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COMPASS receives grants from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation
and The Boston Center for Blind Children
June 22, 2010
COMPASS is pleased to announce recent grant awards from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation and from The Boston Center for Blind Children.
Read about the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation.
Read about The Boston Center for Blind Children.
COMPASS is pleased to announce recent grant awards from Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation and from The Boston Center for Blind Children.
Read about the Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation.
Read about The Boston Center for Blind Children.
2010 Washington DC Trip
June 21, 2010
The Annual 'Kip Sowpel' Washington DC trip kicked off in late June with a Washington Nationals baseball game. Students were filled with excitement during the long road trip down, talking about the different things they wanted to do and see. The six students chose several museums and monuments to explore while in Washington. Some highlights included a trip to the National Zoo, the International Spy Museum, the American Art Museum, and a night tour of the National Mall and Monuments. Students marveled over seeing the White House and Capitol Buildings, asking questions and taking advantage of photo opportunities. The trip concluded with a nice dinner out where everyone joked, laughed, and shared stories of their favorite parts to the trip.
COMPASS' Violence Prevention Day Celebration
June 9, 2010
On Wednesday, June 9th, students, parents/guardians and staff celebrated COMPASS' Violence Prevention Day with a theme of "Violence Prevention Through a Recognition of Success," a day which provided an opportunity to recognize achievements in COMPASS' four school and famiily based programs. All attendees were given t-shirts which featured the creative expressions of students who participated in designing a message and/or artwork for this year's event. Students were rewarded with a $25 gift certificate to a store or restaurant of their choice.
John Verre of COMPASS Consulting to be Assistant Superintendent of Special Education for BPS
April 6, 2010COMPASS extends congratulations and best wishes to John Verre in his new position as the Assistant Superintendent of Special Education in the City of Boston. John was the Director of COMPASS Consulting Services from 1997 through 2010, during which time he served as an educational consultant to state departments of education and to school districts in areas such as civil rights and regulatory compliance, program evaluation and development and organizational assessment.
Read more on the Boston Public Schools' web site.
Jordan Fundamentals Now Administered by Abekam
March 30, 2010COMPASS has been proud to manage the Jordan Fundamentals program for the past three years. This Jordan Brand program provides $1 million in grants each year to teachers of at-risk students. Jordan Fundamentals is now being administered by Abekam. For further information, go to www.jordanfundamentals.com.
COMPASS clinician Pam Stich incorporated a beaded jewelry making class in to the students' BEAMS (Beginning, Engaging, Acquiring, Mastering, Strengthening) activity program, and in to some therapy sessions, to help students relax and engage more easily.
The first jewelry BEAMS project was organized around a fundraiser in which students made jewelry to sell to staff and the public during COMPASS Cafe hours on Friday, February 12th, with the advertised goal of donating all proceeds toward a Haiti Relief Fund.
Over 20 pieces of jewelry were sold, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings, and 107 dollars was raised to help Haiti. A few students had experience with jewelry making and were able to design and make their own pieces, while other students needed more guidance and instruction. It was a great process and experience for the students to create something that people purchased as well as to know that their work would be going towards a very important cause.
Open House October 29th
October 13, 2009Our Open House allowed us to show off our new facility to the many friends and guests who joined us. The building's fit for our organization was remarked on by many people, and the new state of the art kitchen for our culinary vocational program impressed as well. Our recent move and the resulting consolidation of 3 or our programs allows us to better provide services to the at-risk population we serve.
COMPASS Is Moving to a New Location
August 19, 2009
COMPASS is excited to announce that it has acquired a ten year lease on a wonderful building, at 290 Bowdoin Street, Dorchester, (the former St. Peter's elementary school), and that we will be moving COMPASS School, our Comprehensive Support & Stabilization Program and COMPASS administration during the week of August 24th. While Hyde Square, Jamaica Plain is a neighborhood that we have called home for more than 30 years, our move will allow us to consolidate three current program sites into one.
In our new building we'll be combining the resources and long-standing traditions of COMPASS schools and programs, enriched by the commitment and experience of our COMPASS staff. We look forward to continuing COMPASS' 35-year history of providing quality services to at-risk youth and families in our new Dorchester location, while maintaining a highly visible sign of our presence in and commitment to conducting our work in an urban setting.
In our new building we'll be combining the resources and long-standing traditions of COMPASS schools and programs, enriched by the commitment and experience of our COMPASS staff. We look forward to continuing COMPASS' 35-year history of providing quality services to at-risk youth and families in our new Dorchester location, while maintaining a highly visible sign of our presence in and commitment to conducting our work in an urban setting.
COMPASS Graduation Days 2009
Holden School Graduation, Charlestown, June 16; COMPASS School Graduation, Jamaica Plain, June 23
Holden School Graduation, Charlestown, June 16; COMPASS School Graduation, Jamaica Plain, June 23
This year COMPASS graduated 10 students from both its Jamaica Plain school and the Holden School in Charlestown.
The ceremonies were well attended by staff, families, and members of the Board of Directors and Advisory Committees.
John Lydon, Executive Director, and Janice Brenner, Director of the Holden School, presented diplomas to the proud Holden School graduates,
while the COMPASS School graduates received their diplomas from Beth Labbe, COMPASS School Principal and staff members Terry Belli, Ryan Eisenberg
and David Zimmer. Each ceremony was followed by a deluxe reception.
This year's graduates (in alphabetical order, by last name):
This year's graduates (in alphabetical order, by last name):
- Johnny Bland has shown real strength overcoming all obstacles, first at Bay Cove Academy, then at COMPASS.
- Anastashia "Staya" Daily will be studying automotive mechanics at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, on a full residential scholarship.
- Pedro Fuentes will study at Cordon Bleu cooking school on a full scholarship, part of which he won in a statewide cooking contest.
- Nichole Lewis Hayward plans to pursue a career in cosmetology, and was presented the Bob Heard award for Community Service.
- Dexter Hester looks forward to work and pursuing his interest in music.
- Juan Lugo expects to start in the Culinary Arts program at Bunker Hill Community College this fall.
- Kristina Santiago plans to prepare for a career as a nursing assistant.
- Michael Shepard has demonstrated exceptional perseverance, kindness, dedication and humor.
- Yarder Richard Theragene will study to be an electrician at Benjamin Franklin Institute for Technology.
- Adam Thompson has been one of COMPASS' few STEP 5 students (the highest honor at Compass), and looks forward to college and continuing his growth as a student.