Class Registration

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.Young Beginners is for very young students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills including water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water.Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

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 (9:30 am - 10:55 am). Registration for the Lab section will automatically enroll the student in the Lecture section.This is a full-year, lab-based course that covers traditional concepts in physics. Physics is a college-preparatory course that encourages students to engage in scientific inquiry, investigations, and experimentation so they develop a conceptual understanding and basic scientific skills. Physics will help students understand phenomena in the physical world such as the forces on a roller coaster, wave action at the beach, speakers for their music, batteries in electric cars, and the electronics that power their favorite devices.Students will develop an in-depth conceptual and analytical understanding of principles such as Newton's laws of motion, work and energy, momentum, circular motion, thermodynamics, sound, properties of light, electric fields and energy, and magnetism. This course will use algebra- and trigonometry- based mathematical models to introduce the fundamental concepts that describe mechanics. The course is designed to emphasize scientific thinking and reasoning, problem solving, and experimentation.Meeting Dates: This is a 29-week course that will not meet during the week of May 13-17.Prerequisites/Corequisites: Students should have completed Algebra I, Geometry, and basic, right-angle trigonometry before taking this course. Students should be concurrently enrolled in Algebra II or PreCalculus when taking this course. For those students who have not covered trigonometry or other key Algebra II topics prior to encountering them in this course, the instructor will recommend resources and videos for independent review or instruction. Students are encouraged to buy the textbook over the summer to work through the Math Review section before September. The emphasis in this course is teaching/learning physic concepts, not teaching or re-teaching mathematical concepts.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 4 - 6 hours of independent study/homework every week consisting of pre-reading chapters, taking detailed notes on concepts before class, completing problem-solving activities, analyzing data, and writing formal lab reports.Assignments: All assignments and announcements will be posted on Google classroom management site. There, students access assignments; upload lab reports, message instructor and classmates; and attend virtual conferences. Parents can view the course instructions and materials via their students’ accounts.Assessments: The instructor will assign points for correct answers on quizzes and tests, and points/feedback for lab reports. Homework assignments will be marked as complete or incomplete. Parents can calculate a letter grade using the student's points earned divided by points available.Textbook/Materials: Students should purchase or rent Physics by James S. Walker (2014 ed.) (ISBN #9780131371156.)Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $100.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.Supplies/Equipment: Students will need access to a computer with working camera, internet, a graphing calculator, a ruler, writing supplies, colored pens for graphs, highlighters, plain, lined, and graph paper, a 1-inch three ring binder, and a Five Star, 8.5" X 11" Quadrille-Ruled Notebook.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component full credit in laboratory science for purposes of a high school transcript.

Prerequisites: Algebra I, Geometry with minimum co-requisite Algebra II

This class has an in-person lecture on Mondays (10:00 am - 10:55 am) and in-person lab and activities on Fridays (9:30 am - 10:55 am). Registration for the Lab section will automatically enroll the student in the Lecture section.

Massive mudslides in Monterrey. New fossils found in the Philippines. Uranium unearthed near Uluru. The curiosities of geology are in the news every single day! Geology is a study of the physical Earth- past and present- including its history, composition, structures, forces, and cycles, all of which shape our world. Students will explore the Earth's spheres including the geosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere, as well as the cycles of the Earth such as the water, rock, and carbon cycles.

A key theme in this course is Earth's history including formation, rock cycle, plate tectonics, and geo-dynamics. The class will also look at minerology and petrology where they will identify minerals and rocks through physical testing, understand the mineral composition, and relate their findings to the forces that produce different structures and conditions. The class will cover geochemistry which includes the carbon cycle, water cycle, and hydrothermal chemical processes, along with geomorphology which deals with landforms and what can be inferred about the geology from the resulting structures and features. Natural hazards such as hurricanes, landslides, and volcanoes will be explored, along with the niche topics of remote sensing and glacial physics. Weather, oceanography, space, and planetary science will be only briefly discussed since these topics are explored in other, year-long Compass courses. Ultimately, this course prepares students to be scientifically literate as well as prepare them for future courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science.

In this year-long laboratory science course, students will pair weekly discussions with experiments and activities that demonstrate concepts such as erosion, rock/mineral classification, tectonics using an earthquake table, spectra/light analyses to determine mineral content, and more. Students' laboratory work may also include citizen scientist initiatives using data and images collected by NASA and other institutions. Some lab activities may use computers and a spreadsheet to analyze publicly available data. The class will perform some field work such as stream-mapping at nearby Sugarland Run and an optional field trip to Billy Goat's trail in Great Falls.

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

Levels: This class will be offered on two levels: Honors and On-Level. All class members share the core, weekly lesson and participate in the same in-class labs and activities. Honors students will be assigned supplemental articles, videos, and/or additional homework problems each week. Students register online for the same course, but must indicate which level they wish to study at the start of the year. Students may move down a level (from Honors to On-Level) at any time. However, once classes have started, students may not "bump up" a level.

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

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

Textbook: The selected textbook will be identified by August 1, 2023 for students to purchase, rent, or download.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $100 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

What to Bring: Students will need class supplies at each class meeting and will need a laptop at some sessions for laboratory work.

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

Students will learn to think like inventors and designers when creating 3D! 3D design is used not only for modeling and fabricating objects but is also at the heart of many cutting-edge technologies such as AR and VR, video game design, interactive exhibits, and more. 3D printing is used in nearly all industries and design fields today from art to animation, manufacturing to medicine, and engineering to entertainment.In this class, students will first learn to use Tinkercard, a 3D modeling software that works in solid forms (like LEGO bricks). Then, students will transition to MeshMixer, a software that creates smooth, curved, organic shapes (like clay). They will learn to think about their design from all angles and how to subtract forms to create holes, voids, and concave features, and add forms to create projections, contours, appendages, and convex details. They will discover the limitations of 3D printing and how to handle overhanging elements or delicate details.Students will practice the artistic design process with simple sketches before diving into the software. They will be encouraged to use reference material, whether photos, a model, or even by modifying existing, public domain 3D files. Students will use an iterative printing process in which they print their project, check it for design intent, functionality, or fit, make modifications, and print again. The class will learn how to save and convert between 3D solid object files (.stl) and object files (.obj) and work with metadata fields to protect the intellectual property of their designs.To demonstrate the range and capability of 3D-printed designs, favorite student projects include D & D miniatures, cosplay props, Minecraft-designed creations, and beloved characters such as anime, baby Yoda, and Pokemon creatures.Second semester, continuing students will progress to more complex assemblies including multiple parts and parts with hinges. Second semester, some students may wish to work with alternative filaments such as TPU (rubber), metal, or magnetized filament. Because of the studio format, new students can enroll second semester.The class instructor is a design engineer with 3D Herndon and expert in 3D technologies and other areas of design and invention. A typical class will be structured with 5-10 minutes of lecture or demonstration of a new design skill, followed by 40 minutes of design "studio" time where students can receive trouble-shooting support and design tips from the instructor and have dedicated work time, and 5-10 minutes of sharing time at the end of class. As a studio class, students will work on individual projects at their own pace. Topics in this Series: As an open studio for individual projects, students may continue from one semester to the next or enroll mid-year. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Prerequisites: NoneWhat 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 $40.00 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.

Elementary artists can get in on the action as they learn about a different artist or artistic style each week and create a representative piece using a wide range of artistic supplies such as tempura and water color paints, pastels, pencils, cray pas, oil pastel crayons, specialty papers, sculpting media, and embellishments.First quarter, students will meet one best-known artists of all times. Picasso's art career spanned 79 years and included painting, sculpting, ceramics, poetry, stage design, and writing. The class will use a variety of materials and techniques to represent works from Picasso's Blue Period, Rose Period, African Period, Cubism, Neoclassicism and Surrealism.Topics in this Series: Picasso in Perspective (Quarter 1); Original Works of the Worlds Oceans (Quarter 2); American Artist Spotlight (Quarter 3); Destination Art (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $20.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

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

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

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

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

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

Prerequisites: None

This is a complete course in high school Calculus which will cover fundamental concepts and provide a solid foundation of mathematical literacy, problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the exploration of more advanced and rigorous topics in mathematics. Topics in Calculus include limits of functions (one-sided and two-sided limits, limits at infinity and infinite limits, limits of sequences, and continuity of functions), derivatives (various definitions of derivatives, estimating derivatives from tables and graphs, rules of differentiation, properties of derivatives, separable differential equations, and the Mean Value Theorem), applications of derivatives (related rates, optimization, and exponential growth and decay models), integrals (basic techniques of integration including basic antiderivatives and substitution), applications of integrals (in finding areas and volumes, describing motion, and as accumulation functions), and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Students will explore these topics through class discussions, practice problems, and open-ended problem-solving.Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation PreCalculus in order to take this class.Level: This course is offered at two levels, Honors and Advanced Placement (AP). The scope and sequence are identical, however AP students may have additional practice problems. Students who wish to take the AP exam must register and pay for their own exam through the College Board in fall 2023 for the May 2024 exam.Workload: Students should expect to spend 1.25-1.75 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 13-day cycle in this class with: a new unit introduced on a Friday (day 1), lecture on Wednesday (day 6), questions and answers on the next Friday (day 8), and homework due the next Wednesday (day 13). After introduction of a new topic (day 1), students will be expected to read the assigned section and look through worked, sample problems before the lecture the following Wednesday (day 6). Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of all 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: In this class, the instructor will assess a student's progress by checking that weekly homework sets are complete and giving periodic take-home tests; class participation is also strongly encouraged. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade.Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Calculus: Single Variable/Early Transcendentals, 8th edition by James Stewart (ISBN-13 9781305270336). A scientific calculator similar to the Casio fx-115ES PLUS is required for this class, and it is highly recommended that students preparing for the AP exam have a graphing calculator similar to the TI-83. Students without a graphing calculator must have access to desmos.com and/or wolframalpha.com for graphing assignments.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a complete credit in Calculus for purposes of a high school transcript.

Prerequisites: PreCalculus

Can your child sit in a circle for story time? Line up for lunch? Take turns talking? This one-day, 3-hour (half-day) program is a "taste" of kindergarten for 5- year-olds. Start your child's week off right with "Monday mornings with Miss M" at Compass Kindergarten. Children will work in a small group with an experienced early elementary educator for this dynamic, play-based program that offers regular interaction and socialization.This fun, activity-based program will create rhythm and routine in a homeschooled kindergartner's week and give them a sense of community and a peer group. Children will practice routines and transitions as they move through the morning. Each session will include some simple structure such as a daily arrival song/greeting, circle time, story, snack time, activity, lunch, active game, and closing/goodbyes. Through games and activities, they will also practice key childhood social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and entering play with others. Academic basics such as the ABCs, days of the week, colors, shapes, and number sense will be integrated into activities involving fairy tales, nature and art. The teacher will provide ideas for parents to work on at home with their child during the week.Compass Kindergarten is offered in three weekly sessions: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Registration is stand-alone for each day so parents can register for one, two, or all three. While each kindergarten class will give children the opportunities for learning and playing in a social environment along with classroom routines, each of the three days will focus on a particular area of study and discovery of how each is connected.On Mondays, the focus will be on Language Arts where students will be exposed to folktales, seasonal stories, and classic favorites while also practicing basic reading and writing skills such as sound blends, digraphs and long vowel sounds.Parents can choose to drop children off for this program (different than Compass's school-year policies for 55 minute classes.) Children should bring a bagged lunch and water bottle to each session. There is a $40.00 material fee for class consumables due payable to the teacher on the first day of class. Registration for this program is by half-year (semester). Students must be age five (5) at the start of the program. Parents who are shopping around or applying to alternate kindergarten programs should review the Compass withdrawal policy.

Can your child sit in a circle for story time? Line up for lunch? Take turns talking? This one-day, 3-hour (half-day) program is a "taste" of kindergarten for 5- year-olds. Start your child's week off right with "Monday mornings with Miss M" at Compass Kindergarten. Children will work in a small group with an experienced early elementary educator for this dynamic, play-based program that offers regular interaction and socialization.This fun, activity-based program will create rhythm and routine in a homeschooled kindergartner's week and give them a sense of community and a peer group. Children will practice routines and transitions as they move through the morning. Each session will include some simple structure such as a daily arrival song/greeting, circle time, story, snack time, activity, lunch, active game, and closing/goodbyes. Through games and activities, they will also practice key childhood social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and entering play with others. Academic basics such as the ABCs, days of the week, colors, shapes, and number sense will be integrated into activities involving fairy tales, nature and art. The teacher will provide ideas for parents to work on at home with their child during the week.Compass Kindergarten is offered in three weekly sessions: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Registration is stand-alone for each day so parents can register for one, two, or all three. While each kindergarten class will give children the opportunities for learning and playing in a social environment along with classroom routines, each of the three days will focus on a particular area of study and discovery of how each is connected.On Fridays, the focus will be on Science and exploration of the natural world through stories, crafts, and observations both inside and outside the classroom. Themes include seasons, weather, local animals, and the five senses.Parents can choose to drop children off for this program (different than Compass's school-year policies for 55 minute classes.) Children should bring a bagged lunch and water bottle to each session. There is a $40.00 material fee for class consumables due payable to the teacher on the first day of class. Registration for this program is by half-year (semester). Students must be age five (5) at the start of the program. Parents who are shopping around or applying to alternate kindergarten programs should review the Compass withdrawal policy.

Digital portfolios. A necessity in the visual, performing, and language arts worlds. Every writer, artist, musician, actor, dancer, game designer, engineer, or any other type of creator, whether performance- or project-based—needs to present a “body of work”. For professionals, a portfolio can seal the job offer. For students, it is a standard for colleges, internships, scholarships, companies, and agencies. Visual and performing arts students need a digital portfolio for applications to art, dance, music, theatre schools, and for auditions. For other creators and designers, a digital portfolio is an opportunity to expand a resume or transcript, providing depth by “showing the work”, not just telling about it. Portfolios put the creator in the role of “curator,” forcing critical analysis by assessing specific works to include and how best to present them. Portfolios also provide familiar talking points for interviews. Pulling up a portfolio and showing photos or videos of a project or product is easier (and more effective) than trying to describe it, especially if it’s complex.In this course, students will build a digital portfolio that provides both formative and summative assessment of work completed and development of process. Each student will create and curate a collection of product-based works (writing, art, photography, design) or project-based works (engineering, research & development, computer science), or performance-based works (theatrical, dance, musical).Students will begin by researching and analyzing professional portfolios as “role models” for both design inspiration and insight into how a career in this field unfolds. After seeing possibilities, students will design and develop a homepage focused on who they are as a creator or performer, introducing themselves, their work, and their goals. They will create a template, layout, and palette for their portfolio that sets a tone and reinforces messaging. Writing and graphics will be integrated in the opening section (homepage) and throughout the portfolio (content pages).Next steps focus on content planning: selecting what media, subjects, genres, forms, and accomplishments to include in a gallery of work. Some pieces may already be completed. Some may still be in development, and students may work in partnerships to finish them. Classes will be devoted to teacher and peer review, breaking into interest groups (writers, digital artists, dancers, etc.) to initiate targeted feedback. Creators have deep and specialized knowledge of subject, technique, materials, vocabulary, etc., so field-specific collaboration is invaluable.Then, curation begins. Arranging works and annotating them. Students will create categories that translate into menu items and sections. They will combine photos, video, graphics, and annotative text to tell the “story” of who they are and what they have created. Portfolio sections will include openings and introductions showcasing original works with clickable icons that lead an audience to a deeper view of their work. Works will be titled, captioned, and cited with form, media used, date, place, etc. to provide a museum-style approach to curation. At a glance, a visitor will see not only what the student has created, but also can get to know the creator through his/her personal design and content choices. Students may opt to show both process (chronicling the creation of a work, writing, or project) and finished product. Concepts and in-development pieces may also be included to underscore creativity, passion, and initiative. Most creators have works in progress and ideas for what’s next.The end product of all this is, simply, a link that, with one click, opens a portal to the world of a creator’s process, expertise, discoveries, and, of course, best works.Note: Weekly class meetings will be a blend of lecture, presentations (instructor and student), discussion, writing, editing, and peer/teacher review. All class meetings will be in a Google Meet virtual classroom, providing synchronous online instruction via videoconferencing, screen-sharing capability, and breakout rooms for group work.Workload: Students should expect to spend 2+ hours per week outside of class. (Varies by personal goals and body of work.)Assignments:  All assignments, class materials, and shared documents will be posted on a password-protected Google Classroom site.Assessments: Informal, qualitative feedback will be given in class throughout the semester by the instructor and peers. A quantitative score/grade will not be provided.Class Materials: Students must have an “body of work” with completed and in-progress pieces representing original writing, art, photography, inventions, theatrical roles, costumes, singing, concerts, etc. Students should also have a laptop with camera, microphone, and internet connection for class meetings and a cell phone or digital camera for scanning or photographing works. Finally, students will need to select a web-based portfolio template such as a no cost Weebly platform (upgrades available at an additional cost.)Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Language Arts or Visual Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Calling crooked criminals who commit creepy crimes! Convening colorful characters who corroborate clues and constables who collaborate to crack the case! Connect with a kooky cast in Compass's new Detective Drama. Using materials from a commercial mystery role playing game (RPG), students will be guided through the facts of a fictitious case. Student sleuths will be follow clue cards, eclectic evidence, and phony forensics to uncover a crime. Emphasis will be on critical thinking, problem solving skills, and improvisation through the portrayal of unique characters involved in the crime. Students will be encouraged to develop a strong, compelling character, an original costume, a backstory, and of course, an alibi.First quarter, students will unravel the Case of the Missing Crown! The Queen's crown has been stolen and nobody knows who is to blame. The crown is worth millions and if it has fallen into the wrong hands, hundreds of years of history will be lost forever! The Queen is hopeless and has exhausted all of her resources in search for her beloved crown. Our class is her last hope in the search for the missing crown. Solve the mystery and return the crown to its rightful owner.In this workshop, students will experiment with acting and improvisation and working as a team. This class is best suited for students who are active listeners, are flexible and easily adapt, have a sense of humor, and enjoy working in a collaborative group. Students need to be able to stay in sync with the flow of the class. This is not an "anything goes" or free-for-all class. Because of the age of the students in this class, only capers such as burglaries or kidnappings will be portrayed instead of murders.Topics in this Series: The Case of the Missing Crown (First Quarter); The Mystery of the Lost Jewels of the Titanic (Second Quarter); Mystery at the Fair (Third Quarter), and The Missing Mona Lisa (Fourth Quarter). There is a class supply fee of $20.00 due payable to the instructor on the first day for the class RPG materials, printing, props, and investigation folders.

Kids are curious about electricity- the magic that powers the toys, games, and electronics they love. In this class, kids will experiment with aspects of electricity- conductors, batteries, and circuits- to take the mystery out of electricity and inspire future engineers.Learn about electricity basics such as atoms and what makes a material a conductor or an insulator. In the first investigation of electric circuits, students will use their own bodies to complete a circuit that lights up LED lights and sounds a siren! The class will learn about open and closed circuits and discuss why the human body has a current. Students will learn to use a volt meter and measure their own body's voltage. Next, the class will explore the conductivity of fruits and vegetables. Kids will be asked to bring one or more samples of fruits or veggies from home to measure the voltage, experiment on, and compare results. They will also build circuits with these foods and experiment with attaching power sources in series to increase the voltage. The third area of exploration will be building paper circuits. Students will apply the principles they learned to build a light-up postcard. Finally, the class will learn about magnetism, what a magnet is, and why it behaves that way. Students will explore which items are attracted to a magnetic and which are not, and they will share their findings. Next, they will make their own magnets out of paper clips. We will discuss the magnetic poles of the earth and build a compass, to discover where we are. Topics in this Series: Battery Blast (Quarter 1); Cool Conductors (Quarter 2); Simple Circuits (Quarter 3); and Super Circuits (Quarter 4). Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $15.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Prerequisites: None

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.

During first quarter, students will design experiments relating to animal behavior. Possible areas of investigation include learned behavior, foraging, habitat preferences, territoriality, or social behavior. Others may design experiments that test intraspecific interactions, predator-prey relationships, or animal competition. Students will have the option of experimenting with small, class-furnished animals such as pill bugs or crickets, students' own pets, or backyard wildlife.

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.

Topics in this Series: Animal Behavior (Quarter 1), Chemistry (Quarter 2), Environmental (Quarter 3), and Design-Your-Own (Quarter 4).

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

Prerequisites: None

Paris. Milan. Madrid. What's on the runways in 2023? Wide disco collars, chic trench coats, and layered skirts in simmering neons, crochet knits, and faux leather. Do you study the pages of Glamour, Vogue, Marie Claire, and wish to be involved in the world of trendy fashion? Perhaps you follow fashion influencers on Instagram. Or, do you enjoy the satisfaction of designing apparel yourself, your way? If so, this class is for you. Each week this course will cover two aspects: the history of fashion and fashion design.Fashion trends are often cyclical, and elements of style are reimagined every few decades. Students will seek inspiration for new designs and style remixes by learning about the history of fashion in eastern and western cultures for the last century. First semester, students will look at fashion trends by decade from 1900 through the 1960s. This semester will cover chapters 1 through 3 in the textbook.With inspiration from historical design trends, students will learn how to create fashion renderings, from initial concepts through a chic, coordinated collection. First semester, the class will learn about color theory, color psychology, and composing color palettes. They will learn to draw their designs by sketching a croquis (a quick, rough sketch of a garments on a proportioned figure.) Students will practice vision boarding and developing a story board. This class does not include sewing the fashions.Topics in this Series: Stellar Style: Fashion Design & History I (Semester 1), Stellar Style: Fashion Design & History II (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Prerequisites: None.Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class on reading assignments and completing design activities.Assignments: Projects and readings will be given out in class and will also be communicated via email.Assessments: Individual feedback is given in class. Formal assessments will not be given.Textbook: Students should purchase Fundamentals of Fashion Design, 3rd Edition, by Richard Sorger and Jenny Udale (ISBN# 978-1474270007) before the first class. Additional information will be distributed as handouts in class.Lab/Supply Fee: None.What to Bring: Images/sample photos, swatches, and other assigned materials.Non-Meeting Dates:11/6/23Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts or Career Education for purposes of a high school transcript.

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

Prerequisites: None

FUNctional Fitness is a dynamic kids' PE program that incorporates well-rounded exercises to get kids 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. 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! Students must be minimum age 7 to take this class. This is a 6-week class that will not meet on 9/21/23.

What is a lower calorie lunch: McDonald's Big Mac or Panera's Mac & Cheese (it's not what you think!) How much sleep does a tween really need? Is vaping a safe alternative to smoking? Tweens fall in the awkward gap between childhood and teen years and face many personal and physical changes. This class will cover the health topics tweens should be prepared for such as healthy habits and developing bodies.The class will examine nutrition including specific recommendations for this age group and a look at the effects of favorites like sugar, caffeine, and fast food. Students will brainstorm safety topics such as internet safety, situational safety, risk-taking, and personal boundaries. Students will also learn about sleep recommendations and healthy sleep habits, exercise, and the effects of screen time, and students will be encouraged to keep a personal log to see how they fare on these measures.When it comes to feelings such a depression, anxiety, and fear, the class will discuss what is normal, and when you should start to worry. Tweens will learn about eating disorders and self-harm, and when it is time to speak up and get adult help for themselves or a friend. The group will also examine brain development in the tween years and how it is different than that of a toddler and adult, and what this means for thought processes such as impulsivity.The class will cover the usage of alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, smoking, and vaping including the effects they can have on a tween; common names, and new threats "on the street" such as drugs that look like candy, bath salts, or edibles. Students will learn how to identify addiction in themselves or someone else and how to get help.Puberty and human reproduction will be taught from a purely biological perspective including male and female anatomy, pregnancy and fetal development, and sexually transmitted diseases. These topics will be covered in a mixed classroom of boys and girls. This class will not cover birth control, abortion, or gender identity issues, and parents will have the opportunity to preview the material covered before it is taught to ensure it is right for their tween.This class will be structured as a facilitated discussion with ample opportunities for students to get their questions answered by an "outside" authority, a Compass science teacher with a PhD and work experience at the National Institutes of Health who has teenagers of her own. The class will incorporate some video clips, in-class activities, demonstrations, work with partners, and personal assessments/surveys. Some homework will be given in the form of logs to track sleep, screen time, etc. Class materials will include pamphlets and fliers put out by public health agencies and associations. A textbook will also be selected for the class, and families will be sent the ISBN of the book to purchase or rent for class. There is a supply fee of $20.00 due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Prerequisites: None

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.

First quarter, junior engineers will tackle Super Structures, using the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Wall of China, the Seattle Space Needed, Eiffel Tower, and the world's biggest bridges for their inspiration.

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.

Prerequisites: None

Kinder Kitchen will get 5-year-olds excited about helping in the kitchen. Kinder cooks will enjoy simple recipes that that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Menus are selected to be nutritious, fun, and simple to make. Recipes may expose students to healthy ingredients they may not regularly eat. The young chefs' culinary adventures will include:

• Georgia Baguette
• Pumpkin Salad
• Savory Cauliflower Cookies
• Blueberry Cornbread Gift Jar
• Pistachio Pesto with Zoodles (nuts)
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars (nuts)
• Mochi Brownies

You have to learn to walk before you can run! Students will spend time in each class learning important kitchen skills. Skills acquired will include peeling, chopping, safe knife handling, measuring skills, as well as kitchen clean-up chores. Recipes are selected to practice a range of new skills.

Everyone can learn to sing! If you want to learn to sing like Belle, Ariel, Elsa, Aladdin, or even the Beast, this class is for you! Selections from this semester come from Hal Leonard's "Disney Collected Kids' Solos" with select hits from Beauty & the Beast, Cinderella, Lion King, Alice in Wonderlanf, Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and more. In addition, one or two Christmas favorites will be introduced mid-semester.Singers will be expected to memorize pieces and participate in the semester performance (December 12) along with one additional rehearsal outside of regular class hours.The semester's repertoire will include at least one group choral number. Students will work on other music as solos, duets, or small group numbers. This introduction to vocal development and performance includes posture, breathing, intonation, and the principles of blending vocal harmonies. Basic musical notation will be introduced as well as melodic and harmonic intervals. No previous musical experience is required- just the joy of singing!Topics in this Series: Best of Disney (Semester 1); Kids Musical Theater (Semester 2)Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $43.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for a class songbook.

Literature Roundtable is a Socratic seminar style literary analysis class for high school students. Instead of a broad, general survey of literature, Literature Roundtable students will examine a focused genre or topic in literature through critical evaluation and rich discussion.The first semester will focus on the Gothic novel, with an eye to exploring how these works offer a critique of real-world social problems offered under the cover of stories of supernatural horror. Works studied will include The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (1764), The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving (1820), The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Stories (Edgar Allan Poe), Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre (1851), Bram Stoker's Dracula (1897), and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (1886).Students taking this course should be self-motivated and engaged readers who come to class prepared to participate in weekly discussions. The instructor will provide guiding questions for each novel to help students understand how to gather textual evidence to support their insights into the text, a necessary precursor to the type of evidence gathering required to construct the literary analysis essays they will be expected to write in high school and college. Students will also be assigned creative and analytical extension activities in class designed to enhance their understanding of each novel, such as rewriting a scene, imagining a conversation between characters from different books, developing a prequel or sequel scene, or writing a review.A key skill that will be taught in this class is how to annotate texts. Students will begin by examining samples of the instructor's own annotated novels, then move on to annotating in class as a group, learning the kinds of details to search for, such as recurring themes and motifs, symbolism, character development, diction (word choice), and setting. This incremental process will teach students how to annotate independently and how to ask their own questions, a skill which is the precursor to developing thesis statements.Topics in this Series: The Gothic Novel (Semester 1) and The Mystery & Detective Novel (Semester 2). Continuing students from the first semester receive priority pre-registration for the second semester.Prerequisites: Students should be able to read and comprehend at a minimum 9th grade level for this course. Per Compass guidelines, accelerated 8th grade students may register for this course, however, in addition to the 9th+ grade reading level, they must possess the maturity to handle high school level topics and more mature discussion.Workload: Students should expect to read approximately 100 pages per week with a pen or pencil in hand for annotating. Students may use audio books as a supplement, but they should still be prepared to follow along and annotate the hard copy of the novel.Assignments: Weekly reading assignments will be posted on Google Classroom. Students will need their own email addresses to access the system, and parents may be set up as additional "observers" to their teen's account.Assessments: A point scale of 1-3 will be used to evaluate students based on their level of preparation, their participation in discussion, and their completion of extension activities. Parents may use the total points earned to calculate a grade.Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and because they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, a "class bundle" of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased for students. (See Supply Fee below).Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $48.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class.What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking pages.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in English for purposes of a high school transcript. For a full credit in English, families would need to "bundle" this course with additional coursework in composition.

Does your child learn best by hands-on activities, crafts, games, and stories? Number Ninjas is based on the belief that children need to work with mathematics in a concrete, physical, and tangible way in order to learn fundamental concepts. Young students will love learning numerical concepts in this interactive, exploration-based class where work with numbers feels like a game.First quarter, students will play with patterns and properties. Little kids love the predictability of making and identifying repeating patterns in the world around them. They will create patterns by shape, color, and/or size using LEGO bricks, beads, buttons and other manipulatives. Identifying and forming patterns is a pre-reading skill. The class will also look at some simple patterns with rhythms, music, and numerals which are precursors to music education and skip counting. Similarly, little kids enjoy making sense of the world around them by understanding categories. The class will do activities to look at a wide range of properties- temperature, texture, taste, habitat, material, size, form, flavors, and more- to group and categorize items by similar characteristics.This class covers many of the 1st and 2nd grade Standards of Learning for math. Weekly update e-mails to parents will include suggestions for practice at home and extension activities.Topics in the Series: Patterns & Properties (Quarter 1), Money Math (Quarter 2), Learning Logic (Quarter 3), and Math in Nature (Quarter 4).

Are you considering a college major in fine art, animation, illustration, graphic design, architecture or film? If so, you need a portfolio of works to apply to art school! Each of these concentrations requires the same core proficiencies and fundamentals in the beginning. A successful portfolio will include examples of the candidate's drawings, illustrations, paintings, and visual design creations. And within those select works, students must demonstrate specific artistic competencies. Unlock the mystery of "what do I include in my portfolio?" by working with a professional artist and college art professor who has helped dozens of high school students prepare to apply to art school. This advanced art studio is designed to help high school students develop a range of works they can include in their portfolios as well as tips on how to compose, curate, and present a winning portfolio. Each week, a lesson will be presented and followed by the instructor circulating throughout the room to provide individual feedback.First semester, students will develop drawings and oil paintings for their portfolios. Students will demonstrate that they can translate three-dimensional objects that they see into two-dimensional representations through drawing and painting. Students will first work on observational drawings of still lifes, landscapes, and models. A (clothed) human model will pose for figure and portrait drawing during three class sessions. Students will use oil paints on canvas (framed, board, or canvas paper) and receive instruction on working in oils. During the final class of the semester, students will be asked to bring all works back for a class critique, exhibit for parents, and potluck party.Students will be responsible for furnishing all of their own art supplies for the class from a recommended minimum list provided by the instructor. The class will focus on smaller pieces, such as 9" X 12" or 11" X 14" in order to produce more pieces to consider for a portfolio. Students will be encouraged to develop drawings and paintings throughout the week (recommended at least 15 minutes per day.)The instructor's methodologies have earned her students significant art scholarships ($25,000-$40,000 per year) to local art programs such as those at Virginia Commonwealth University, GMU, and Maryland Institute College of Art, and nationally known art programs like Corcoran School of the Arts & Design at GW, Rhode Island School of Design, School of Visual Arts, Pratt Institute, Montserrat College of Art, Boston University, Art Institute of Chicago, The Savannah College of Art and Design, Ringling College of Art & Design, Drexel University, Temple University, and Parsons School of Design.Topics in this Series: Drawing and Oil Painting (Semester 1), Illustration and Visual Design (Semester 2). Continuing students from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Prerequisites: Prior coursework in drawing or painting.Workload: Students should expect to spend at least 1.5 - 2 hours per week outside of class on developing or completing art works.Assignments: Will be discussed in class and e-mailed to parents and students.Assessments: Continual feedback will be provided in class, but formal assessments will not be given.Supplies/Materials: The cost of this class includes the shared cost for the live human model for 3 weeks. Students should purchase and replenish their own art supplies from a list of suggested items provided by the instructor.What to Wear/Bring: For work with oil paints, students may wish to wear old clothes, a smock, or apron. Students should bring a shallow box or tray to transport wet paintings home each week.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: High school level art

How does the brain make decisions? How does brain damage in different areas present itself? How do people develop superstitions? Learn the answers to these questions and more!This class will introduce students to the study of Neuropsychology and Cognition. Neuropsychologists study how psychological processes relate to the brain's structures and systems. Learn how your brain organizes sensory information to create your perceptions of the world and how this affects your body and your behavior. Students will investigate neurons, parts of the brain, and how split-brain surgery affects individuals.Students will read, discuss, and analyze eight influential case studies that have shaped the way we think about the brain and how we learn. They will hear the story of Phineas P. Gage and how he changed after a devastating accident. They will also read about John Watson's notorious experiment with Little Albert, which demonstrated how emotions could be a product of the environment. Landmark studies conducted by renowned psychologists like Gazzaniga, Rosenzweig, Pavlov, Skinner and more will be at the core of this class, leading to ongoing, thought provoking and intellectually stimulating discussions and debates. Students will learn how to read research, evaluate theories, and think critically about how these studies apply to the world around them.Topics in this Series: Neuropsychology and Cognition (Semester 1) and Social and Abnormal Psychology (Semester 2)Workload: Students should expect to spend 2 hours per week outside of class on readings. Students will be expected to prepare for weekly discussions by reading the selected case study and answering questions.Assignments: All assignments will be posted on password-protected Canvas classroom management site. There, students can access assignments and upload homework. Extension assignments may include watching a short video clip, creating discussion questions, or suggesting a follow-up study.Assessments: The instructor will assign points for class participation and homework that the parents can use in assigning a grade.Lab/Supply Fee : None.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Social Sciences for purposes of a high school transcript.

Prerequisites: None

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

The United States has enjoyed a century of being known as the industrial or technological powerhouse of the world. But this was not the future envisioned by some of our founding fathers, in particular Thomas Jefferson, who hoped for vast expanses of North America to be populated by "yeoman farmers." His idea was that these "most valuable citizens" would be entirely self-sufficient, and thus make ideal members of the new republic, in which they held personal stakes and were largely left alone by a small government which only taxed "imported luxuries" of the corrupt, wealthy city-dwellers.Given that the rest of the founding fathers were those corrupt city-dwellers, or like Jefferson, plantation owners who profited off other (enslaved) people's labor and trade, Jefferson's vision did not come true. By the eighteen century, America already had a complex and interconnected economy, and this is what we will simulate. In true role-playing fashion, will create characters and build their "backstories" to fit into this economy. Some will become those independent farmers, but they will be taking part in a larger trade between wealthy landowners (such as Jefferson and Washington) and selling their crops to city-dwelling traders in exchange for "imported luxuries" and goods from abroad. How corrupt they are will be up to the students, but the ultimate goal is to simulate the pre-industrial, agrarian and mercantile economy of the 18th-19th century.Just as in real America, this class will also need a simulated democratic government with student politicians who fill the various offices that direct the growth of this economy. Will they impose Jefferson's graduated income tax, which taxed the luxuries of the rich, while the common man "pays not a farthing of tax to the general government, but on his salt?" Will the class president enact tariffs to discourage the importing of foreign treasures and encourage self-reliance? Students will race to amass fortunes in industry or their trade, allowing them to shape the future of their model American economy.Each week, students will take turns keeping ongoing ledgers, tracking profits and losses, and paying the dreaded taxes. If farming doesn't work out for you, do you pack up and move to the city to work in a trade? Or double down and move west to follow Jefferson's vision? The goal will be to model how everyone's role in a living economy interact, for better or worse, and hopefully reward good, honest business.Students are encouraged, to take both semesters of this class. First semester will use agrarian and mercantile economy model, while second semester will be role play an industrialized economy, resulting in more complex business plans and game strategies.Topics in this Series: Agrarian America (Semester 1), Industrial America (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Prerequisites: NoneWorkload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.Assignments: Course documents including period plans, photographs and recreations will be made available through a class Google Drive link emailed to parents (and students who provide their email address), as well as a class reading list of articles/excerpts and YouTube playlist for any videos watched in class or assigned as homework.Assessments: Informal assessments will be given at the instructor's discretion, but assignments will not be scored or graded. Each student's financial success in the game will be an indicator of their learning and participation for purposes of assigning a grade. Parents will also be given shared access to their student's business plan with instructor and ledger, with instructor comments at the conclusion of class.Textbook/Materials: NoneWhat to Bring: Paper or notebook, pen or pencilCredit: Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History, Economics, or Business for purposes of a high school transcript.

Learn to play the violin! Students will learn the fundamentals of playing the violin using the Suzuki method. They will begin by learning how to hold the instrument, how to correctly grasp the bow, parts of the instrument, and the names of the open strings. Students will be taught sequential techniques by adding one finger at a time to each string until they can play a complete scale. The class will be taught to play in unison from sheet music. At the end of the semester, the class will be able to play several simple tunes and will demonstrate for the parents.Music education enhances teamwork and cooperative learning and provides children with a path for self-expression. Scientific research has shown that music lessons not only improve organizational skills and executive functioning but that they also develop self-confidence.Class Expectations: Students will be asked to bring their violin, bow, and case to every class. In order to fully benefit from the in-class instruction, daily, at-home practice is expected. A student violin can be purchased or rented from most music stores and should be set up professionally by a local music store or a string luthier. The cost of the class sheet music is included. This is a 13-week semester class, and the week off will be announced by the instructor.

Snappy comebacks, one-liners, sarcasm, exaggeration, irony...and teenagers. These things just go together! Improv gives kids an outlet for fun, creative stories and spontaneous humor. Teens who find amusement in the unexpected and humor in the unpredictable will enjoy improvisational acting!First semester, actors will explore the basics of improvisation, story-telling, and stagecraft through activities and exercises that encourage cooperation, communication, and teamwork. With fun, interactive improv games such as "Yes, and.." and "Improved Stories," students will learn how to use short form improv to play off each other to convey character, emotion, situation, setting, and to highlight their scene partners. The variety of improv activities each week will help develop the "group mind" and class dynamic. Small group and partner work will boost teens' confidence and trust in a supportive environment.Improvisation is the art of entertaining with connected, unpredictable twists and turns often seen from the great comedians and best live entertainers. Improv students will improve their ability to think on-their-feet, play off each other, and react with spontaneous wit, sarcasm, and irony. Actors' creative thinking and communication skills will be strengthened as they work "outside-of-the-box" and learn to read their audience.Improv can be for everyone! No previous experience is needed. Beginners are welcome, and experienced students will further develop their improv skills. If you have taken this class before, go ahead and take it again because no two classes are ever alike. This class is best suited for students who are active listeners, flexible, and easily adapt, have a sense of humor, and can work collaboratively in a group. Students need to be able to stay in sync with the flow of the class. This is not an "anything goes" or free-for-all class.Topics in this Series: Innovative Improv (Semester 1), Immersive Improv (Semester 2. Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hour per week outside of class.Assignments: If any, will be sent to parents and students by e-mail.Assessments: Informal, qualitative feedback will be given in class throughout the semester. A quantitative score/grade will not be provided.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Students return to Medieval Europe to examine another English adventure in conquest. After Duke William of Normandy's conquest of England, there was a strained and complicated relationship between the English and French monarchs. Norman lords were forced to split loyalties between their kings in both England and France. A crisis in French succession tore the two countries apart upon the death of King Charles IV. Having died with no male heirs, it was argued that his nephew, King Edward III of England, should rule both countries, but the nobility of France decided only a native Frenchman should rule and proceeded to pass the throne to a cousin, Philip of Valois, instead. Furthermore, it was decided that Edward's lands in France should be returned to the French via military force.

This historical crisis is where the Compass role play will begin. Students will assume roles as either English or French feudal lords, managing their own fiefs and raising armies to see the rightful heir crowned. Their negotiations and decisions will take place alongside twists and historical distractions such as The Black Death, several crusades, wars with Spain and Scotland, and advances in warfare and technology. The class will also cover slightly more than100 years of medieval warfare.

Students will examine in-depth case studies and fit them together like an "illuminated manuscript of history," learning how warfare, politics, law, and religion interplay to create the History of the World. Cases will be based on primary source documents from art and literature which the class will use to create a mock feudal system in which students will take period-appropriate collaborative and/or competitive roles with classmates to better understand medieval society.

Topics in this Series: 100 Years War (Semester 1), The English Civil War (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: None

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

Assignments: Course documents including period maps, photographs and articles will be made available through a class Google Drive link emailed to parents and students, as well as a class YouTube playlist for any videos watched in class or assigned as homework.

Assessments: Short, open note in-class quizzes will be given. In addition, students will complete a semester project.

Textbook/Materials: All readings will be posted in a Google Classroom.

What to Bring: Paper or notebook; pen or pencil; assigned articles

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

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Acting is an adventure! Young actors work together to create and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Grab your sword and summon the squires. Will we have a mix-up or a masterpiece when we meddle with monarchs, mischief-makers, merry men, and maidens?Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other and to begin to brainstorm about their original play. Through group activities and guided discussion, the young actors will decide on characters, conflict, and conclusion, and the story they want to tell. The script will be developed and customized for this class with input from the students.Young actors will explore skills such as sensory awareness, listening, stage movement, character development, emotional expression, and observation/concentration while learning to portray their original character. Young actors will learn aspects of acting by script read-through, blocking, costume/prop discussion, and planning the show. Through individual and group activities, young actors build confidence in preparation for a final sharing for parents.Students will work from a simple, written script, but emerging readers can be accommodated. Parents will be emailed the script after the 3rd or 4th class and will be expected to help their children memorize their lines and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. All actors must be at least age 6 to sign up for this class.Topics in this Series: Medieval Mix-Up (Quarter 1), Cat & Dog Drama (Quarter 2), Arctic Adventure (Quarter 3) and Silliest Circus (Quarter 4).

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.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1.25-1.75 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 13-day cycle in this class with: a new unit introduced on a Friday (day 1), lecture on Wednesday (day 6), questions and answers on the next Friday (day 8), and homework due the next Wednesday (day 13). After introduction of a new topic (day 1), students will be expected to read the assigned section and look through worked, sample problems before the lecture the following Wednesday (day 6). Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of all 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: In this class, the instructor will assess a student's progress by checking that weekly homework sets are complete and giving periodic take-home tests; class participation is also strongly encouraged. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade.

Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Algebra I: Expressions, Equations, and Applications by Paul A. Foerster. It is available in a few different editions, each of which is virtually identical: 2nd edition (ISBN-10 020125073X, ISBN-13 978-0201250732), 3rd edition (ISBN-10 0201860945, ISBN-13 978-0201860948), and Classic edition (ISBN-10 020132458X, ISBN-13 978-0201324587). It is also available under the title Foerster Algebra I, Classics edition (ISBN-10 0131657089, ISBN-13 978-0131657083). A calculator is not needed for this course.

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

Prerequisites: Pre-Algebra

Dancers will practice skills in musicality, balance, flexibility, and coordination as they learn to dance as a group. Each quarter, a different musical fairytale ballet will provide the inspiration and the music for the class. Dancers will become familiar with the story of the ballet and the orchestral music as they go through their own routine.**First quarter, beginning dancers will learn the story of Peter and the Wolf, composed by Sergei Prokofiev and performed as a ballet since 1995. In class, they work to identify, apply, demonstrate, and integrate the following techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st-6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu, along with pas de chat, pas de bourree, arabesque, arabesque saute, and soutenu. Students will develop their physical conditioning by core leg and arm strength.A demonstration of skills learned will be showcased for parents on the last class each quarter. Registration is for one morning class, however students who wish to further their skills are encouraged to sign up for both Monday and Wednesday morning lessons. Compass ballet students will have an opportunity to audition for the Alchemy Ballet Academy Winter Performance (including excerpts from The Nutcracker).Ballet students are expected to wear appropriate attire. Young ladies must wear a leotard with skirt (attached or detached), pink tights, and soft pink ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Young men must wear a slim-fitting white t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and soft black ballet shoes in canvas or leather. Alchemy Ballet offers an optional kit of one leotard with skirt, one pair of tights, and one pair of soft shoes for $25.00 or soft shoes only for $6.50.

Prerequisites: None

Students will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. In Advanced Beginner Chess 1, students will learn skills and strategies that build upon each other such as: including a review of castling, pawn promotion, and en passant rules, notation, basic mates, drawing a game and draw rules, battery and back-rank checkmates, development of bishops and rooks in the middlegame, and overextended pieces.

Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent half on technique and half in practice matches with classmates while the instructor coaches. Students should have 15-20 hours of chess instruction prior to enrolling in Advanced Beginner Chess, or a working knowledge of most skills taught in the Compass Beginner Chess level.

Prerequisites: None

Students will enjoy making fresh fall recipes and family favorites that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Fall Fare 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:

• Corn and Bean Hand Pies
• Coconut Curry Soup
• Insalata
• Stuffed Zucchini
• Very Veggie Poke Bowl
• Cast Iron Casserole
• Neapolitan Trifle

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

Creative journaling is not writing daily "Dear Diary" style entries on dated pages. Instead, students will explore various journaling methods, blending self-expression and self-discovery to guide them in learning new ways to problem-solve, achieve goals, and process emotions. Students will work with several writing techniques and a range of art media to develop a personal journal throughout the quarter, and will have the opportunity to expand on it in subsequent quarters. Techniques such as freeform writing, black-out poetry, stream-of-consciousness writing, and creative list making will

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

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

Workload: Work outside of class is encouraged but optional.

Assignments: are given in class.

Assessments: Not provided.

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

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

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

In Digital Lab, students will become immersed in the digital universe of ROBLOX that they will navigate and transform through coding!ROBLOX is a popular, multiplayer platform where users can play games that others have created or design their own in a brightly colored, 3D world. In this class, students will learn how to use the Lua language through visual block coding to construct a unique online universe. They will learn basic game design, coding, and how to navigate ROBLOX's marketplace to publish their games.Digital Lab is a computer lab environment in which students work through the Black Rocket curriculum under the direction of computer science coaches. The lab environment allows students to enroll at any quarter, fosters brand new coders, and encourages those with prior coding experience. In the "Intro" level of a course (i.e., Part 1), students will work through the fundamentals of a new digital skill. In the "Continuing" level (i.e., Part 2), students who continue from "Intro" will develop new skills and will design and code an individual project. New students who enroll in "Intro" will begin with the introductory lessons. In order to differentiate instruction between new and continuing students, coaches work with small pull-out groups, pairs, or individuals to provide additional support as needed. The class tuition includes a student technology fee that covers the use of instructor-provided classroom laptops loaded with the required software, applications, and licenses. At the end of the class, students will receive access to Black Rocket's interactive learning platform to continue their coding journey at home.Topics in this Series: ROBLOX Coders (Quarters 1, 2); Minecraft Redstone Engineers (Quarters 3, 4).

Students will learn how to think like electrical engineers as they learn about conductors, batteries, and circuits to understand how electricity powers the things they use every day.Learn about electricity basics such as atoms and what makes a material a conductor or an insulator. In the first investigation of electric circuits, students will use their own bodies to complete a circuit that lights up LED lights and sounds a siren! The class will learn about open and closed circuits and discuss why the human body has a current. Students will learn to use a volt meter and measure their own body's voltage. Next, the class will explore the conductivity of fruits and vegetables. Kids will be asked to bring one or more samples of fruits or veggies from home to measure the voltage, experiment on, and compare results. They will also build circuits with these foods and experiment with attaching power sources in series to increase the voltage. The third area of exploration will be building paper circuits. Students will apply the principles they learned to build a light-up postcard. Finally, the class will learn about magnetism, what a magnet is, and why it behaves that way. Students will explore which items are attracted to a magnetic and which are not, and they will share their findings. Next, they will make their own magnets out of paper clips. We will discuss the magnetic poles of the earth and build a compass, to discover where we are. Topics in this Series: Battery Blast (Quarter 1); Cool Conductors (Quarter 2); Simple Circuits (Quarter 3); and Super Circuits (Quarter 4). Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $15.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Prerequisites: None

Bonjour! French for Fun is a play-based, language immersion class for young students. Much like learning their native language, children will be exposed to French sounds, vocabulary, and phrases through songs, games, stories, interactive and hands-on activities. Limited cues in English will be used to prompt students in the first few weeks. French language instruction will be presented in a natural learning sequence beginning with themes such as colors, numbers, clothing, foods, animals, family members, days/dates, parts of the house, common objects, body parts, etc. Greetings and simple phrases will be woven into each class. Students will learn numbers, the alphabet, and specific sounds of French pronunciation. Writing, spelling, and grammar will not be emphasized in this class. 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. Fluency should not be expected at this level. Students may join French for Fun during any quarter.

This is a complete course in high school Geometry which will cover fundamental concepts and provide a solid foundation of mathematical literacy, problem solving, reasoning, and critical thinking skills that are necessary for the exploration of more advanced and rigorous topics in mathematics. Students will learn deductive reasoning, and logic by completing geometric proofs. Topics in geometry include: lines, angles, congruence, concurrence, inequalities, parallel lines, quadrilaterals, transformations, area, similarity, right triangles, circles, regular polygons, and geometric solids. Students will explore these topics through class discussions, practice problems, and open-ended problem- solving.Prerequisite: Students should have a solid foundation Algebra I in order to take this class.Workload: Students should expect to spend 1.25-1.75 hours per day on reading, review, and homework on most non-class days. Homework assignments will run on a 13-day cycle in this class with: a new unit introduced on a Friday (day 1), lecture on Wednesday (day 6), questions and answers on the next Friday (day 8), and homework due the next Wednesday (day 13). After introduction of a new topic (day 1), students will be expected to read the assigned section and look through worked, sample problems before the lecture the following Wednesday (day 6). Solutions will be provided for some homework problems, but students are expected to show all steps of all 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: In this class, the instructor will assess a student's progress by checking that weekly homework sets are complete and giving periodic take-home tests; class participation is also strongly encouraged. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for the purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade.Textbook: Students should purchase or rent the required textbook for this class: Geometry: Seeing, Doing, Understanding, 3rd edition (ISBN-10 0716743612, ISBN-13 978-0716743613) A calculator is not needed for this course.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a complete credit in Geometry for purposes of a high school transcript.

Prerequisites: Algebra I

Compass cooks will enjoy a culinary tour of the world with Global Gourmet classes! Menus feature variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients seasoned and prepared to represent regional flavors and traditional dishes from the featured country. Recipes are selected to be nutritious, fun, and simple to make. The Compass chefs' gastronomy adventures will include:

• Bruschetta
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Classic Chopped Italian Salad
• Baked Zucchini
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pesto (nuts)
• Homemade Marinara and Linguini
• Tiramisu (decaf)

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.

Homeschool musicians who play violin, viola, cello, or bass are invited to join this homeschool string ensemble! Musicians will have an opportunity to develop orchestral skills and enjoy the experience of practicing, playing, and performing as a group. The ensemble will start each week with tuning and warm-ups such as playing musical scales and simple exercises. Then the musicians will work on several group songs each semester where they will improve musical literacy, learn to follow the directions from the conductor, and learn to play in different keys-- as a group. During the final session of the semester, a concert will be held for friends and family.

This ensemble is intended for advanced beginner, intermediate, and advanced strings students who are currently and concurrently enrolled in private lessons. As a guideline, a student should be able to play a D major scale in two octaves on his/her instrument. Students are expected to be able to locate notes on their instruments, read music and be able to identify all rhythmical patterns. Students with less experience may be asked to play for the conductor or to submit a brief video to help establish placement.

The instructor will provide the ensemble repertoires, and these arrangements will be specially composed to accommodate the range of abilities of all stringed players in the ensemble. Participants are expected to prepare and practice at home for at least 15 - 20 minutes per day. The cost of the class music is included. This is a 13-week semester program, and the week off will be announced by the instructor.

Prerequisites: Approval of Director or Brief Audition

Jiu-Jitsu Fit is a fun, interactive, physical fitness program for tweens incorporating the Brazilian self-defense martial art of Jiu-Jitsu. Students will follow a well-rounded physical fitness program that incorporates moves and strategies of Jiu-Jitsu to increase strength, flexibility, conditioning, endurance, coordination, balance, and fun! Students will practice techniques for resolving conflicts, dealing with bullies, projecting confidence, and developing stranger awareness in the games and exercises they complete in class. Jiu-Jitsu Fit helps tweens stay active, builds self-esteem, and encourages teamwork. Jiu-Jitsu uses grappling and ground work in addition to standing self-defense positions. Some partner work may be co-ed. Students will work on mats in socks or bare feet and should come to class wearing loose, comfortable clothing, such as running pants or sweatpants and bring a refillable water bottle. This is a 6-week class that will not meet on 9/21/23.

This class is a multi-media art sampler for our youngest artists! Each week students will learn a few fun facts about a type of art or artist, view sample works, and then will create a project in the style of the artist using a wide variety of materials and representative colors, patterns, textures, and embellishments. Young artists will have the opportunity to work with a different media each week such as tempera paint, various papers, color pencils, markers, tissue paper, translucent tracing paper, cray pas, oil pastels, charcoals, and watercolors.First quarter, Junior artists will explore a variety of artistic techniques as they make medieval art projects such as a crown project, handmade parchment paper, an individual coat of arms, and a custom shield.Topics in this Series: Kings and Queens- Kids' Medieval Art (Quarter 1); Artists & their Animals (Quarter 2); Whimsical Winter Works (Quarter 3); Scenic Seascapes (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $20.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Learn to sew to create one-of-a kind articles of clothing, home decor, crafts, or handmade items for your side business like Etsy or Ebay. Sewing can be a relaxing hobby, a profitable side gig, and a practical money-saving life skill. Don't settle for store-bought when you can learn to sew the custom creations you envision!

First semester, students will learn the basics of hand sewing. Skills that will be introduced this semester include: quilter's knot, stitches (basting, running, backstitch, whip, ladder), tying a knot, and anchoring a knot. Students will learn to identify and use sewing tools such as fabric scissors, straight pins, thimbles, seam ripper, and various needles.

Students will also begin with get-to-know their sewing machines including different components, attachments, and functions, along with care, use, and maintenance of their machines. They will learn Identify parts of sewing machine; how to fill a bobbin and thread the machine; types of machine needles and how to change a needle, and how to control speeds. Students will practice machine stitches (straight, zig-zag, backstitch) and adjusting the length and width, learn about seam allowance, and sewing corners and curves. Students will begin with simple stitching exercises, and their first project will be sewing a pin cushion that they will use throughout the year.

As part of learning to sew, students will learn about different types of fabrics, what each is best used for, and how to identify grain lines, bias, and selvedge. The class will discover how garments are assembled by deconstructing an article of clothing from its seams. Students will learn how to read a sewing pattern and take measurements The group will learn about hems and elastic along with closures and how/where to use them. First semester's project will be sewing a custom pair of pajama pants.

Topics in this Series: Learn to Sew: Beginner (Semester 1), Learn to Sew: Beginner and Advanced Beginner (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: First semester- None. Second semester- No prerequisites for someone to enroll as a beginner. Intermediate students should have taken first semester or have equivalent skills.

Workload: Students who practice at home will find that their sewing skills are refined and perfected more quickly. Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class practicing the sewing skill/step covered in class.

Assignments: Projects will be given out in class and will also be communicated via Google Classroom.

Assessments: Informal qualitative feedback will be given in class throughout the semester. A quantitative score/grade will not be provided.

Textbook: None

Equipment/Fabric: Students must bring to class each week:

• A portable sewing machine with bobbins. If you are purchasing a new sewing machine for the class, a Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine, 4400 series, model is recommended. These can be purchased from Amazon or Joann Fabrics for $160-$180. Students who are bringing a pre-owed or loaned sewing machine are expected to have the machine professionally serviced before the start of class.
• The sewing machine owner's manual
• An extension cord
• Fabric for class assignments. A list of needed fabric and sewing patterns will be sent out the first day of class, with the recommended quantity, type, and deadlines.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $50.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for a project box, including a sewing kit (with 1 pack of sewing machine needles, thread, and hand sewing essentials), and other materials used in class.

What to Bring: Instructor-furnished sewing kit, sewing machine, bobbins, owner's manual, extension cord, fabric, and images/sample photos, swatches, and other assigned materials.

Non-Meeting Days: 11/6/23

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

Lunch-N-Learn is a supervised lunch hour for kids ages 8-12 whose parents are unable to be on campus during their break. If a family is unable to find a suitable class during a specific hour, kids can enroll in Lunch-N-Learn where they will eat their own lunches or snacks with other kids under the supervision of a Compass staff member.Lunch is not provided. Parents can make arrangements for food delivery such as Grub Hub, Door Dash, or Uber Eats. Some snacks are available for sale at Compass.During each hour, Compass staff will show educational programming such as Planet Earth, National Geographic, or How It's Made. Students are encouraged to bring homework, games, or puzzles to work on after lunch is finished. Students may bring tablets or hand-held video games but must have headphones or ear buds. The content of any video game or video streamed at Compass must be rated "E" for everyone.Students must be enrolled in other classes at Compass to participate in Lunch-N-Learn. The lunchtime program cannot be a student's only class at Compass.

Prerequisites: None

Kids love real-life measurements and intuitively have a lot of questions about them: How high did I jump? How far did I run? How many gallons of water are in the bathtub? Measuring and estimating units of measure are practical, real life skills that can't be learned from pictures in a textbook! Measurement skills are best learned hands-on using real tools and common objects.In this class, students will practice- and play- with different modes of measurement each week. Students will be able to visualize units of measure for length, weight, area, volume, and temperature. Students will work with everyday objects to be able to answer, which is greater- a pound or a kilogram- and approximately how much more, or which is smaller- a liter or a quart? Students can practice linear measurements with a ruler, yardstick, or tape measure, but how can they measure the length of a curved wall? They can learn length x width x height to find the volume of a shoebox, but how can they find the volume of a lump of playdoh? Kids will learn techniques for measuring non-standard objects along with strategies for converting measurements and shortcuts for estimating measures. Do you know which body part approximates a centimeter and what common sports toy is close to one cup? All work with measurements will be performed in both the English and metric systems so children will improve their fluency going back and forth between the two scales. Students will practice problem solving skills, reasoning, and basic math in this class. Topics in this Series: Measurement Madness (Quarter 1); Fun with Fractions (Quarter 2); Geometry Games (Quarter 3); and Simple Statistics (Quarter 4)

Prerequisites: None

Have fun the final weeks of summer! Look forward to early fall! Animals are active and sunning themselves. Plants are mature, and flowers have gone to seed. The stream may have slowed down from summer drought, but discoveries at the water's edge abound.

Step outdoors to each week to explore nature with a senior naturalist/outdoor educator. Take a break from sit-down classes, indoor activities, and screen time to explore the natural world, get fresh air, and exercise. The group will explore the southern section of Sugarland Stream Valley Park in Herndon while they discover all the secrets that woods hold when you stop, look, listen, smell, touch, turn-over, and peek under!

A portion of each session will be seeking and discussing what is found each season. Students will get to know native animals and key types of plants and trees in our area. Emphasis will be on becoming comfortable with things they encounter outdoors, observing and appreciating discoveries in nature, safe exploration of the woods, and how to be a good steward of nature. The class will also discuss outdoor skills such as shelter and outdoor safety. Students will play games in the woods to practice outdoor skills.

Visit the Compass Nature Quest class webpage for more information on the program, location, and Frequently Asked Questions. Students should come prepared for class with outdoor/play clothes, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and/or insect repellent, a hat, and jacket or layered outerwear depending on the weather/temperature. The group exploration/activities in the woods are for enrolled students only, and tag-along parents and siblings cannot be accommodated.

Students must be minimum age 5 by the start of class, be comfortable separating from their parents for the duration of class and must be able to stay in a group and follow instructions.

This class will be taught in a Hybrid format with an online lecture on Mondays (11:00 am - 11:55 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 Physical Science.Physical Science is a year-long, introductory high school science course which examines the inorganic, or non-living, world. The course introduces key concepts from Chemistry and Physics, which will either lay the foundation for students to pursue upper-level high school courses as juniors or seniors or serve as an overview to these fields for students who go on to concentrate on the biological sciences.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.Chemistry units include: composition of matter, atomic structure and periodic table, and chemical bonds and reactions together with basic nuclear chemistry. Physics units include: forces and motions; conservation of energy, electricity and magnetism; and wave phenomena, characteristics, behavior, including electromagnetic and sound waves.Meeting Dates: This is a 29-week course that will not meet during the week of May 13-17.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: Student should have completed 8th grade math or a course in Pre-Algebra prior to taking physical science. They should be familiar with ratios, rates, proportions, decimals, percents, exponents, and solving one-variable equations.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)Materials: Students should bring the following supplies to each class: 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.

Reading affects a student's achievement in all aspects of schoolwork, so strong literacy skills are fundamental to success in homeschooling. This weekly class is a small reading group where students are placed with 2-4 peers who read at a similar level to follow a comprehensive language arts curriculum under the guidance of experienced reading specialist Catherine Vanlandingham. Each Monday meeting will include a short story with select vocabulary words, a graphic organizer, main themes, and embedded learning objectives. Students will continue to practice language arts skills at home with easy-to-implement "page a day" workbook activities assigned by the instructor and implemented by the parents. For most early elementary learners, enrollment in Reading Rally can serve as either a supplement to another at-home reading curriculum or as a complete, self-contained language arts curriculum.
Weekly readings are organized around thematic units. The instructor will teach students how to approach a new story as a fun reading puzzle. For example, before reading in class, students will conduct a "picture walk" to overview and predict elements of the story from the illustrations, review a graphic organizer to assist in writing sentences, define vocabulary words, and preview summary questions. Then, the instructor will read the story aloud, model good reading practices, and encourage students to read. Students will only be asked to read aloud when they feel comfortable and have built trust in their group. All follow-up activities are designed around learning objectives such as decoding, comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbalization.
First time registrations in Reading Rally include the cost of a 30-minute, individual assessment conducted in-person or virtually by Mrs. Vanlandingham. Parents are encouraged to contact Compass to schedule their child's reading assessment before registering. Families register without the assessment for grade-level placement must be prepared to reschedule to a different reading group if indicated by the assessment.
Grade level references in Reading Rally are based on scope, sequence and pacing that correlate to the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) standards of learning. Students who are more than one year behind in GLE may be recommended for a second, weekly class meeting on Fridays or in additional 1-on-1 private reading instruction to make up ground in reading skills. The instructor has experience working with reluctant and fearful readers, those who are late bloomers, neurodivergent, dyslexic, and ESOL students. The instructor may recommend a more complete evaluation by a neuropsychologist if she suspects other learning differences are impacting the student's reading.
Students will work from a spiral bound copy of reading textbook and workbook by Pearson. A class fee of $91.00 is due payable to Compass for class materials.
Students continuing from one semester to the next will receive priority registration to remain with their reading group and do not have to pay for an additional assessment.

Discover what getes a plane off the ground! Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of aeronautical engineering. They will learn about different types of aircraft and the major components and systems, such as fuselage (body) design, wing design, powerplant (engines), and avionics. The class will learn about aerodynamics and factors that affect aircraft performance; different types of engines used in aircraft and the principles of engine design and operation; and various avionics systems including navigation, communication, and flight control systems. Each week, students will engage in a variety of hands-on activities to test and explain different concepts in aeronautics such as buidling a model engine, designing and testing wing shapes, creating a mock-up of an instrument panel, learning to read technical drawings and blueprints, and more. Concepts covered in class will demonstrate practical applications in mathematics, physics, geometry, the scientific method, annd data analysis.

Write to the Point is a comprehensive writing class that will prepare 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students for high school level composition. The class will practice the fundamentals of composition through weekly writing assignments that encompass a variety of writing formats.First Semester, students will learn to "get to the point." Just as newspaper journalists have limited column space, and some essayists have word limits, students will learn to make their point and provide supporting details within the criteria of their writing assignment. Students will learn techniques to define their topic, identify their audience, determine their purpose, and back it up with appropriate detail. The class will practice effective paragraph structure with openings statements, main point (or thesis), supporting details, closing sentences, and linking multiple paragraphs. The class will review writing basics such as grammar, agreement, and tense, and will learn tips for effective revision, editing, and feedback. Students will have the flexibility to select prompts and topics relevant to their own interests and will practice a variety of shorter writing styles such as paragraphs and articles.Part of each in-class session will be dedicated to sharing and review of writing completed at home. Sometimes, students will be paired with classmates for peer review of grammar; other times, the class will collaborate through shared GoogleDocs for review and feedback of others' writing. Students should bring a laptop and charging cord to class each week for accessing in-progress assignments.Topics in this series include: Paragraphs & Articles (Semester 1) and Essays & Short Stories (Semester 2).

Prerequisites: None

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.During the first lesson, students will be observed and determined to be Beginner or Advanced Beginner level, and the class will be divided accordingly among two instructors. Beginners level is for students with little to no swim experience and will cover YMCA Level 1 skills such as water acclimation, floatation, water movement, putting face in the water, swimming 5 feet without a floatation device, and becoming comfortable on back in water. Advanced Beginners level will review all skills in beginner-level class and add YMCA Level 2 skills such as stamina, swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, rotary breathing, becoming comfortable in deep water, and stroke introduction to include: front crawl, backstroke, and elementary breaststroke.Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

Acting is an adventure! Young actors work together to create and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. Will crafty creatures meet hilarious humans and other crazy cast members in silly scenes and storylines to teach a life lesson or tall tale?Students will begin with improvisational games to get to know each other and to begin to brainstorm about their original play. Through group activities and guided discussion, the young actors will decide on characters, conflict, and conclusion, and the story they want to tell. The script will be developed and customized for this class with input from the students.Young actors will explore skills such as sensory awareness, listening, stage movement, character development, emotional expression, and observation/concentration while learning to portray their original character. Young actors will learn aspects of acting by script read-through, blocking, costume/prop discussion, and planning the show. Through individual and group activities, young actors build confidence in preparation for a final sharing for parents.Students will work from a simple, written script, but emerging readers can be accommodated. Parents will be emailed the script after the 3rd or 4th class and will be expected to help their children memorize their lines and assemble a simple make-at-home costume, ideally from clothing items and accessories you already own and a little creativity. All actors must be at least age 6 to sign up for this class.Topics in this Series: Fantastic Fables (Quarter 1), Magical Monsters (Quarter 2), Outrageous Outer Space (Quarter 3) and Under the Sea Secrets (Quarter 4).

Students of ASL will continue to improve their fluency in this 2nd year course. As students become more advanced signers, emphasis will be on focusing on the meaning of a conversation (whole) rather than individual signs (parts). In conversation, students will learn to confirm information by asking questions in context. Second year students will continue to build their vocabulary, apply ASL grammar, and will learn to make requests, ask for advice, give opinions, make comparisons and use superlatives, and narrate stories. Other skills covered in ASL II include expressing year, phone numbers, time, and currency in numbers, appearance, clothing, giving directions, locations, etc. Each unit will include presentations and readings on Deaf culture and Deaf history. Class time will be dedicated to interactive ASL activities and signing practice.ASL students will have a Deaf instructor. She regularly teaches all-hearing classes and is an excellent role model for students to meet and interact with a native speaker of ASL and to lean natural facial expressions, gestures, and body language used in Deaf communications. ASL students will have more confidence when they encounter Deaf instructors in college or greet speakers of ASL in social settings. Because the instructor is Deaf, students are not permitted to speak aloud in class. This approach improves visual attention and encourages immersion in the language. Students will be able to ask questions of the instructor by writing on individual white boards, but they will be encouraged to sign in order to communicate with the instructor. Lessons are facilitated with Power Point presentations, and a professional ASL interpreter will assist the class on the first day of class.Hundreds of colleges and universities, including all public institutions of higher learning in Virginia, accept ASL as a distinct foreign language. This allows hearing and Deaf students to fulfill foreign language requirements for admission to college. Teens who have difficulty writing, spelling, or have challenging pronunciation in English, can be successful with ASL as a second or foreign language choice. Penn State University research demonstrated that the visual and kinesthetic elements of ASL helped to enhance the vocabulary, spelling, and reading skills in hearing students.Workload: Students should expect to spend 2-3 hours each week outside of class on required vocabulary exercises, readings, and signing practice.Assignments: Homework assignments will be posted online in the Canvas digital classroom platform. Through Canvas, students will be asked to post short videos of themselves signing as homework. Enrolled students will be asked to review ASL 1 vocabulary, grammar, and facial expressions.Assessments: The instructor will assign points using a class rubric for the parent's use in assigning a course grade. Course rubrics will evaluate students on their sign production, fingerspelling, ASL grammar, facial expressions including "above the nose" grammar (brows and body movement), and "below the nose" modifiers (lip expressions).Textbook: Students should purchase or rent "Signing Naturally Units 1-6 workbook" (ISBN# 978-1581212105) and "Signing Naturally Units 7-12 Student Workbook" (ISBN# 978-1581212211) which includes a DVD of signing videos. This class will cover units 5-8.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a full credit in World Languages for purposes of a high school transcript.

Prerequisites: ASL I

In 1861, the first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, SC, but the first major battle would be fought just down the road in Manassas, Virginia! Seeking a quick end to the war, and against the advice of the Army's top general, President Abraham Lincoln sent the first Union Army to march from Washington, DC, to the Confederate Capital of Richmond. While this volunteer army was large and enthusiastic, expecting a quick campaign and easy victory, it lacked training and any semblance of experience, which would prove disastrous in the coming battle.Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama of a portion of the battlefield at Manassas. Students will each receive 1:72 scale miniature soldiers to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to totally recreate the entirety of the battlefield. Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Fire and Fury gaming rule system for moving troops and equipment. Can the Union Army coordinate to crush the Confederate Army, or will it be totally destroyed?The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this year's Civil War Series include: First Battle of Manassas (Quarter 1); The Anaconda Plan, Civil War Naval Battles (Quarter 2); The Atlanta Campaign and Sherman's March to the Sea (Quarter 3); and The Siege of Petersburg, the fall of Richmond (Quarter 4).

Students will enjoy the logic and challenge of the timeless strategy board game as they learn and play chess with classmates. In Beginning Chess 1, students will learn beginner basics such as: how all pieces move and capture, castling, pawn promotion, en passant, checks and how to get out of them, checkmate and stalemate, scholars mate, fools mate, notation, and chess etiquette. Skills are taught in progressive levels of challenge as the year progresses.Learning and playing chess supports problem solving, decision making, critical and creative thinking, general cognitive ability, scholastic skills, and mathematical achievement (Univ. of Minnesota). Experts suggest that the game of chess teaches analytical and disciplined thinking skills, while raising self esteem, teaching motivation and determination, and sportsmanship (Kasparov Foundation). Each class will be spent half on technique and half in practice matches with classmates while the instructor coaches.

Prerequisites: None

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

Prerequisites: None

Students will enjoy making fresh fall recipes and family favorites that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Fall Fare 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:

• Corn and Bean Hand Pies
• Coconut Curry Soup
• Insalata
• Stuffed Zucchini
• Very Veggie Poke Bowl
• Cast Iron Casserole
• Neapolitan Trifle

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.

Students will enjoy making fresh fall recipes and family favorites that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Fall Fare 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:

• Corn and Bean Hand Pies
• Coconut Curry Soup
• Insalata
• Stuffed Zucchini
• Very Veggie Poke Bowl
• Cast Iron Casserole
• Neapolitan Trifle

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. First quarter, our storytellers will uncover passages and portals beyond bookshelves and blank walls. Will they find the key to the mysterious secret room, or can they ever unlock the truth?

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

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

Anyone can learn to draw! A professional artist will teach kids how to draw a variety of projects by breaking down complex forms and figures into simple shapes and giving them dimension through shading, shadow, and textures. Projects will focus on fantasy and fictional subjects which are a great choice to keep beginning artists from becoming frustrated when their work does not look "the real thing."

Bam! Pow! First quarter, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of drawing comics, with an emphasis on drawing a main character and developing a storyline. They will be taught the basics of illustrating a human, a simple superhero, an animal, or an imaginary creature by combining and replicating simple shapes to create the character's form. The class will learn to draw simple costumes and props around their character to convey setting without drawing elaborate landscapes, and they will learn how to express thoughts and conversation through dialogue bubbles. Students' practice illustrations will be drawn with regular #2 pencil on paper. Later in the quarter, they will ink and color their work on a 3-or 6-panel comic page to complete their first comic.

There is a $15.00 material fee payable to the instructor on the first day for a sketchbook and shared classroom art supplies. Topics in this Series include: Comic Art & Characters (Quarter 1); Fantastical Figures (Quarter 2), Comics with a Cast of Characters (Quarter 3), and Playful Portraits (Quarter 4)

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.Tropical rainforest biomes are equatorial regions that are warm and wet with diverse vegetation that forms a canopy. Humidity and a covering of leaf litter create a layer of nutrients which supports a wide variety of vegetation. Tropical rainforests are famous for terrestrial biodiversity, including insects, birds, and mammals.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, waterways, 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.

Eureka Math 4 is a full-year, complete math curriculum for students who have mastered the equivalent of Eureka's Math 3 content (below). This class meets twice a week and is designed to be a full program where students receive instruction in person at Compass and complete homework on off-days at home. Parents do not have to select a curriculum or deliver the instruction, but rather are expected to ensure that homework is being completed before class and assisting the student in checking attempted homework.Topics in Eureka 4 include:

• Four basic operations with whole numbers to solve work problems.
• Factors and multiples
• Multi-digit place value
• Adding and subtracting multi-digit whole numbers
• Multiplication of multi-digit whole numbers using several methods
• Division of four-digit dividend by one digit divisor
• Fraction equivalents and common decimal equivalents
• Adding and subtracting fractions with like denominators
• Word problems with measurement and conversion from larger unit to smaller
• Representing and interpreting data
• Drawing and classifying lines, angles, and shapes
• Introduction to angles and angle measurements

• Has learned/memorized all math facts fluently: addition/subtraction (1-20) and multiplication/division through 10 x 10
• Represents and solves problems using multiplication and division
• Solves word problems with the 4 basic operations
• Uses place value understanding to perform multi-digit arithmetic
• Adds and subtracts within 1000
• Understands fractions as part of a whole
• Understands area and perimeter

Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue! Who doesn't enjoy gathering with friends or family for a good game? Students will become future game inventors responsible for designing a new, non-electronic board or card game. Each week, students will play games in class to explore design concepts and game mechanics of a specific genre of game. They will begin to understand what elements are needed in every game and what makes a "good" game that everyone will enjoy. Students will examine starting and ending conditions in a game, scalability (for more or fewer players), and how points, progress, or powers are earned or tracked as players move through a game. Students will then begin to outline their ideas for their very own, original game.

First quarter, students will learn about Cooperative Board games which allow players to accomplish a goal by working together and either win or lose as a team. Example cooperative games include Forbidden Island, Mysterium, and Pandemic. Students will sketch out their ideas, create a prototype board, write all rules, and design the cards, chips, tokens, or playing pieces. Next, students will test-play their prototype game with their classmates to get constructive feedback and refine their rules. Once the prototype games have been tested through play, students will begin their final design, coloring, and graphics on a blank, folding game board and final game accessories.

The quarter will conclude with a game "publishing" party where students will "pitch" their concept through a 30-second advertisement and play the final version with friends. Some students may be interested in submitting their games to a national young inventors' competition.

There is a $30.00 material/supply fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class for blank boards, cards, dice, spinners, and shared art materials. Topics in this series include: Cooperative Board Games (Quarter 1); Card Games (Quarter 2); Dice Games (Quarter 3); and 2-Player Games (Quarter 4).

Kids will build their geography know-how in this fun, focused workshop. Each workshop will introduce a different region of the world. The class will begin by locating the region on a map, identifying what countries are in that region, and examining what principal physical geographical features define the region such as oceans, seas, key rivers, mountain ranges, and deserts. The class will then take a fun tour through the region looking at aspects of human and cultural geography such as languages, religions, ethnic groups, major agricultural or industrial products, animal species, and more. Students will brainstorm how the similarities and differences from one country to the next might have occurred given the physical geography in the region. The group may watch short video clips of "a day in the life of" interviews or cultural festivals and incorporate several fun activities selected from each region. The workshop wrap-up will include an interactive review such as geography trivia or questions taken from past national geography bees.

This is a one-day program.

Compass cooks will enjoy a culinary tour of the world with Global Gourmet classes! Menus feature variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients seasoned and prepared to represent regional flavors and traditional dishes from the featured country. Recipes are selected to be nutritious, fun, and simple to make. The Compass chefs' gastronomy adventures will include:

• Bruschetta
• Italian Wedding Soup
• Classic Chopped Italian Salad
• Baked Zucchini
• Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pesto (nuts)
• Homemade Marinara and Linguini
• Tiramisu (decaf)

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: 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: Italian (Quarter 1), Mexican (Quarter 2), Pan Asian (Quarter 3), French (Quarter 4).

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $45.00 is due payable to the instructor on 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).

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

Learn the art, craft, and history of photography for hobby, home, or as a possible profession. Students will discuss observation, perspective, and choosing their subjects. They will learn about the exposure triangle and elements of photographic composition, including lighting and exposure. The class will review different genres of photography such as portraiture, nature, sports, black and white, etc., and discuss finding their own "voice" in their photographs. Each week, class time will be split between hands-on practice and review of photographic examples, including works by noteworthy photographers. The instructor will also teach photo-editing with a free web-based softwareFor this class, students will be required to prepare two projects: a presentation on a photographer of their choice and a special photography project of their choice. On the last day, there will be an art show for the parents.Prerequisites: NoneWorkload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.Assignments: In addition to the two projects described, students will have weekly homework taking photographs and occasional quizzes.Assessments: Students will receive ongoing, informal assessments and feedback on their photographs.Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $20.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.What to Bring: Students are encouraged to bring digital SLR cameras, but any digital camera that is better than a phone camera will be adequate.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in Fine Arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

This class is a multi-media art sampler for our youngest artists! Each week students will learn a few fun facts about a type of art or artist, view sample works, and then will create a project in the style of the artist using a wide variety of materials and representative colors, patterns, textures, and embellishments. Young artists will have the opportunity to work with a different media each week such as tempera paint, various papers, color pencils, markers, tissue paper, translucent tracing paper, cray pas, oil pastels, charcoals, and watercolors.First quarter, Junior artists will explore a variety of artistic techniques as they make medieval art projects such as a crown project, handmade parchment paper, an individual coat of arms, and a custom shield.Topics in this Series: Kings and Queens- Kids' Medieval Art (Quarter 1); Artists & their Animals (Quarter 2); Whimsical Winter Works (Quarter 3); Scenic Seascapes (Quarter 4). Supply Fee: There is a supply fee of $20.00, payable to the instructor on the first day of class which covers consumable class materials such a specialty papers, watercolor pencils, and paints.

Krav Maga is the Israeli martial art which teaches self defense and fitness. Students of Krav Maga are taught a series of strategies to assess and respond to common situations, such as facing a bully. Kids are always taught first and foremost to get away, to get help, and to try to deescalate the situation. When that fails, students practice a technique that includes a warning strike followed by escape, and finally, they learn how to stand up for themselves and how to counterattack if a situation escalates and becomes threatening. Kids are empowered and gain confidence when they rehearse how to handle real-life situations. Exercises and in-class practice incorporate balance, coordination, energy, and other key elements of fitness along with life skills such as confidence, teamwork, respect, discipline, and respect.

Students may enroll in Krav Maga at any time, and everyone will begin as a white belt. Each quarter, students will practice the full range of skills, but there will be two "featured" moves that a student can earn a belt stripe for being able to demonstrate. Featured moves will include a combative strike and a defensive escape technique. No one stripe is a prerequisite for any other color, and color stripes can be earned in any order.

First quarter, students will have the chance to earn a Red Stripe. Featured moves include: cover defense and wrist locks (red stripe); straight punch defense and bear hugs (orange stripe); head movement defense and front 2-handed choke (yellow stripe); round kick defense and back 2-handed choke (green stripe); front kick defense and guillotine choke (blue stripe); clinch defense and rear choke (purple stripe); ground striking defense and head lock defense (brown stripe); and 360 defense and full Nelson (black stripe).

Students will be able to test for belt promotions to move through the ranks of white belt, yellow belt, orange belt, etc. On average, it is estimated that a student will be ready for a belt test after four quarters/four color stripes. Belt testing will be by coach approval.

Topics in this Series: Red Stripe (1st Quarter), Orange Stripe (2nd Quarter), Yellow Stripe (3rd Quarter) and Green Stripe (4th Quarter).

Prerequisites: None

Lunch-N-Learn is a supervised lunch hour for kids ages 8-12 whose parents are unable to be on campus during their break. If a family is unable to find a suitable class during a specific hour, kids can enroll in Lunch-N-Learn where they will eat their own lunches or snacks with other kids under the supervision of a Compass staff member.Lunch is not provided. Parents can make arrangements for food delivery such as Grub Hub, Door Dash, or Uber Eats. Some snacks are available for sale at Compass.During each hour, Compass staff will show educational programming such as Planet Earth, National Geographic, or How It's Made. Students are encouraged to bring homework, games, or puzzles to work on after lunch is finished. Students may bring tablets or hand-held video games but must have headphones or ear buds. The content of any video game or video streamed at Compass must be rated "E" for everyone.Students must be enrolled in other classes at Compass to participate in Lunch-N-Learn. The lunchtime program cannot be a student's only class at Compass.

Prerequisites: None

Lunch-N-Learn is a supervised lunch hour for kids ages 8-12 whose parents are unable to be on campus during their break. If a family is unable to find a suitable class during a specific hour, kids can enroll in Lunch-N-Learn where they will eat their own lunches or snacks with other kids under the supervision of a Compass staff member.Lunch is not provided. Parents can make arrangements for food delivery such as Grub Hub, Door Dash, or Uber Eats. Some snacks are available for sale at Compass.During each hour, Compass staff will show educational programming such as Planet Earth, National Geographic, or How It's Made. Students are encouraged to bring homework, games, or puzzles to work on after lunch is finished. Students may bring tablets or hand-held video games but must have headphones or ear buds. The content of any video game or video streamed at Compass must be rated "E" for everyone.Students must be enrolled in other classes at Compass to participate in Lunch-N-Learn. The lunchtime program cannot be a student's only class at Compass.

Prerequisites: None

Have fun the final weeks of summer! Look forward to early fall! Animals are active and sunning themselves. Plants are mature, and flowers have gone to seed. The stream may have slowed down from summer drought, but discoveries at the water's edge abound.

Step outdoors to each week to explore nature with a senior naturalist/outdoor educator. Take a break from sit-down classes, indoor activities, and screen time to explore the natural world, get fresh air, and exercise. The group will explore the southern section of Sugarland Stream Valley Park in Herndon while they discover all the secrets that woods hold when you stop, look, listen, smell, touch, turn-over, and peek under!

A portion of each session will be seeking and discussing what is found each season. Students will get to know native animals and key types of plants and trees in our area. Emphasis will be on becoming comfortable with things they encounter outdoors, observing and appreciating discoveries in nature, safe exploration of the woods, and how to be a good steward of nature. The class will also discuss outdoor skills such as shelter and outdoor safety. Students will play games in the woods to practice outdoor skills.

Visit the Compass Nature Quest class webpage for more information on the program, location, and Frequently Asked Questions. Students should come prepared for class with outdoor/play clothes, closed-toe shoes, sunscreen and/or insect repellent, a hat, and jacket or layered outerwear depending on the weather/temperature. The group exploration/activities in the woods are for enrolled students only, and tag-along parents and siblings cannot be accommodated.

Reading affects a student's achievement in all aspects of schoolwork, so strong literacy skills are fundamental to success in homeschooling. This weekly class is a small reading group where students are placed with 2-4 peers who read at a similar level to follow a comprehensive language arts curriculum under the guidance of experienced reading specialist Catherine Vanlandingham. Each Monday meeting will include a short story with select vocabulary words, a graphic organizer, main themes, and embedded learning objectives. Students will continue to practice language arts skills at home with easy-to-implement "page a day" workbook activities assigned by the instructor and implemented by the parents. For most early elementary learners, enrollment in Reading Rally can serve as either a supplement to another at-home reading curriculum or as a complete, self-contained language arts curriculum.
Weekly readings are organized around thematic units. The instructor will teach students how to approach a new story as a fun reading puzzle. For example, before reading in class, students will conduct a "picture walk" to overview and predict elements of the story from the illustrations, review a graphic organizer to assist in writing sentences, define vocabulary words, and preview summary questions. Then, the instructor will read the story aloud, model good reading practices, and encourage students to read. Students will only be asked to read aloud when they feel comfortable and have built trust in their group. All follow-up activities are designed around learning objectives such as decoding, comprehension, prediction, visualization, and verbalization.
First time registrations in Reading Rally include the cost of a 30-minute, individual assessment conducted in-person or virtually by Mrs. Vanlandingham. Parents are encouraged to contact Compass to schedule their child's reading assessment before registering. Families register without the assessment for grade-level placement must be prepared to reschedule to a different reading group if indicated by the assessment.
Grade level references in Reading Rally are based on scope, sequence and pacing that correlate to the Grade Level Equivalent (GLE) standards of learning. Students who are more than one year behind in GLE may be recommended for a second, weekly class meeting on Fridays or in additional 1-on-1 private reading instruction to make up ground in reading skills. The instructor has experience working with reluctant and fearful readers, those who are late bloomers, neurodivergent, dyslexic, and ESOL students. The instructor may recommend a more complete evaluation by a neuropsychologist if she suspects other learning differences are impacting the student's reading.
Students will work from a spiral bound copy of reading textbook and workbook by Pearson. A class fee of $81.00 is due payable to Compass for class materials.
Students continuing from one semester to the next will receive priority registration to remain with their reading group and do not have to pay for an additional assessment.

Find out what different scientists do! This class allows young scientists to explore different careers in the sciences and shows them that science is fun, approachable, and that anyone can do it! Students will use real scientific equipment and learn actual science terminology to investigate questions in different fields. Try out SCUBA gear as a marine biologist, learn the basics for studying DNA, perform experiments in chemistry, and try your hand at operating an ROV (remote operated vehicle). The focus will be on hands-on, dynamic learning, and students will engage in hands on demonstrations and experiments during each class.First quarter, we will learn some basics of paleontology and geology. Students will learn about the science and methods of paleontology as they prepare for a mock fossil dig. They will handle real fossils, learn how fossilization occurs, and simulate excavating fossils and reconstructing a dig site. While they are still in the dirt, students will learn about the field of geology. The class will discover how geologists study rocks, dig up our own mineral samples, identify them, and learn about the geologic processes that formed them. Students will make their own crystal gardens to take home and observe. Topics in this Series: Topics in this Series: Paleontologist, Geologist (Quarter 1); Physicist, Astronomer (Quarter 2) Chemist & Medical Scientist (Quarter 3); Biologist, Entomologist (Quarter 4). Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $15.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Prerequisites: None

Soccer Shots is a fun, engaging class for the youngest Compass students or their preschool-aged siblings! Soccer Shots is an outdoor skills class in which children learn basic mechanics of soccer such as passing, dribbling, and shooting through imaginative games in a fun, supportive, small-group experience with a dedicated coach. Equally as important, young athletes get to practice valuable life skills such as working with teammates, good sportsmanship, taking turns, cooperation, and communicating with their coach! Each week, young soccer players will be guided through warm-ups, skill-building games, and a scrimmage. Students must be age 3.5 by the start of this program and must be able to separate from his/her parent and follow directions. Please note that if the 12:00 pm session fills, the 12:30 pm session will be opened for additional registrations.

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: Q1

• Mochi Brownies
• Pate De Fruits
• Cherry Pistachio Muffins (nuts)
• Pear Clafoutis
• Vanilla Souffle
• Cinnamon Donuts
• Caramel Pecan Trifle (nuts)

Students will become immersed in the imaginary worlds they construct in this unique course that encompasses elements of fiction writing, sociology, and anthropology. Worldbuilding is the foundation of speculative fiction, such as sci-fi and fantasy, role-playing games, videos, comics, and other visual media. Countless examples of Worldbuilding exist in the movies and books we consume every day such as Tolkien's Middle Earth, the many elaborate settlements of the Star Wars franchise, and the popular RPG, Dungeons and Dragons.In this course, students will develop a fictional locale. Will it be a small village in a known place, a new planet, or an original universe? Students will be guided through an interactive, iterative process of "top-down" design of their unique world, determining broad characteristics first then then elaborating with increasing detail. Builders will make coherent and integrated decisions on geography, climate, ecology, flora, fauna, inhabitants, races, history, social customs, language, religion, origin story, powers/magic, legal system, currency, and technology. The class will read excerpts and watch clips of well-known fictional works which will provide strong examples of each of the elements.First semester, the class will create Post-Apocalyptic worlds and answer the questions of what happened and who remained after a widespread disaster that threated the very heart of a civilization. Students, along with their instructor, will develop an in-class world as an example. They will use the lessons and exercises reviewed in class to further develop their individual world project.Students will be expected to keep a notebook of decisions and details as they progress through designing the elements of their world. Students will have the option to purchase a discounted student subscription to World Anvil, a web-based subscription service which allows students to create maps, timelines, and other tools to organize their made-up world. Each student will be expected to make a PowerPoint presentation at the end of the semester which addresses each of the built-world elements.Topics in this Series: Post Apocalyptic Worlds (Semester 1), Elemental Worlds (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester will receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Prerequisites: NoneWorkload: Students should expect to spend 2 hours per week outside of class.Assignments: Will be posted in a Google Classroom and consist of weekly responses to promptsAssessments: The instructor will assign points for a final semester presentation and completed "Creative Sparks" which are written responses to weekly prompts. Parents may use the student's earned points versus total possible points to calculate a grade for the purposes of a homeschool transcript.Textbook/Materials: Students have the option of purchasing a discounted subscription to World Anvil (worldanvil.com) for approximately $35.00.Lab/Supply Fee: IncludedNon-Meeting Days: 10/20/23Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in language arts for purposes of a high school transcript.

Homeschool Swim Lessons are taught at the Reston YMCA located 0.9 miles/ 3 minute drive from Compass's classroom facility. For more information on swimming lessons, see the program webpage.Intermediate level is for students who are proficient in Advanced Beginner level skills such as swimming one length of the pool (25 yards), performing elementary backstroke, and becoming comfortable in deep water. Intermediate swimmers will cover Levels 3 of the YMCA program including elementary breaststroke, backstroke, front crawl with rotary breathing all at 25 yards, with work towards Level 4 skills including stamina and increasing all swimming to 50 yards or more, plus breast stroke, elementary butterfly stroke and kick, elementary dives, and turns.Please note that these skills will be introduced and progress at different rates depending on the comfortable level and experience of enrolled students and may take more than one quarter to complete. At times, students might be moved to a different swimming group (same day, same time, different instructor) to better match the experience level of enrolled children.Lessons are 40 minutes long, running from 0:05 until 0:45 after the hour, leaving enough time to towel dry, change clothes, and return to Compass for your next class. Students should bring a swimsuit, towel, and change of clothes. Googles and swim caps are optional.A parent (or parent proxy) is required to remain on site. Parents may wait on poolside benches or lobby seating. YMCA waivers must be signed and returned for each swimmer. All registration is completed through Compass. All YMCA swimming classes are taught by certified, experienced, background-checked adult instructors with experience teaching children.Consider enrolling your child in both Tuesday and Thursday classes to improve their rate of learning.

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

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

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

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

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

Every single week there are gripping headlines heralding new developments and discoveries in the fields of astronomy, astrophysics, and space exploration: NASA's Artemis II announced its crew. Space X Starship self-destructed. Europe's JUICE will go to Jupiter. James Webb Space Telescope finds oldest proto-galaxies. China, Russia, India, and South Korea are in a new space race to reach the moon. A total solar eclipse will be viewed in 2024. These are exciting fields to follow, and this is a thrilling time to learn about space science in Compass's "All About Astronomy" series.First quarter, students will learn about classical and modern land-based star-gazing. What could the ancients detect with their sundials? What did the Egyptians and Greeks observe with their astrolabes, and how did Galileo Galilei's use of the telescope change our understanding of astronomy? Fast-forward to today's land-based observatories. What will the new, Giant Magellan Telescope tell us from a mountaintop facility in Chile when it is completed in 2025? In this class, students will look at the oldest and newest technologies for ground-based observation of the skies. They will discover what limitations exist with even the most modern equipment and how astronomers compensate for those. Students will enhance their understanding of astronomical observation with in-class projects such as building a telescope, a sundial, and an astrolabe.There is a $15.00 supply fee due payable to the instructor on the first day. Topics in this series include: Classical & Current Star-Gazing (Quarter 1); Mission to the Moon (Quarter 2); Modern & Space-Based Searches (Quarter 3); and Mission to Mars (Quarter 4)

On "December 7, 1941, -- a date which will live in infamy--, the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan" declared Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This would plunge the United States fully into the Second World War. This class will cover the lead-up to the attack, Imperial Japan's unchecked aggression across the Pacific, and ultimately the attack on the US fleet at Pearl Harbor.Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, and historical maps, students will each form a 10" X 14" shaped, foam diorama of a portion of the US base at Pearl Harbor Hawaii. Students will each receive scale miniature naval ships to populate their scene. Once individual projects are constructed, students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to totally recreate the entirety of the battlefield at Pearl Harbor.Students will spend the remainder of the quarter learning about the tactics and outcomes of the military engagement while playing a table-top strategy game. Student strategists will use a simplified version of the Axis and Allies War at Sea gaming rule system for moving ships and equipment. Along with their classmates, students will see how this battle progressed and test different scenarios that might have occurred with different battlefield choices. Can the US fleet intercept the Imperial Japanese navy? What would happen if the Navy's aircraft carriers were in the harbor? We can simulate these and other conditions of the Early Pacific theater of WWII.The instructor will use maps and visual presentations to explain the historical background and circumstances leading up to the specific battle. Course documents, such as period maps, game rules and all other instructional media will be available via a Google Drive link which will be emailed to parents. There is a $25.00 materials fee payable to the instructor on the first day of class.Topics in this year's series include: Pearl Harbor (Quarter 1), Guadalcanal (Quarter 2), D-Day (Quarter 3), and Battle of the Bulge (Quarter 4).

Where does the money come from for stimulus checks or a tax cut? How is a debt different than a deficit? These topics can be understood with a practical, every-day, concept-based approach to Economics. This course in applied economics spans key themes in micro-economics and macro-economics in a tangible, approachable way using cases and real examples from the community around us and avoids the traditional math-heavy, dull, and difficult study of the field.

Economics is all about choosing and then deciding. It involves the study of how and why these choices and decisions are made and then determining their outcomes for a person, a firm, or even a nation. Sometimes the study of economics is referred to as the study of the political economy because it involves public decisions. For this course, we start off with smaller units first--often called micro-economics--and stress practical or applied concepts. Later, the course will examine the larger-scale implications for using the tools of economics to better understand public policy formation and to explore case studies on such issues as alleviating poverty, addressing climate change, and protecting public health.

The course starts small and moves to larger subjects over time. It offers students an opportunity to explore ideas, evaluate case studies, discuss them in class, and then write about them. The course encourages the development of critical thinking skills using the basic terms and concepts of applied economics.

Class Meetings: This is a 27-week year-long class that does not meet on 10/20/23, 2/23/24, or 3/22/24

Prerequisites: None

Levels: The course provides a substantive, full-credit experience in either an Honors or On-Level track. All students complete the same assignments for Semester 1. Near the end of Semester 1, students may decide to differentiate their workload and continue On-Level or at an Honors level for Semester 2. Honors students will have more in-depth assignments with longer and additional readings, more practice of synthesis and analysis, and additional writing. Both tiers offer a substantial, full-credit experience. Students register online for the same course.

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

Assignments: Assignments will consist of readings, worksheets, individual and group projects, including a final paper and presentation. All assignments will be posted on password-protected Google classroom site. There, students access assignments, upload homework, take automated quizzes and tests, track grades, and message instructor and classmates.

Assessments: Points will be awarded for the competition of assignments, quizzes, and projects, and parents can assign a grade based on the number of points earned as compared to the number of points available.

Textbook/Materials: The instructor will provide pdfs of articles or links to weekly readings or videos.

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

Prerequisites: None

Middle school students will learn how to improve their critical thinking for deeper understanding using strategies in reading comprehension. They will learn how to sort, analyze, describe, and compare information they read for a variety of purposes.The class will evaluate examples from age-appropriate fiction and nonfiction works where a dilemma is presented or a claim is made. Students will learn to ask, "Is this a good argument? Is it well constructed and convincing?" They will discover how to define terms and break a whole concept into its component parts in order to formulate and defend their own arguments.First semester, the class will examine short stories such as Alice & Wonderland, Animal Farm, and The Lottery, along with excerpts from familiar teen fiction like Harry Potter, the Hunger Games and Divergent. Middle school students should expect to spend an average of two hours per week on reading and short written responses for this class. Topics in this series include: Short Stories (Semester 1) and Non-Fiction (Semester 2).

Students will enjoy making fresh fall recipes and family favorites that feature a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Fall Fare 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:

• Corn and Bean Hand Pies
• Coconut Curry Soup
• Insalata
• Stuffed Zucchini
• Very Veggie Poke Bowl
• Cast Iron Casserole
• Neapolitan Trifle

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.

First quarter, students will create one-of-a-kind sculptures and will learn to work with materials such as papier mache, air-dry and polymer clays, wire, plaster, etc. Example past projects include a wire wave sculpture, layered paper collage, clay animals, or sculpey flowers. Some projects may take two weeks to complete with one week dedicated to forming and shaping the base sculpture and the second week focused on finishing techniques such as painting and embellishing. A supply fee of $40.00 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, Recycled Projects (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

3000 years ago, western civilization, as the ancients knew it, almost disappeared. This was known as the Bronze Age Collapse, a near total ending of all civilization in the Mediterranean world. Only the mightiest empires would be able to withstand the onslaught of displaced invaders, climate disasters, and the breakdown of trade that had fueled the Bronze age. The last bastion of early human civilization was the New Kingdom of Egypt. Protected from land invasion by an impassable desert, their greatest threat would arrive by sea, giving the invaders the name, "the Sea Peoples." Because of the breakdown in civilization, little is known about Sea Peoples, but they forced the Empire of Ramses to change completely, or face extinction!Using artistic model-making techniques, hand tools, paint, and miniatures, each student will craft a 10 X 16 diorama. In class, they will view historical maps, artistic renderings, and/or photographs to understand the topography and development of this time and place in history. Students will customize their dioramas with landforms, landscape elements, waterways, and structures to represent a scene from this period. Once individual projects are constructed, students will populate them with 1:72 scale miniature figures. Students will combine their dioramas alongside those of their classmates to approximate a larger terrain and then compete in a history-based role-playing game which will reinforce lessons about the culture, economy, and/or warfare of the time. Each student will have at least one board and 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 year's series include:Ancient Egypt & the Sea Peoples (Quarter 1); Ancient Greece & the Trojan War (Quarter 2); The Roman Republic (Quarter 3); and Viking Invasions (Quarter 4)

In this introductory high school English workshop, students will be introduced to the concepts of literary genres and analytical writing. Each quarter, the class will examine one select work or genre. Students will learn to recognize figurative language, tone, subtext and diction, identify symbolism and imagery, and develop an awareness of narrative perspective and of the social-historical contexts in which these works were created. First quarter will feature The Novel: Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Sallinger.Composition: Students will also learn the fundamental components of academic writing, including how to construct a thesis statement that makes an argument, how to support their ideas effectively with textual evidence, how to organize an argument logically, and how to cite sources in MLA format. Some class periods will be dedicated Writing Lab session in which students write in-class in order to get on-the-spot support and feedback from the teacher. Students should bring laptops to these class sessions.Topics in this Series: The Novel (Quarter 1), Poetry (Quarter 2), The Play (Quarter 3), and The Epic (Quarter 4). Students who continue from one quarter to the next will receive priority registration.Prerequisites: Students should be able to read at grade level, and it is recommended that students have had a middle school writing class.Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week outside of class.Assignments: All assignments will be posted in a Google Classroom management site. Students will need their own gmail accounts to access Google Classroom.Assessments: Students' written assignments will be graded using a rubric and assigned points that the homeschool parent can use when assigning an overall class grade.Textbook/Materials: Because students will need clean, inexpensive copies of each novel to mark in, and they must be able to refer to the passages on the same page numbers, copies of mass market paperbacks will be pre-purchased and bundled for students. (See Supply Fee below).Supply Fee: A class fee of $15.00 is due payable to Compass on the first day of class for the select novel.What to Bring: Students should bring the current novel, paper, pen or pencil and highlighter to class each week. Some students may wish to bring paper clips, adhesive flags or post-it notes for marking passages/pages.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a partial credit in English for purposes of a high school transcript.