COMPASS CHRONICLE ISSUE 2

Scholars are building, creating, and discovering in ways that feel less like school and more like real life. Teachers are designing lessons that bring imagination into virtual classrooms. And families are finding that flexible learning doesn't mean going it alone. In this issue, we look at how technology at Compass is doing something bigger than delivering content — it's making space for people to show up for each other.

For Isla, school happens at home, at physical therapy appointments, and sometimes in a hospital waiting room — and Compass makes all of it possible.

For Isla, school looks a little different. It might happen at the kitchen table, in a hospital waiting room, or at a physical therapy clinic across town — and every single one of those days still counts toward her education.

Isla is a TK scholar in the Options Program who loves the creative side of school. One of her favorite moments each week is Fun Fridays, where scholars connect with their teacher and classmates to create projects, build edible snacks, and explore ideas together. She looks forward to it every single week.

But Isla's family navigates more than most. Her younger sister Mila is medically complex, which means the family's schedule can shift without warning — doctor visits, PT appointments, hospital stays. The kind of unpredictability that makes a traditional school calendar nearly impossible to maintain.

Compass removes that obstacle. Through Zoom and Google tools, Isla can join class from wherever the family happens to be that day. The lesson doesn't stop when life gets complicated. Neither does Isla.

What stands out about Isla's story isn't just the technology — it's what the technology makes room for. Isla has continued to build real friendships with her classmates. She stays connected to her teacher. She doesn't miss out.

Her teacher, Mrs. A, receives a special mention from Felicia for creating a learning environment that is welcoming, creative, and full of wonder. It's the kind of classroom culture that travels — through a screen, across a county, into a waiting room — and shows up fully present wherever Isla is.

"You're magic," Felicia tells her daughter. "And I'm so proud of how you've embraced your educational journey."

Stories like Isla's are a reminder that technology at Compass isn't infrastructure. It's access. It's the difference between a scholar who keeps going and a scholar who falls behind. And for this family, it has made all the difference.

Real words from Compass scholars across California.

Also — since the image sizing in Smore is still a problem, here's the toolkit as pasteable Smore text with Gracie's corrected quote:

🛠️ THE COMPASS TECH TOOLKIT Tools Our Community Uses Every Day In their own words — scholars and staff on the platforms powering learning at Compass.

📊 Google Slides "It's fully customizable and I can watch all scholars working in real time — it allows immediate feedback." — Wendy Osawa, Options Teacher

🎓 Google Classroom "A one-stop-shop — announcements, assignments, and Nearpod links all in one place." — Gina Lopez, EL Tutor

🎨 Canva "I created an English advertisement for a project — it helped me in a visual way and pushed me to be more creative. It made it more fun and easier." — Gracie C., Grade 11, Options

📡 Nearpod "Nearpod and Wayground make learning more engaging." — Jowell M., Grade 5, Online

🔍 Google Search "Google helped me the most — using it like a hint to figure out what I didn't understand." — Tre S., Grade 7, Online

🖌️ Ibis Paint X "Animations, sketches for school, event decorations, and now my graduation stole." — Emily M., Grade 11, Online

📹 Zoom "Compass has allowed Isla to attend classes whether we are home, at a PT appointment, or even while Mila is hospitalized." — Felicia, Isla's Mom, Options Family

🌍 NatGeo Learning "When you have such good resources, you can get an even better understanding of your lessons." — Aaliyah B., Grade 12, Online

Inside Wendy Osawa's classroom, a Google Slides deck isn't a presentation tool — it's the classroom itself. Wendy designs her lessons so scholars can collaborate directly in the slides, revise their thinking in real time, and get immediate feedback from her as they work. It's the kind of live back-and-forth that most people assume can't happen online.

This semester she built an etymology lesson around Book Publisher Day and ran vision board activities that gave scholars space to think about where they're headed. None of it feels like an add-on. In Wendy's classroom, the technology is the lesson — and the lesson is the relationship.

In Gina Lopez's EL classes, the curriculum comes with a passport. Working alongside colleague Hope Harmon, Gina is piloting a new program from National Geographic Learning (Cengage) — one that pairs globally themed content with the digital tools scholars already use every day.

Google Classroom and Nearpod serve as the backbone: lessons, announcements, and recorded sessions all live in one place. For multilingual scholars who are often juggling new language demands alongside everything else, that kind of clarity matters. Less time navigating platforms means more time actually learning.

Gina's aim is practical: give scholars the language skills they need to thrive, in a structure that doesn't add confusion to an already demanding experience.

📸 Below: EL Team Members: Gina Lopez, Christy Saez and Hope Harmon.

Whether a family is relocating because of a deployment or navigating housing instability, a scholar shouldn't have to lose ground. Compass is built for exactly that.

Some families don't get to choose when they move. Military families follow orders. Families experiencing housing instability follow circumstances. In both cases, a child ends up in transition — and in a traditional school system, transition almost always means falling behind.

At Compass, the virtual model changes that equation entirely. There's no new building to find, no registration line to wait in, no weeks of paperwork while a scholar sits at home. Learning continues — because at Compass, learning was never tied to a physical address in the first place.

For military-connected scholars, Compass is proud to continue as a Purple Star School for 2026 — a California designation awarded to schools that demonstrate a meaningful commitment to military families through dedicated support, staff training, and a culture that understands what these families carry. Compass has earned this recognition because it shows up in the day-to-day: in flexible scheduling, responsive staff, and a virtual model that doesn't penalize a family for a PCS move.

For McKinney-Vento scholars — students experiencing homelessness or housing instability — the obstacles to consistent education are rarely about motivation. They're about circumstances. A shelter placement across town. A move that comes without notice. The mental load of instability that makes sitting down to do homework feel impossible.

Compass's virtual model removes one of those obstacles entirely: there's no new building to find, no bus route to learn, no registration line while a scholar sits at home waiting. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act guarantees these students the right to remain enrolled through housing transitions — and at Compass, honoring that right is built into the way school works. But policy only goes so far. The rest is people — advocates like Karla Gonzalez, whose understanding of these families runs deeper than any job description.

Military families and McKinney-Vento scholars arrive at Compass from very different directions. What they share is the need for a school that holds steady when everything else doesn't.

Wins, big and small, are what keep Compass moving. Here are the names, moments, and people who’ve been making this season shine.

Here’s where you can jump in, speak up, and help shape what’s next at Compass.

The Scholar Spot— NOW OPEN

Scholars in grades 6–12 — the Scholar Spot is your space. Drop in for guided discussions, interactive activities, and real connection with peers and staff across Compass. Come as your schedule allows. No commitment required — just show up. Check the Monday Morning Update for the link to sign up.

📣 Parents: Your Voice Is Needed

Compass is looking for a Volunteer Parent Representative to join our Board of Directors. Board members work alongside school leadership to provide oversight and direction, helping ensure our academic program stays true to our mission and continues to serve scholars and families well. Meetings are held virtually throughout the year, with two in-person meetings annually (travel covered). If you're passionate about public education and ready to make an impact at the governance level, we'd love to hear from you.

👉 Apply today: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Jobs/Details/3938659

💬 Join ELAC.

The English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) plays a vital role in shaping how Compass supports our multilingual scholars and families. It’s where ideas become action — and your voice helps drive real change in our community.
Questions? Email Christy Saez at csaez@compasscharters.org

🤝 Stay in the loop.

Watch ParentSquare and check out the Monday Morning Update for upcoming ways to connect — from events to volunteer spots and everything in between. You can also check out our weekly engagement calendar snapshot here ✨

📲 Follow Compass on Social:

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

🪶 Tell your story.

Stay tuned to ParentSquare for the next round of story submissions for the third issue of the Compass Chronicle.

Coming up in our next issue: a closer look at how Compass scholars are shaping their own learning journeys, with stories from across our programs and communities.

This is what innovation looks like at Compass. Not just new tools. New possibilities.

Thinking about joining the Compass community?

👉 Learn more and start your Compass journey today. https://www.compasscharters.org/enrollment/enroll-now/