Upcoming Year Registration

In this class, students will engage with American History from a unique, thoughtful perspective, facilitated by college professor, Dr. Albert Thompson who is a "researcher, problem solver, and educator." Dr. Thompson is considered a historian of the state, culture, and conflict. He was homeschooled through high school and will guide high school students to use "historical data to advance solutions to contemporary problems."

Second semester will cover American History from 1812 through the Civil War and concluding with the Spanish-American War in 1898. The class will examine 19th-century America's transformation from a New World backwater to Global Power. Using speeches, pamphlets, legislation, court rulings, and treaties, the students will develop critical reading skills to identify and evaluate the social, economic, and political forces that contributed to the rise of the United States of America from approximately 1812-1898. The course will highlight the following key events and figures: Andrew Jackson, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Susan B. Anthony, Harriet Tubman, Ida B Wells, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allen Poe, Frederick Douglass, John D. Rockefeller; Westward Expansion, the Indian Wars, The Civil Wars, and Abolitionism, the Second Great Awakening, Industrialization, The New Immigrants, Reconstruction, Social Darwinism, New Imperialism and the Spanish American War.

The class will uncover history that is often overlooked or downplayed. Professor Thompson encourages students to think deeply about history by introducing individuals and groups in a way that lets students put themselves in others' places. He covers the worldviews that were dominant at the time as a way to explain what motivated historical figures and decisions of the day. Conflicts will be closely examined since throughout history, war is a catalyst that causes economic and social conditions to change dramatically in the shortest period of time.

Topics in this Series: First Settlement to First Crisis, 1607-1812 (Semester 1), Civil War to Spanish-American War 1812-1898 (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

This class will begin on 1/23/26 and meet on 3/13/26

Prerequisites: Reading at grade level.

Workload: Students should expect to spend 1-2 hours per week on readings. Readings should be treated as pre-readings which students complete before class in order to engage in in-class discussion.

Assignments: Reading assignments will be communicated weekly to students. This class will not have written assignments or projects.

Assessments: The instructor will not give quizzes or provide assessments. Parents may elect to administer online quizzes that are available through the e-textbook website for purposes of assessing their own student's understanding of major themes.

Textbook/Materials: The class will use The American Yawp, an open-source online textbook from Stanford University Press (www.americanyawp.com). Students may read chapters online or download a pdf.

What to Bring: Paper or notebook; pen or pencil; assigned chapter.

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

Prerequisites: None

Observe an owl, meet a Madagascar hissing cockroach, touch a giant tortoise, study a sea star, and peek at a porcupine! Meet live animals at Compass each week as we explore some of the major animal families through interactive presentations.

Each week, wildlife educators will bring a variety of animal ambassadors. They will discuss adaptations, habitats, diets, and diversity in the animal family. They will help students discover similarities and differences among species in animal families. Students will learn about adaptations and plenty of fun facts about the live animals that they meet each week.

In just four hours, students will dive into electronic music production- creating beats, shaping sounds, exploring rhythm and tempo, and building original tracks using professional-style digital tools.

Students will be introduced to the basics of Electronic Music Production by industry professional, DJ, producer, musician, and educator Eric Jao. Eric brings 30+ years of working in the music industry, touring the world, and performing with artists like Madonna, Shakira, Rhianna, and Linkin Park. He is the founder of the Mix Major Electronic Music School and co-author of Electronic Music Element curriculum, a web-based platform where students can continue to create beyond the workshop.

Students do not need to play an instrument or be able to read music for this course. Instead, they need to have a love of music and the desire to create their own, original compositions. Students should bring a charged laptop, Chromebook, or iPad to class.

This is a 2-week workshop meeting for 2-hours each day. This workshop serves as an introduction for students interested in exploring Compass’s Electronic Music Production class offered in the fall.

Prerequisites: None

Students will delve into the world of crime scene investigators (CSIs) as seen each week on Cold Justice, Unsolved Mysteries, and the Forensic Files television series! Students will be introduced to the mystery of unsolved cases. The class will identify the roadblocks and pitfalls that prevented cases from being solved and justice being served. They will critique where forensic science failed or could have been used more effectively to close a case.

Second semester, students will walk through the timelines of cases in the criminal justice system, starting with the crimes, moving through the collections of evidence, forensic testing, taking the cases to trial, receiving the verdicts, and sentencing 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 evaluate pairs of similar cases: one that was solved and one that remains unsolved. The class will take cues from the solved case, brainstorm, and formulate recommendations or different approaches that could be applied to the unsolved case using information they have learned about forensic investigation. Students will complete in-class forensic labs related to the cases they are examining.

This course is taught by a PhD candidate and professor of Criminology, Tayler Shreve. It is an introduction to criminology for teens who are interested in becoming practitioners or professionals in the vast criminal justice system or those who enjoy true crime books, blogs, or movies.

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 de

Topics in this Series: Fundamentals of Forensic Science (Semester 1) and Cold Case Files (Semester 2). Students continuing from first semester will receive priority pre-registration for second semester.

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

Assignments:

There are assignments both in and out of the classroom. Students have the ability to submit assignments based on their learning style(s): written assignments, presentations, spoken recordings (podcast, TedTalk, etc.).

Assessments: Students will receive feedback on all assignments. There are no exams in this course, however points will be assigned for completed assignments, participation, and attendance.

Textbook/Materials: Articles and case studies will be posted by the instructor as downloadable pdfs.

Lab/Supply Fee: A lab fee of $50.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. This teacher accepts payments via Zelle @ (941)224-9944

Non-Meeting Days: This is a 12-week class that will begin on 1/23 and have one additional day off to be announced.

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

Prerequisites: None

Enjoy a day on the snowy slopes skiing with homeschool friends at Liberty Mountain Resort in Fairfield, PA.

The complete adult package includes rental of all ski equipment, ski lessons, lift ticket, and support by MC Youth Ski Club. (Lunch voucher is not included).

Date: Monday, February 9, 2026

Schedule:
* 8:30 am (bus departs)
* 10:30 am – 3:00 pm “on the mountain” lessons/skiing
* 5:00 pm (bus returns to Compass)

Notes:
* Minimum age 7 for lessons. Ages 7-9, must have a participating parent or designated adult
* This event can be drop-off for children ages 10+
* Parents are welcome with the purchase of an Adult package. Parents wishing to ride along to observe- without paying for adult package- cannot be accommodated.
* This program is being coordinated by MC Youth Ski Club which is owned by a Compass parent.
* All participants will be required to set up access and sign waivers through MCYSC’s online portal prior to the trip.

Prerequisites: None

Enjoy a day on the snowy slopes skiing with homeschool friends at Liberty Mountain Resort in Fairfield, PA.

The “complete” adult package includes rental of all ski equipment, ski lessons, lift ticket, and support by MC Youth Ski Club. (Lunch voucher is not included).

Date: Monday, February 23, 2026

Schedule:

• 8:30 am (Depart NoVA)
• 10:30 am – 3:00 pm “on the mountain” lessons/skiing
• 5:00 pm (bus returns to Compass)

Notes:

• Minimum age 7 for lessons. Ages 7-9, must have a participating parent or designated adult
• This event can be drop-off for children ages 10+
• Parents are welcome with the purchase of an Adult package. Parents wishing to ride along to observe- without paying for adult package- cannot be accommodated.
• This program is being coordinated by MC Youth Ski Club which is owned by a Compass parent.
• All participants will be required to set up access and sign waivers through MCYSC’s online portal prior to the trip.

Prerequisites: None

Enjoy a day on the snowy slopes skiing with homeschool friends at Liberty Mountain Resort in Fairfield, PA.

The “complete” youth package includes rental of all ski equipment, ski lessons, lift ticket, lunch voucher, and supervision by MC Youth Ski Club.

Date: Monday, February 9, 2026

Schedule:

• 8:30 am (Depart NoVA)
• 10:30 am – 3:00 pm “on the mountain” lessons/skiing
• 5:00 pm (bus returns to Compass)

Notes:

• Minimum age 7 for lessons. Ages 7-9, must have a participating parent or designated adult
• This event can be drop-off for children ages 10+
• Parents are welcome with the purchase of an Adult package. Parents wishing to ride along to observe- without paying for adult package- cannot be accommodated.
• This program is being coordinated by MC Youth Ski Club which is owned by a Compass parent.
• All participants will be required to set up access and sign waivers through MCYSC’s online portal prior to the trip.

Prerequisites: None

Register here to participate in the Junior Spelling Bee on February 25, 2026, at 4:00 pm. Junior Spelling Bee is for students under age 9. This is an in-person bee held at Compass's Herndon facility. All participants will receive a certificate and mementos, and the winner will receive a medal. There is a $10.00 activity fee for Compass students to participate in the bee. (A Compass student one who is currently enrolled in Compass classes.)

This is the fee for a Language Arts Skills Inventory with reading specialist Mrs. Vanlandingham. All new students who wish to be considered for enrollment in a Reading Rally language arts program must be assessed for level prior to registering. Mrs. Vanlandingham will advise families what level (Red-1, Green-2, Blue-1, Silver, etc) to register for.

Once a family has paid for a Skills Inventory, the specialist will be in touch about scheduling. Most assessments are held on  Monday or Wednesday afternoons. All assessments are held in person at Compass. Virtual assessments will not be offered.

The assessment is typically 20-30 minutes long for the child, with an additional 20-30 minute parent discussion. Students are given the Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) which takes into consideration the 5 Pillars of Literacy: Phonics, Phonemic Awareness, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Reading Comprehension. Within those categories, the QRI has more than 30 measures including vowels, blends, articulation, implicit and explicit questions, self-correction, and miscue analysis. Students will also be asked to write a brief retelling of a sample passage.

Parents will be advised which level Reading Rally their child should register for. Parents will not receive a detailed report but may take notes on the specialist's observations and recommendations. The assessment fee is non refundable if the family elects not to enroll in a Reading Rally class. Please note that 10 levels of Reading Rally are offered for Fall 2024, and the recommended level could be on a Monday or a Wednesday and may fall at a time that conflicts with other class preferences.

Chewy, chunky, crispy, or crunchy- kids love cookies! Join us for a one-day, 3-hour Cookie Academy where bakers will craft 4-5 kinds of cookies: Strawberry Cherry Poms, Chocolate Shortbread Cookies, Red Velvet Spritz, Raspberry Coconut Balls, and/or Cherry Chip Cookies. Students will leave with a tray of 3-4 dozen cookies ready to share with their Valentines and the recipes to repeat the cookies at home. See the Compass Cooking Class webpage for more FAQs about our cooking classes. There is a supply fee of $30.00 due to the instructor at the start of the workshop.

Prerequisites: None

You might have gone through high school using beginner-level Google tools like Docs, Sheets, and Slides, but to prepare for college and career, it might be time to learn Microsoft Office 365. While Google Workspace applications are generally liked for their ease of collaboration and cloud-based accessibility, Microsoft Office 365 tools are preferred in many majors and industries for their advanced features, refinement, and computing power. Any high school student who plans to pursue a college major in business, science, engineering, or other data-driven field should learn Microsoft Office, and anyone wishing to enter the job market or enhance their resume with recognized credentials as a Certified Microsoft Office Specialist should take this class. Furthermore, any student bound for college or the work world who is not proficient in these computer applications can take this class to catch up on 21st century skills.

Second semester, students will work through official Microsoft study materials to become certified as a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) in Excel. Working in Excel will help as student create and manage worksheets and workbooks that can become professional-looking budgets, financial statements, sales invoices, data logs, and performance charts. Specific skills covered in the Excel Associate curriculum include: creating cells and ranges; creating tables; applying formulas and functions; creating charts and objects; creating and editing a workbook with multiple sheets; and using a graphic element to represent data visually.

An additional benefit of this course may be earned college credit. The American Council on Education (ACE) has recommended that MOS certifications in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint be considered as computer application in higher education institutions. 1800 accredited ACE-member, degree-granting colleges, universities, and other education-related organizations may award college credit to students who earned these certifications.

Prerequisite: Basic keyboarding skills.

Levels: Students who take this course on-level can earn MOS certifications. Students who take both semesters of this course will additionally qualify as a Microsoft Office Specialist: Associate level for earning at least three certifications. Students who wish to pursue a more rigorous curriculum and designate this as an "honors" level course on their transcript can self-study for the Microsoft Office Specialist: Expert level which requires two additional exams passed at the Expert level (and additional testing fees of $200.)

Equipment: Students should bring a laptop to class which has a local copy of Microsoft Office 2019 installed or a current subscription and access to Microsoft Office 365.

Course Materials: Students will work from the official Microsoft Office Specialist study guides that will be provided in class and is included in the course tuition

Assessment: Students will take computer-based exams for each application: The MO-110: Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365 Apps)and the MO-310: Microsoft PowerPoint (Microsoft 365 Apps) first semester and the MO-210: Microsoft Excel (Microsoft 365 Apps) second semester.

Testing Fees: A fee of $100 per exam is required to take the Microsoft Office Specialist exams.

Non-Meeting Days: In addition to the scheduled days-off on the published Compass schedule, this class will begin on Friday 1/23, with one other day off with the actual dates to be announced.

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

Prerequisites: None

Sign up here to participate in the Northern Virginia Homeschool Geography Bee on February 4, 2026 (4:00 pm- 5:30 pm). This is an independent bee that does not advance to a regional or state competition, as the National Geographic Bee has been cancelled indefinitely. The bee will use geography questions from prior years' National Geographic Bees. This is an in-person bee held at Compass's Herndon facility. All participants will receive a certificate and mementos, and the winner will receive a medal. There is a $10.00 activity fee for Compass students to participate. (A Compass student is one who is enrolled in the current term.)

Does your child learn best by hands-on activities, crafts, games, and stories? Number Ninjas is based on the belief that children need to work with mathematics in a concrete, physical, and tangible way in order to learn fundamental concepts. Young students will love learning numerical concepts in this interactive, exploration-based class where work with numbers feels like a game.

Third quarter, students will play games, complete puzzles, and examine riddles as an introduction to logic, critical thinking, and reasoning skills.

This class covers many of the 1st and 2nd grade Standards of Learning for math. Weekly update e-mails to parents will include suggestions for practice at home and extension activities.

This class will begin on 1/22/26 and meet on 3/12/26.

Topics in the Series: Patterns & Properties (Quarter 1), Money Math (Quarter 2), Learning Logic (Quarter 3), and Math in Nature (Quarter 4).

Prerequisites: None

Design, build, and program an explorer robot to navigate newly discovered, unmapped ancient tomb. Each week, students will improve their robots though the addition of new sensors and components and will program their devices to navigate a maze and collect treasure.

Students will use the brand new LEGO Education Spike Prime robotics sets. They will build with motors, wheels/axles, gears, levers, and special components. Students will have to install touch, sound, color, and 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 Spike Prime coding menu, students will learn to program their robots while experimenting with key concepts such as fixed values, variables, loops, and logic constructs.
This course 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 weeks assembling, three weeks programming, and two weeks testing and re-designing their projects.

This class will begin on 1/22/26 and meet on 3/12/26.

Topics in this Series: Lunar Lander (Quarter 1); Battle Bots (Quarter 2); Tomb Explorer (Quarter 3), and Soccer Bot Showdown (Quarter 4)

Prerequisites: None

Compass little girls ages 5-10 and their fathers or special grown-ups are invited to the Sweetheart Soiree, a Valentines dance, on Sunday, February 8, from 5:00pm - 7:00pm. There will be games, music, activities, and dancing. Snacks, sweets, and beverages will be served.

Attire for little girls is Valentines dressy, and attire for fathers is suits or sportscoats. All Compass rules on behavior and dress code will apply to all partygoers.

Tickets are $15.00 per person (early registration) through February 1, and $20.00 per person after February 1 (late registration). Note: One ticket is needed for each attendee. At least one child must be a currently enrolled Compass student. Sisters who are not enrolled at Compass may attend with their Compass sister and parent. Parent set-up, chaperones, and clean-up help will be needed.

Non-Compass homeschooled students from Northern Virginia (Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Arlington, Stafford, and Faquier counties, or Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park citities) Register here to receive a code for a discounted membership in Volunteer Scholars, a Compass affiliate, where you can earn the American Volunteer Service Award (AVSA), the National Distinguished Student Leadership Award (NDSLA), and/or the American Citizenship Award (ACA). Students will have the choice of a 2025-26 Premier Membership (AVSA) for $29 instead of $99- a $70 savings or a 2025-26 Elite Membership (AVSA, NDSLA, ACA) for $49 instead of $179- a $130 savings.

Additional information about this awards can be found on the Volunteer Scholars webpage. The $29/$49 fee will be collected by Volunteer Scholars rather than Compass.

Enjoy a day on the snowy slopes skiing with homeschool friends at Liberty Mountain Resort in Fairfield, PA.

The “complete” youth package includes roundtrip transportation by chartered bus, refreshments on the bus, rental of all ski equipment, ski lessons, lift ticket, lunch voucher, and supervision by MC Youth Ski Club.

Date: Monday, February 23, 2026

Schedule:

• 8:30 am (bus departs)
• 10:30 am – 3:00 pm “on the mountain” lessons/skiing
• 5:00 pm (bus returns to Compass)

Notes:

• Minimum age 7 for lessons. Ages 7-9, must have a participating parent or designated adult
• This event can be drop-off for children ages 10+
• Parents are welcome with the purchase of an Adult package. Parents wishing to ride along to observe- without paying for adult package- cannot be accommodated.
• This program is being coordinated by MC Youth Ski Club which is owned by a Compass parent.
• All participants will be required to set up access and sign waivers through MCYSC’s online portal prior to the trip.

Prerequisites: None

Register here to participate in the Senior Spelling Bee on March 4, 2026 at 4:00 pm. Senior Spelling Bee is for students ages 9-15. This is an in-person bee held at Compass's Herndon facility. All participants will receive a certificate and mementos, and the winner will receive a medal. There is a $25.00 activity fee for non-Compass homeschooled students to participate in the bee.