appropriate directions from the teacher or another adult; (4) be completely self-sufficient in a public restroom (wiping, flushing, washing hands, etc.)

Prerequisites: None

Writers @ Work is a fundamental writing class that will prepare seventh and eighth grade students for high school level composition. Writing is not only a critical skill for high school and beyond, it gives teens a voice! In this class, teens will gain confidence, increase writing fluency, and learn how to incorporate writing into schoolwork and hobbies. The objective of this class is for each student to progress and improve his/her own writing. This class does not have a fixed curriculum trying to achieve the same outcome and same skillset for each child, because each student comes to class with different writing experience and varying needs. Instead, through personalized feedback from the instructor and peer feedback exercises, student writers will improve their writing skills from where they started.

Students will always be encouraged to write about what interests them, but prompts will also be offered. They will write for a few minutes in class each week and will be expected to write short assignments at home and submit their work to the instructor for feedback. Students will receive individual feedback to work on aspects of their writing such as organizing thoughts, defining a purpose and audience for the paper, formulating a topic sentence or main idea, developing supporting details, using correct sentence structure (for example, initial capitalization and end punctuation).

The instructor will model the steps of the writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing. Writing tips will be introduced throughout the year pulling from both a "toolbox" of grammar rules (i.e. sentence structure, complex and compound sentences, independent and dependent clauses, parts of speech, agreement, tense, use of dialogue and quotation marks, correct use of punctuation) and stylistic techniques (i.e., using metaphors, adding details, and building tension). Examples and exercises will be presented from a variety of styles and genres.
Students should be on or near grade level in reading to take this class.

Writers @ Work is offered both semesters under the same class name, but students may take it each semester to continue to improve their writing skills.

Prerequisites: None

Bonjour and get ready for a full year of beginner level high school French! This is a conversation-focused program in which students will build their vocabulary quickly and learn essential grammar skills in French. Vocabulary will include numbers, time, dates, seasons, school, free time activities/hobbies, likes/dislikes, personal descriptions, family relationships, emotions, food/restaurants, and places/locations in town. There will be a strong emphasis on competency using regular and irregular present tense verbs and common grammar concepts such as articles, pronouns, adjectives, and comparative phrases.

Class will be conducted primarily in French and will focus on listening and speaking skills, asking and answering questions, and correct use of grammar. At home, students will be responsible for memorizing vocabulary and grammar, completing homework assignments, and watching both grammar instruction and language immersion videos.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 30-45 minutes per day, 4 days per week on homework outside of class.

Assignments: Are sent by e-mail to parents and students. Students must have access to a computer and internet service for computer-based videos and practice tools that are assigned as homework and are essential to success in the class.

Assessments: Quizzes, tests, and individual performance reviews will be given to all students at regular intervals to provide parents with sufficient feedback to assign a grade.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Bien Dit!: Student Edition Level 1 2013 (French Edition) (ISBN-13 978-0547871790)

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

Prerequisites: None

Bonjour et bienvenue dans notre classe de Francais 4 ! Welcome to the fourth year of high school French. This is a conversation-focused program in which students will communicate among each other about different topics. The class will naturally continue using the present tenses, the future tenses, the past tenses, and the conditional tense. At this point in learning French, students should be able to communicate fluently about various topics using their knowledge. Students will also develop new vocabulary and new grammar points via the use of different readings.

Class will be conducted primarily in French and will focus on listening and speaking skills. At home, students will be responsible for memorizing vocabulary and grammar, completing homework assignments, and watching both grammar instruction and language immersion videos.

Prerequisites: French III

Workload: Students should expect to spend 30-45 minutes per day, 4 days per week on homework outside of class.

Assignments: Are sent by e-mail to parents and students. Students must have access to a computer and internet service for computer-based videos and practice tools that are assigned as homework and are essential to success in the class.

Assessments: Quizzes, tests, and individual performance reviews will be given to all students at regular intervals to provide parents with sufficient feedback to assign a grade.

Textbook:Each semester, students will read a novel in French that will be selected by the instructor. Students will be asked to reimburse her for the cost of the novel, approximately $10.00-$15.00

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

Prerequisites: French III