Compass Connections

• Dungeons & Dragons Club: Monday, September 22nd, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 111)
• Intramurals: Monday, September 22nd, 3:45-4:45 (Gym)
• Tech Makerspace: Tuesday, September 23rd, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 144)
• SWAMP/Block E: Tuesday, September 23rd, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)
• Art + Tech Class: Tuesday, September 23rd, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 141)
• Senior College Application/Essay Help: Wednesday, September 24th, 10:00-12:00 (Sign up through SchooLinks)
• Culinary Club: Thursday, September 25th, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 143)
• SWAMP/Block E: Thursday, September 25th, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)
• Art + Tech Class: Thursday, September 25th, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 141)
• Compass Parent Advisory Committee (CPAC): Thursday, September 25th, 6:00-7:00 (Rm. 140)
• St. Charles East Homecoming Parade: Friday, September 26th, 1:00 pm (Compass/East students who are participating will be released to the parade staging area 2 blocks away at 12:15 and will not return to class; Compass students who want to attend the parade as spectators will walk to Main Street with staff to watch and will return to the building for class afterward)

Are you looking for ways to get involved as a Compass parent? Would you like to meet and connect with other Compass Academy parents? Come to the first meeting of the year of the Compass Parent Advisory Committee (CPAC) this Thursday at 6 pm in the community room (140)! There is no fee to join and all Compass parents and guardians are welcome! CPAC partners with Compass Student Leaders, staff, and administration to support and fundraise for student learning opportunities and social events throughout the school year. Plan to attend!

Compass Academy is conducting a Fall Testing Day on 9/30/25 using assessments from Horizon Education/Progress Learning. These assessments will allow all Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors to experience an assessment that is aligned with the PreACT/ACT. These assessments will be administered online so students will need to bring their Chromebooks. More details will be shared next week.

9/30/25 will be a non-attendance day for Seniors. Seniors are encouraged to use this day to complete college applications, make a college visit, or apply for scholarships.

The Juniors will also take the PSAT/NMSQT exam on 10/21/25 during the regular school day. The PSAT/NMSQT exam is a preliminary SAT that also opens the door to consideration for National Merit scholarships. This will be an online exam and students will need to bring their Chromebooks. That day will be a regular attendance day for students in all other grades.

Picture Day at Compass was Tuesday, 8/26. If you would like to view your student's photo and order, you may do so through the HR Imaging website. THIS LINK WILL ONLY BE OPEN FOR A LIMITED TIME. If your student missed Picture Day, we will have a day for retakes in early October so watch this newsletter for that information to be shared soon.

Join us for a fun, hands-on field trip to the Bricklayers District Council Training Center on October 1st. We can bring up to 20 Gators on this field trip, so all are welcome. To participate, complete THIS FORM, or pick up a blank form in the Main Office. The first 20 fully completed and signed field trip forms will be able to attend the trip. Don't miss it!

Parent-teacher conferences will be held at Compass Academy from 11:00-7:00 on Thursday, October 9th. At Compass, parents only need to sign up for one 15-minute time slot in order to participate in a team conference with all of their student's teachers. An email will be sent to all parents/guardians once registration for conferences opens. Please follow the link below for information on how to register.

• Pick-A-Time Parent Directions

• Pick-A-Time Parent Directions_Spanish

Items may be placed in the donation box in the lobby by the main entrance. We will be collecting donations all month as part of this quarter's service project led by the students in Mrs. Fairbanks's service learning Power Block. Every donation makes a difference!

Parent/Guardian emails have now been synced with SchooLinks, our new college and career readiness platform. Parent/Guardian accounts were made active and ready for access on September 4th. (Compass students have already been using SchooLinks in advisory and group guidance meetings.)

To get started, please review the resources below:

• SchooLinks: Getting Started for Guardians

• SchooLinks: Getting Started for Guardians (Spanish)

• SchooLinks: Guardian Demonstration Video

• 2026-2027 FAFSA Application: Scheduled to open October 1, 2025
• Compass Academy Financial Aid Night: Community Room (140)- October 7, 2025, 6:00-7:30 pm
• Pathways Night (2 Year, Tech, Trades & Military Post-Secondary Options): Compass Academy- October 29, 2025, 6-8 pm
• Early College Credit Information Night: St. Charles North Auditorium- November 18, 2025, 6:30-8:30 pm
• Fox Valley College Fair: St. Charles North H.S.- March 24, 2026, 5:30-7:30 pm

More details will be shared as we get closer to each event date.

Students in Costume & Prop Design have been working diligently on their creations, learning and applying essential techniques for designing and building wearable costumes and props and exploring the processes used in theater, cosplay, and film. Throughout the quarter, students in this seminar have been developing their skills in sketching, material selection, and fabrication, with the ultimate goal of bringing their character or concept to life through their final project.

Compass Academy students pre-order their lunch, so if your student plans to order lunch, please have them complete the form that is linked above. Students are always welcome to bring food from home, if they prefer. If your student may qualify for free or reduced lunch, please complete this form or have them get a paper copy of the form from the Compass office.

STUDENTS MAY COMPLETE THEIR LUNCH ORDER FOR THE WEEK BY CLICKING THE BOX ABOVE AND MAKING THEIR SELECTION BY 10:00 A.M. ON THE FIRST MORNING OF THE SCHOOL WEEK.

Are you interested in learning about the various career options available in St. Charles? Through the city's career pathway job shadow program, Compass students can shadow people in many career fields, including office administration, communications, accounting, firefighting, government, law enforcement, construction, forestry, water management, and vehicle maintenance. Students who participate in job shadowing during the school year, and then write reflections about their experiences, have the opportunity to earn credit for Career Exploration.

For more information about this opportunity, students should scan the appropriate QR code on the bulletin board in the academic hall or make an appointment to see Ms. Ohlson, the Compass counselor.

Elgin Community College will host 145+ colleges and universities to help students and families explore post-secondary options. All current college, high school, and prospective students are encouraged to attend to discover transfer opportunities. The Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling sponsors this free event with ECC and other local schools.

Illinois Regional College Fair Registration

Our fair utilizes StriveScan to make information sharing easier for students. This app-based system is free for students, and registration is encouraged before the fair. Colleges will scan your barcode during the fair to send you more information about their schools. The day after the fair, you will receive a report with information on the colleges with whom you scanned.

Register Now

• Date

  Tuesday, October 15, 2025

• Time

  6:00 pm to 8:00 pm

• Location

  Main Campus, Building J, Gymnasium

Registration opens October 6th.

This free program is offered to enable Mastery Transcript Consortium members to connect with colleges and universities from around the country (and a few international schools).

Virtual College Fair attendees can choose the colleges/universities they wish to hear from by registering directly for their sessions in advance of the fair. You can ask questions of the college representatives during the presentations, too!

Watch the Compass Connections as more details will be shared in upcoming weeks.

Elgin Community College is offering a series of College & Career events for the fall and spring semesters. Session topics include The Start of College Decisions, Financial Aid 101, Early College Credit options, Professional Etiquette, Discovering Careers, Career Clusters & Opportunities, Successful Interviewing, and more. All events are free and open to the public. Events will be held virtually over Zoom on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 7 P.M. unless otherwise noted. For more information and meeting links, please visit https://elgin.edu/community/college-transitions/ccr/

Upcoming Events:

Financial Foundations: Budgeting Basics That Work

Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Location: Virtual

New school year, new goals—let’s make financial wellness one of them. Join Marlen Glenn from KCT Credit Union and CCR Coordinator Gretchen Taylor for a down-to-earth, judgment-free webinar designed to help you take control of your money. Whether you’re just getting started or looking to reset your spending habits, we’ll walk through real-life budgeting strategies that fit your lifestyle and future goals. Start the year off with confidence, clarity, and a plan that works. Open to all ECC students and community partners.

The Discovery Program exposes students to a broad range of activities designed to encourage their interest in healthcare careers. Program activities include tours, guest speakers, group discussions, and hands-on projects. Meetings are held once a month, most often on Saturday mornings from 9:00am-12:00pm. The NM Discovery West Chapter and the Greater DeKalb Chapter collaborate a lot, so meetings will be held at Central DuPage Hospital, Delnor Hospital, Kishwaukee Hospital, and various off-site NM locations. Please note, meeting dates, times, and topics are subject to change. Participants are responsible for their own transportation.

For information about the Discovery Program and how to apply.

The application deadline is 9/29/25.

For questions about the Discovery Program please email NMDiscoveryProgramWest@nm.org

Compass Academy students and families may order Compass spirit wear at any time through our Spirit Wear Store, which you may access by clicking the image below. All purchases are customizable and are shipped directly to your home.

Important information for students who are interested in taking an AP exam but are not enrolled in the corresponding AP course:

• Students wishing to take any AP exams for classes in which they are not enrolled must register and pay for the exam no later than Friday, November 7. The fee is $100 per exam and is non-refundable. Students who are interested in registering must see Ms. Ohlson to receive the appropriate form and relevant information.

Sharon Stanley, Director

Email: sharon.stanley@d303.org
Website: https://compassacademy.d303.org/
Location: Compass Academy, South 9th Street, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: (331)228-3400
X (Twitter): @CompassD303

Instagram: @d303compassacademy