Compass Connections

• NO SCHOOL (Labor Day): Monday, September 1st
• Student Leaders: Tuesday, September 2nd, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 143)
• Sophomore Group Guidance: Tuesday-Friday, September 2nd-5th, Power Block (Rm. 140)
• Field Trip to Field Museum (Evolution & Anthropology): Wednesday, September 3rd, 9:15am-3pm
• Theater Club, September 4, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 142)
• SWAMP/Block E begins: Thursday, September 4th, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)
• Compass Parent Advisory Committee (CPAC): Thursday, September 4th, 6:00-7:00 pm (Rm. 140)
• Dungeons & Dragons Club: Monday, September 8th, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 111)
• Intramurals: Monday, September 8th, 3:45-4:45 (Gym)
• Tech Makerspace: Tuesday, September 9th, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 144)
• SWAMP/Block E: Tuesday, September 9th, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)
• Field Trip to Chicago Art Exhibits (History Themes: American Identity): Wednesday, September 10th, 9:15am-3:00pm
• Theater Club: Thursday, September 11th, 3:45-4:45 (Rm. 142)
• SWAMP/Block E: Thursday, September 11th, 3:45-5:45 (Rm. 140)

To report a student absence, please call the Haines Center main line at (331)228-3400 and follow the menu options for Compass Academy. If a student who attends classes at both their home high school and Compass will need to miss a full day of school, parents must either inform East or North that their student is also a Compass student so that the Compass office is informed of the absence or they must call Compass Academy directly to report their students' absence. If parents make just one call to Compass to report a full day absence for part-time students, the Compass Academy administrative assistant, Ms. Chavira, will ensure communication between buildings.

Students interested in (or who have taken) Marine Biology enjoyed a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium on Wednesday. Highlights of the trip included learning more about marine science and conservation, up-close opportunities to interact with animals such as dolphins, sea otters, penguins, and stingrays, and experiencing diverse aquatic habitats like the Amazon and the Great Lakes.

Students in the American Culture & Literature ("True Crime") seminar, an interdisciplinary English and social studies course, toured the St. Charles Public Library. They received personal library cards, enjoyed a quick true crime genre lesson, and examined library resources they could use for research before exploring the podcast recording studio, which they were encouraged to use in the creation of their final project, a podcast.

Compass students and families took advantage of the beautiful weather on Thursday to attend the Back to School picnic. Attendees enjoyed food, fellowship, games, and the ever-popular bounce house. A highlight for some students was the opportunity to meet some Compass staff members' dogs.

Back to School Night was Thursday, 8/21. Did you miss it? Do you want to revisit the slides or complete the parent survey to get involved? Click the image to the right to view the slides from BTS Night. Whether you are a new Compass parent or a parent of a returning student, there was new information shared for all parents to know on topics such as:

• New initiatives at Compass this year

• How to support your student's success at Compass

• Competency-based learning and assessment at Compass

• How to read your student’s credit matrix and Student Success Plan

• College and career planning events at Compass

• How to interpret Schoology and HAC for Compass classes

• Independent Study options (including ISLE and COVE)

• Experiential Learning Wednesdays

• The end-of-semester Celebration of Learning

• Compass Parent Advisory Committee (our version of PTO)

• Whom to contact for what

Students can find more information about these options on the Compass website or the bulletin board in the academic hall. Additional information was shared with parents on Back to School Night as well. Please note: Field trips are typically only offered on Wednesdays and are almost always shared with students and families several weeks in advance. In the Compass model, the experiential learning in which students engage on field trips is integral to the learning in their courses, so students are expected to attend all field trips that are course-aligned.

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.

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