Remember this quote from Monday’s Update? 

We’re Achieving it!  Or, as Owen would say, “For real, Compass!  For really, real life.” It’s happening! 

Thanks to our big outreach grants from Newman’s Own Foundation and Main Street Resources, we are able to help 6 schools build their own gardens, inspired by what they learn at The Compass Farm.   

With the grant funding, we’re hiring a Compass Outreach Farmer (interviews will take place this Thursday).  We already have more school’s applying than we can support – the demand is there – we’re doing this thing!  

If you know a school that’s interested in building a garden with our support, remind them that the deadline is THIS COMING MONDAY and they can find out more about the opportunity on our website: http://compassschool.org/science-engagement-center/

As you know, I’m big on making sure everyone understands the WHY of our choices at Compass, so just to recap, here are the top 5 reasons WHY we launched the Science Engagement Center at The Compass School Farm and WHY we’re so excited that it’s real – for really, real life. 

• Reason #5 – Charter Renewal: A new part of the charter renewal system (we get evaluated every 5 years) requires charter schools to demonstrate how they are sharing best practices with other schools. 

• Reason #4 –  Your Kiddo Won the Lottery: We have a pretty special thing going on at Compass, but we’re limited; only 174 students get the Compass experience each year.  By partnering with other schools, we’re paying it forward and hoping to enrich the broader educational landscape with some seeds from Compass…literally

• Reason #3 – Mission Deep Dive: We’re doing a deep dive into our mission.  Learning about the plight of the pollinators in the Lavender Labyrinth and Biodiversity gardens, understanding the gifts animals can offer, and tasting the delicious flavors of a tomato you’ve grown yourself …all of these experiences immerse our students in our environmental sustainability mission. 

• Reason #2 – It’s all part of my master plan…  Building something great and sharing it attracts big $ donors…who might then fund the barn renovation project…which helps Compass say goodbye to the modulars that we pay almost $4,000 painful dollars per month for…which lets us invest more in instructional expenses for teachers and materials…which stops Ms. Brandee’s  annual budget heart attacks.   

• Reason #1 – Our Compass Kids: If we build great programming to share with other schools…it means that our Compass kids get the benefit of using it right here at their own doorstep! Priceless. 

Above: The Compass Farm After School Program – photo credit: Rachel Axelson 

On behalf of the Compass School’s Health, Safety and Wellness committee, thank you for your ongoing support of The Science Engagement Center at The Compass School Farm! 

Thank you all for leaning in to support me and our Compass Council as we work to move our special school forward with all of this important and exciting work. 

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Compass is delighted to have received a $9,000 grant from the NRCS to install a seasonal high tunnel on our farm.  This will allow us to extend our growing season and further enrich the experiences at the Science Engagement Center at the Compass School Farm.

This structure will be different than our greenhouse where we prep seedlings in soil blocks on tables. In a high tunnel, you plant right in the ground – the covering protects the plants when the weather gets cool. 

Where will the new high tunnel go?

First, The Vision:

Ideally, the high tunnel will be placed in the area abutting the goat pen on one side and the raised beds on the other.

Next, The Reality:

We have some neighbors who notified us that they intend to speak out in opposition to our special permit for the high tunnel at our upcoming Special Permit Hearing in front of the SK Zoning Board. When our Navigators (7th/8th) heard this, they became all fired up and inspired to act.  With support from Ms. Harlyn in ELA, they are writing persuasive letters explaining why Compass should  be able to have a high tunnel even if our neighbors would prefer not to see one. We will then practice those at our Student Voice and Leadership session.  Even those who are not official members of SVL are welcome to participate if they would like to join the Compass advocacy team.  The big showdown is scheduled for:

• December 20th at 7:00
• 180 High St., Wakefield, RI 02879 

We’re first on the agenda, so it shouldn’t be too late of a night! I invite our Navigators and their families to come and use their Loud and Proud voices to read their persuasive letters to the zoning board.  I am optimistic that our student advocates will be more persuasive than our neighbors

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Eighteen 8th grade boys from the San Miguel School spent the day at Compass doing tours, workshops, service and hanging out with our Navigators (7th/8th). This is the agenda we used.

We had a spectacular day. One of my key takeaways was reflecting again on how fortunate Compass kids are. The activities that we prepared for our visitors are every day experiences for us. When I saw our “normal” through the eyes of visitors, I remembered that it’s actually pretty extraordinary.

In Farm Headquarters, San Miguel students learn to make tasty smoothies using fruit and kale from our farm.
Workshop presenter: Sheryl Parente

Students who have never even seen a goat or chick before learn to feed them by hand (and walk them on a leash!)
Workship Presenter: Ms. Christine Skaggs

Farmer Kati teaches that even flowers can be edible.

San Miguel students do service work to help us maintain the largest school garden in RI.

We’ve been so focused on satisfying the charter regulations about sharing our innovative best practices with other schools that we didn’t realize how much we (Compass) would benefit from the exchange. Preparing to have the San Miguel students from Providence on Compass campus brought about some really important discussion about diversity and stereotypes. Then, hosting this awesome school and seeing first-hand the similarities and differences between us was really valuable exposure and awareness building for Compass students.

Compass and San Miguel students play football together.

What’s more is that San Miguel has asked if they can host us next! They have a strong robotics program and would like to have the chance to be a leader and a host just as our kids did this week! Wednesday’s field trip was heart-warming. This partnership is already proving to be a reciprocal learning exchange for both schools. I’m thankful that through our Science Engagement Center at The Compass School Farm, we’re able to dive deep into our environmental sustainability and our social responsibility missions. I just love it

Compass students gather with their new friends from San Miguel.

Cheers to these achievements and more to come! Special thanks to the Navigator (7th/8th) teachers and students, Christine Skaggs, Farmer Kati, nutritionist Sheryl Parente, and San Miguel Director John Wolf!

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