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Register here to let Compass know that you are working towards the 2022-23 American Citizenship Award. There is a $15.00 facility/activity fee for a Non-Compass student to receive this award. The cost of the actual award (certificate and pin) is funded by outside sources. A Non-Compass student is one who is not enrolled or has not been enrolled in the award year. This registration is used to create a list of participants who will receive further notices from Compass about the award cycle. Additional information about the ACA can be found on the award webpage.

Register here to let Compass know that you are working towards the 2022-23 President's Volunteer Service Award. There is a $15.00 facility/activity fee for a Non-Compass student to receive this award. The cost of the actual award package (medal and certificate) is funded by outside sources. A Non-Compass student is one who is not enrolled or has not been enrolled in the award year.This registration is used to create a list of participants who will receive further notices from Compass about the award cycle. Additional information about the PVSA can be found on the Compass award webpage.

Fee for the design of your teen's transcript. Includes a 60-minute advising session where information is gathered on the homeschooled high school student. The homeschool family is responsible for bringing records of all completed and in-progress high school efforts. Prior to the meeting, families will receive a lists of suggested materials/records to bring for use in consolidating and clarifying homeschool experiences and crafting the transcript. In general, it will take the advisor 2 weeks to get a first draft back to the family. Then, another 30-minute advising session is suggested for review, questions, and comments. This fee includes a 2nd revision of the transcript and final submission to the family as a pdf.  Further updates will be billed at $100.00 per hour.Advising will be with Compass founder/director Jenny Grove-Bradshaw, who earned a College Admissions Specialist Certificate from the American School Counselor Association and a Certificate in College Counseling from the University of California San Diego.  The custom transcript design is for one high school student and the student's parent(s)/guardian. Once you have pre-paid for the service, you will be contacted to schedule at a mutually convenient time. 

This is a semi-private section for students with permission of Compass and the InstructorThis 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

This lab intensive is for high school students who have recently completed (or are about to begin) a lecture-only Chemistry course or those from a traditional school setting where laboratory work is limited. This 3-day workshop is designed to provide the "Best of Chemistry" lab experience. The class will perform lab experiments exploring the concepts of chromatography, distillation, flame tests, electrical conductivity, the Tyndall effect, gas laws, reaction rates, single-displacement, double-displacement, synthesis, decomposition, and combustion reactions, colligative properties, oxidation-reduction, pH indicators, acid-base titration, battery chemistry, and polymer science.

Prior to beginning the workshop, students will receive a list of labs, principle topics, and corresponding videos to serve as a review or a pre-lab refresher. For safety reasons, Chemistry Lab has a dress code more restrictive than the general Compass dress code: (1) Long hair must be tied back (male or female); (2) Shirts must have at least short sleeves (such as a t-shirt). Tank tops and sleeveless shirts are not permitted. (3) Students must wear long pants. Shorts are not permitted. (4) Students must wear closed-toe shoes. Open toe sandals, slides, and flip-flops are not permitted. All supply/lab fees are included.

This is a three-day program

Builders will use LEGO construction components in this hands-on engineering class. Students will build complete several projects from the LEGO Education 9686 curriculum which progress from simple machines to complex machines to motorized apparatus with projects such as a clock, a car with fly wheel, and a fan. Using the engineering design process, students will build a basic mechanism, test it, gather data, and then modify their design to improve performance. Students will gain experience in taking measurements such as distance traveled, using the stopwatch, and recording their findings on paper. Students will work with ordinary LEGO bricks, beams, and plates along with specialized components such as gears, toothed elements, wheels and axles, pulleys, and motors. Note: lessons and activities may duplicate those taught in the 14-week Compass class of a similar name in the fall of 2022.

This is a two-day program.

Compass chefs will practice math, measurements, and more as their culinary tour introduces them to regional flavors and comfort foods inspired by favorites from cook-outs and pot-lucks across America. Daily menus feature an entree, a side dish, and a dessert that use a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Discover the joy of cooking while practicing skills that range from math (volume, weight, unit conversion, fractions, decimals), reading (instructions, ingredients), geography (menu inspiration, food sources), and science (nutrition, food chemistry), and life skills. This workshop's menu includes:

Compass chefs will practice math, measurements, and more as their culinary tour introduces them to regional flavors and comfort foods inspired by favorites from cook-outs and pot-lucks across America. Daily menus feature an entree, a side dish, and a dessert that use a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Discover the joy of cooking while practicing skills that range from math (volume, weight, unit conversion, fractions, decimals), reading (instructions, ingredients), geography (menu inspiration, food sources), and science (nutrition, food chemistry), and life skills. This workshop's menu includes:

Students will bring home a container of what they have made each session and receive the recipes. These engaging workshops 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.

Notes:
(1) Registration is for one, 3-hour workshop. Register for as many or as few as works with your summer schedule.
(2) Supply fee is included.
(3) 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.

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

This is a one-day program.

Compass chefs will practice math, measurements, and more as their culinary tour introduces them to regional flavors and comfort foods inspired by favorites from cook-outs and pot-lucks across America. Daily menus feature an entree, a side dish, and a dessert that use a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Discover the joy of cooking while practicing skills that range from math (volume, weight, unit conversion, fractions, decimals), reading (instructions, ingredients), geography (menu inspiration, food sources), and science (nutrition, food chemistry), and life skills. This workshop's menu includes:

Students will bring home a container of what they have made each session and receive the recipes. These engaging workshops 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.

Notes:
(1) Registration is for one, 3-hour workshop. Register for as many or as few as works with your summer schedule.
(2) Supply fee is included.
(3) 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.

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

This is a one-day program.

Compass chefs will practice math, measurements, and more as their culinary tour introduces them to regional flavors and comfort foods inspired by favorites from cook-outs and pot-lucks across America. Daily menus feature an entree, a side dish, and a dessert that use a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Discover the joy of cooking while practicing skills that range from math (volume, weight, unit conversion, fractions, decimals), reading (instructions, ingredients), geography (menu inspiration, food sources), and science (nutrition, food chemistry), and life skills. This workshop's menu includes:

Students will bring home a container of what they have made each session and receive the recipes. These engaging workshops 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.

Notes:
(1) Registration is for one, 3-hour workshop. Register for as many or as few as works with your summer schedule.
(2) Supply fee is included.
(3) 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.

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

This is a one-day program.

Compass chefs will practice math, measurements, and more as their culinary tour introduces them to regional flavors and comfort foods inspired by favorites from cook-outs and pot-lucks across America. Daily menus feature an entree, a side dish, and a dessert that use a variety of fruits, vegetables, and fresh ingredients. Discover the joy of cooking while practicing skills that range from math (volume, weight, unit conversion, fractions, decimals), reading (instructions, ingredients), geography (menu inspiration, food sources), and science (nutrition, food chemistry), and life skills. This workshop's menu includes:

Students will bring home a container of what they have made each session and receive the recipes. These engaging workshops 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.

Notes:
(1) Registration is for one, 3-hour workshop. Register for as many or as few as works with your summer schedule.
(2) Supply fee is included.
(3) 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.

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

This is a one-day program.

Student engineers will be challenged to design, build, and program a robot to explore a simulated Martian challenge. Each rover will have to fit in a mock Mars lander and be able to drive out the lander door, down a ramp, and onto the Mars surface. Once in the Compass Mars environment, each lander must be able to maintain a course while driving over a bumpy terrain and pick up and collect red rocks while ignoring Martian rocks of other colors

Students will use the LEGO MINDSTORMS Education EV3 robotics sets. They will build with motors, wheels/axles, gears, levers, and special components. Students may incorporate touch, sound, color, gyro, ultrasonic, and/or infrared sensors while also learning to program sequences and commands that use input/output devices for controlled movements and precise turns. Using the drag-and-drop EV3 programming menu, students will learn to program their robots while experimenting with key concepts such as fixed values, variables, loops, and logic constructs.

This workshop integrates science, engineering and computational thinking while introducing physical constraints, units of measurement, and coordinate systems. But, don't worry, this is a beginning robotics class. Prior experience is not expected, but returning students are welcome. Each student will build his/her own robotic project, so students can progress and customize at their own pace. In general, in this class, students will spend two hours assembling, two hours programming, and two hours testing and re-designing.

This is a two-day program.

Can your child sit in a circle for story time? Line up for lunch? Take turns talking to the teacher? This half-day, drop-off program is for 5- and 6-year-olds who will be starting school in the fall. Whether your child will be heading off to kindergarten or first grade in a public school, private school, or homeschool co-op setting, there are some fundamental "school readiness" skills they should be prepared for. If your child missed a year of preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, or has just had a long, unstructured summer, consider giving him a head start with a Summer Bridge to School program. Children will work in a small group with an experienced early elementary educator and reading specialist to get ready to go to school!

This fun, activity-based program will incorporate key social skills and introduce school readiness so young children arrive more prepared and better adjusted in the fall. Academic basics such as the ABCs, days of the week, colors, shapes, and number sense with simple counting will be included and serve as an introduction to students who have never covered the topics before and a refresher for those who haven't done them in a while. Students will practice spelling and recognizing their names- even if they are not yet reading- and will learn their parents'/guardians' names in case of an emergency away from home.

In this program, children will get ready for school by practicing classroom routines, transitions between activities, sitting for activities, and lining up. Through games and activities, they will also practice key childhood skills such as sharing, taking turns, and entering play with others. Each day will include some simple structure such as a daily arrival song/greeting, morning "meeting" with the teacher to review the plan for the day, snack time, story time, and closing/goodbyes. Children will also complete daily crafts and simple worksheets related to the week's theme and the day's featured topic.

The theme for the June session is "Furry Tales", and the second session is "Backyard Safari." Children are welcome to take one week or both weeks of Bridge to School. Children can be dropped-off for this program (different than Compass's school-year policies for 55 minute classes.) The supply fee is included.

This is a five-day program.

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 has an in-person lecture on Tuesdays (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.

Through the study of chemistry, high school students will learn the science behind things they observe every day! Chemistry explains properties of the food we eat, the beverages we drink, the medicines we take, the fibers we wear, and fuels in the cars we drive. Chemistry is a foundation to understanding the world around us and fundamental to other sciences such as biology, physics, geology, and environmental science.

This full-year laboratory course makes chemistry come alive through at-home readings, practice problems, supplementary activities, and in-person hands-on labs to demonstrate key concepts. Course themes include matter, changes in state, scientific measurement, atomic structure, electrons in atoms, and characteristics of the periodic table. Students will then study ionic, metallic, and covalent bonding, chemical names and formulas, and chemical reactions. Further chemistry topics include the behavior of gases, water and aqueous solutions, acids, bases, and salts; oxidation-reduction reactions, solutions, and thermochemistry.

Students will learn the skills necessary for successful study of chemical reactions and molecular phenomena, using common high school laboratory chemicals, glassware, and techniques. This is not a course done in microscale using pre-mixed solutions: students will learn to calculate molarity and use dimensional analysis to mix solutions, calculate yields, analyze errors, and construct graphs. Example labs include experiments in molar mass, hydrates, precipitates, filtration, density, distillation, reactants, single and double displacement, acid/base titration, polymers, heat of fusion, heat of vaporization, and stoichiometry. Class demonstrations will model other chemical concepts and processes, such as a radioactive cloud chamber.

Prerequisites: High school Algebra I

Levels: This course provides a substantive, full-credit experience on either an on-level or honors track. All class members complete the same core material and participate in the same labs. Students taking the course at the honors level are generally on a college prep-STEM track and have additional assignments and alternative scoring. Honors students' homework will be graded and recorded as part of the students' total earned points. On-level students' homework will be corrected and graded, but not factored into their total earned points. Students must identify their level prior to the start of class. At any point in the year, a student may transition from honors to on-level if the workload exceeds the students' expectations. In addition, at the parents' discretion, students may take this course as an "audit" in which they still read chapters, attend lectures, participate in labs, but do not do problem sets or laboratory reports. This approach provides an experiential and conceptual overview of chemistry, but should not be counted as a full year credit.

Workload: All students should expect to spend 2-3 hours per week outside of class on pre-reading and lab reports. Honors students can expect an additional 1-2 hours on weekly problem sets. Pre-reading and pre-lab work is required so in-person class time can be spent on highlights, class discussion, homework review, and labs. In addition, most weeks students should plan for additional meeting time and coordination with their lab partners in-person, by phone, shared documents, or via virtual meeting. Students will also be required to read one scientific, non-fiction book or current events article each quarter and prepare a 2-page summary and response book report.

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. Parents can have an observer account in Canvas to review assignments and graded work. Students will have weekly readings and mandatory pre-lab assignments. The pre-lab assignment must be completed prior to lab and will serve as the student's "ticket" into the lab session each week.

Assessments: Students will earn points for completed homework, unit tests, lab reports, book reports, and semester exams. Parents can calculate a letter grade using the student's points earned divided by points available. Parents may view all scoring and comments at any time through the Canvas site.

Textbook/Materials: Students should purchase or rent Prentice Hall Chemistry by Wilbraham, Staley, et. al. 2008 edition (ISBN #978-0132512107).

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $125 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for a composition notebook, graph paper, lab equipment and supplies, and safety supplies.

What to Bring: Students should bring a paper or a notebook, pen or pencil, and a scientific calculator each week.

What to Wear: Students should not wear any loose, drapey clothing to lab. They should also come to class with long hair tied back and should wear closed toe shoes.

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

This class will be taught in a Hybrid format with an online lecture on Mondays (9:00 am - 9:55 am) over a live, online platform 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.

This full-year lab science course introduces classic biology topics updated for the 21st century. Biology studies living things and their relationships from microscopic to massive, ancient to modern, arctic to tropic. Our survey includes: (1) cellular and molecular biology, (2) ecology, (3) genetics, (4) biology of organisms (with selected human health and anatomy topics), and (5) evolution and diversity.

You will observe microscopic organisms and give monarch butterflies a health exam before tagging them for their 2,800 mile migration to Mexico. You will extract DNA, model its processes, and learn how scientists manipulate this magnificent molecule to make mice glow. You will observe animal behavior, test your heart rate, and practice identifying and debunking pseudo-science.

By the end of the course, students will be able to explain the nature of science as a system of knowing; cite evidence for foundational theories of modern biology; explain basic biological processes and functions; describe structures and relationships in living systems; outline systems of information, energy, and resources; demonstrate valid experimental design; discern ethical standards; relate their values and scientific ideas to decision-making; and apply biology knowledge to their own health.

Students are responsible for pre-reading and reviewing new material such as readings from the textbook and additional popular and scholarly sources, videos, and animations PRIOR to class meetings. In-person sessions focus on active discussion, clarification, exploration of content, review, modeling, and hands-on activities.

Labs address not only technical skills and sequential operations, but also forming testable predictions, collecting data, applying math, drawing conclusions, and presenting findings. Hands-on dissection, always optional, is taught with preserved crayfish and fetal pigs.

Sensitive issues: human reproduction is not taught separately, but mentioned as students learn about other, related topics such as sperm, eggs, stem cells, genetic disease, hormones, fetal development, breast-feeding, adolescence, and HIV. While there may be some debate-style discussion of topics such as GMO, abortion will not be debated. Birth control and sex education are not covered, but distinctions between gender and biological sex are discussed in detail in the genetics unit. Evolution is embedded in every topic, from molecular to ecological, inseparably from other content. It is addressed in a scientific context, not from a faith standpoint.

Levels: The course provides a substantive, full-credit experience on either an Honors or On-Level track. All class members share core material and participate in the same labs. Honors has longer or additional readings, more analytical work, and more thorough and difficult assessments. Brief, required summer assignments are due in August for those who elect to take Honors. Students register online for the same course, but must indicate which level they wish to study via e-mail by August 15. Students may move down a level (from Honors to On-Level) at any time.

Prerequisites: Students should be very strong, independent readers and able to understand graphs, tables, percentages, decimals, ratios, and averages.

Workload: All students should expect to spend 4-6 hours outside of class reading and preparing homework. Homework includes term cards, brief written responses, weekly online quizzes, unit tests, occasional lab reports, and some creative assignments including sketching. Students will sometimes prepare short, in-class presentations, participate in group projects, run simulations, or conduct simple experiments at home.

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; message instructor and classmates; and attend virtual conferences.

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

Textbook/Materials: Students must purchase or rent the textbook Biology Now: Third High School Edition (2022) published by WW Norton. A 360-day digital license directly from the publisher costs $53.00 HERE (ISBN: 978-0-393-54247-9) or $130 when bundled with a hardcover text (ISBN 978-0-393-54010-9). Used books may be available from 2022-23 students. Core textbook readings are supplemented by the instructor with updated information drawn from sources such as peer-reviewed science journals, popular science publications, and podcasts.

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $130 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Supplies/Equipment: Students will need access to a computer/internet, compound microscope with 400X magnification and cool lighting, splash goggles, water-resistant/acid-resistant lab apron, kitchen or postal scale, 3-ring binder, approximately 400- 3"x5" index cards; and plain, lined, and graph paper. Some of these supplies are used at home. Weekly "Read Me First" web pages and class announcements on Canvas tell students what items to bring to class.

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

Prerequisites: Middle School Science

Why read about key military battles on maps or in books when you can learn about them hands-on, in three dimensions, using historical miniature gaming? In 3D History, pivotal engagements come to life for new and experienced students, as they navigate a table-top terrain, deploy hundreds of miniature soldiers, ships, and tanks... all while playing a military strategy game. Each student will have the opportunity to fight a battle from both sides, allowing them to test various strategies, try multiple scenarios, predict different outcomes, and rewrite history- an effective way to gain a deeper understanding of what actually happened and why!In the summer of 1941, Nazi Germany seemed unstoppable. The Wehrmacht had effortlessly taken almost all of mainland Europe and then, with Operation Barbarossa, turned its sights on the Soviet Union. Attempting to do what Napoleon could not, Hitler expected to repeat the successes of the invasion of France, only to find that his army was underprepared to take Russia. At the gates of Moscow and in the streets of Stalingrad the lighting war would find itself frozen, then obliterated by the enormity of its failure. What had been the most impressive campaign in modern military history would instead turn into the biggest and bloodiest blunder in history.This semester, in cooperation with the War Room Military Intelligence Class, will study the early success, and ultimate failure of Germany's invasion, looking at the tactics, technology and economics behind this near total war, where the price of failure was nothing less than extinction. At the end of the semester, every student will understand the conditions that led to war, the objectives for both sides, and how successful or realistic these objectives were, both from a modern academic point of view and from the historical point of view given each country's available information. This will be accomplished with primary sources, newsreels from the time, propaganda material, and modern analysis. The instructor will provide online access to all of this material via Google Drive and a class YouTube Playlist.Note: This is a 1 hour, 55 minute class with a 10-minute break part way through.Topics in this Series: WWII Eastern Front- Beyond the Blitzkreig (Semester 1) and Downfall of the Reich (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.Workload: Students should expect to spend 0-1 hours per week outside of class.Assignments: Period maps, photographs, and re-creations will be posted on a class Google Drive, and video links from YouTube will be e-mailed to parents and students for homework or supplemental investigation.Assessments: Will not be given.Credit: Homeschool families may wish to count this course as a component (partial) credit in History for purposes of a high school transcript.

Kids take to the stage as they collaboratively write and perform their very own play with unique characters and an original storyline. When the sun goes down and the Sandman comes, dreams transform our characters and carry them away on an adventure in The Land of Nod! What weird and wacky escapades will take place in the dreamland that our young actors will create and perform?

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

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.

Young 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. The music, story, and characters will serve as an inspiration for creative movement.First quarter, young dancers will learn the story of Peter and the Wolf, composed by Sergei Prokofiev and performed as a ballet since 1995. In class, dancers will learn to recognize, understand, and apply techniques from the Vaganova ballet method such as: 1st - 6th positions, marching and skipping, demi plie, grand plie, saute, bourree, grand jete, and tendu. Students will also develop their physical conditioning and learn teamwork. Dancers in this level must be minimum age 4 by the start of class.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

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

The fate of an election went to the House of Representatives when two candidates earned equal numbers of electoral votes; one of them was not even running for president.

-The successful presidential candidate won only 40% of the popular vote in a heated, 4-way race that divided the nation and led to war.
-The candidate who won the popular vote yet lost the election after a number of disputed electoral votes were awarded to the other candidate by a bipartisan commission.
-A president who lost his bid for re-election despite winning the popular vote came back four years later to retake the White House.

Close, confusing, and sometimes controversial presidential elections are not unique in American History. This workshop will examine ten of these contests with the first occurring in 1800 and the most recent in 2020.

Join former college professor Dr. John Kornacki for this discussion-based class, where students will look more closely on why these contests were so close, and in some cases, disputed. Students will take a deep dive into the political, economic, and cultural context of these elections and study their lingering impacts on future elections.

This is a two-day program

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 Wednesdays, the focus will be on Math where students will be exposed to basic mathematical concepts such as adding, subtracting, skip counting, ordinal numbers, and time through stories and play.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.

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.

Learn about the art and science of criminology in this 2-day workshop! Each workshop will examine two real cases: one that was solved and one that remains unsolved.

Each session will take students through the life of a case in the criminal justice system, starting with the crime, moving through the collection of evidence, forensic testing, taking the case to trial, receiving a verdict and a possible sentence if found guilty. How does this process change when a case 'goes cold?' How long can evidence sit in storage? How long can a witness's memory last? How long can victims wait for justice? The class will take cues from the solved case, brainstorm, and formulate recommendations or different approaches that could be applied to the unsolved case. Prior to the start of the workshop, students will receive a poll to vote on which case to review first- solved or unsolved.

This course is taught by a PhD candidate and adjunct professor in Criminology, Tayler Shreve. It is an introduction to criminology for teens who are interested in becoming practitioners or professionals in this vast criminal justice system or those who enjoy true crime books, blogs, or movies. This workshop is a preview for students who are considering the fall semester course, "Law and Order."

Note: This workshop meets on two days: a consecutive Wednesday and Thursday.

Rating/Advisory: For sensitive students, please note that in the examination of actual crimes, violence such as assault and murder will be discussed. References may be made to illicit substances and weapons used in the commission of crimes. Course content will be filtered to be age-appropriate for high school students in the instructor's judgement. For example, real crime scene photos may be shown with evidentiary details, but not victims or body parts. Students may read autopsy reports, but they will not be shown autopsy photos, and cases of rape will be referred to as sexual assault with no intimate details.

This is a two-day program.

Students with a curiosity for culinary careers will explore many aspects of cooking for the hospitality industry and for themselves. In this advanced cooking class, students will make delicious, advanced recipes and learn skills that are the foundation for a future career in culinary arts. This class will get students excited about new foods, flavors, and techniques as they gain a working knowledge of food planning and preparation.

• Linguine and Homemade Marinara
• Lasagna
• Ravioli Pesto
• Spaetzle
• Fettuccine with Pumpkin Alfredo
• Gnocchi with Cheesy Garlic Sauce
• Tortellini with Spinach Garlic Cream Sauce

Culinary vocabulary will also be introduced each week. Students will leave this class with an introduction to culinary careers in the hospitality industry and a beginning foundation in culinary arts. Additionally, students will be able to take charge of a home kitchen, prepare advanced dishes, and adhere to safety and hygiene standards. They will have nutrition-planning and cooking skills that will enrich the lives of their friends and families.

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. Pork will be used in a meat pie during 2nd quarter. 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: Lotsa Pasta (Quarter 1); Meat Pies and Sweet Pies (Quarter 2); Soups and Stews (Quarter 3); and Seafood Celebration (Quarter 4). Students continuing from the prior quarter will receive priority pre-registration for next quarter.

Prerequisites: Students must be in 9th grade (minimum age 14) to take this class. 7th-8th graders must have Instructor's permission to enroll. This class is best suited for students who can follow instructions, complete sequential tasks, and work in a group.

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

Assignments: Cooking assignments, practicing skills at home, and related homework will be given in class and e-mailed to students and parents. Brief written assignments may be given, such as recipe modification or development.

Assessments: Individual feedback will be given in class. Formal assessments will not be given. At the end of the second quarter, enrolled students will be required to complete an online Virginia Food Handler Course for food safety certification through the county health department, which will cost $25.00

Textbook/Materials: Students should purchase or rent the selected textbooks and workbooks. Used copies are acceptable.

• Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts: Level 1, published by National Restaurant Association (ISBN# 978-0138019389)
• Foundations of Restaurant Management & Culinary Arts: Level 2, published by National Restaurant Association (ISBN# 978-0131380226)
• Activity Guide for Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts Level 1, published by National Restaurant Association (ISBN# 978-0137070503)
• Activity Guide for Foundations of Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts Level 2, published by National Restaurant Association (ISBN# 978-0131380714)

Required Tools/Materials: Culinary students will be expected to begin to acquire their own tools. Students should purchase and bring with them each week the following basic, minimum tools and supplies:

-Chef's Knife Set, Professional Quality- (purchased individually or as a starter set) Recommended model (Amazon): J.A Henckels International 31425-000 Classic Starter Knife Set, 3-Piece, Black/Stainless Steel
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-Knife Guards- Recommended model (Amazon): 3- Piece Universal Knife Edge Guards Set

-Carrying Case- Recommended model (Amazon): Tosnail Chef Knife Case Roll Bag with 15 Slots

-Chef's Jacket- (long sleeve, white. Brought to class clean each week) Recommended model- women's (Amazon): Chef Works Women's Le Mans Chef CoatRecommended model-men's (Amazon): Chef Works Men's Bordeaux Chef Coat

-Chef's Cap - (student's choice of color) Recommended model (Amazon): Nanxson 3pcs Chef Hat

Office Supplies: Ring binder, pen or pencil, note cards and loose-leaf paper

Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $65.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for perishable food items, ingredients, and supplies that are used in this class.
For more information and FAQs, see the Compass Cooking Classes webpage..

In Digital Workshop, students will become immersed in the digital universe of ROBLOX as they learn to manipulate and navigate the world-creation tool used by real-world developers!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 ROBLOX Studio tool to build 3D models and create personized adventures. Students will learn how to bring characters to life with unique animations that they code.Digital Workshop 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 Makers (Quarters 1, 2); Minecraft Modders (Quarters 3, 4).

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

Young artists will enjoy a multi-media tour of the great masters in the history of art. In each workshop, students will learn about a different artist or artistic style features in the book, "Discovering Great Artists." 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.

Featured master artists will be selected from: Warhol, Lichtenstein, Christo, Pollock, Lange, Wyeth, O'Keefe, Rockwell, Kahlo, Grandma Moses, Dali, Chagall, Picasso, Escher, Matisse, Kandinsky, Klee, Mondrian, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Rodin, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cassatt, Monet, Degas, Manet, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Van Eyck, and others. Representative art movements/styles may include abstract, baroque, cubism, expressionism, gothic, impressionism, modern, naturalism, op and pop art, photojournalism, post impressionism, realism, renaissance, romanticism, and more. All supply fees are included.

This is a two-day program

Young artists will enjoy a multi-media tour of the great masters in the history of art. In each workshop, students will learn about a different artist or artistic style features in the book, "Discovering Great Artists." 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.

Featured master artists will be selected from: Warhol, Lichtenstein, Christo, Pollock, Lange, Wyeth, O'Keefe, Rockwell, Kahlo, Grandma Moses, Dali, Chagall, Picasso, Escher, Matisse, Kandinsky, Klee, Mondrian, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Rodin, Cezanne, Van Gogh, Renoir, Cassatt, Monet, Degas, Manet, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Van Eyck, and others. Representative art movements/styles may include abstract, baroque, cubism, expressionism, gothic, impressionism, modern, naturalism, op and pop art, photojournalism, post impressionism, realism, renaissance, romanticism, and more. All supply fees are included.

This is a two-day program

Toffee. Taffy. Truffles... End the day on a sweet note! Students will enjoy making and eating delicious confections. Each week they will prepare a fresh, handmade dessert or sweet such as: pies, cakes, cookies, tarts, trifles, mousses, puddings, candies, fudge, brittle, or chocolates. The class will include some icing, decorating, and garnishing techniques for completed desserts. This quarter, the Compass bakers' culinary adventures will include:

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

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

Separate fact from fiction in the study of law and order. Did you know that on average it can take up to six months to get a DNA report, not same day? Did you realize that law enforcement only spend 4% of their time on violent crimes, not in high-speed car chases or high stakes foot races? This course is taught by a PhD candidate and adjunct professor in Criminology, Tayler Shreve. It is a survey of the Criminal Justice system for teens who are interested in becoming practitioners or professionals in this vast field which includes attorneys, investigators, detectives, forensic scientists, law enforcement officers, corrections officials, wardens, FBI, DEA, or ATF agents, researchers, or advocates.

First semester, students will examine the broad themes of criminals (who?) and the crimes they commit (what?), and the settings and neighborhoods where crimes are most likely to occur (where? when?) and what motivates them to commit crimes (why?). The class will talk about trends and theories in criminology, criminal psychology, and profiles, and what the studies and statistics reveal about criminals and the justice system.

Theories that will be discussed this semester include: Early criminological theory from the Chicago School; Social Disorganization Theory; Life Course Theory; Differential Association Theory; and the Reintegrative Shaming Theory. To understand theories, the class will read real case studies such as: the Menendez brothers (Parricide, Social Bonds Theory), Ted Bundy (Labeling Theory), and Bernie Madoff (Anomie/ Strain Theory)

Students will discover how this information is interpreted and applied whether you are working in law enforcement, policymaking, the judicial system, or correctional network. Finally, the class will talk about law enforcement and how they build a case once a crime is committed. Students will read and discuss actual cases, looking at the facts, evidence, forensics, and alibis from real case files. They will learn what is a cold case, and how these can be 'cracked' years later. This semester, the class will host guest speakers such as a police canine team, a detective, and/or a forensic expert, and may take a trip to the Herndon police station.

This course is not a study in social justice or reform but instead relies heavily on the facts, statistics and policies of our existing criminal justice system, details that every advocate and reformer should also understand.

Rating/Advisory: For sensitive students, please note that in the examination of actual crimes, violence such as assault and murder will be discussed. References may be made to illicit substances and weapons used in the commission of crimes. Course content will be filtered to be age-appropriate for high school students in the instructor's judgement. For example, real crime scene photos may be shown with evidentiary details, but not victims or body parts. Students may read autopsy reports, but they will not be shown autopsy photos, and cases of rape will be referred to as sexual assault with no intimate details.

Topics in this Series: Crimes and Cases (Semester 1), Courts and Corrections (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

Prerequisites: Students should be on-level for high school reading and comprehension.

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

Assignments: The instructor offers a Choose-Your-Own-Assignment policy in which students will be required to complete a certain number of assignments out of a selection of assignments offered. This allows a student to drill down on themes that they prefer and spend less time on topics that they do not prefer. All assignments will be posted on password-protected Canvas classroom management site. There, students access assignments, find course documents, upload homework, track points earned, and message instructor and classmates.

Assessments: The instructor will award points for completed assignments that parents can use to assign a grade.

Textbook/Materials: All materials will be links to open-source materials or scans of documents provided by the instructor and posted to the class Canvas site.

Lab/Supply Fee: None

What to Bring: Notebook or paper, pen, or pencil.

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

LEGO Robotics Training Team is a semester-long "boot camp" and training ground for future FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competitors. The Training Team allows Compass students to work through a complete FLL challenge to ensure that they understand the project and enjoy the process before joining a competition team. Training Team students are sub-divided into smaller teams that compete against each other in building and coding challenges at a more relaxed pace than FLL competition teams which may require 6-10+ hours per week.Compass Training Team members will complete a full FLL challenge from a previous year. They will learn 21st century skills in robotics and programming while enjoying the camaraderie of working as a team to solve challenges. Kids will gain confidence and build skills in leadership and communication. The Training Team members will compete in-house against each other, but will not participate in a regional competition in 2023-24.FIRST LEGO League (FLL) is an accessible, guided, beginners' robotics program that encourages teamwork, discovery, innovation, and problem-solving. The FLL competition is comprised of three components: the Robot Game, an Innovation Project, and Core Values. The Robot Game is an annual theme-based challenge that encourages kids to think of technology solutions to real-world problems. Teams design and program an autonomous robot that scores points on a themed table-top playing field. Past challenges have been inspired by environment, transportation, accessibility, and exploration. FLL team members engage in brainstorming, research, design, and coding while practicing the engineering design process of building, testing, re-building, re-testing, etc. Students will work with LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robotics components and use drag-and-drop coding blocks to program their robots on laptop computers. No robotics or programming experience is necessary to join the Training Team, but it is beneficial if students have experience building with LEGO Technics components (beams, gears, and axel pins rather than bricks with studs).FLL members have fun with friends, encourage and support each other, and learn the art of gracious competition. In addition to the robot challenge, FLL team members compete in short, on-the-spot challenge problems in the Innovation Project phase of the competitions. FLL is also known for its philosophies of "professionalism" and "cooperation" which are expressed in the organization's Core Values of discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork, and fun. Teams are also judged on how well they promote and exhibit these core values.There is a $40.00 supply/equipment fee payable to Compass on the first day for practice competition materials.

Prerequisites: None

Why is my tooth loose? Why do I get motion sickness in the car? Why do bitter and sour taste bad? Kids have lots of questions about their own bodies and development. Little Doctor Academy answers these questions and more in the context of fun, age-appropriate health lessons and in-class activities which will introduce children to themes in science, medicine, anatomy, and biology.

In this workshop, Kids will learn the science behind taste, smell, and hearing and conduct experiments testing these senses. Like an ENT, they will learn how the ear works, what causes dizziness and what is motion sickness. The class will discover how hearing aids and cochlear implants can help people. Putting their dentist hats on, kids will also learn all about teeth including brushing and flossing. Students will perform a plaque test in class to complete their study of dental hygiene.

Supply fee is included. Note: lessons and activities may duplicate those taught in the 8-week Compass class of the same name in the spring of 2023.

This is a one-day program.

Why do I have to get shots? What is an appendix? Why do I get a fevers? Kids have lots of questions about their own bodies and development. Little Doctor Academy answers these questions and more in the context of fun, age-appropriate medical lessons and in-class activities which will introduce children to themes in science, medicine, anatomy, and biology.

In this workshop, kids will practice conducting a basic medical examination using the correct tools: stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, otoscope, and thermometer. The class will overview human anatomy by learning several major organ systems of the human body- circulatory, respiratory, and musculoskeletal.

Supply fee is included. Note: lessons and activities may duplicate those taught in the 7-week Compass class of the same name in the fall of 2022.

This is a one-day program.

Students are invited to "Come Together" (1969) to learn about the "Long and Winding Road" (1970) of the 1960s, a turbulent and transformative decade of "Yesterday" (1965). Join professor, Beatles buff, and music aficionado, Dr. John Kornacki in an exploration of the music and impact of the Beatles. Students will discover a decade of modern history and music as only the Beatles can tell it. The group will explore the changes in culture, class, and causes in the 1960s through the diverse songbook of the "Fab Four." The class will listen to Beatles' music and examine the band's impact on music, culture, fashion, and attitudes in the decade which included a growing civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and antiwar protests, countercultural movements, prominent assassinations, and a growing "generation gap." Musicianship is not required, but anyone who plays guitar is welcome to bring their instruments to play along.

This is a two-day program.

Natural Leaders is an outdoor education and leadership program. Each week, the group will venture into the woods surrounding Lake Fairfax for an authentic, immersive adventure featuring hiking, outdoor skills, leadership, and camaraderie. At each meeting, students take turns in different roles that are key to the group's success, safety, and fun such as: coordinator (plan out the group's schedule for the day); navigator (following the map, practice orienteering); naturalist (investigate and present a lesson about local plants, animals or ecology); skills coaches (research, practice, and demonstrate a skill to others, such as knot tying or whittling); game master (plan and teach an group game or challenge); and safety officer (present on a safety or first aid topic) They will also learn survival skills such as fire-building, outdoor edibles, building shelters, use of knives, and safety/first aid.

The student-led portions of the program promote group cohesion, cooperation, and friendship, while students benefit from the positive peer pressure to come prepared for their weekly roles and responsibilities. Tweens and teens will also become more confident and comfortable as leaders and outdoor adventurers as their self-reliance skills grow. Natural Leaders is supervised by an experienced Natural Leaders mentor, trained and supported in providing a positive experience and managing safety. They typically have a passion for sharing nature with kids, and may have a background in a range of skills such as wilderness first aid, survival skills, tracking, primitive skills, and experience in hiking, camping, rock climbing, water sports, etc. Natural Leaders meets weekly rain, snow, or shine, in all temperatures. Students should always dress is layers for the forecasted weather conditions. Registered students will receive more detailed instructions about what to wear, what to bring, and where to meet prior to the start of the program.

Prerequisites: None

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

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

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

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

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

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

What to Bring: TI-34 calculator

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

Prerequisites: Preparation for Pre-Algebra, or equivalent 6th/7th math

Preparation for Pre-Algebra is a year-long curriculum that will teach the fundamentals a student must master before embarking pre-algebra, algebra, and beyond. The class will review arithmetic skills, operations, and number theory. Key topics include fractions, rates, ratios, decimals, and percentages. Students will learn the computational operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions and decimals. They will learn what decimals stand for, how they relate to fractions, and how to convert between the two. They will discover how rates and ratios are also fractions. Students will learn how to work with negative numbers including strategies for completing all four common operations with negative numbers. The class will also cover exponents and orders of magnitude to make sense of really small and really big numbers and common operations.

This class will also emphasize real world applications of the mathematical concepts through word problems so students become comfortable switching between prose (written descriptions) and mathematical representation (numbers, symbols) of real world examples such as money, mileage, weights, percentages, and scientific measures.

Prerequisites: This course can be considered a pre-pre-algebra class that will teach the core concepts typically covered in later elementary school/early middle school after a general arithmetic curriculum and before pre-algebra. While different curriculums and student pacing will vary, this class would be appropriate for a student who has successfully covered long division, multiplication of multiple digit numbers, and an introduction to simple fractions and who has complete mastery of multiplication facts, skills often aligned with 5th grade mathematics.

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

Assignments: The Canvas online class management system will be used to post assignments and scores. Students should have their own e-mail address to be set up 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; spot-checking the full solution 1-2 select problems in class each week, and giving quarterly take-home tests. Points will also be awarded for class participation. Parents will be able to view accumulated points awarded in the class for purpose of determining a parent-awarded course grade.

Textbook: Students should purchase the two class texts: "The Complete Book of Math, Grades 5-6" (ISBN# 978-1561896776) and "EP Math 5/6 Workbook" (ISBN# 979-8643323693).

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

Reading 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.

Kids can become strong spellers without lengthy lists or tedious tests. In Super Spellers, young kids will play games and puzzles featuring spelling, word roots, word origins, and word families. Through engaging activities, students will learn tips and tricks for spelling, improve confidence, and practice in class with group games such as mini spelling bees.
**Note: New word groups are introduced each week. Students may take multiple Super Spellers workshops to continue to build their spelling skills.**

This is a one-day program.

Kids can become strong spellers without lengthy lists or tedious tests. In Super Spellers, young kids will play games and puzzles featuring spelling, word roots, word origins, and word families. Through engaging activities, students will learn tips and tricks for spelling, improve confidence, and practice in class with group games such as mini spelling bees.
**Note: New word groups are introduced each week. Students may take multiple Super Spellers workshops to continue to build their spelling skills.**

This is a one-day program.

Kids can become strong spellers without lengthy lists or tedious tests. In Super Spellers, young kids will play games and puzzles featuring spelling, word roots, word origins, and word families. Through engaging activities, students will learn tips and tricks for spelling, improve confidence, and practice in class with group games such as mini spelling bees.
**Note: New word groups are introduced each week. Students may take multiple Super Spellers workshops to continue to build their spelling skills.**

This is a one-day program.

Wonder what it is like to be a pilot? This class is designed for students are interested in aviation. Students will cover a range of topics including the principles of flight where they will learn and test the four forces of flight and how they apply to airplane design and performance. The class will learn about different types of aircraft and their features. Students will explore a pilot's key responsibilties and core competencies in aviation safety, navigation, and air traffic control. Students will learn about the importance of safety in aviation and the regulations that govern air travel. They will explore the different types of accidents that can occur and learn how to prevent them. Students will study the principles of navigation and learn how pilots use instruments and technology to navigate through the air. They will use full-size , professional flight simulators to practice their navigation skills. Finally, they will learn about the role of air traffic controllers in the aviation industry and how these experts manage air traffic to ensure safety and efficiency in the skies. Students will explore these topics through a combination of hands-on activities, simulations, and classroom instruction and will complete the class with a foundation to continue their studies or pursue a career in aviation.

Did you know that the ukulele is not just a miniature guitar? It is a member of the Portuguese lute family, but its sound was popularized in Hawaiian music. Ukulele's fun, compact size also appeals to kids and is a great "first" stringed instrument! In this class, kids will learn how to hold and strum the ukulele. Students will learn basic chords and chord progressions, musical notation and theory, and notes in the first position. Sample songs taught at this level include "Skip to My Lou", "Stand By Me", "Ode to Joy", and "When the Saints Go Marching In." Each student should purchase or rent a good quality ukulele for the class. Lab/Supply Fee: A class fee of $15.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class for a music notebook.

A radiograph for a roly-poly rabbit, a healthy habitat for a hedgehog, or fortified food for a ferret. Sometimes even our pocket pets need medical care! Lots of kids love animals, and some even think about becoming veterinarians and animal specialists. There is a lot of science in the care and keeping of animals.

In this workshop, future veterinarians will learn all about the small mammals we sometimes keep as "pocket pets" such as hamsters and gerbils, rats and mice, hedgehogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and sugar gliders. Each of these different species has different needs in terms of diets, exercise, and habitats. Discover which will run all night long (nocturnal) and which will be daytime pals. Students will learn to perform steps of a well-pet check-up and identify some common medical care and preventatives recommended for pocket pets. Kids will discover some of fun and fascinating facts, similarities, and differences in pocket pets.

Each class meeting will include hands-on and interactive demonstrations, simulations, role-playing, activities, games, stories, or short video clips to convey the information. Supply fee is included. Note: lessons and activities may duplicate those taught in the 7-week Compass class of the same name in the fall of 2022.

This is a one-day program.

Ornery, orphaned opossums, chipmunks in the chimney, or a rambunctious raccoon that ran into the road. Sometimes even our local wildlife needs medical care! Lots of kids love animals, and some even think about becoming veterinarians and animal specialists. There is a lot of science in the care, keeping, and rescue of animals.

In this workshop, future rehabilitators and veterinarians will learn all about the common illnesses or injuries that we might witness in local wildlife such as deer, opossums, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, foxes, bats, birds, and the occasional bear. The class will learn what some threats and dangers to local wildlife are and what they can do to make surroundings safer and backyard habitats more friendly. Students will learn what they should do if they find an abandoned or hurt animal, and why bringing them in their own homes is almost never the right answer. Kids will discover some of fun and fascinating facts, similarities, and differences in species of native wildlife.

Each class meeting will include hands-on and interactive demonstrations, simulations, role-playing, activities, games, stories, or short video clips to convey the information. Supply fee is included. Note: lessons and activities may duplicate those taught in the 8-week Compass class of the same name in the spring of 2023.

This is a one-day program.

Word Masters is a language challenge for students who enjoy word games, spelling, building their vocabulary, and verbal adventures. Why study lists of words if you can make a game of it? The best way to learn new words is to use them! This class is inspired by the annual Word Masters Challenge and the National Spelling Bee. Each week students will tackle new vocabulary words and practice them through analogies and critical thinking challenges. Students will examine word meanings, relationships, synonyms and antonyms with in-class activities and games such as Pictionary, Scategories, Charades, and Apples-to-Apples. Word Masters will improve a student's reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, logic skills, and the ability to think analytically and metaphorically.

**Note: A new word list is introduced each week. Students may take multiple Word Masters workshops to continue to build their vocabulary.**

This is a one-day program.

Word Masters is a language challenge for students who enjoy word games, spelling, building their vocabulary, and verbal adventures. Why study lists of words if you can make a game of it? The best way to learn new words is to use them! This class is inspired by the annual Word Masters Challenge and the National Spelling Bee. Each week students will tackle new vocabulary words and practice them through analogies and critical thinking challenges. Students will examine word meanings, relationships, synonyms and antonyms with in-class activities and games such as Pictionary, Scategories, Charades, and Apples-to-Apples. Word Masters will improve a student's reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, logic skills, and the ability to think analytically and metaphorically.

**Note: A new word list is introduced each week. Students may take multiple Word Masters workshops to continue to build their vocabulary.**

This is a one-day program.

Word Masters is a language challenge for students who enjoy word games, spelling, building their vocabulary, and verbal adventures. Why study lists of words if you can make a game of it? The best way to learn new words is to use them! This class is inspired by the annual Word Masters Challenge and the National Spelling Bee. Each week students will tackle new vocabulary words and practice them through analogies and critical thinking challenges. Students will examine word meanings, relationships, synonyms and antonyms with in-class activities and games such as Pictionary, Scategories, Charades, and Apples-to-Apples. Word Masters will improve a student's reading comprehension, verbal reasoning, logic skills, and the ability to think analytically and metaphorically.

**Note: A new word list is introduced each week. Students may take multiple Word Masters workshops to continue to build their vocabulary.**

This is a one-day program.

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.

Young readers and writers will tackle a classic tale three ways in this one-day workshop. Pulling from classic children's literature including fairy tales, fables, and favorites, such as Newberry Award medalists, the group will explore one story each session. First, the instructor will share a lively read-aloud of the story. Second, the class will watch a clip of an animated, televised, or stage version of the same story. Then students will discuss what was the same and what was different between the two tellings. Was a character added or omitted? Was the performed version true to the original? Finally, students will write their re-telling of the story by changing characters, setting, or even crafting a surprise, new ending. New Twists on Old Tales introduces some basic literary elements and rudimentary literary analysis skills to encourage children to think more deeply about what they read.
**Note: A new story is introduced each week. Students may take multiple New Twists on Old Tales workshops to continue to build their reading and analytical skills.**

This is a one-day program.

Young readers and writers will tackle a classic tale three ways in this one-day workshop. Pulling from classic children's literature including fairy tales, fables, and favorites, such as Newberry Award medalists, the group will explore one story each session. First, the instructor will share a lively read-aloud of the story. Second, the class will watch a clip of an animated, televised, or stage version of the same story. Then students will discuss what was the same and what was different between the two tellings. Was a character added or omitted? Was the performed version true to the original? Finally, students will write their re-telling of the story by changing characters, setting, or even crafting a surprise, new ending. New Twists on Old Tales introduces some basic literary elements and rudimentary literary analysis skills to encourage children to think more deeply about what they read.
**Note: A new story is introduced each week. Students may take multiple New Twists on Old Tales workshops to continue to build their reading and analytical skills.**

This is a one-day program.

Young readers and writers will tackle a classic tale three ways in this one-day workshop. Pulling from classic children's literature including fairy tales, fables, and favorites, such as Newberry Award medalists, the group will explore one story each session. First, the instructor will share a lively read-aloud of the story. Second, the class will watch a clip of an animated, televised, or stage version of the same story. Then students will discuss what was the same and what was different between the two tellings. Was a character added or omitted? Was the performed version true to the original? Finally, students will write their re-telling of the story by changing characters, setting, or even crafting a surprise, new ending. New Twists on Old Tales introduces some basic literary elements and rudimentary literary analysis skills to encourage children to think more deeply about what they read.
**Note: A new story is introduced each week. Students may take multiple New Twists on Old Tales workshops to continue to build their reading and analytical skills.**

This is a one-day program.

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.

60-minute Private Guitar or Drumming Lessons X 6 weeks with Ney Mello.

Song/Theory Books: Guitar students should purchase a tablature book from Compass for $8.00

Cancellation/Rescheduling: In the event of a change in your schedule, Compass requires 24 hours notice to reschedule the private lessons. Every effort will be made to reschedule the session at a time that is mutually agreeable to the teacher, the student/client, and Compass. In the event of a no-show or change/cancellation occurring less than 24 hours before the scheduled instruction session, pre-paid fees will be forfeited and no refund will be offered.

30-minute Private Music or Voice Lessons X 7 weeks with Wyndy Fredrick in piano, flute, ukulele, clarinet, or voice.

Song/Theory Books: After the first lesson for new students, the instructor will select and purchase a Music or Voice book and collect reimbursement from the parent. Continuing students should bring their current book(s).

Cancellation/Rescheduling: In the event of a change in your schedule, Compass requires 24 hours notice to reschedule the private lessons. Every effort will be made to reschedule the session at a time that is mutually agreeable to the teacher, the student/client, and Compass. In the event of a no-show or change/cancellation occurring less than 24 hours before the scheduled instruction session, pre-paid fees will be forfeited and no refund will be offered.

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.

Why did Daedalus build the Labyrinth? What happened to Pan? This is an introductory literary analysis workshop focusing on the mythology in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson" adventure series. Students will explore, discuss, and connect the stories of Percy Jackson to the original Greek and Roman myths. They will evaluate where Percy deviates from the source myth and evaluate why the author might have taken liberties. They will discuss and analyze the hero's journey and the morals and values of the Greeks and Romans. The class will learn to recognize allusions from the Greek and Roman myths in modern day works.

Students should have read the Percy Jackson book before the first meeting of the workshop. During the first meeting, the instructor will provide a handout of an authentic telling(s) of the original myth which the class will begin to read together, and the students should finish at home.

This is a two-day program.